It’s been nearly a week since the heated series ended, but tensions clearly haven’t cooled. San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt is still refusing to back down from his biggest rival, Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts.
In the finale of a fiery four-game series at Dodger Stadium, benches cleared after Fernando Tatis Jr. was drilled on the hand by a 93 mph fastball. The incident led to a shouting match near home plate, with Roberts even lightly shoving Shildt during the exchange.
Now, the Padres manager has issued a direct warning to Roberts as the rivalry grows even more heated.
What Happened in the Aftermath of the Dave Roberts vs. Mike Schildt Incident?
The Dodgers and Padres skippers were both ejected and handed one-game suspensions. MLB released a statement on issuing the bans “for unsportsmanlike conduct and for contributing to inciting the benches-clearing incident.”
As for Schildt, he stated that he doesn’t have regrets about how the altercation played out, adding he had no choice but to stand up for his player, Tatis.
Benches cleared during Padres-Dodgers after Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit
Dave Roberts and Mike Shildt had words for each other pic.twitter.com/5NQkbRKtlg
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 20, 2025
“The circumstances were really challenging this past series,” Schildt said. “And at the end of the day, I don’t regret standing up for a guy that I love in Tati and a team that I love and a city that I love and an organization that I love. So, in that regard, I have no regrets.”
Shildt acknowledged that his actions weren’t something he hopes to repeat again, but felt they were necessary given the circumstances and remarked that he had no regrets about how he responded that night.
Mike Schildt Makes His Feelings Clear About Dave Roberts
“It’s ultimately about the defense of our team,” Shildt told reporters about his heated argument with Roberts. “Anybody who is going to take steps that I feel are inappropriate against our team, then I will take action.”
The San Diego skipper also referred to an incident from the 2024 NLDS when Manny Machado tossed a baseball toward the Dodgers’ dugout, with Roberts calling the Padres star’s act as “disrespectful.”
“I’m not a personal guy. I’m not a grudge guy. But I am a foxhole guy,” Shildt said. “Last year is water under the bridge. We handled that privately. That’s all I’ll say. What happened Thursday does not at all change how we’ll approach the Dodgers.”
Does Mike Shildt have personal beef with Dave Roberts?
It would seem so, dating back to Machado dugout incident in playoffs. @SportingTrib pic.twitter.com/bsHoML9Yrx— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) June 20, 2025
Shildt stressed that he has “healthy” respect for the Dodgers and their players, including Shohei Ohtani, who was hit on the back by reliever Robert Suarez as a retaliation for the earlier plunkings. The incident earned Suarez a suspension for three games, which was later reduced to two.
“I enjoy the competition against them,” Schildt added. “We’ve had really healthy, competitive games against them. Unfortunately, it built into some altercation.”
The two clubs won’t meet again until August, but with tensions simmering, things could get ugly again. The Dodgers have taken the last two series 2-1 and 3-1, respectively, against the Padres. Still, the rivalry remains alive as San Diego waits patiently for payback.
For now, Los Angeles and San Diego must focus on the playoff race unfolding in a hostile NL West.