Mike Trout last played in an All-Star Game seven years ago. It’s crazy, really. The best player of the previous decade, the link that ties Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols to Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, has not taken an All-Star at-bat this decade.
Injuries, mostly. And he turns 35 next month.
Next week’s All-Star Game takes place in Philadelphia, about 40 miles north of Trout’s hometown of Millville, N.J. Major League Baseball reserves a potential All-Star roster spot or two each summer for distinguished players: Bryce Harper and Justin Verlander this year, Clayton Kershaw last year, Pujols and Miguel Cabrera in past years.
That could have been Trout’s spot this summer: a worthy honor for a three-time most valuable player, a local hero feted on the national stage the Angels have failed to provide him.
“I wouldn’t have done it,” Trout said.
Not even at home?
“It’s an honor to get voted in and represent the American League,” he said. “For me, I don’t want any handouts.”
Trout is an All-Star for the 12th time, the old-fashioned way: He earned it.
Fans voted him into the starting lineup, with the most final-round votes of any AL outfielder. His peers voted him as one of the top three outfielders in the AL.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I’ve been through a lot of hurdles, a lot of adversity. I put some hard work in, and I did not let up. I could have easily got down on myself and not pushed through it and not come back.
“I know what I am capable of. I know I have the confidence to get back to the player I used to be.”
His .874 OPS entering play Thursday ranks second among AL outfielders, a career season for many players. In 11 of his 14 full seasons — all but the previous three — he has posted a higher OPS.
In April, in a four-game series against the New York Yankees, Trout hit five home runs and drove in nine runs.
“Everything was clicking,” he said. “When I first came up, that’s how I felt the whole season.
“Just to be able to get that feeling back, that little spark, to know it’s still in there, it makes you feel pretty good.”
For him, so does playing in Philadelphia. The first time he played there with the Angels, Millville basically closed down for the night, and just about everyone in town boarded a bus to the game. Then Trout had an exceptionally rare experience, a visiting player cheered at the home of the boo.
Mark Gubicza can testify to that. Gubicza, the two-time All-Star pitcher and now the Angels’ television analyst, grew up in Philadelphia.
“I don’t care if you were God himself, if you were wearing a different color uniform, I was still booing you,” Gubicza said. “But he was cheered.”
Still is. Trout is a diehard Philadelphia Eagles fan, with his season tickets not in some climate-controlled luxury suite but along the sideline.
“The players all walk by him and say ‘Trouty!’ ” Gubicza said. “Before they all go out to get their heads beat in, they’re all saying hi.
“He’s not one of those guys that comes there to be seen. He’s going there to root. That’s why they love him: He’s one of us.”
Said Trout: “I know how passionate I am about the Eagles. From my experience as an Eagles fan, it’s just different.
No one would begrudge Trout for living year-round along the Orange County coast. (OK, maybe Philadelphia fans would.)
Roy Hallenbeck, Trout’s high school coach, remembered visiting years ago on what he called “a perfect day” and asking Trout how he could ever get tired of all that sunshine.
“Yeah, coach, I couldn’t live here,” Trout told him. “‘I need my seasons.”
Trout built a family home near his boyhood home. He built his Trout National golf resort, with a course designed by Tiger Woods, in Millville.
He is as loyal to the Angels as he is to Millville. He appreciates the team that “took a chance on a kid from a little town in southern New Jersey” and signed him to two nine-figure contract extensions.
Trout was the last Angels player to take a postseason at-bat, in 2014. Even amid baseball’s longest playoff drought, he still considers Anaheim a special place, and always will.
“It’s where it all began,” Trout said. “I think the fuel of people doubting us kind of makes it more of a fire for me to try to get back to the playoffs. I think that’s the biggest key for me.
“Could I take the easy way out and just leave? Yeah. But I think — I said this last year around this time, but it’s the same feeling I’ve been having — I really haven’t sat down and talked to anybody about it specifically, but I know there’s a time where, if things change, who knows? I don’t know. But, for me, right now, my focus is on trying to get this club back in the playoffs.”
