Blake

BLAKE Lively has demanded that Justin Baldoni pay her “significant” damages – with the pair now facing a potential mini-trial despite reaching a settlement earlier this month.

The actress claimed in court docs that Baldoni, her co-star and director on the movie It Ends With Us, should be covering her legal fees after suing her.

The star also said she was owed legal fees, costs, treble damages – with punitive damages on top, according to court docs.

Lively had previously sued Baldoni for £119million in damages in 2024 for alleged sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us – which he denied.

In April this year, a judge dismissed most of her case and weeks later both sides reached a settlement with no money changing hands.

Now, Lively wants Baldoni to pay her for his own failed counter-lawsuit, in which he demanded £300million for defaming him.

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IT ENDS WITH THEM

Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni ‘settle bitter legal battle’ after 2 years

A judge dismissed his case last year and Lively says in court docs that because she won, Baldoni has to pay up.

During a hearing at a court in New York on Monday, Judge Lewis Liman told Lively’s lawyers to consider dropping their claims.

He said: “Your client does have the ability to end this.”

But Lively’s lawyer said she was entitled to the money and said he would be calling experts to testify in what could be a mini-trial.

Neither Lively, who is married to Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, nor Baldoni were in court for the hearing.

Speaking after the session, Lively’s lawyer Sigrid McCawley said her film star client would be seeking “very significant” damages.

The actress’ “reputation was harmed” as was her livelihood, McCawley said.

Lively’s trial would have been taking place this week – had the case not been thrown out.

Her former BFF, Taylor Swift, was set to be one of the big names likely involved in the trial.

Lively had alleged in court docs that Baldoni added unscripted kisses to a dance scene in the movie It Ends With Us.

Lively plays a florist in the movie, while Baldoni portrays her character’s abusive neurosurgeon boyfriend.

Baldoni denied Lively’s claims, and the court dismissed most of them – including conspiracy, sexual harassment, and defamation.

Lively’s complaint allegations included the film producer being accused of going into Lively’s trailer while she was topless and breastfeeding her baby.

Lively, 38, initially filed her complaint against It Ends With Us director Baldoni, 42, in December 2024.

The star claimed in the filings that she had lost $161million as a result of the fallout.

SAN DIEGO — Sitting in the Petco Park visiting dugout Monday afternoon, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes would have preferred to be answering a different set of questions about the team’s rotation depth.

In spring training, it was all about how many difficult decisions the Dodgers had in front of them because of the quality depth they’d built. In the first couple months of the season, a spike of injuries had completely flipped the conversation.

“It’s the reason why you try to go in with as much depth as you can knowing that things can happen,” Gomes said. “You hope that they don’t pile up all at the same time, which has happened as of late. But we’ll keep navigating it. We’ll work through it like we have in the past.

“The biggest thing is we’ve got a big series these three games. Go out and play good baseball here and then keep balancing the short-term, long-term.”

Gomes provided updates on the Dodgers’ mounting pitching injuries, and how the team is combating the absences:

—The Dodgers expect left-hander Blake Snell will undergo the less invasive NanoNeedle scope procedure to remove loose bodies from his elbow Tuesday. The procedure could shorten Snell’s recovery time by a month, compared to a more traditional arthroscopic procedure.

—Right-hander Tyler Glasnow had another back flare-up. He’ll be shut down from throwing for a few days. “No concern long-term,” Gomes said. “But a little slower on the front end than we expected.”

—The Dodgers are leaning toward using Eric Lauer as a starter. They have not yet decided where to slot him in, but it probably won’t be this weekend in Milwaukee.

—Right-handed reliever Brusdar Graterol (right shoulder surgery recovery) sustained a back injury while on rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City. The team is still working to determine next steps and has not ruled out surgery.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and I’m wondering whatever happened to good old rotator cuff injuries?

So, you might want to sit down for this shocking news, but Blake Snell is on the injured list. He has what must be the trending injury this season: “loose bodies” in his pitching elbow. Loose bodies are cartilage or bone fragments that float around in the fluid of the elbow joint. Reliever Edwin Díaz is also on the IL because of “loose bodies.”

Some pitchers have loose bodies and it’s not a problem. Díaz said he has had loose bodies since 2014. It’s when they move into a position that cause the elbow to lock up that causes a problem.

Snell will have surgery Tuesday, and his return depends on what type of surgery he needs. There is a version of the surgery that is less invasive, and basically entails a small incision in the elbow, and there’s a version that is more invasive. Doctors won’t know until they get a look inside his elbow.

