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Miguel Rojas Says Dodgers Noticed Drake’s Trash Talk to Shohei Ohtani—and It Backfired

Rojas and the Dodgers thought Drake's trolling of Ohtani was disrespectful.
Tim Capurso|
Rojas (#11) and Ohtani (#17) helped the Dodgers capture its second straight championship.
Rojas (#11) and Ohtani (#17) helped the Dodgers capture its second straight championship. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles DodgersToronto Blue Jays

Trolling is a part of sports. Oftentimes, it's the athletes doing it, but every so often, a celebrity will join in on the fun in the name of supporting their favorite team. That's what Canadian rapper Drake did when he playfully trolled Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani in the midst of a thrilling, back-and-forth World Series that was eventually won by Los Angeles in seven games.

Only, the Dodgers didn't see Drake's social media posts as playful trolling. As Dodgers Game 7 hero Miguel Rojas told TMZ in an interview, Los Angeles perceived the Canadian rapper's online jabs at Ohtani to be disrespectful.

Rojas says Drake trolling Ohtani 'didn't go unnoticed'

"... That [Drake's trolling] doesn't go unnoticed," Rojas said. "When you kind of disrespect—a little bit—the best player in the game. Not understanding the quality of the person and what the guy has done for baseball. ... You don’t have to do that, man.”

What did Drake post about Ohtani?

Drake decided to have a little social media fun at the Dodgers‘ expense following the Blue Jays‘ Game 5 victory—in which Toronto starter Trey Yesavage dominated Los Angeles‘s lineup. The Canadian rapper took to Instagram and trolled Ohtani, who went 0-for-4 with a strikeout against Yesavage.

Rojas credited Yesavage for his superb pitching, but noted that in the Dodgers‘s eyes, Drake didn't have to go there and troll Ohtani. The Dodgers infielder, who hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7, explained that Drake's trolling is what prompted teammate Kiké Hernández to take a shot at the rapper during the team's victory celebration.

Kiké Hernández fires back at Drake after Dodgers‘ World Series win

Hernández, during his speech at the Dodgers‘ World Series parade, couldn't resist taking a not-so-subtle jab right back at Drake, referencing one of Drake's songs, "Big Rings."

"...Playing the most games in October for this franchise, for this really big team that has a lot of really big rings," Hernández said.

Perhaps the Drake curse lives on?

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball. Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.

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