At the All-Star Game, Trout might well hear Phillies fans beseech him to come play for the home team. However, Hallenbeck said, the hometown folks no longer are as strident in that long-held wish.
“I think the overriding sentiment of most people I talk with, even Phillies fans, is we would all — as people that know him, love him and care for him — love to watch him play relevant baseball in August and September,” Hallenbeck said. “It doesn’t matter where. It doesn’t matter who. Just being relevant late in the season would be something we would all love to see.
“Hopefully, it’s with the Angels. They’ve been so good to him. We’d love to see it there.”
So would we. In the meantime, in the absence of a World Series, Trout deserves to enjoy his homecoming game.
In Shohei Ohtani, who on Tuesday became the first Japanese player to hit 300 home runs in MLB, the Dodgers had the first National League All-Star voted in this year.
They still have a chance for a late addition.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been lobbying for two members of his pitching staff to be named replacement players: left-handed starter Justin Wrobleski and left-handed reliever Tanner Scott.
“There’s going to be some changes and some talks here,” Roberts said before the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. “There’s continual talks about both guys.”
Earlier Tuesday, MLB announced replacements for three NL pitchers who won’t be eligible to appear in the All-Star Game. Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft, Philadelphia’s Jesús Luzardo and St. Louis’ Riley O’Brien claimed spots as Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski and Miami’s Max Meyer bowed out.
“Obviously it’s disappointing,” Wrobleski said after holding the Rockies to one run through seven innings. “You want to be an All-Star. It’s something that, regardless of the year, whenever, it’s always a big deal. It’s something I wanted to do. It’s frustrating to not get that nod. But like I said before, it’s just more reason to try and keep getting better. Hopefully I can gain the respect of players and everybody else and maybe be in there next year.”
There should continue to be movement on the All-Star roster, especially on the pitching side, with rotation schedules limiting which starters can participate. Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for example, is lined up to start Saturday, which may take him off the table for the All-Star Game next Tuesday.
That could open the door for Wrobleski and Scott.
Asked to make his pitch for Wrobleski, Roberts pointed to his ERA (2.69, No. 8 among qualified NL pitchers), average of more than six innings per start and 10 wins.
“We run a six-man rotation, and I just don’t want him to get dinged for not making a couple more starts that he potentially could have had,” Roberts said. “I just think that he’s performed enough to earn that opportunity.
“And also, Tanner had a rough one [Monday], but I still think that … he’s one of the elite relievers in the National League.”
Scott, after notching just his second blown save Monday, compared to his 12 saves and 2.70 ERA, didn’t have an opening to improve on his All-Star campaign Tuesday.
Wrobleski, however, strengthened his.
He stayed true to his identity, pounding the strike zone and inducing weak contact to go with nine strikeouts. The only run he gave up came on a groundout in the sixth inning with runners on the corners.
In a nod to Wrobleski’s new nickname, “The Shark,” coined by Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martínez, Dodger Stadium organist Dieter Ruehle played a snippet of the “Jaws” theme to punctuate Wrobleski’s punchouts, and as he walked off the mound for the last time.
Justin Wrobleski was great for seven innings Tuesday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Once Wrobleski’s job was done, he paced in the dugout, interrupted once in a while by a hug or handshakes from a teammate. Catcher Dalton Rushing held his hand up to his forehead like a shark fin.
The name and attacking reputation had stuck. Would it be enough for an All-Star nod?
“If it happens, great,” Wrobleski said. “If it doesn’t happen, some time off and just chill for a couple days. Either way, I’m all good.”
