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Blue Jays Manager Appears to Have Issue With Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of World Series

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) reacts in the dugout before game six of the 2025 MLB World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre on Oct. 31.
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) reacts in the dugout before game six of the 2025 MLB World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre on Oct. 31. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider had a long conversation with home plate umpire Jordan Baker between the first and second inning of Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday.

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Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers' designated hitter and starting pitcher, ended the top of the first inning on third base, then had to shift to the mound for the bottom of the first inning.

Although Major League Baseball limits the amount of time players have between innings before starting a new inning, according to the league, umpires "may provide extra time if warranted by special circumstances."

Ohtani is the only full-time two-way player in baseball. The Dodgers' leadoff hitter and starting pitcher in Game 7 needed more time to prepare to pitch after fulfilling his duties as a DH, singling to begin the game before he was stranded on third base.

According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, Ohtani didn't get to the mound until 45 seconds remained on the timer.

According to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group, Ohtani took a long time getting to the mound again after he lined out sharply to outfielder Nathan Lukes to end the top of the third inning.

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That prompted Schneider to throw his hands to his sides, palms up, as if to suggest he didn't understand why Ohtani was granted extra time again.

But in each case, it appears the umpires recognized that Ohtani needed more time to warm up, and were within their rights under the rules to grant it.

The gesture certainly didn't help Ohtani, who was removed from the game in the bottom of the third inning with a 3-0 deficit.

Ohtani allowed a leadoff single to George Springer, then retired Lukes on a sacrifice bunt. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was walked intentionally with first base open. That set the stage for Bo Bichette.

Bichette clobbered Ohtani's first pitch, a slider over the middle of the plate, 442 feet to center field for a game-changing home run. Justin Wrobleski relieved Ohtani, who remained in the game as the Dodgers' designated hitter.

Some in the Canadian media were quick to highlight that Ohtani already has a special dispensation in MLB's rules enjoyed by no one else in baseball.

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J.P. Hoornstra
J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

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