Ohtani "Favoritism," Jordan Walker’s REBIRTH & Astros Injuries

April 10, 2026·25 min·2 clips

The Blue Jays are still upset at Shohei Ohtani for getting extra warm-up time as a two-way player.

1. The Baseball Insiders, hosted by Adam Weiner with FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, covers Ohtani controversy, Jordan Walker's breakout, Colorado Rockies early optimism, and a wave of rotation injuries. 2. Adam Weiner is the host and Robert Murray is the FanSided MLB insider who contributes the weekly 'Robert's Notebook' segment. 3. The episode asks whether MLB should standardize warm-up rules for two-way players, examines a promising young Cardinals bat, and questions which contenders are most damaged by the April injury wave. 4. Blue Jays manager John Schneider complained about Shohei Ohtani receiving extra warm-up time before starts, a grievance George Springer raised from the on-deck circle during the series. 5. Ken Rosenthal later clarified that Springer was asking for information rather than formally protesting, though Murray called the distinction questionable. 6. Murray says Ohtani's dual role is 'one of one' and any extra prep time is a minor accommodation, dismissing the complaint as nitpicking. 7. Jordan Walker, the Cardinals' 2021 first-round pick (21st overall), hit below .200 in early big-league stints and faced genuine trade-low speculation, according to Murray. 8. Walker enters the episode with five home runs and an OPS over 1.000, with Murray pointing to his hard-hit rate as among the league's best through the early sample. 9. Murray credits Walker's development to the standard baseball failure arc — minor-league reset, rebuilt approach — and notes Walker turns 24 in May. 10. Adam notes Walker's rookie OPS reached .780 before a multi-year regression, suggesting the upside was always present even when obscured. 11. The Colorado Rockies bullpen posted a 1.670 ERA with 29 strikeouts over a home stand at Coors Field, a stat Adam describes as something he 'never thought he'd see.' 12. New president Paul DePodesta and GM Josh Burns are credited with modernizing the organization; Murray says more executives wanted this job than any other opening he can recall. 13. The Astros entered spring banking on Christian Javier's development to offset losing Framber Valdez to Detroit in free agency, but Javier exited his latest start early and Hunter Brown is on the injured list with a grade-2 strain. 14. Murray argues Lucas Giolito — healthy, still unsigned, confirmed by his own comments to Rob Bradford's Baseball Isn't Boring podcast — is the single most logical fit for the Astros and Orioles. 15. Zach Eflin underwent UCL surgery and will miss the 2025 season plus part of 2026; his contract included performance bonuses tied to innings pitched because the Orioles 'understood the injury risk,' per Murray. 16. Murray notes the Orioles made aggressive offseason moves signaling a World Series window, and losing Eflin before two weeks of the season was 'extremely unfortunate.' 17. The episode is a fast-paced, two-host conversation with running banter — City Connect jersey reviews, Bob Nutting autographs, MC Hammer's spring training sweet-spot — punctuating harder roster analysis. 18. Both hosts share genuine affection for smaller-market storylines, spending meaningful time on the Rockies despite their rebuild status. 19. Best for baseball fans who follow roster construction, prospect timelines, and the free-agent pitcher market. 20. Fans who want deep statistical analysis or dislike banter-heavy podcast formats may not find this the right fit.

As heard by us

Brisk MLB talk that stays close to the details.

Baseball Insiders wraps Friday with brisk MLB talk centered on Robert Murray's notebook and a few clear threads: the Blue Jays' odd Ohtani gripe, Jordan Walker's rebound, and the steady injury pileup around the league.

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Press play if you want a Friday MLB notebook conversation that cuts through the noise.

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