“He said he was just excited to have a date on the calendar to get it taken care of, get back to playing catch and getting back to joining us,” Dave Roberts said.

The question has been asked frequently since he went on the IL: Why do the Dodgers sign or trade for so many injured pitchers?

Well, for one, almost every pitcher in the majors now has some sort of injury history. In the olden days, pitchers didn’t throw as hard as they could on every pitch. Now they do. That puts tremendous strain on the elbow and shoulder. Also, spin rate (how fast the ball spins after being released) is king, and that also puts tremendous strain on the elbow and shoulder.

Finding a pitcher without an injury history of some sort is difficult.

And the Dodgers would much rather this happen now than in September. The Dodgers built this team (and teams in years past) to withstand this sort of injury. So, if Snell and Tyler Glasnow have to spend some time on the IL now, it’s OK as long as they come back by September and are ready for the postseason.

Last season, Glasnow made only 18 starts, pitching 90 1/3 innings. Snell made only 11 starts, pitching 61 1/3 innings. They pitched well when they were healthy, and they were in the postseason, where Glasnow pitched 21 1/3 innings with a 1.69 ERA and Snell pitched 34 innings with a 3.18 ERA. If they can do that again this season, the Dodgers will be pleased.

The Dodgers have won two straight World Series. so we should probably give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they are doing.

Starting pitchers for the Dodgers last season:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 30 starts
Clayton Kershaw, 22
Dustin May, 18
Glasnow, 18
Shohei Ohtani, 14
Emmet Sheehan, 12
Snell, 11
Roki Sasaki, 8
Landon Knack, 7
Tony Gonsolin, 7
Jack Dreyer, 5
Ben Casparius, 3
Lou Trivino, 2
Justin Wrobleski, 2
Anthony Banda, 1
Matt Sauer, 1
Bobby Miller, 1

And in 2024:

Gavin Stone, 25
Tyler Glasnow, 22
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 18
James Paxton, 18
Walker Buehler, 16
Bobby Miller, 13
Landon Knack, 12
Jack Flaherty, 10
Clayton Kershaw, 7
Justin Wrobleski, 6
Ryan Brasier, 4
River Ryan, 4
Anthony Banda, 2
Michael Grove, 2
Brent Honeywell Jr., 1
Elieser Hernandez, 1
Kyle Hurt, 1

That’s 17 starting pitchers each season. So this is nothing new. This season is looking amazingly like last season. And that one turned out pretty well.

Here come the Padres

Nothing cures a team’s woes this season better than playing three games against the Angels.

But starting tonight, the Dodgers begin a three-game series with the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers and Padres have been battling for the NL West lead almost the entire season. This will be a good test for both teams to see exactly how they stack up. It’s in San Diego, and Padres fans always gear up for games against the Dodgers. The Dodgers view the season as just getting ready for the postseason, but the Padres treat these games as if they were the World Series. How will the teams respond? It will be interesting to see.

Roster moves

The Dodgers used a bullpen game on Friday after Snell went on the IL. So, they reshuffled the bullpen on Sunday to get some fresh arms in preparation for the Padres series.

They acquired left-hander Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations. Lauer pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Dodgers in the World Series last season, but has not been good this season, giving up a league-leading 11 home runs in 36 1/3 innings.

To make room on the 40-man roster, they put Brusdar Graterol on the 60-day IL. Also, they put Jack Dreyer on the 15-day IL with a sore shoulder and recalled Paul Gervase and Chayce McDermott from the minors while sending Charlie Barnes back to the minors.

Greatest moment in Dodgers history

Coming soon, we will count down the greatest moments in Dodgers history. But first, let’s make sure every great moment is considered. So email me your more obscure pick for a greatest moment candidate. You don’t have to send in World Series victories, or Kirk Gibson‘s homer, or obvious ones like that. But if there is a moment you think might be overlooked, email it to me. I’ll compile a list and we will vote on it.

