Mike Shildt knows better than to stand in the way of progress.

In the case of the automated ball strike (ABS) challenge system approved for the 2026 season on Tuesday by Major League Baseball’s joint competition committee, technology could very well save the Padres manager from himself.

“I think it’s also going to save managers some money,” Shildt said with a laugh. “We’re going to have to really work hard to get ejected now. With replay, you can’t argue against … New York, although I’ve tried, and that didn’t work. That’s a bigger fine. And now you can’t yell at an umpire for balls and strikes, because he’s just doing what the monitor tells him. So ejections go way down and fines are down.

“So anyway, that’s maybe a benefit from it.”

That’s not to say that Shildt isn’t a fan of the co

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