On the offensive side, Ohtani’s leadoff homer made him the first player to notch 300 home runs and 100-plus stolen bases in his first nine MLB seasons, according to ESPN Insights. Tuesday was his 1,101st game with at least one plate appearance. By that measure, he was the fifth-fastest to 300 home runs, according to mlb.com and Elias Sports Bureau, behind only Aaron Judge (953), Ralph Kiner (1,086), Ryan Howard (1,091) and Juan González (1,093).
“It was quite the homer,” Roberts said. “I mean, it was [112 mph] off the bat, low launch angle. It was squared up, got out in a hurry. And 300 — he got there pretty quickly for us. I just marvel at him every day.”
Defense unravels late
The Dodgers widened their lead to two runs but gave it up in the eighth on a pair of errors, including one on a sacrifice bunt.
Shortstop Miguel Rojas, who botched a grounder to his left earlier in the inning that enabled a run to score, was late breaking to cover third, leaving the bag wide open. Second baseman Alex Freeland tried to hit Rojas in stride with his throw and was charged with an error when it got away and the go-ahead run scored.
“Physical errors happen, and I’m OK with that,” Rojas said. “I’m not perfect, and I’m going to make errors, and physical errors are OK. But mental errors are the ones that are disappointing. I should have been on third base, I shouldn’t be putting Alex Freeland in the situation of throwing the ball with me on the run there. That’s the one that I kick myself for.”
Said Roberts: “This guy’s as dependable as they come. So that it happens, we don’t like it, doesn’t feel good, but you know that player. I give him a lot of grace, because he is very dependable.”
Right-hander Evan Phillips made his first major-league appearance in 14 months, after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, and had two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning. But the Dodgers offense didn’t muster a comeback, as the top of the batting order went down in order with two runners on.
Ohtani on track
Ohtani is still in line to pitch Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Roberts said.
The right biceps issue that flared in Ohtani’s final at-bat last Friday, and sidelined him Saturday, raised the question of whether he should skip his last start before the All-Star break. But Roberts said Ohtani’s catch play has been normal and he hasn’t reported any concerns with his biceps.
“As he goes through the next couple days, if he doesn’t feel great, we’ll pivot, and we’re prepared to pivot,” Roberts said. “But as we sit here, I don’t see that changing.”
Roberts said he doesn’t think Ohtani will pitch in the All-Star Game or participate in the home run derby. But he does expect him to take an at-bat or two as the NL’s starting designated hitter.
“He understands the responsibility he has,” Roberts said. “So I do think that there’s a middle for what’s best for him, what potentially could be downside, but also what’s best for the game.”
NEW YORK — More than half of the WNBA ‘s 180 players didn’t submit their ballots for All-Star starters ahead of this month’s game in Chicago, a person familiar with the balloting told the Associated Press on Friday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the voting. It’s unclear why so many players didn’t cast their votes. However, the Sparks were one of the teams that didn’t have all of its players vote due to some operational errors.
“Players were sent ballots via email,” the Sparks said in a statement. “Some players indicated that they didn’t receive the email or weren’t aware of it until after the voting period had closed. That’s something we take responsibility for as an organization, and we’ll have a more robust process going forward.”
Fan vote accounts for 50% of the overall vote while players and a media panel each are 25%. It’s been that way since 2017.
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu said her team has never had an issue getting players to submit their ballots.
“We always vote. But I do think especially if they’re weighed as much as they are, like teams should be making sure that their players are voting like it is important. There should never just be a team that like, doesn’t get the ballot. …That’s something that every player should be getting the opportunity. And if the player doesn’t want to vote, then that’s on them.”
The league announced the All-Star starters on Thursday.
ESPN was the first to report the lack of ballots.
Like the media, each player is given a link to a voting site as well as an individual username and password. Those are supplied by the league to the teams who distribute them to the players.
Sparks guard Kelsey Plum was lower in the player balloting than she was from the media and fans. She is second in the WNBA in scoring, but has only played in a dozen games because of injuries. She was 12th among players votes after ranking sixth by the fans and fifth by media.