These names seem familiar

How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams. Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:

Anthony Banda, Twins: 1-0, 6.98 ERA, 19.1 IP, 19 hits, 8 walks, 18 K’s, 63 ERA+

Austin Barnes: out of baseball (released by Mets in spring training)

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .267/.375/.458, 200 PA’s, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 30 RBIs, 133 OPS+

Walker Buehler, Padres: 3-2, 5.01 ERA, 41.1 IP, 42 hits, 14 walks, 37 K’s, 82 ERA+

Mike Busch, Cubs: .232/.355/.369, 203 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 26 RBIs, 112 OPS+

Michael Conforto, Cubs: .345/.456/.655, 68 PA’s, 8 doubles, 3 homers, 11 RBIs, 220 OPS+

Caleb Ferguson, Reds: on the IL

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 0-5, 5.77 ERA, 43.2 IP, 41 hits, 29 walks, 48 K’s, 73 ERA+

Justin Dean, Cubs: in the minors

Tony Gonsolin: out of baseball

Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 1-2, 3.65 ERA, 7 saves, 12.1 IP, eight hits, five walks, 18 K’s, 118 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Mets: 0-2, 6.35 ERA, 11 1/3 IP, 12 hits, six walks, 13 K’s, 64 ERA+

Michael Kopech: out of baseball

Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL

Dustin May, Cardinals: 3-4, 4.81 ERA, 48 2/3 IP, 54 hits, 15 walks, 35 K’s, 81 ERA+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .182/.250/.260, 84 PA’s, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 5 RBIs, 44 OPS+

James Outman, Twins: .190/.244/.310, 45 PA’s, three doubles, one triple, 3 RBIs, 54 OPS+

Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors

Corey Seager, Rangers: .179/.286/.353, 182 PA’s, 6 doubles, 7 homers, 20 RBIs, 91 OPS+

Chris Taylor, Angels: in the minors

Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .318/.432/.561, 81 PA’s, seven doubles, three homers, 12 RBIs

Trea Turner, Phillies: .236/.286/.340, 206 PA’s, 8 doubles, 4 homers, 15 RBIs, 73 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .247/.374/.506, 198 PA’s, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 11 homers, 29 RBIs, 146 OPS+

Alex Verdugo: Out of baseball, had season-ending shoulder surgery

Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 3.2 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 6 K’s, 94 ERA+

Up next

Monday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 3-3, 3.60 ERA) at San Diego (Michael King, 3-2, 2.63 ERA), 6:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Tuesday: Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 3-2, 0.82 ERA) at San Diego (Griffin Canning, 0-2, 10.64 ERA), 6:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 3-1, 4.54 ERA) at San Diego (Randy Vásquez, 5-1, 2.68 ERA), 5:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers acquire left-hander Eric Lauer from Blue Jays, adjust roster after injuries

Shaikin: Hey, young athletes: Would you trust this former Dodgers pitcher to manage your money?

How Shohei Ohtani scored a Little League home run during Dodgers’ rout of Angels

Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell scheduled for arm surgery, timeline for return is unclear

Dodgers’ Blake Snell returns to injured list with loose bodies in his left elbow

And finally

Eric Karros hits a walk-off homer. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Blake Snell will have surgery Tuesday to remove the loose bodies in his left elbow, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Roberts didn’t know which type of surgery Snell will undergo, but there’s optimism that Snell could undergo a minimally invasive procedure, like the one Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed on Tigers ace Tarik Skubal using new NanoNeedle scope technology, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

However, it may not be possible to determine the details of Snell’s procedure before getting an internal view. The exact location of the loose bodies plays a large role in the technique.

If Snell is indeed a candidate for the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0, it could cut down his recovery time by minimizing the damage to the surrounding tissue, compared to a traditional arthroscope.

Because the technology is new, it would still be difficult to put an exact timeline on the recovery. Skubal would be the blueprint. He had a bone chip removed a week and a half ago and is already progressing in a throwing program.

Either way, the Dodgers should have a clearer picture of Snell’s recovery timetable after he undergoes the procedure Tuesday.

The Dodgers scratched him from Friday’s start, only his second of the season, and they backdated the IL move to May 12. The two-time Cy Young Award winner started the season on the injured list, ramping up later than usual due to what the team called left shoulder fatigue. In his first start against the Braves last week, he only pitched three innings, giving up four earned runs.

Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell was scratched from his scheduled start against the Angels on Friday, a person close to the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Times.

Snell started the season on the injured list with left shoulder fatigue and was brought back from his rehab assignment early to replace Tyler Glasnow, who was placed on the injured list last week with back spasms. In a 7-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves, Snell gave up four earned runs on six hits, with two walks and five strikeouts over three innings and 77 pitches.

The reason for the move was not immediately clear.

The Dodgers listed right-hander Will Klein as the starting pitcher when the team posted its lineup Friday afternoon, signaling that it would be a bullpen game.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

In: Blake Snell. Out: Tyler Glasnow. Soon: Mookie Betts.

