Dodgers' Dave Roberts defends Shohei Ohtani's special treatment after backlash

Ohtani is a different type of player, and Roberts believes his unique role also warrants special treatment. Whenever he's pitching, he also has to remove his hitting gear and warm up in between innings, which is why Roberts thinks it's only natural that he gets some grace.

"If he's on the bases, there's got to be some grace, which I think the umpires are trying to give him. If you are on the other side, you're trying to rush him as much as possible and treat him like any other pitcher, but the truth is, he's different," Roberts added.

Ohtani is the biggest draw in baseball, and as such, the game needs to protect him from potential injury. As frustrating as it might be for the opposition, that's just the way it goes with generational players.

The Japanese star has yet to allow an earned run this season, striking out eight with a 0.75 WHIP and a .119 batting average against through 12 innings of work. If that wasn't impressive enough, he's up to three home runs and a .286 batting average with a .931 OPS.