Blue Jays' Springer questions Ohtani's extended warm-up
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani received additional time to warm up before taking the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 8, 2026, at Rogers Centre, drawing attention from outfielder George Springer. Springer spoke with the home plate umpire during Ohtani's warm-up throws. The incident recalled Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, when Blue Jays manager John Schneider raised the issue with umpires.
Ohtani, a two-way player since arriving from Japan in 2018, often requires extra preparation after running the bases as a hitter. Standard inning breaks last two minutes and 15 seconds for local games, with 30 additional seconds for national broadcasts. Umpires have granted Ohtani leeway in such situations.
Ohtani posted an .896 OPS and 0.00 ERA early in the 2026 season. Last year, he hit 55 home runs and pitched to a 2.87 ERA while earning multiple Silver Slugger awards and entering Cy Young Award discussions.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the Blue Jays' concerns after the game. "Just talking about the World Series, I think they were a little frustrated about how long Shohei takes in between innings. But if he’s on the bases, there’s got to be some grace, which the umpires are trying to give him," Roberts said. "Yeah, if you’re on the other side, you’re trying to rush him as much as possible and treat him like any other pitcher. But the truth is that he’s different. But I understand their gripe."
