The Los Angeles Dodgers have had a target on their backs since the moment they won the World Series in 2024.

The 2026 season is no exception for the now back-to-back champions.

While the “Dodgers are ruining baseball” narrative has somewhat died down (maybe because they’re not?), the team is now facing criticism for the roster exemption it gets because of Shohei Ohtani’s two-way status.

Major League Baseball allows the Dodgers to carry an extra pitcher on the roster because of Ohtani. Teams are only permitted to have 13 pitchers on the active roster, but LA is able to carry a 14th arm because Ohtani is both a hitter and pitcher.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell randomly addressed the Ohtani-related rule and called out the Dodgers for getting an exception that no other team in the league gets.

“It’s a rule to help offense, I think, more than anything, if you ask me,” Counsell said on Monday, via the Associated Press. “And then there’s one team that’s allowed to carry basically one of both, and that he gets special consideration. Which is probably the most bizarre rule. … For one team.”

He aded: “There’s not another player like that, but one team gets different rules for that player.”

Manager Dave Roberts responded to Counsell’s comments on Ohtani.

“The thing is it certainly benefits us because we have the player,” Robetts said. “We’re more than willing for other teams to go out and find a player who can do both. He’s an exception because he’s an exceptional player. It is what it is.”

Asked Dave Roberts about Craig Counsell’s comments:

“The thing is it certainly benefits us because we have the player…We’re more than willing for other teams to go out and find a player who can do both. He’s an exception because he’s an exceptional player. It is what it is.” https://t.co/YMKg8OS0iw pic.twitter.com/f0YQsvG3u8

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 21, 2026

This isn’t the first time the Dodgers have faced backlash for an Ohtani-related reason.

Earlier this season, the defending champs returned to the Rogers Centre for a World Series rematch. And just like they did in the Fall Classic, the Toronto Blue Jays questioned why Ohtani received additional warmup time on the mound.

The obvious answer is because the two-way star was on the bases and had to then transition to being a pitcher. George Springer seemed to have an issue with it, though.

There is no one like Ohtani in the baseball world and that makes it hard for opposing teams to accept the “special” treatment he receives. However, all MLB teams had the same opportunity to sign Ohtani as a free agent ahead of the 2024 season.

The Cubs were among the interested teams, but didn’t make the final suitors on Ohtani’s list. The Los Angeles Angels had Ohtani for six seasons and completely squandered the opportunity because of bad ownership.

The Dodgers have helped Ohtani take his career to new heights as he’s won back-to-back World Series titles and consecutive MVP awards with LA.

This season, Ohtani is once again turning heads and has been especially sharp on the mound to start the 2026 campaign. Through 18 innings, Ohtani has allowed just one earned run to give him a 0.50 ERA.

There will always be criticism, but Ohtani doesn’t mind. He’s just focused on winning and adding another accolade to his name: a Cy Young award.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on X/Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow