Dodgers' Roberts Opposes Postseason Automatic Runner Rule Amid Pitching Shortages

During the extended 18-inning Game 3 of the World Series, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed he nearly had to use a position player as a pitcher for the first time in World Series history due to depleted bullpen resources. Despite this, Roberts opposed extending the regular-season automatic-runner rule—where a runner starts on second base in extra innings—to the postseason, emphasizing the importance of the traditional pitching battle in deciding a seven-game series. Both the Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays were running low on pitchers, with Dodgers having used a record 10 pitchers in the game and relying on starters like Yoshinobu Yamamoto who had pitched extensively in previous games. Blue Jays manager John Schneider expressed uncertainty about the automatic-runner rule, reflecting the tension between maintaining baseball's traditional form and adapting to modern game management challenges. Toronto second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa noted the unusual prospect of potentially seeing position players pitch in such crucial games. Overall, the managers and players highlighted the intense physical demands and strategic complexities facing teams in marathon postseason games without the ghost runner rule in effect.