She finished seventh in the voting overall for the guards. Even if the Sparks had all voted, it wouldn’t have been a guarantee that Plum moved up to the top four spots. In the past, players have said that they have either voted for their entire team on the ballot or for friends or college teammates, which has led to some skewed results. Some do take it seriously and pick who they think are the best players.
Fever star Caitlin Clark finished 11th in player balloting. She was named an All-Star starter because she placed second in the fan vote and third in the media rankings.
As Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy moved fluidly through a chopper at the edge of Camelback Ranch’s infield grass and made a running throw to first, his offseason work started to snap into place.
He wasn’t thinking about the angle he took to the ball, or how to get into the right position to throw — or anything, really. He was just moving instinctively.
“That’s how I like to field it in my work, is not necessarily traditionally,” Muncy told The Times on Thursday. “I like to field it one-handed, sometimes off the wrong foot, sometimes off balance, and that’s what works for me really, really well. I just couldn’t get that into the game. And finally getting those first couple of balls [this spring] to go that way just made everything click in my head and gave me the freedom to know that I can do it when it matters.”
Muncy has put together an impressive all-around first half. His .871 OPS through Thursday leads NL third basemen. He’s on pace for his highest slugging percentage (.513) in five years. But he’s most proud of the work he’s put in on the defensive side.
“I felt like I would show flashes of this, but never the consistency,” Muncy said. “And so to be able to just do it on the consistent daily basis that I’ve been doing this year, that’s easily what I’m most proud of.”
Now, with that well-rounded body of work, he’s in position to claim the third All-Star selection of his career and first since 2021.
Muncy entered Stage 2 of All-Star fan voting this week as the favorite to claim the starting nod at third base, up against fellow finalist Alec Bohm. But voting totals reset, adding some unpredictability to the process. The All-Star starters are set to be revealed Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on Fox.
“In total, the player, the defense, the hitting, the slugging, I think this is the best version of Max,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I’m so happy that he’s leading the All-Star voting.”
Not only is this shaping up to be Muncy’s best offensive season since 2021, it’s the best defensive season of his career, regardless of position.
Entering this weekend’s series against the Padres, he had a fielding run value of plus-five runs, tied with the Giants’ Matt Chapman for the highest mark among third basemen, according to Statcast.
“He’s always been a hitter,” first-base/infield coach Chris Woodward told The Times. “And I think he took it upon himself to say, ‘I’m going to prove to everybody that I’m a really good defensive player,’ which he has been in his time here, but he’s just never had the opportunity to play one position.”
Though Muncy is in his 11th major-league season, and has played all around the infield for most of it, 2022 marked his first season making the majority of his appearances at third base. And 2023 was his first season moving there full time.
He was also limited by injuries in that span. For years, he still felt the effects of the elbow injury he suffered toward the end of 2021. And he strained his right oblique in each of the last two seasons.
“Third base was just a new position for me, and it just took time to learn it,” Muncy said. “And so just trying to get my work to translate into the game is a tough thing to do, and that’s kind of the secret to every aspect of baseball.”
Each infield position is unique, with its own quirks in footwork, angles and timing. Each has plays — like a slow-roller up the third baseline that requires a quick throw across the diamond — that no other position will encounter.
“When a righty gets around the ball, it comes off the bat a lot different than when a lefty gets around the ball,” Muncy said. “And it’s weird how that works, and it’s hard to explain, but that’s just the way it is.”
For much of Muncy’s baseball life he played on the right side of the infield, fielding pull-side contact from left-handed hitters and opposite-field contact from right-handed hitters. That was second nature.
“You have to completely flip that,” Muncy said of playing third base, “and understand which way it’s going to bounce, how it’s going to bounce, how it’s going to get to you. It just took years of experience to finally get to that point.”
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, left, and third baseman Max Muncy congratulate each other coming off the field after a defensive play against the Baltimore Orioles on June 19.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Woodward has always been impressed by Muncy’s agility, surprised when the Dodgers first promoted him in 2018 (as he returned to the big-leagues for the first time since being released by the A’s the previous spring) and by how he moved at second base, despite an atypical build for a middle infielder.
