Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Went to the movies to see “The Odyssey” on Friday. Just got out Sunday in time to write this newsletter.
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We are two weeks away from the trade deadline of Monday, Aug. 3, at 3 p.m. PT. The Dodgers usually make a deal or two around that time, sometimes major, sometimes minor. Who are the big names the Dodgers might have interest in this season? Let’s take a look.
Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers, 6-5, 2.83 ERA
It seems every year Skubal, who won the last two AL Cy Young Awards, is the top name available at the deadline, and this might finally be the year that it happens. Sure, the Tigers are on the fringe of the wild-card race, but can they really afford to let their most valuable trade piece walk away without getting anything for him? Skubal is a free agent after this season. Then again, what will the new bargaining agreement look like? Will Skubal be able to demand as much on the open market once the new agreement is in place? And do the Dodgers really need him? Bill Plaschke says they do. But, they have the best record in baseball without him. They have won two straight World Series without him. They don’t need him. The question is, do they want him? They certainly have the pieces to get him, and the resources to sign him to a long-term deal. Plus, he missed part of this season because of elbow surgery and they love to get formerly injured pitchers.
Joe Ryan, SP, Minnesota Twins, 6-5, 2.85 ERA
The Twins are very much in the wild-card race, so it seems unlikely they trade Ryan unless someone offers them something too good to turn down. He won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season. The same can be said of Sonny Gray of Boston. The Red Sox have won 13 in a row, so it seems unlikely they are trading anyone unless they lose their next 13.
The problem with the trade deadline since the postseason was expanded to 12 teams is that so many teams have a chance at the postseason. In the AL, 12 teams have a chance at making the postseason. Detroit is 46-53 and only 4.5 games out of a wild-card spot. Minnesota is only two games out. In the NL, 11 teams have a chance. It’s hard to trade one of your best players when you have a chance at the postseason.
Casey Mize, SP, Detroit Tigers, 4-6, 2.79 ERA
Mize will also be a free agent at the end of the season and is having his best season by far. He missed almost two seasons of his career because of Tommy John surgery.
Luis Arraez, 2B, San Francisco Giants, .326/.366/.455, 133 OPS+
Quite a few Dodgers fans would like to see the team acquire Arraez to play second. However, with Tommy Edman back and playing well, and Kiké Hernández back soon, they don’t really need a second baseman right now, especially one who is a poor fielder.
Reid Detmers, 3-6, 4.16 ERA, and José Soriano, 8-6, 3.49 ERA, SP, Angels
The Angels have the worst record in baseball, so much of their roster will be available. Unless the Dodgers believe that Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow or Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch the rest of the season, it’s hard to see how these players fit in.
Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins, .288/.401/.540, 160 OPS+
Jeffers is the only top-line catcher rumored to be available this season. And it seems the only way the Dodgers acquire him is if they are convinced Will Smith isn’t coming back. Otherwise, perhaps a reunion with Ben Rortvedt, who is stuck in the minors with the Mets.
Those are just a few of the players available (I recommend you visit mlbtraderumors.com to see a complete picture of what every team wants or could offer). Next time, we will look back at trade deadline deals after Andrew Friedman took over.
What will happen this season? Well, Friedman will pull off a deal or two involving players who aren’t on everyone’s list. The Dodgers can win the World Series with the team they have right now, but it never hurts to add more pitching.
Edwin Díaz: Has made a couple of appearances with Class A Ontario, pitching two innings, striking out four. He will need to pitch in consecutive games before he is activated.
Tyler Glasnow: His back has been an issue all season. He is throwing only fastballs at the moment.
Kiké Hernández: Is on assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City and could return when the Dodgers return home from their current trip.
Shohei Ohtani: Has been shut down from pitching because of swelling in his left knee. Timetable for his return as a pitcher remains murky, but he can still hit.
Will Smith: Out until at least mid-August. His return is pivotal for the Dodgers, because they don’t want to go into the postseason with just Dalton Rushing to count on behind the plate.
Blake Snell: Began a rehab assignment in triple A on Saturday and will probably need to make at least three more starts there before he is ready.
Blake Treinen: On the IL since June 20 because of a sore elbow, he is slowly working his way back.
As for the other guys on the IL, Ben Casparius, Brusdar Graterol, Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, it would be miraculous to get meaningful contributions from them this season.
How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams (through Sunday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:
Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.46 ERA, 2 saves, 34.1 IP, 31 hits, 15 walks, 33 K’s, 97 ERA+, out for the season
Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .255/.345/.417, 414 PA’s, 19 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 52 RBIs, 113 OPS+
Walker Buehler, Padres: 5-5, 5.36 ERA, 89 IP, 93 hits, 35 walks, 81 K’s, 77 ERA+
Mike Busch, Cubs: .244/.370/.403, 438 PA’s, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 12 homers, 52 RBIs, 117 OPS+
Michael Conforto, Cubs: .241/.327/.476, 160 PA’s, 10 doubles, 8 homers, 22 RBIs, 122 OPS+
Justin Dean, Cubs: .400/.571/.800, 7 PA’s, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 279 OPS+
Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 1-0, 3.20 ERA, 1 save, 19.2 IP, 20 hits, 8 walks, 19 K’s, 139 ERA+
Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 3-8, 4.48 ERA, 82.1 IP, 76 hits, 40 walks, 98 K’s, 97 ERA+
Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 1-4, 4.38 ERA, 11 saves, 24.2 IP, 16 hits, 14 walks, 27 K’s, 100 ERA+
Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 4.50 ERA, 30 IP, 26 hits, 12 walks, 29 K’s, 96 ERA+
Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL
Dustin May, Cardinals: 5-7, 4.78 ERA, 98 IP, 97 hits, 32 walks, 95 K’s, 84 ERA+
Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .196/.277/.298, 256 PA’s, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 19 RBIs, 60 OPS+
James Outman, Tigers: .159/.224/.288, 143 PA’s, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 13 RBIs, 42 OPS+
Joc Pederson, Rangers: .243/.339/.479, 302 PA’s, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 16 homers, 35 RBIs, 136 OPS+
Luke Raley, Mariners: .230/.287/.459, 267 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 15 homers, 37 RBIs, 111 OPS+
Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors
Corey Seager, Rangers: .182/.292/.374, 219 PA’s, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 25 RBIs, 94 OPS+, on the IL
Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .280/.386/.466, 228 PA’s, 18 doubles, 6 homers, 28 RBIs
Trea Turner, Phillies: .242/.292/.375, 428 PA’s, 17 doubles, 12 homers, 35 RBIs, 78 OPS+
Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .242/.352/.485, 422 PA’s, 21 doubles, 1 triple, 21 homers, 59 RBIs, 132 OPS+
Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-5, 3.74 ERA, 3 saves, 21.2 IP, 15 hits, 8 walks, 28 K’s, 113 ERA+
Monday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 4-6, 4.81 ERA) at Philadelphia (*Cristopher Sánchez, 11-4, 2.62 ERA), 4:10 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Tuesday: Dodgers (*Eric Lauer, 4-5, 4.81 ERA [3-0, 3.12 ERA with Dodgers]) at Philadelphia (Zack Wheeler, 10-1, 2.13 ERA), 3:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Wednesday: Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 10-2, 2.69 ERA) at Philadelphia (Aaron Nola, 3-7, 5.68 ERA), 3:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
All times Pacific
*-left-handed
Shaikin: Shohei Ohtani’s knee troubles creating a major pitching dilemma for Dodgers
Shaikin: With Will Smith out indefinitely, Dodgers need to trade for a catcher
Hall of Famers Jeff Kent and Andruw Jones played one forgettable Dodgers season together
Dodgers Debate: What the Dodgers need right now
The Dodgers honor Vin Scully on opening day in 2016. Watch and listen here.
