Roberts: Machado’s throw into dugout ‘unsettling’
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO — The baseball that San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado threw toward the Dodgers‘ dugout Sunday night — triggering another heated back-and-forth between him and Los Angeles pitcher Jack Flaherty — landed in the vicinity of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Roberts, speaking before his team’s workout Monday, said he didn’t notice it initially but later reviewed an internal video of the throw.
“It was unsettling,” Roberts said. “Obviously I have a relationship with Manny from years past. There was intent behind it. It didn’t almost hit me because there was a net. And that was very bothersome. If it was intended at me, I would be very — it’s pretty disrespectful. So, I don’t know his intent. I don’t want to speak for him. But I did see the video. And the ball was directed at me with something behind it. But I don’t know what led to that.”
Major League Baseball has been in touch with the Dodgers’ security staff and asked for footage of the incident, sources told ESPN, though any punishment seems unlikely. A video showing what appeared to be the incident in question was posted to social media on Monday night by the San Diego Union Tribune.
After Sunday’s Game 2 — a 10-2 win by the Padres that evened the National League Division Series at a game apiece — Machado accused Flaherty of hitting San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. on purpose to begin the sixth inning, an accusation Flaherty vehemently denied. Two batters later, Flaherty struck out Machado and afterward yelled in his direction, telling him to “sit the f— down.”
Machado did not seem bothered by Flaherty’s reaction, instead chalking it up to “competition.” But the two exchanged words when Machado came back onto the field for defense in the bottom of the sixth, seemingly challenging each other to a postgame fight. Flaherty later revealed he was angry that Machado threw a baseball into the Dodgers’ dugout.
Machado initially dismissed the accusation, saying he constantly tosses baseballs into dugouts after pre-inning warmups conclude. But people on the Dodgers who either saw the throw or watched a video feed of it say it was thrown firmly, bouncing before hitting the netting that resides directly in front of where Roberts sits during games, on the home-plate end of the dugout. Machado downplayed the throw on Sunday night but also seemed to hint at his intentions when asked if it’s normal for him to throw unneeded baseballs into the dugout of an opposing team.
“Both dugouts,” Machado said. “They have foul balls, you throw the ball back in there. I mean, when you try to hit our best hitter. Right? Get him out. If you can’t get him out, don’t hit him. Right? They have the best player in the game, right? [Shohei] Ohtani? We don’t go out there and try to hit Ohtani. We try to get him out. Don’t go out there and try to hit my guy.”
“Obviously I have a relationship with Manny from years past. … If it was intended at me, I would be very — it’s pretty disrespectful. So, I don’t know his intent. I don’t want to speak for him. But I did see the video. And the ball was directed at me with something behind it. But I don’t know what led to that.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts
Before signing the first of two long-term contracts with the Padres, Machado played for the Dodgers in the stretch run of the 2018 season, coming over from the Baltimore Orioles to replace injured Corey Seager at shortstop. The Dodgers did not engage with Machado when he became a free agent the ensuing offseason.
Asked if he had any dialogue with Machado before he threw a baseball in his direction, Roberts said: “The only dialogue I had was he was chirping at Jack. And I looked at him and shook my head, making a point that we wouldn’t hit him on purpose to lead off an inning being down two runs.”
“I think he’s using it as fuel,” Roberts added. “As a baseball person, anyone understands that you don’t do that, intentionally put the leadoff man on base with 3-4-5 coming up behind. It just makes no sense.”
Flaherty struck an apologetic tone Monday, acknowledging that “things got out of hand” between him and Machado, adding: “I wish I would’ve just let it go.”
Machado addressed reporters before Roberts’ comments and was not made available afterward. Through a third party, Machado told The San Diego Union Tribune: “I spoke about this last night after the game. I’ve already turned the page, and I’m just looking forward to playing in front of our fans tomorrow and preparing for another tough battle against a very good team.”
It’s 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby day in Atlanta!
Some of the most dynamic home run hitters in baseball will be taking aim at the Truist Park stands on Monday (8 p.m. ET on ESPN) in one of the most anticipated events of the summer.
While the prospect of a back-to-back champion is out of the picture — 2024 winner Teoscar Hernandez is not a part of this year’s field — a number of exciting stars will be taking the field, including Atlanta’s own Matt Olson, who replaced Ronald Acuna Jr. just three days before the event. Will Olson make a run in front of his home crowd? Will Cal Raleigh show off the power that led to 38 home runs in the first half? Or will one of the younger participants take the title?
We have your one-stop shop for everything Derby related, from predictions to live updates once we get underway to analysis and takeaways at the night’s end.