Now, after an offseason with a new diet and training program, he may have leveled up that part of his game — even at 35 years old.
“In the past it was a good first step, and he couldn’t sustain his speed,” Woodward said. “And this year I think he can sustain the speed through the ball.”
Said Muncy: “I’m still beating the age curve for now.”
Woodward also noted how good Muncy is at staying on top of the mental side of the game, knowing how specific pitches to different types of hitters should change his positioning. That, along with regular communication, are some of the details that make the Dodgers infield look like it’s moving as a unit — or, as Woodward put it, an “NFL defense” because of the way they swarm to the ball.
The Dodgers’ infield defense as a whole has improved even from last season (No. 6 in fielding run value) to sit in the No. 3 spot in the majors (plus-17 runs) a little past the halfway point of the season.
Muncy unlocking even more potential in the hot corner is a big part of the Dodgers raising their defensive ceiling. That’s helped the Dodgers, who own the best record in the majors, create separation in the standings. But it’ll be even more vital in the postseason, when the margin for error is at its thinnest.
In All-Star voting, defense won’t be the determining factor. Muncy’s increased power at the plate is the far flashier aspect of his case to start the Midsummer Classic. But a well-rounded resume doesn’t hurt.
Muncy can picture it: his three children — Sophie Kate, who turns 5 this month, Wyatt James, 3, and Macie Grace, who was born in January — taking in All-Star weekend in Philadelphia, watching their dad represent the National League.
“Being able to have my kids experience the whole ordeal with me would mean everything to me,” Muncy said. “My oldest is kind of old enough now to remember these types of things, and so I think it’d be really special to just share that moment with them.”
Shohei Ohtani was the first Dodger to be named a 2026 All-Star, after leading the majors in Phase 1 voting for the All-Star game on July 14 in Philadelphia. Six other Dodgers were finalists through the fan ballot, giving them a chance to claim starting spots in Phase 2 of voting.
Ohtani locked down the starting DH spot for the National League squad, with 3,341,257 votes. The top vote-getters in each league bypass Phase 2. Second baseman Ernie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays was the top vote-getter in the Amlerican League, with 3,232,932 votes.
Ohtani was the expected choice, despite a slow offensive start. His red-hot June boosted him up the leaderboards. He entered Thursday with the second-highest OPS in the National League (.963), barely trailing Mets outfielder Juan Soto (.965).
Pitchers aren’t chosen through the fan vote — hurlers and reserves have to wait for the player ballot (which includes votes from players, coaches and managers) and commissioners picks. But Ohtani has been just as impressive on the mound this year.
He has a 1.58 ERA, the fourth-best mark among NL pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings this season.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (2,666,008 votes), third baseman Max Muncy (2,890,181) and outfielder Andy Pages (2,158,664) also led their respective NL position groups in voting. Other Dodgers finalists, who advance to voting Phase 2, include catcher Will Smith (1,871,805), shortstop Mookie Betts (1,762,343 ) and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (1,569,932).
The vote totals reset for Phase 2, which runs from next Monday through Thursday. The remainder of the All-Star starters are set to be announced on July 4 on Fox Sports.
It was Andy Pages’ wife, Alondra, who told the Dodgers’ center fielder on June 3 that MLB All-Star voting had opened.
“I simply just told her, [the ballots] don’t really matter to me,” Pages said through interpreter Juan Dorado, in a conversation with The Times earlier this month. “I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Doing just that has worked out well for Pages. When MLB released the first All-Star balloting update Monday, Pages led all National League outfielders with 800,496 fan votes, putting him in prime position to claim a starter’s spot.