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.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Here we are at the All-Star break. How did that happen so fast? And how crazy is baseball? Arizona is 49-47, 11½ games out of first. The Angels are tied for the worst record in baseball (38-59) and are also 11½ games out of first.
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The Dodgers begin the second half of the season with a 61-36 record, leading the NL West by 11½ games over Arizona. Yes, they lost their last three games going into the break, but those things happen. The first few games after the break (at Yankees, at Philadelphia, at Mets) won’t be easy, so we will see where things stand after that.
How does their record compare to years past at the break?
2026
61-36, .629
lead NL West by 11½ games
Record after break: ?
2025
58-39, .598
led NL West by 5½ games
Record after break: 35-30, .538
won NL West by 3 games
2024
56-41, .577
led NL West by 7 games
Record after break: 42-23, .646
won NL West by 5 games
2023
51-38, .573
second in NL West, a half-game behind Arizona
Record after break: 49-24, .671
won NL West by 16 games
2022
60-30, .667
led NL West by 9½ games
Record after break: 51-21, .708
won NL West by 22 games
2021
56-35, .615
second in NL West, two games behind San Francisco
Record after break: 50-21, .704
second in NL West, one game behind Giants
2020
Covid-shortened season
Now let’s look at the main players on the team. We will include their slash numbers (AVG/OB%/SLG%) and their career slash numbers.
We will list them in order of OPS+.
Shohei Ohtani
2026: .293/.403/.549, 162 OPS+
Career: .282/.377/.580, 160 OPS+
The discussion of whether pitching is hurting his hitting has mostly come to a halt. But maybe it is hurting his knee? That’s a huge thing to keep an eye on in the second half.
Tommy Edman
2026: .343/.421/.478, 150 OPS+
Career: .261/.314/.407, 99 OPS+
It’s highly unlikely that Edman hits this well the rest of the season (he’s had only 78 plate appearances), but the Dodgers are certainly better with him on the roster.
Freddie Freeman
2026: .290/.375/.487, 138 OPS+
Career: .299/.386/.510, 142 OPS+
He is still as steady as ever. When was the last time you said “Wow, that was a bad at-bat by Freeman?” It never seems to happen.
Max Muncy
2026: .259/.354/.488, 132 OPS+
Career: .232/.354/.475, 125 OPS+
Unsung star of the first half, even if he did make the All-Star team. He’s quite the steal at only $10 million. And his defense has gotten better too.
Dalton Rushing
2026: .254/.337/.475, 123 OPS+
Career: .232/.303/.409, 97 OPS+
Has has filled in quite well for Will Smith.
Andy Pages
2026: .270/.336/.471, 122 OPS+
Career: .264/.317/.448, 112 OPS+
Remember the Pages who seemed to break wrong on every fly ball his rookie year? That Pages no longer exists.
Miguel Rojas
2026: .290/.335/.420, 109 OPS+
Career: .261/.314/.364, 87 OPS+
He is not playing like a guy who is retiring at the end of the season. You could make a case for this being his best year ever.
Will Smith
2026: .249/.338/.382, 100 OPS+
Career: .263/.357/.470, 126 OPS+
Looking at his numbers, you have to wonder if he had any other nagging injuries before he went on the IL because of a neck problem. Playing catcher is hard, folks.
Kyle Tucker
2026: .244/.341/.375, 100 OPS+
Career: .270/.356/.493, 135 OPS+
You have to figure the Dodgers were hoping for more than a league average hitter for $60 million a season. I always wonder if deep down, a guy such as Rojas says to himself, “That guy is making $60 million and I’m making $6 million?”
Teoscar Hernández
2026: .243/.319/.387, 96 OPS+
Career: .260/.316/.479, 118 OPS+
The consistency just isn’t there anymore. The last two seasons he has been decidedly average as a player.
Mookie Betts
2026: .235/.293/.416, 95 OPS+
Career: .288/.366/.509, 134 OPS+
He may never be the hitter he once was. Then again, he’s hitting .288/.335/.475 since June 9.
Alex Call
2026: .250/.358/.321, 92 OPS+
Career: .243/.343/.365, 100 OPS+
A perfect example of a fourth outfielder.
Hyeseong Kim
2026: .259/.323/.328, 82 OPS+
Career: .271/.318/.361, 90 OPS+
Many fans are still enamored with him, but until he develops a better eye at the plate and a more consistent swing, he’s going to spend a lot of time in the minors.
Alex Freeland
2026: .234/.313/.318, 77 OPS+
Career: .221/.307/.315, 75 OPS+
Another Dodgers top prospect who hasn’t panned out … yet. Remember Miguel Vargas, who looked about as bad as Freeland with the Dodgers and was on the AL All-Star team this year? Perhaps they can use that as a factor at the trade deadline.
Starting rotation
Shohei Ohtani
2026: 8-2, 1.79 ERA, 234 ERA+
Career: 47-22, 2.83 ERA, 151 ERA+
Strangely, the Dodgers have a hitter with the same name. I wonder if they ever get them mixed up.
Justin Wrobleski
2026: 10-2, 2.69 ERA, 155 ERA+
Career: 16-9. 3.76 ERA, 110 ERA+
Get this: He has pitched this well and might not even be in the postseason rotation if Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell return.
Tyler Glasnow
2026: 3-0, 2.72 ERA, 154 ERA+
Career: 46-36, 3.69 ERA, 112 ERA+
Glasnow has been in the majors for 11 seasons and pitched more than 100 innings only three times, and in one of those seasons, he pitched over half of those innings in relief.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
2026: 9-6, 2.85 ERA, 147 ERA+
Career: 28-16, 2.72 ERA, 151 ERA+
It has been a quiet season from him so far, but a very good season. Considering all the arm injuries in baseball, it’s amazing his arm didn’t fall off this year after his usage in the postseason.
Eric Lauer
2026: 3-0, 3.12 ERA, 134 ERA+
Career: 49-44, 4.20 ERA, 99 ERA+
Once again, the Dodgers find a pitcher on the scrap heap, make an adjustment, and he becomes a solid pitcher.
Emmet Sheehan
2026: 4-6, 4.81 ERA, 87 ERA+
Career: 14-10, 4.17 ERA, 101 ERA+
A big disappointment so far. If any of the 12 million starting pitchers on the IL for the Dodgers was healthy, you have to figure they might get a shot.
Roki Sasaki
2026: 3-5, 5.33 ERA, 78 ERA+
Career: 4-6, 5.06 ERA, 82 ERA+
He starred briefly while in the bullpen last postseason, but overall, you have to wonder why the Dodgers don’t let him figure things out in the minors.