The Dodgers took two steps forward and one step back in their quest for full strength Friday, putting Glasnow on the injured list because of back spasms while planning to activate Snell from the injured list on Saturday and Betts on Monday.

Snell’s start Saturday will be his first since the World Series. The two-time Cy Young winner opened the season on the injured list because of shoulder fatigue, as the Dodgers eased him into spring with the goal of putting him in the best possible position to succeed in October.

Glasnow left Wednesday’s game because of the injury. An MRI examination revealed “nothing really significant,” according to manager Dave Roberts, but the IL stint allows Glasnow to avoid rushing to be ready for his next start, with the bigger October picture in mind.

Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers against the Houston Astros on Wednesday.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

Glasnow never has made more than 22 starts in a season. He has been on the injured list in every full season since 2019.

With Glasnow’s status in question, the Dodgers on Thursday reconsidered their plan for Snell. They originally planned for him to make a final rehabilitation start Saturday, but Roberts said the pitcher and the team agreed he could throw the planned five innings in Los Angeles as well as he could in Ontario.

The Dodgers recalled reliever Paul Gervase to fill Glasnow’s roster spot. They could return him to triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Snell on Saturday.

Betts strained an oblique muscle April 4. The shortstop is scheduled to play two minor league rehabilitation games Oklahoma City Friday and Saturday, then return to Los Angeles for evaluation, with the hope he’ll be cleared for activation Monday.

“We’re not going to run him out there every single day,” Roberts said.

Snell and Betts are not the only reinforcements on the way. Utilityman Kiké Hernández and reliever Brusdar Graterol began rehabilitation assignments this week.

The return of Betts would appear to allow the Dodgers to jettison infield reserve Santiago Espinal, although the team opened the season with Espinal on the roster and Hyeseong Kim at triple-A, allowing Kim to play every day and Alex Freeland and Miguel Rojas to split time at second base.

However, since rejoining the Dodgers when Betts was injured, Kim is batting .314 with an .801 OPS.

The Dodgers dropped outfielder Kyle Tucker to sixth in the lineup Friday, in a batting order Roberts said was designed to combat Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale.

In his career, Tucker is 0 for 9 with four strikeouts against Sale.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reached an agreement to resolve their legal dispute, bringing an abrupt end to a high-profile and increasingly contentious battle that had been set to go to trial in two weeks.

“The parties in the Blake Lively and Wayfarer Studios litigation have reached an agreement to resolve the matters,” lawyers for both sides said in a joint statement Monday in a case that has drawn outsized attention for more than a year.

“The end product — the movie ‘It Ends With Us’ — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life. Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind. We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard. We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.”

The statement did not disclose the terms of the agreement.

The bitter dispute, which grew out of the production of the 2024 romantic drama “It Ends With Us,” had sprawled over months into a series of lawsuits, countersuits and public claims, with both sides offering sharply different accounts of what took place during and after filming.

Lively sued Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios and others in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation and other claims tied to her experience on the film. Baldoni denied the allegations and pushed back in court filings, arguing that the dispute had been mischaracterized.

Last month, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman dismissed most of Lively’s claims, including her sexual harassment allegations, significantly narrowing the case ahead of a trial that had been scheduled to begin May 18 in New York.

The remaining claims, centered largely on alleged retaliation, had been expected to be the focus of the trial, which was likely to last two to three weeks and risked reputational damage to both parties.

It was not immediately clear whether the court had formally vacated the trial date.

For Blake Bowen and his JSerra High baseball teammates, their final week of the high school baseball season could not have gone any better.

The 6-foot-4 senior hit three home runs during a three-game sweep of Santa Margarita. But the Lions finished their season on Friday with an 11-17 record, which means there will be no postseason.

“Too little, too late,” coach Brett Kay said.

Bowen came on strong, finishing with nine home runs and a .360 batting average. His ability to hit the ball hard and far should make him a high draft pick this summer.

“It’s the best power I’ve ever seen for a high school player,” Kay said.

Bowen is a former football player who began focusing only on baseball after transferring to JSerra from Riverside King. He plays baseball like he did in football — with an aggressiveness.

“Once he comes into his own, he’s going to be special,” Kay said.

The Lions had a young team that was hurt by injuries. One of the impressive young players was freshman Joey Koenig, who showed he can hit and will get a chance to pitch in the future.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com