He has added to his All-Star case against the Baltimore Orioles this weekend, largely with his defense. In the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss Saturday, he authored his third highlight-worthy play of the series. Ranging into right field, Pages tracked down a line drive off Tyler Ward’s bat and made a sliding catch for the first out of the third inning.
The day before, on the first play of the game, Pages cut off Ward’s hit to the right-field gap before it could reach the warning track, spun, and threw a dart to second base to nab him trying to stretch a single into a double.
Dodgers fans chanted Pages’ name in the sixth inning Friday, after he robbed Jeremiah Jackson of a hit with another sliding grab in shallow left-center field.
“He’s going to be in that Gold Glove conversation,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday. “He’s engaged every pitch. It’s just fun to see a young player value the defense, all the while taking care of business in the batters’ box. He’s a complete player, he really is.”
Phase 1 of All-Star fan voting, which lasts until June 25, determines the starter finalists — two at each position (six outfielders) in each league. Pitchers and reserves are chosen through the player ballot (which includes votes from players, coaches and managers) and commissioner’s office selections.
Pages was one of four Dodgers leading their respective position groups, joined by first baseman Freddie Freeman, third baseman Max Muncy and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who led all players with 1,165,133 votes. Catcher Will Smith and shortstop Mookie Betts were sitting in second place, and Teoscar Hernández was No. 5 among NL outfielders.
The others have all won multiple All-Star nods. This would be Pages’ first.
He entered Saturday with top-five defensive fWAR (4.9) among NL outfielders and a top-nine slugging percentage (.490). He carried the Dodgers’ offense early in the year, while the team’s established stars got off to a slow offensive start.
Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages celebrates in the dugout with Miguel Rojas after hitting a solo home run against the Colorado Rockies on May 27.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“It would mean a lot to me for all the work, and all the things that I do to get ready for the game and to prepare,” Pages said. “It would mean a lot in that sense. But I also know it’s completely out of my control, especially having gone through it last year, where I didn’t really have any chance to dictate whether I was going to make it or if I didn’t make it.”
Going into the All-Star break last year, Pages was on the cusp. Because the outfield pool doesn’t take specific positions into account, it didn’t matter that among qualified National League center fielders he had the second-highest fWAR (2.8) and OPS (.804), behind the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong — while leading that group in batting average (.285).
Pages was instead competing with all NL outfielders. In those same categories he still ranked an impressive eighth and 10th (among qualified hitters).
Fans voted in Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs’ Kyle Tucker and the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. as All-Star starters. So, Pages’ All-Star fate was in the hands of the player ballot (which includes votes from players, managers and coaches) and the commissioner’s office selection process.
Pages didn’t quite make the cut, with the Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll, the Marlins’ Kyle Stowers, the Padres’ Fernando Tatís Jr. and the Nationals’ James Wood claiming the reserve spots.
This year is already playing out differently.
“He’s been just up the top of the leaderboards, one of our better hitters the whole season,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said earlier this month. “It’s not just a good two or three weeks. So I definitely feel like he’s an All-Star.”
Still, when the ballots first came out, Pages knew better than to make any assumptions. That same focus on controllables, turning the page on from failure, has helped spur Pages’ consistency.
“The work ethic, obviously, those changes, and how I prepare for the games has changed a lot,” Pages said. “But also, I just don’t really focus on anything like I used to. I just focus on getting ready and prepared and do the best I can that day.”
Roberts had seen that shift. He noticed all the work Pages put in over the offseason and through the spring, drilling down on his plate discipline, a soft spot in his game. And Roberts named Pages his pick to click at the end of camp, saying he wouldn’t be surprised if Pages made the All-Star team.
Since then, Roberts, who will also manage the NL All-Star team, has appreciated how diligent Pages has remained in his routine.
“As we all know, he’s not a self-promoter at all,” Roberts said. “He just wants to play baseball, and so for the fans to recognize that, they’re getting it right, as far as the person, the talent, the performance. And so that’s really good to see. So hopefully he can keep playing well, and then solidify that No. 1 spot. That’d be fun. That’ll be fun to have him in Philly with me.”