Blake Snell
2026: 0-1, 12.00 ERA, 39 ERA+
Career: 81-63, 3.17 ERA, 129 ERA+
Snell is like Bigfoot. You think he might exist, but he’s seen only rarely and pictures of him are blurry. The search continues.
Bullpen
Alex Vesia
2026: 1-1, 2.27 ERA, 3 saves, 185 ERA+
Career: 20-14, 2.85 ERA, 16 saves, 145 ERA+
This is Vesia’s sixth season in the Dodger bullpen, and he has had only one mediocre season, in 2023. He comes in, get the job done, gets the team pumped up and leaves. Every team needs a Vesia.
Edgardo Henriquez
2026: 4-1, 2.29 ERA, 1 save, 183 ERA+
Career: 6-2, 2.34 ERA, 3 saves, 180 ERA+
No one gets too excited when Henriquez comes into a game, but he sure has been effective.
Will Klein
2026: 3-4, 2.41 ERA, 2 saves, 174 ERA+
Career: 5-5, 3.45 ERA, 2 saves, 123 ERA+
Career ERA before joining Dodgers: 11.05. ERA with the Dodgers: 2.39. At the beginning of the season, we mentioned something like what Klein did in Game 3 of last year’s World Series could catapult him into a long, solid major league career. So far, so good.
Tanner Scott
2026: 1-3, 2.56 ERA, 13 saves, 164 ERA+
Career: 33-31, 3.62 ERA, 91 saves, 121 ERA+
Yes, he has had a rough game or two this season, but overall he has been a dependable closer.
Brock Stewart
2026: 0-0, 2.79 ERA, 155 ERA+
Career: 10-5, 4.40 ERA, 2 saves, 97 ERA+
It is hard to draw any conclusions on Stewart since he has pitched only 13.1 innings for the team since it acquired him at last year’s trade deadline for James Outman.
Jack Dreyer
2026: 3-1, 3.03 ERA, 139 ERA+
Career: 6-3, 2.97 ERA, 4 saves, 139 ERA+
Henriquez, Klein, Dreyer. Three guys who draw little notice but have been stalwarts in the bullpen this season.
Blake Treinen
2026: 4-1, 3.52 ERA, 1 save, 120 ERA+
Career: 49-42, 2.93 ERA, 83 saves, 142 ERA+
He had three great seasons with the Dodgers, but it has been hit and miss since then.
Kyle Hurt
2026: 3-1, 4.88 ERA, 1 save, 86 ERA+
Career: 3-2, 4.05 ERA, 1 save, 105 ERA+
On the IL again, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering his name. Kyle hurt? Yes.
Evan Phillips
2026: 0-0. 6.00 ERA, 78 ERA+
Career: 16-12, 3.39 ERA, 46 saves, 126 ERA+
He has pitched only three innings since his return from the IL, so it’s too soon to draw any conclusions on how well he has recovered. He was really, really good before the injury.
And finally …
Of course, this doesn’t include players such as Kiké Hernández and Edwin Díaz, who played very little this season but are expected back after the All-Star break.
Overall, a solid team. There’s no one where you can say “That guy is terrible.” There may be a player or two who is overpaid for their production, but even those guys aren’t terrible. And that’s how you end up with the best record in baseball at the All-Star break.
Remember sitting down with the Sunday newspaper and turning to the page that listed all of the hitters and pitchers and their stats? The Times and almost every other paper stopped running that years ago. Let’s do a little of it now by listing the top five in key categories in the NL and where the top Dodger is at the break. Remember, to qualify for rate stats, you have to have 3.1 plate appearances or one inning pitched for each game your team has played.
Batting average
1. Otto Lopez, Miami, .334
2. Luis Arráez, San Francisco, .330
3. Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh, .308
4. Xavier Edwards, Miami, .303
5. Jung Hoo Lee, San Francisco, .302
12. Shohei Ohtani, .293
On-base%
1. Juan Soto, New York, .412
2. James Wood, Washington, .410
3. Shohei Ohtani, .403
4. Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh, .400
5. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago, .386
10. Freddie Freeman, .375
Slugging %
1. James Wood, Washington, .575
2. Juan Soto, New York, .562
3. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia, .559
4. Luis Garcia Jr., Washington, .554
5. Shohei Ohtani, .549
Runs
1. James Wood, Washington, 89
2. Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh, 68
3. Brice Turang, Milwaukee, 66
4. Shohei Ohtani, 65
5. Matt Olson, Atlanta, 64
Doubles
1. Otto Lopez, Miami, 26
2. Rafael Devers, San Francisco, 25
3. Matt Olson, Atlanta, 24
t4. Six tied with 23, including Freddie Freeman
Home runs
1. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia, 32
2. James Wood, Washington, 28
3. Hunter Goodman, Colorado, 27
4. Matt Olson, Atlanta, 25
t5. Shohei Ohtani, 22
t5. Jordan Walker, St. Louis, 22
RBIs
1. Jordan Walker, St. Louis, 74
2. Luis Garcia Jr., Washington, 68
3. CJ Abrams, Washington, 67
3. Alec Burleson, St. Louis, 67
5. Andy Pages, 66
ERA
1. Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee, 1.62
2. Chris Sale, Atlanta, 2.20
3. Eduardo Rodriguez, Arizona, 2.29
4. Chase Burns, Cincinnati, 2.54
5. Max Meyer, Miami, 2.58
7. Justin Wrobleski, 2.69
9. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2.85
Strikeouts
1. Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee, 167
2. Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia, 144
3. Jesus Luzardo, Philadelphia, 136
4. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh, 130
5. Braxton Ashcraft, Pittsburgh, 128
13. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 106
Saves
1. Mason Miller, San Diego, 25
t2. Jhoan Duran, Philadelphia, 24
t2. Riley O’Brien, St. Louis, 24
4. Paul Sewald, Arizona, 22
5. Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta, 19
t7. Tanner Scott, 13
Friday: Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 3-5, 5.33 ERA) at New York Yankees (Gerrit Cole, 3-4, 4.04 ERA), 4:05 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Saturday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 4-6, 4.81 ERA) at New York Yankees (*Ryan Weathers, 3-7, 4.15 ERA), 5:08 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Sunday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 9-6, 2.85 ERA) at New York Yankees (Cam Schlittler, 9-5, 2.05 ERA), 4:20 p.m., NBC, Peacock, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
All times Pacific
*-left-handed
Plaschke: Who says they don’t need him? Dodgers need to trade for Tarik Skubal
Most pressing question for Dodgers in the second half: Can Shohei Ohtani stay healthy?
Shohei Ohtani wins two ESPYs … and Mike Tyson learns the Dodgers superstar is a guy
Dodgers’ Mookie Betts has six Gold Gloves. And now a baseball glove company
Shaikin: To seize 2028 Olympics spotlight, does MLB really need draconian participation rules?
Kevin Costner on the legacy of Vin Scully. Watch and listen here.
