Eddie Rosario’s first game with the Dodgers had everything you could ask for. From a home run to a moment that left everyone in the stadium taking a double take. The Dodgers’ newest addition was once their longtime rival. And his bat is as dangerous as back then, now swinging on the Dodgers’ pitch. But just when Rosario was riding the high of his home run, the rollercoaster went down as a questionable move.
Eddie Rosario wasn’t always donning the Dodger’s blue. Back then, Rosario was a Braves player and played a key role in their 2021 postseason success. He earned the NLCS MVP honors and even knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs that year. Fast forwarding to 2025, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed their fierce enemy to a minor league deal worth $740,000 plus performance bonuses for his plate appearances.
Now, in the pre-season, Eddie Rosario debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants. In his debut game during Spring Training, Rosario made the headlines by hitting a two-run home run in the second inning. This was a great start as he tried to make his mark in the Dodgers’ lineup. But it also took a downturn.
All eyes were on him in the Dodgers stadium. And not exactly for a highlight reel play, but for challenging a very obvious strike call. This resulted in the use of MLB’s Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system, and its analysis corresponded with the umpire’s original decision. With this, the Dodgers lost a valuable challenge opportunity—not Rosario’s smartest choice.
The MLB has made continuous efforts to integrate technology into the game. The Dodgers’ use of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system is part of this effort. Its primary function is to ensure accurate calls. Adding on, the system allows players to challenge the umpire’s decisions. However, instances like Rosario’s challenge show us that plays could misuse it. Players must understand the technology’s capabilities and limitations. Each team is allowed only a limited number of challenges. And an impulse call, such as Rosario’s, can cost them valuable opportunities later in the game.
Backlash and banter over Rosario’s strike challenge
This incident went viral, triggering reactions online. Many questioned his decision to challenge such a clear pitch, causing it to be a costly mistake for the Dodgers during his debut game.
Eddie Rosario challenges this strike. Upon ABS review, the call is upheld.
(MLB x @TMobile) pic.twitter.com/6ZldkSp4Ki
— MLB (@MLB) February 22, 2025
Rosario is a seasoned player with so much experience that a rookie mistake was unwarranted. Getting a little blunt, a fan said, “What a moron.” Their frustration is understandable—now that he’s playing for one of MLB’s biggest franchises, only makes this mistake more unexpected. And the pitch in question was very clearly in the strike zone. A fan pointed out, “Embarrassing… the entire ball caught the zone and this bum challenged it .” This is just how obvious the strike was, and with replay leaving little room for doubts and challenging it was embarrassing indeed.
But uh-oh. There’s more. The backlash also got personal. Rosario’s eye surgery made the news in 2022 when he went public with his vision issues. He missed a large chunk of his career recovering from surgery to fix swelling in his right retina. A fan said, “He needs to sue the people who gave him lasik.” If this kind of judgment reoccurs, then Rosario must consider this fan’s advice.
Although his surgery was successful and he made a healthy return to baseball, many still connect this incident to his vision issues. Another fan pointed out: “Eye surgery didn’t help.” Rosario’s blurry vision affected his ability to track pitches. Clearly, some fans continue to doubt Rosario’s potential.
Adding on, some also noticed the challenges in fully integrating the ABS technology into baseball. One fan commented, “Love the system, but the rules of 2 challenges are going to cause problems when they get wasted like this.” From a broader perspective, wasting challenges will cause major issues between management and players if wasted so early in a game.
Apart from the fans, the baseball community was also taken aback. Rosario’s challenge to a clear strike sparked reactions within the baseball community. Sports journalist Molly Knight said, “I just watched Eddie Rosario challenge a strike call right down the middle in the 4th inning lmao.” She also commented on the severity of this: “He was called out when strike 3 was confirmed and now the Dodgers have lost a challenge.”
Rosario is definitely not off the hook, but he did balance it out with that magnificent home run. It will be interesting to see how he performs this season under his former enemy franchise.
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