Overview
- Friday night at Citizens Bank Park the Blue Jays brought video evidence to umpires, Toronto hitting coach David Popkins was ejected by plate umpire John Tumpane, Tumpane warned Zack Wheeler to stay on the rubber, and Wheeler shouted an expletive toward the Blue Jays’ dugout during a 5-4 loss.
- Wheeler allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings in the game and finished with a high pitch count after a rain-delayed start.
- Wheeler and interim manager Don Mattingly said MLB reviewed broadcast footage from Wheeler’s June 21 start and placed him on a list for extra scrutiny, which Tumpane cited when he told Wheeler umpires would be watching his foot contact.
- The Phillies say they possess camera angles that show Wheeler keeps his pivot foot on the rubber while the Blue Jays say broadcast angles show his right foot coming off the rubber and framed their in-game presentation as protecting their hitters.
- The dispute centers on MLB’s pivot-foot rule and precedent from prior cases about whether a pitcher replants or resets the back foot during delivery, and it raises a practical risk that continued scrutiny or a forced mechanical change could affect Wheeler’s availability and the Phillies’ postseason plans.