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.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Ranking the summer movies I’ve seen this year: 1. Supergirl. 2. Young Washington. 3. Disclosure Day. 4. Masters of the Universe. 5. The Devil Wears Prada 2.
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Before you go any further, if you don’t like politics in your Dodgers newsletter, which is a perfectly respectable opinion, THEN SKIP TO THE NEXT ITEM!
OK. The Dodgers are visiting President Trump and the White House on July 23 to celebrate their 2025 World Series title. This has caused quite a controversy, again, just like when they visited last year to celebrate the 2024 World Series title. Should the Dodgers visit the White House?
Here are some things I know:
1. The Dodgers have the largest Latino fan base of any team in baseball. Many of them despise Trump because of what ICE has done to their communities, which includes rounding up and detaining people who are here in the country legally, many of whom were born here.
2. Many Latinos who were born in L.A. and lived here their whole lives have been stopped and asked to provide identification merely because they are Latino. That’s not how this country is supposed to work.
3. Even if you somehow have no problem with the above, on a business level the Dodgers risk turning those fans into non-fans by visiting this White House.
4. There are players and members of the organization who are supporters of President Trump and would like to visit this White House.
5. This is the organization of Jackie Robinson and Fernando Valenzuela. Do I have to say more?
So, here’s what I would do if I owned the Dodgers. “The Dodgers thank President Trump for his invitation to visit him at the White House. As a policy, the Dodgers as an organization no longer accept political invitations of any kind. However, any member the the organization, be it player or front office personnel, is more than welcome to accept the invitation on their own behalf and visit.”
And, according to Dave Roberts, no one is being forced to go. “I’m sure a lot of guys are going to participate and be there, and this is an individual choice,” Roberts said. “But I do expect a lot of our guys to be there.”
It will be interesting to see who isn’t there.
No matter who is in office, the trip to the White House is a photo op to show how the president is a person of the people, especially a person of the people of the city that team represents. It’s all for show.
What I do find interesting is Roberts. In 2020, he said this when George Floyd was killed: “It’s disappointing to see my generation and the generation prior failing the younger generation. And that’s what’s really sad. You always hope for progress, but that just, unfortunately, isn’t the case.
“For me, the leaders of our country, unfortunately, aren’t good listeners and that’s how you impose change. People of color want to be heard. And when you have leaders that are put in positions to make change and don’t want to have those uncomfortable conversations, then change isn’t going to happen. There’s a difference between being educated and being ignorant. You have to understand that these situations happen every single day to people of color.”
And this is Roberts this year: “For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager. That’s my job.
“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country. For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. . . . For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”
From making a giant political statement in 2020 to “not try to make political statements” in 2026 is quite a shift.
And Kiké Hernández will not be there, because he is going to be on a rehab assignment: “It’s going to be hard to be in two cities at the same time,” Hernández said. “If I was active, I probably wouldn’t have gone anyways.” And then he said why:
“I’d rather take a day off than do team activities.”
Which didn’t stop him from going last year. However, during the height of the ICE raids in L.A., he wrote this on Instagram: “This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.”
So, that’s a summation of something that used to be a fun day. And that ends the political discourse for this newsletter.
For another viewpoint on this, please read Bill Plaschke’s column.
The draft was last weekend, and with their first pick (40th overall) the Dodgers selected shortstop Bo Lowrance of Christ Church Episcopal High in Greenville, S.C. Lowrance was expected to be chosen well before 40, so the Dodgers were pleased. Why was the Dodgers’ first pick at 40? Because they were penalized 10 spots in the draft for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax.
Lowrance told reporters he has modeled himself after Freddie Freeman. “He’s obviously a first baseman, and I’m on the left side, so defensively a little different,” Lowrance said. “But he’s still unbelievably athletic, and a big thing that I’ve watched for years is his approach and how he uses the whole field. … [Freeman is] somebody that I’m always trying to emulate.”
Pretty good guy to emulate. But how well does the first pick by the Dodgers do? Let’s take a look.
2010
Zach Lee, pitcher
Pitched only 12.2 innings in the majors with an 8.53 ERA. Was traded for Chris Taylor though, so there’s that.
2011
Chris Reed, pitcher
Was traded four years later to Miami for pitcher Grant Dayton. Reed pitched four innings for Miami and was released in 2018.
2012
Corey Seager, shortstop
Perhaps you’ve heard of him. World Series MVP in 2020, now with the Texas Rangers.
2013
Chris Anderson, pitcher
Was released four years later, signed by the Minnesota Twins and released by them. Never pitched in the majors.
2014
Grant Holmes, pitcher
Was part of the 2016 trade that brought Rich Hill to the Dodgers. Ended up with the Braves, made the majors in 2024 and is in Atlanta’s starting rotation.
2015 (Andrew Friedman’s first draft with the Dodgers)
Walker Buehler, pitcher
Perhaps you’ve heard of him too. Got the last out of the 2024 World Series. Now with the San Diego Padres.
2016
Gavin Lux, shortstop
Snakebit by injuries. Has been on the IL with Tampa Bay all season.
2017
Jeren Kendall, outfielder
Hit .209 in five minor league seasons before retiring.
2018
J.T. Ginn, pitcher
Did not sign and went to Mississippi State. Was selected by the New York Mets in the second round of the 2020 draft and signed. Currently pitches for the Athletics.
2019
Kody Hoese, third baseman
Spent six seasons in the minors, hitting .255/.323/.395 in 514 games. Became a minor league free agent after last season and remains unsigned.
2020
Bobby Miller, pitcher
Had a great 2023 season with the Dodgers but hasn’t pitched well since then. Currently on the 60-day injured list.
2021
Maddux Bruns, pitcher
On the IL for double-A Tulsa, where he had a 14.94 ERA in 15.2 innings. In six minor league seasons, he is 4-20 with a 5.71 ERA.
2022
Dalton Rushing, catcher
Much like this season, the Dodgers did not have a first-round pick in 2022, but had the 40th overall pick and drafted the player who has become their backup catcher.
2023
Kendall George, outfielder
Ranked as the No. 13 prospect for the Dodgers, he is hitting .342/.428/.409 at double-A Tulsa. He is only 21.
2024
Kellon Lindsey, shortstop
The No. 15 prospect for the Dodgers, Lindsey is 20 and hitt slashing .341/.421/.476 for class-A Ontario.
2025
Zach Root, pitcher
Also selected with the No. 40 pick, Root, 22, is 3-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 49.1 innings for class-A Great Lakes.
As you can see, it’s quite the crapshoot when you pick players in the draft, which is a main reason the MLB draft doesn’t draw the same attention as the NBA or NFL drafts.
Shohei Ohtani will not play in the All-Star Game as he deals with a troublesome knee. After Sunday’s loss to Arizona he was scheduled to have his left knee drained and likely will receive an injection. That sounds like a lot of fun. He is not expected to miss any time after the All-Star break.
In the good news department, Justin Wrobleski has been added to the All-Star roster. He is 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA and is a worthy addition.