Dodgers fall to Orioles
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers against the Orioles in the fourth inning Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Ohtani hit a solo home run in the ninth inning in his first game back after missing Friday’s walk-off win for the birth of his second child, but it wasn’t enough to ignite a ninth-inning comeback in a 3-2 loss to the Orioles.
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto didn’t put together as dominant of a performance as he did a week ago against the White Sox, when he took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning.
He gave up six hits and issued two walks in six innings. But he managed to hold the Orioles (36-42) to three runs, getting out of jams in the second and fourth innings.
“It took me a little time to get the feel for the splitter,” said Yamamoto through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “And then in the meantime I was trying to grind it out with different options, with other pitches.”
Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run in the ninth inning Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers (49-28) wasted the quality start with a four-hit offensive night, which included two from Tommy Edman and one from Betts.
The Dodgers finally recorded their only hit against Orioles starter Trevor Rogers in the fifth inning, when Edman reached on a weak pop fly to center field. Rogers turned the game over to the Orioles’ bullpen after the seventh, and it did enough to maintain the lead, despite shaky defense in the ninth.
“It wasn’t our night,” said Miguel Rojas, whose deep fly out in the seventh inning fell just shy of a two-run homer. “We’ve got to bounce back and come back tomorrow and get the series.”
Blake Treinen placed on injured list
The Dodgers put right-handed reliever Blake Treinen on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.
Treinen was the winning pitcher in the Dodgers’ 6-5 victory Friday, after retiring the side in order in the top of the ninth.
According to Roberts, Treinen felt normal after the game. But when he woke up Saturday morning, he had trouble fully extending his right arm. When he went in for treatment, it became clear the Dodgers would have to put him on the IL.
Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen delivers against the San Francisco Giants on May 11.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Treinen underwent imaging, but Roberts did not have his exact diagnosis.
“He’ll be down for a minute,” Roberts said. “I think it was more of just staying away, getting rest, versus anything more aggressive right now.”
Treinen has a 3.52 ERA after bouncing back from a rocky 2025.
In a corresponding move, the Dodgers recalled right-hander Chayce McDermott. The 27-year-old has only thrown one major-league inning this season, when he limited the Angels to one hit in a scoreless inning.
The Dodgers acquired McDermott from the Orioles in mid-April, after Baltimore designated him for assignment. He’s been a frequent short-term call-up and taxi squad member since.
The Dodgers have more bullpen help coming. They hope to reinstate right-hander Brock Stewart (left foot bone spur) from the injured list Monday, Roberts said. And right-hander Evan Phillips (Tommy John surgery) is expected to return in early July.
The Fortune sees a woman mysteriously inherit £2 million and a country estate from a stranger.
Hayley Anderson Screen Time TV Reporter
21:15, 02 Jun 2026Updated 21:16, 02 Jun 2026
The Fortune – Channel 5 trailer
The Fortune has landed on Channel 5, with audiences eager to discover everything about the drama.
Following the unexpected inheritance of a substantial fortune from a stranger, mother and wife Amanda (portrayed by Eleanor Tomlinson) finds herself in conflict with the deceased man’s relatives.
She simultaneously starts uncovering the truth regarding her own family’s sinister history, which may shed light on why she’s been selected as the beneficiary of the enigmatic man’s estate.
Where was The Fortune on Channel 5 filmed?
Filming for Channel 5’s The Fortune occurred during autumn 2025 across Hartlepool, Northumberland, Newcastle and North Yorkshire.
The bulk of shooting took place in Hartlepool, with the historic Headland district serving as a crucial location.
Another significant filming venue was Hartlepool Marina, where the exterior alongside local establishments and eateries were utilised to depict Amanda’s everyday existence.
The programme’s principal production headquarters was also situated in Hartlepool at The Northern Studios on Lynn Street.