MLB Home Run Derby field
Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners (38 home runs in 2025)
James Wood, Washington Nationals (24)
Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays (23)
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (21)
Brent Rooker, Athletics (20)
Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves (17)
Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees (17)
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates (16)
Live updates
Who is going to win the Derby and who will be the runner-up?
Jeff Passan: Raleigh. His swing is perfect for the Derby: He leads MLB this season in both pull percentage and fly ball percentage, so it’s not as if he needs to recalibrate it to succeed. He has also become a prolific hitter from the right side this season — 16 home runs in 102 at-bats — and his ability to switch between right- and left-handed pitching offers a potential advantage. No switch-hitter (or catcher for that matter) has won a Home Run Derby. The Big Dumper is primed to be the first, beating Buxton in the finals.
Alden Gonzalez: Cruz. He might be wildly inconsistent at this point in his career, but he is perfect for the Derby — young enough to possess the stamina required for a taxing event that could become exhausting in the Atlanta heat; left-handed, in a ballpark where the ball carries out better to right field; and, most importantly, capable of hitting balls at incomprehensible velocities. Raleigh will put on a good show from both sides of the plate but will come in second.
Buster Olney: Olson. He is effectively pinch-hitting for Acuna, and because he received word in the past 72 hours of his participation, he hasn’t had the practice rounds that the other competitors have been going through. But he’s the only person in this group who has done the Derby before, which means he has experienced the accelerated pace, adrenaline and push of the crowd.
His pitcher, Eddie Perez, knows something about performing in a full stadium in Atlanta. And, as Olson acknowledged in a conversation Sunday, the park generally favors left-handed hitters because of the larger distances that right-handed hitters must cover in left field.
Jesse Rogers: Olson. Home-field advantage will mean something this year as hitting in 90-plus degree heat and humidity will be an extra challenge in Atlanta. Olson understands that and can pace himself accordingly. Plus, he was a late addition. He has got nothing to lose. He’ll outlast the young bucks in the field. And I’m not putting Raleigh any lower than second — his first half screams that he’ll be in the finals against Olson.
Jorge Castillo: Wood. His mammoth power isn’t disputed — he can jack baseballs to all fields. But the slight defect in his power package is that he doesn’t hit the ball in the air nearly as often as a typical slugger. Wood ranks 126th out of 155 qualified hitters across the majors in fly ball percentage. And he still has swatted 24 home runs this season. So, in an event where he’s going to do everything he can to lift baseballs, hitting fly balls won’t be an issue, and Wood is going to show off that gigantic power en route to a victory over Cruz in the finals.
Who will hit the longest home run of the night — and how far?
Passan: Cruz hits the ball harder than anyone in baseball history. He’s the choice here, at 493 feet.
Gonzalez: If you exclude the Coors Field version, there have been just six Statcast-era Derby home runs that have traveled 497-plus feet. They were compiled by two men: Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. James Wood — all 6-foot-7, 234 pounds of him — will become the third.
Olney: James Wood has the easy Stanton- and Judge-type power, and he will clear the Chophouse with the longest homer. Let’s say 497 feet.
Rogers: Hopefully he doesn’t injure himself doing it, but Buxton will break out his massive strength and crush a ball at least 505 feet. I don’t see him advancing far in the event, but for one swing, he’ll own the night.
Castillo: Cruz hits baseballs hard and far. He’ll crush a few bombs, and one will reach an even 500 feet.
Who is the one slugger fans will know much better after the Derby?
Passan: Buxton capped his first half with a cycle on Saturday, and he’ll carry that into the Derby, where he will remind the world why he was baseball’s No. 1 prospect in 2015. Buxton’s talent has never been in question, just his health. And with his body feeling right, he has the opportunity to put on a show fans won’t soon forget.
Olney: Caminero isn’t a big name and wasn’t a high-end prospect like Wood was earlier in his career. Just 3½ years ago, Caminero was dealt to the Rays by the Cleveland Guardians in a relatively minor November trade for pitcher Tobias Myers. But since then, he has refined his ability to cover inside pitches and is blossoming this year into a player with ridiculous power. He won’t win the Derby, but he’ll open some eyes.
What’s the one moment we’ll all be talking about long after this Derby ends?
Gonzalez: The incredible distances and velocities that will be reached, particularly by Wood, Cruz, Caminero, Raleigh and Buxton. The hot, humid weather at Truist Park will only aid the mind-blowing power that will be on display Monday night.
Rogers: The exhaustion on the hitter’s faces, swinging for home run after home run in the heat and humidity of Hot-lanta!
Castillo: Cruz’s 500-foot blast and a bunch of other lasers he hits in the first two rounds before running out of gas in the finals.
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