By popular demand, a look at Dodgers All-Star game career leaders:
At-bats
Steve Garvey, 22 (9 for 22)
Roy Campanella, 20 (2 for 20)
Jackie Robinson, 18 (6 for 18)
Pee Wee Reese, 17 (2 for 17)
Maury Wills, 14 (5 for 14)
Hits
Steve Garvey, 9 (22 at-bats)
Jackie Robinson, 6 (18)
Maury Wills, 5 (14)
Mike Piazza, 4 (12)
Gil Hodges, 4 (12)
Billy Herman, 4 (9)
Runs
Jackie Robinson, 7
Steve Garvey, 6
Gil Hodges, 3
Duke Snider, 3
Doubles
Jackie Robinson, 2
Steve Garvey, 2
8 players tied with 1
Triples
Steve Garvey, 2
No other Dodger has tripled
Home runs
Steve Garvey, 2
Mike Piazza, 2
Jackie Robinson, 1
Gil Hodges, 1
Jim Wynn, 1
Shohei Ohtani, 1
Willie Davis, 1
John Roseboro, 1
Mickey Owen, 1
Jim Gilliam, 1
RBI’s
Steve Garvey, 6
Mike Piazza, 4
Jackie Robinson, 4
Shohei Ohtani, 3
Stolen bases
Steve Sax, 2
Maury Wills, 1
Will Smith, 1
Shawn Green, 1
Orlando Hudson, 1
Walks
Pee Wee Reese, 3
Roy Campanella, 3
Wally Moon, 3
Steve Garvey, 2
Jackie Robinson, 2
Ron Cey, 2
Augie Galan, 2
Duke Snider, 2
Strikeouts
Roy Campanella, 5
John Roseboro, 4
Pee Wee Reese, 3
Steve Garvey, 3
Cody Bellinger, 3
Yasiel Puig, 3
Batting average (Min. 6 at-bats)
Billy Herman, .444
Steve Garvey, .409
Maury Wills, ,357
Jackie Robinson, .333
Gil Hodges, .333
Mike Piazza, .333
Duke Snider, .300
Innings pitched
Don Drysdale, 19.1
Don Newcombe, 8.2
Don Sutton 8
Fernando Valenzuela, 7.2
Clayton Kershaw, 7.2
Sandy Koufax, 6
Claude Osteen, 5
ERA (minimum 5 IP)
Claude Osteen, 0.00
Don Sutton, 0.00
Fernando Valenzuela, 0.00
Don Drysdale, 1.40
Sandy Koufax, 1.50
Clayton Kershaw, 3.52
Don Newcombe, 4.15
Strikeouts
Don Drysdale, 19
Fernando Valenzuela, 9
Don Sutton, 7
Zack Greinke, 6
Clayton Kershaw, 6
Don Newcombe, 5
Saves
Don Drysdale, 1
Jonathan Broxton, 1
Jim Brewer, 1
Current Dodgers in the All-Star game
Numbers with Dodgers only
Shohei Ohtani, .400 batting average, 2 for 4, 1 homer, 3 RBIs
Mookie Betts, .333, 1 for 3, 1 RBI
Will Smith, .200, 1 for 5, 1 double, 1 steal
Freddie Freeman, .000, 0 for 4
Teoscar Hernández, .000, 0 for 2
Max Muncy, .000, 0 for 4
How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams (through Sunday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:
Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.46 ERA, 2 saves, 34.1 IP, 31 hits, 15 walks, 33 K’s, 97 ERA+, out for the season
Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .254/.345/.421, 403 PA’s, 19 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 51 RBIs, 114 OPS+
Walker Buehler, Padres: 5-5, 5.36 ERA, 89 IP, 93 hits, 35 walks, 81 K’s, 77 ERA+
Mike Busch, Cubs: .239/.368/.395, 424 PA’s, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, 49 RBIs, 115 OPS+
Michael Conforto, Cubs: .243/.331/.486, 160 PA’s, 10 doubles, 8 homers, 22 RBIs, 126 OPS+
Justin Dean, Cubs: .400/.500/.800, 6 PA’s, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 259 OPS+
Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 1-0, 2.41 ERA, 1 save, 18.2 IP, 19 hits, 7 walks, 17 K’s, 185 ERA+
Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 3-8, 4.48 ERA, 82.1 IP, 76 hits, 40 walks, 98 K’s, 96 ERA+
Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 1-4, 4.56 ERA, 11 saves, 23.2 IP, 16 hits, 13 walks, 25 K’s, 95 ERA+
Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 4.82 ERA, 28 IP, 26 hits, 11 walks, 26 K’s, 90 ERA+
Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL
Dustin May, Cardinals: 5-6, 4.55 ERA, 93 IP, 89 hits, 28 walks, 89 K’s, 89 ERA+
Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .197/.278/.298, 248 PA’s, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 19 RBIs, 60 OPS+
James Outman, Tigers: .152/.221/.288, 136 PA’s, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 13 RBIs, 40 OPS+
Joc Pederson, Rangers: .235/.334/.462, 294 PA’s, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 15 homers, 34 RBIs, 130 OPS+
Luke Raley, Mariners: .229/.288/.453, 259 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 36 RBIs, 109 OPS+
Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors
Corey Seager, Rangers: .182/.292/.374, 219 PA’s, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 25 RBIs, 94 OPS+, on the IL
Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .282/.394/.475, 216 PA’s, 17 doubles, 6 homers, 28 RBIs
Trea Turner, Phillies: .236/.284/.355, 415 PA’s, 16 doubles, 10 homers, 33 RBIs, 71 OPS+
Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .245/.355/.493, 409 PA’s, 20 doubles, 1 triple, 21 homers, 59 RBIs, 135 OPS+
Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-4, 3.00 ERA, 3 saves, 21 IP, 14 hits, 7 walks, 28 K’s, 141 ERA+
Shaikin: Love it or hate it: Would the Dodgers’ NL West rivals call a Tarik Skubal trade overkill?
How Dodgers’ Justin Wrobleski went from demotion to All-Star in less than two years
Shaikin: Inside the Shohei Ohtani Economy driving a wild auction for his worn cleats
Dodgers’ top MLB draft pick Bo Lowrance eager to emulate Freddie Freeman, Corey Seager
Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski added to National League roster for All-Star Game
Kiké Hernández on why he’ll miss Dodgers’ White House visit
Shohei Ohtani scratched from pitching start, won’t play in MLB All-Star Game
Why 2026 MLB draft will be special for Dodgers coach Dino Ebel’s family
Plaschke: Are the Dodgers tone deaf? White House visit is an insult to their fans
Dodgers scheduled to visit White House in late July to celebrate 2025 World Series win
Vin Scully discusses getting Babe Ruth‘s autograph. Watch and listen here.
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.
One Wednesday evening in May, at the boutique hotel Dream Hollywood — located just off the Walk of Fame — a young hotel staff member shuffled over to her co-worker to discuss a special guest on the top floor. Together they exchanged whispers about an artist’s unknown whereabouts and whether or not they would catch him on his descent to the first floor.
The name “Tito Double P” slipped out, referring to the Mexican corrido singer who happened to be in town promoting his latest album, “Acomodo.”
I met the 28-year-old on the top floor, where he opted for a warm, friendly hug in lieu of a firm business handshake. We were quickly rushed into a side room to conduct his last interview of the evening.