Certain scenes were additionally captured in Newcastle, with the drama produced by Newcastle-based Lonesome Pine Productions.
The cast and crew travelled to Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, where the mid-Victorian country residence Cleveland Lodge served as the Worrall family estate in the Channel 5 series.
The Grade II listed building was constructed between 1848 and 1851 and sits within approximately 35 acres of private parkland, featuring paddocks and a tennis court. Meanwhile, the more rural and coastal scenes were shot in and around the Northumberland region.
All Creatures Great and Small star Callum Woodhouse, who plays vengeful son Anthony Worrall in the series, hails originally from Stockton in the North East.
The Hartlepool Mail reported Woodhouse describing the experience of filming The Fortune as something of “a homecoming”.
He said: “Obviously, staying with my parents and filming in places I grew up visiting was a huge draw, but also being able to do something set in the modern day was really exciting.
“We were filming just over the road from where my mum works, so we’d meet up for lunch sometimes.”
DENVER — The Dodgers announced Monday that Edwin Díaz will undergo surgery to remove “loose bodies” in his right elbow and the closer isn’t expected to return until some point in the second half of the season.
Díaz, 32, has a 10.50 ERA in seven appearances this season for the Dodgers, who made a splash signing the high-profile free agent to a three-year $69-million deal, a record for a reliever.
The Dodgers recalled 27-year-old left-handed long reliever Jake Eder to replace Díaz on the roster.
Díaz gave up three runs and failed to get an out in the Dodgers’ 9-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies in a non-save situation Sunday, in what was his first appearance in nine days.
He entered the game and gave up a walk and three base hits, including a two-RBI single to Edouard Julien. Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed concern about Díaz’s performance: “I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”
Before the Dodgers played their final game of the four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, Roberts said that the diagnosis provides some clarity, and that Díaz only began feeling discomfort in his elbow Sunday.
Before that Roberts said the plan was to “tread lightly” with the pitcher’s workload, unsure why the velocity of his pitches was down.
“Obviously, we all saw the stuff [Sunday], and it sent up red flags,” Roberts said. “And so, after the game, he had a conversation with our training staff, and felt that he had some elbow discomfort. So we just wanted to be proactive, and felt that it was smart to get an MRI, get imaging, which we did do, and it showed loose bodies.”
Having experienced the same thing as a player, Roberts explained, “you have loose bodies and they’re asymptomatic until they’re not.”
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz jogs to the mound during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on March 31.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
A 10-year veteran, Díaz is a three-time All-Star. For his career, he has 257 saves in 300 opportunities with 849 strikeouts.
General manager Brandon Gomes said the Dodgers are “as confident as we can be” that Díaz will return to top form.
“Our understanding is that it’s a pretty straightforward procedure,” Gomes said. “We’re going to take our time with getting him back and being mindful of the buildup, and make sure he’s in a really good position to come out and compete at the highest level of what we expect.
“It’s the benefit of having a deeper staff and a talented team that it’s never easy to lose somebody like Edwin, but we’ll get through it and it’ll be a collective effort to keep winning baseball games.”
Roberts said he doesn’t plan to name a substitute closer in Díaz’s place, and the manager acknowledged that the news will significantly alter how he’ll use the bullpen.
“It does change it. In a big way,” Roberts said. “I do think being able to deploy guys in their right lanes or pockets has been helpful. But with that, I do think that Alex [Vesia] has been throwing the baseball really well. Tanner [Scott has] been throwing the baseball really well, and outside of last night, Blake [Treinen] was throwing the baseball really well.
“But it does kind of not allow us to work from the back end, which is certainly a luxury.”
The Dodgers have had unfortunate luck signing big-name relievers. In 2025 they signed left-hander Scott to a four-year $72-million deal. He then led the league with 10 blown saves last season and the Dodgers removed him from their postseason roster, replacing him with left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who was set to start Monday as the team played for a series split at Coors Field.
