Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts brushed off questions about his team’s disrupted travel schedule on Sunday, after a series of delays left him and his staff scrambling to make it back from Toronto in time for the club’s World Series preparations.
The Dodgers are set to host the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the Fall Classic on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. But Roberts and several members of his coaching staff didn’t arrive at the ballpark until around 5 p.m. PDT Sunday — the exact time the team’s scheduled workout was supposed to begin.
“I don’t want to get too far into it,” Roberts said during his pregame media availability. “I just arrived about 30 minutes ago. So there were some delays. I don’t know if there was intent or not. But, man, the international stuff was a bear. But we made it.”
The remark about “intent” sparked a wave of reaction online, with some fans interpreting it as a suggestion that Canadian officials had played a role in the holdup. In reality, the Dodgers’ return to California would have been processed by U.S. customs officers. The Blue Jays, who cross the border on every road trip, are accustomed to similar delays when travelling into and out of Canada.
According to Roberts, the team’s players flew home immediately after Saturday night’s Game 2 at Rogers Centre, landing in Los Angeles without issue. The coaching staff and other personnel, however, did not depart until Sunday morning, and their flight was slowed by hours of waiting on the tarmac and additional customs processing.
Travel complications are nothing new for Major League Baseball teams crossing the border. The Blue Jays themselves have faced extended waits at customs this season, sometimes lasting more than an hour.
Los Angeles evened the series at 1-1 following Saturday’s 5-1 win. Max Scherzer gets the ball for Toronto, with the Dodgers rolling with Tyler Glasnow. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. ET live on Sportsnet.