Those who’ve followed Tito Double P’s musical journey since 2023 would likely describe him as a chaotic force, with weathered vocals, off-the-cuff ad libs, riotous pelvic thrusts and suggestive tongue expressions.
Come Sunday, he’ll bring the ruckus when he headlines Belico Fest in L.A.’s BMO Stadium. But when we spoke about his second solo album, “Acomodo,” the Nayarit-born, Sinaloa-raised singer, whose real name is Jesús Roberto Laija García, arrived polished, perfumed and poised.
“After this LP, don’t be surprised if you see different things from me,” said Laija García.
Released on May 28, the LP contains 23 corridos, which see Laija García strike the commanding tone of brazen CEO. In its focus track, “Me Vale V,” the singer firmly declares he is manifesting his dreams and not paying anyone else mind. Its lyrics reveal it all: “Ya van tres días que no paro, pero bien trabado” (I’ve been going nonstop for three days now, but I’m totally locked in).
But listeners also get a more vulnerable side of the músicana mexicana singer, who agonizes over heartbreak in “La Fama” — while simultaneously voicing his vice for women and boozy escapades. Throughout the record, the singer sprinkles in the catchphrase, “Bélico pero no tanto, mija,” which translates to “warlike, but not too much, my dear” — striking a balance between his hard-shelled exterior and inner tenderness, namely in the yearning jazzy corrido “Pase y Pase,” in which he pleads for a late-night booty call.
Most notably, “Acomodo” boasts no features whatsoever, a rarity in an industry where artist collaborations play a key role in bringing in bigger audiences (and bigger payouts).
“Many people called me to ask why they weren’t going to be on [the record],” he said. But the solo move marked a milestone achievement for Laija García, who had no designs of becoming an international musical marvel.
“I was never the child who sang, who played the guitar in school festivities or at family parties,” said Laija García in a calm tone — occasionally referring to his stage name in the third person.
The singer still can’t fathom his own success. He cut his teeth by penning career-defining songs for his famous cousin, Peso Pluma — including anthemic corridos like “El Belicon,” “Siempre Pendientes” and “AMG.” These standout ballads touted a rugged lifestyle with elements of organized crime, which aided his primo’s ascent to the mainstream.
Tito Double P released his second solo album “Acomodo.”
(Adan Ornelas Anta)
In the process of composing his cousin’s Grammy-winning 2023 album, “Génesis,” Laija García asked him if he could also release his own material. “Let’s go!” he recalled Peso Pluma saying. “Your first song will be a duet with me.”
The plan was to debut Tito Double P with “La People,” a fiery narcocorrido that details the inner life of a cartel’s tactical security guard, who narrowly escapes a police raid.
But Laija García’s rollout plan took a detour when an unmastered version of his track was leaked to TikTok in spring 2023 — a bouncy tune he later renamed “Dembow Belico,” which is characterized by a Dominican-style boom-chi-boom-chick rhythm and raw, spitfire lyrics. This party track introduced audiences to a version of Tito Double P that radiated a lighthearted madness — fueled by Skyy vodka and Old Parr whiskey, as per the song’s lyrics.
“I liked it, it was something new,” said Luis R. Conriquez, who called up the new singer to be a collaborator. “What makes him special is his voice, his sound. He’s his own person.”
Together with Conriquez and Joel De La P, “Dembow Belico” was released on June 5, 2023, and became Tito Double P’s official debut in the music world — even giving life to one of the most viral clips of Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez, who can be seen awkwardly dancing to it.
“From there on, Tito Double P was another persona,” said Laija García. Throughout his lively retelling of the story, he added a series of sound effects to move the story line — among them, wacha, pum, pum, pum, gol. “More than anything, Tito Double P came across as a character, because that guy was totally crazy, he didn’t give a damn.”
“More than anything, Tito Double P came across as a character, because that guy was totally crazy, he didn’t give a damn,” said Jesús Roberto Laija García, better known as Tito Double P.
(Adan Ornelas Anta)
In real life, Laija García considers himself a timid, camera-shy guy. That’s why he chose an illustration for the cover of his 2024 debut album “Incómodo,” rather than a real-life image of himself; the LP title directly translates to “discomfort.”
“I was going to be one of those artists that [only] releases songs, because [I thought,] ‘How embarrassing would it be if I got up on stage?’” he mused. “But now, I dominate the stage from head to toe. And I don’t want to come down.”
The debut record also served as an experimental project for Tito Double P, whose hard-won swagger elevated every sound he toyed with — whether it was on the brass-heavy banda song “La 701” with Luis R Conriquez, the techno thump of “La Bandolera,” the heavy-hitting urban track “Linda” with Neton Vega and the guitar-powered ballad “Los Cuadros” ft. Peso Pluma).
Featuring collaborations with established acts, such as Natanael Cano, Junior H and Grupo Frontera, the album peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 chart and helped the rising star distinguish himself from his high-profile cousin — who he toppled from the No. 1 spot on the Top Latin Albums chart, five weeks after his debut release.
Although Laija García hasn’t shied away from embracing that familial tie either; in May, both Tito Double P and Peso Pluma concluded their “Dinastía” tour following their joint 2025 album of the same name.
“I still see comments on TikTok where people are surprised that we are cousins,” remarked Laija García.
Now with “Acomodo” — which debuted at the top of both Spotify Top Albums USA and Top Global Charts across all genres — Tito Double P affirmed his rightful place in música mexicana upper echelons.
“That’s why it’s called ‘Acomodo,’ because everything is aligning itself as it should be,” he said.
As Tito Double P made his way to the lobby, a member of the Dream Hollywood valet — who likely bore witness to Hollywood A-listers and other luminaries — asked if he could take a picture with the singer. “Tito, Tito, a photo please!” asked the employee.
Laija García flashed a friendly smile. Thankfully for the attendant, Tito Double P is always camera-ready.
On June 24, Venezuela was struck by a devastating double earthquake that caused thousands of deaths and widespread destruction. In this infographic, we detail the facts and figures surrounding the disaster, as well as US military encroachment amid an ongoing sanctions regime.
(Click on the crosses for more information)
Click here to download the full infographic.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. No animals were harmed in the production of this newsletter.
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Dalton Rushing has certainly been in the spotlight lately. From his miscommunication with Shohei Ohtani to getting emotional on the bench. We put the spotlight on him recently in this newsletter, which you can read here.
This led to readers asking whether his teammates like him. And while you can never know what lies in the heart of a person, it seems very likely that they do. We quoted colleague Maddie Lee‘s story last time. This time, we look at a couple of interesting quotes from Katie Woo’s story in the Athletic.
Freddie Freeman: “Everyone here loves Dalton Rushing. The person he is in the clubhouse, before games, after games, doesn’t get to be shown on the field. But there’s that three-hour window where his emotions come forward, and it can be a lot. I wish people could see the Dalton Rushing inside the clubhouse, on the plane, on buses. It’s not what you see during the game. He’s a young guy who’s learning the starting role, who wants to be great, who is just learning, and we’re here to help, and that’s why you see so many people trying to help him.”
