Canada 'not trying to sabotage' L.A. Dodgers, manager says after comment about Toronto flight delay
Canada is “not trying to sabotage” the Los Angeles Dodgers, the baseball team’s manager said after he implied that he was not certain if there was “intent” behind a delay that occurred while he was travelling from Toronto to the U.S.
Dave Roberts made his original remarks on Sunday evening, as his team prepared for Game 3 of the World Series.
A reporter said his own connecting flight was delayed and asked if Roberts had his own “travel story.” The manager was late to the team’s workout at Dodger Stadium that night, the Associated Press reported.
“You know, I don’t want to get too far into it. I just arrived about 30 minutes ago. There were some delays. I don’t know if there was intent or not…the international stuff was a bear,” he said. “But we made it.”
"There were some delays. I don't know if there was intent or not...the international stuff was a bear."
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 27, 2025
Dave Roberts on returning to L.A. from Toronto.
(????: @MLBNetwork) pic.twitter.com/WaefADUHjq
Roberts has since walked back his comments. “Canada is not trying to sabotage the Dodgers. I know that. It was just a long day,” he said, The Athletic reported .
He elaborated further, saying that he knew the prime minister was not “worried about calling airline security or the FAA to make sure that they delay us.” He said it had been a long process at the airport and “a lot of it had to do with our big,
huge, four-plane travel party.”
“It’s just a part of international travel. And passports. Airline security. That’s part of it,” he said.
There were around 400 people who made up the Dodgers travel party, according to The Athletic. They were split up into groups on different aircrafts, with the players staying together. The players left for Los Angeles after Saturday’s game in Toronto. Roberts did not leave Toronto until Sunday morning, the publication said.
The Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays are currently tied at 1-1. The video clip of Roberts posted online by TSN has been viewed nearly 95,000 times on X as of Monday afternoon.
Game 3 of the 2025 World Series takes place in Los Angeles on Monday night.