Miguel Rojas: “It’s really hard to change one person’s personality from one year to another. We have to understand and give him a little bit of a break, because he’s young. Now, if we’re seeing this next year, or the same thing happening two years from now, there’s probably going to be a conversation with the organization. You have to see growth.”
That sounds like two guys who like him, and are trying to help him navigate through all of this. Which is what teammates are for.
However, is Rushing in sync with the pitchers? Let’s take a look at the starting pitcher ERA with Rushing and with Will Smith in their career. We’ll include Austin Barnes and Ben Rortvedt too.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
ERA with Rortvedt: 0.86 (21 innings)
Barnes: 1.64 (33)
Rushing: 1.75 (92.2)
Smith: 3.29 (221.2)
Justin Wrobleski
Smith: 2.60 (86.2)
Rushing: 3.75 (72)
Rortvedt: 6.14 (7.1)
Barnes: 10.90 (17.1)
Shohei Ohtani
Rortvedt: 0.00 (11)
Smith: 2.08 (82.1)
Rushing: 2.97 (39.1)
Barnes never caught him
Roki Sasaki
Rortvedt: 0.00 (2)
Barnes: 2.00 (9)
Smith: 4.32 (58.1)
Rushing: 6.21 (37.2)
Emmet Sheehan
Rortvedt: 0.00 (1)
Rushing: 3.04 (50.1)
Smith: 4.20 (124.1)
Barnes: 7.56 (16.2)
Tyler Glasnow
Rushing: 1.46 (24.2)
Rortvedt: 2.89 (18.2)
Smith: 3.42 (210.2)
Barnes: 5.40 (10)
Blake Snell
Rortvedt: 0.47 (19)
Smith: 3.26 (30.1)
Rushing: 4.80 (15)
Eric Lauer
Smith: 1.50 (6)
Rushing: 3.86 (23.1)
All Dodgers pitchers this season
Smith: 3.02 (393)
Rushing: 3.74 (341.1)
Chuckie Robinson: 4.88 (59)
All Dodgers pitchers in 2025
Rortvedt: 2.89 (140.1)
Rushing: 3.87 (325.1)
Smith: 4.00 (865.1)
Robinson: 5.14 (7)
Barnes: 5.16 (103)
You can see why the Dodgers liked Rortvedt so much.
Dave Roberts got the 1,000th victory as Dodgers manager when they beat the Athletics on Tuesday.
“I mean, 1,000 didn’t even seem on my radar,” Roberts said after that game. “That’s a long time of consistent winning, let alone keeping a job for 11 years. That’s just kind of the life I chose. But yeah, to kind of put your head down and look back and go, ‘Oh my God, I’m here,’ it’s mind-blowing. I still feel like I’m getting better, and I still enjoy it.”
Roberts, who is in his 11th season as Dodgers manager, gave a hint as to how long he will be at the helm.
“I will not manage 20 years. Mookie wants me to manage until his contract expires [in 2032], so that’s something I am thinking about. But I can be certain I’m not going to do 20 years. It’s too much. I love it, but it’s a lot to give. To see myself doing that for another seven, eight, nine years, that’s a lot.”
Barring some unexpected collapse by the Dodgers for a couple of seasons, Roberts will be manager of the Dodgers for as long as he wants. He has won three World Series titles and will go into the Hall of Fame one day. He has grown considerably as a manager, as he has shown in the last two postseasons. There is always a vocal minority who doesn’t like him, or who thinks anyone could manage this team to a title. Nonsense. As Mookie Betts said:
“I would definitely say it’s probably the reverse. It makes it harder. It’s probably easy to write in a lineup, for sure. But to manage so many personalities, injuries, guys coming up, guys coming down, it’s a lot, especially losing. We went through our stretches where we weren’t playing well.
“And then it’s the other way, like, ‘Oh, you got this roster, and you’re still losing X, Y, and Z.’ But he just kind of handled it. Handled it with grace. And still come out on top. So, yeah, it’s probably easy to write in the lineup, but to manage it for 162-plus is really hard to do.”
Roberts became the 69th manager to win 1,000 games and the fourth Dodger manager, joining Walter Alston (2,040), Tommy Lasorda (1,599) and Wilbert Robinson (1,375). He also has the best winning percentage of any manager in history, winning 62.3% of his games. He is 1,003-607. Just behind him is Joe McCarthy, who won 61.5% (2,125-1,333). McCarthy won seven World Series titles, all with the Yankees, and is considered by many to be the greatest manager in history.
Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo made his major league debut with the Dodgers on Sunday, but with a heavy heart. Alfonzo’s younger sister, Eliana, and stepmother, Patricia, died during the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela recently.
”Don’t really know what to say about it outside of my heart goes out to him and his family,” Roberts said before Sunday’s game. “He’s in [the lineup]. He’s going to play today, but obviously it’s heavy hearts. I don’t want to really go too far because I’ll get emotional, so I don’t know. I know it’s tough, very tough.”
After the game, Alfonzo said this about playing: “Honestly it was a little difficult, but at the same time thanking God always for everything. What happened, unfortunately, is out of my hands and part of life. Only God knows why they happen. I went out there to honor my sister and my stepmother, and give my best in a difficult moment.”
Keep these types of things in mind the next time you want to boo or yell at a player for making an error, mentally or physically. We don’t know what they are going through from day to day. It’s easy to get caught up in thinking these are baseball players making a lot of money and living the dream. But no one lives the dream 24/7.
Ohtani, Freeman, Max Muncy and Andy Pages were all elected as starters for this year’s All-Star team, and Yamamoto also made the team, giving the Dodgers four All-Stars this season, tied for the most with Atlanta and Philadelphia. It is Ohtani’s third All-Star nod with the Dodgers (he also had three with the Angels), Freeman’s fifth with the Dodgers (he also had five with the Braves), the third for Muncy, the first for Pages and the second for Yamamoto.
The franchise record for most players on the team is seven, done in multiple years while the Dodgers were in Brooklyn.
Dodgers named to the All-Star team at least four times:
11
Clayton Kershaw
10
Pee Wee Reese
Nine
Don Drysdale
Eight
Roy Campanella
Steve Garvey
Gil Hodges
Seven
Sandy Koufax
Duke Snider
Maury Wills
Six
Ron Cey
Jackie Robinson
Fernando Valenzuela
Five
Freddie Freeman
Mike Piazza
John Roseboro
Four
Mookie Betts
Pedro Guerrero
Cookie Lavagetto
Davey Lopes
Van Lingle Mungo
Don Newcombe
Mickey Owen
Johnny Podres
Preacher Roe
Don Sutton
Dixie Walker
Whit Wyatt
How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams (through Sunday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:
Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.46 ERA, 2 saves, 34.1 IP, 31 hits, 15 walks, 33 K’s, 98 ERA+, on the IL
Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .251/.348/.426, 374 PA’s, 17 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 50 RBIs, 116 OPS+
Walker Buehler, Padres: 5-4, 4.61 ERA, 82 IP, 83 hits, 30 walks, 76 K’s, 91 ERA+
Mike Busch, Cubs: .234/.367/.391, 398 PA’s, 14 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, 47 RBIs, 114 OPS+
Michael Conforto, Cubs: .250/.345/.492, 148 PA’s, 10 doubles, 7 homers, 21 RBIs, 133 OPS+
Justin Dean, Cubs: .400/.500/.800, 6 PA’s, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 259 OPS+
Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 1-0, 1.62 ERA, 1 save, 16.2 IP, 15 hits, 6 walks, 16 K’s, 278 ERA+
Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 2-8, 4.60 ERA, 76.1 IP, 74 hits, 37 walks, 92 K’s, 93 ERA+
Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 1-4, 4.98 ERA, 10 saves, 21.2 IP, 14 hits, 12 walks, 23 K’s, 87 ERA+
Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 4.62 ERA, 25.1 IP, 22 hits, 10 walks, 23 K’s, 9Gavin 4 ERA+
Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL
Dustin May, Cardinals: 5-6, 4.80 ERA, 84.1 IP, 83 hits, 24 walks, 78 K’s, 84 ERA+
Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .196/.274/.291, 225 PA’s, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 16 RBIs, 58 OPS+
James Outman, Tigers : .159/.234/.292, 124 PA’s, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homers, 11 RBIs, 46 OPS+
Joc Pederson, Rangers: .242/.338/.466, 276 PA’s, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 14 homers, 31 RBIs, 133 OPS+
Luke Raley, Mariners: .228/.293/.466, 241 PA’s, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 35 RBIs, 114 OPS+
Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors
Corey Seager, Rangers: .182/.292/.374, 219 PA’s, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 25 RBIs, 94 OPS+, on the IL
Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .281/.394/.475, 216 PA’s, 17 doubles, 6 homers, 28 RBIs
Trea Turner, Phillies: .246/.283/.360, 364 PA’s, 15 doubles, 10 homers, 31 RBIs, 72 OPS+
Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .247/.363/.494, 304 PA’s, 17 doubles, 1 triple, 20 homers, 56 RBIs, 138 OPS+
Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-3, 2.75 ERA, 2 saves, 19.2 IP, 11 hits, 7 walks, 28 K’s, 154 ERA+
Note: Vargas was named to the AL All-Star team.
Monday: Colorado (*Kyle Freeland, 2-7, 7.25 ERA) at Dodgers (*Eric Lauer, 4-5, 4.84 ERA [3-0, 2.88 ERA with Dodgers]), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Tuesday: Colorado (Michael Lorenzen, 3-9, 6.91 ERA) at Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 10-2, 2.80 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Wednesday: Colorado (Ryan Feltner, 3-2, 4.27 ERA) at Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 3-5, 5.40 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
All times Pacific
*-left-handed
Dodgers’ Edwin Díaz pushes back against alleged links to illegal cockfighting
Dodgers’ Eliezer Alfonzo to start after his sister and stepmother died in Venezuela
Dodgers sending four more players to MLB All-Star Game, tied for most selections
Shohei Ohtani and Dodgers taking cautious approach with his biceps ailment
How Dodgers’ Max Muncy, vying for his third All-Star selection, continues to evolve
Fan loudly expresses unbridled enthusiasm for Mexico’s World Cup goal … at Dodgers-A’s game
Dodgers Debate: Midseason awards
Walter Alston, Dave Roberts and everyone in between: The 10 managers in L.A. Dodgers history
Vin Scully tells us about Kirk Gibson‘s home run. Watch and listen here.
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.
Israel bombed a car near the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza. As one of the men escapes, Israeli forces strike again. Double tap attacks are widely considered to be war crimes.
Published On 30 Jun 202630 Jun 2026
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Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Today is one of those newsletters that we devote to only one topic.
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Do you remember where you were 36 years ago today?
Fernando Valenzuela was a great pitcher. I think he should be in the Hall of Fame for his on-field talents and the fact he brought thousands of new fans to the sport, all across the country.
But by 1990, he was no longer a great pitcher. He was an afterthought on the 1988 World Series title team. In 1989, he was basically a league average pitcher, going 10-13 with a 3.43 ERA. Going into his start against St. Louis on June 29, 1990, he was 5-6 with a 4.09 ERA, had given up 97 hits in 94.2 innings and had given up eight runs in 5.1 innings in his last start.
Pitching a no-hitter, which seemed possible earlier in his career, was off the table. And then, well, who better to take us through that final inning than Vin Scully?
Covering the Dodgers then for The Times was Bill Plaschke. The rest of this is his words as written that evening:
Thirty minutes before the Dodgers faced the St. Louis Cardinals Friday, Fernando Valenzuela noticed on a clubhouse television set that Oakland pitcher Dave Stewart had thrown a no-hitter in Toronto.
“Fernando turned to some teammates and he said, ‘That’s great, now maybe we’ll see another no-hitter,’ ” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said.
It was the first time in the modern baseball era that two no-hitters have been pitched on the same day. It was the Dodgers’ first no-hitter since Jerry Reuss had one against the San Francisco Giants on June 27, 1980.
“And it couldn’t have happened to a tougher, more competitive guy,” Lasorda said. “You look at Fernando and he has done everything in his career except a no-hitter. And now . . . this.”
With Willie McGee on first base and one out in the ninth inning, former Dodger Pedro Guerrero hit a grounder up the middle that seemed destined for the outfield. But Valenzuela stuck out his glove, the ball nicked the leather and rolled to Juan Samuel, who stepped on second base and threw to first baseman Eddie Murray, who made the catch that sent Dodgers running to the mound.
“Do you think if I don’t touch that ball, it goes through for a single?” Valenzuela asked afterward. “Whoooa. I think it does. I think I don’t touch it, I’m in trouble.
“I was just glad to see Scioscia running to the mound from the plate. Only then did I know it was over. Thank goodness Alfredo Griffin made the catch and the throw.”
When reminded that it was Samuel who made the final play, Valenzuela laughed.
“That shows you how excited I am,” he said after improving to 6-6 with a 3.73 earned-run average. “This is a great moment for me.”
But in the final three innings, he threw 49 pitches, and was obviously tired.
“But this was a different kind of tired,” Valenzuela said. “This kind of tired did not bother me. You think I feel anything during those last inning? No way.”
“This is a different pitcher than in previous seasons,” catcher Mike Scioscia said. “This guy is not as quick as the old Fernando, but this guy still knows how to win.”
Back to your humble host here. If you want to read Plaschke’s entire article, click here.
When watching the final inning as called by Vin, I was struck by a tinge of sadness when Vin gave the day and time in case “Fernando wants to play this to his grandchildren one day.” Valenzuela died in 2024. He had seven grandchildren; let’s hope they all got to sit with him and hear it.
It was also amazing to hear Vin say that Fernando had thrown only 108 pitches through eight innings, so he has plenty of ammunition left. Now baseball managers and front office people are afraid a pitcher’s arm would fall off if they throw 108 pitches today.
And thanks, Fernando, for all the great memories.
Here’s another link to Vin’s call.
Monday: Dodgers (*Eric Lauer, 3-5, 4.87 ERA [2-0, 2.54 ERA with the Dodgers]) at Athletics (*Gage Jump, 3-1, 2.04 ERA), 6:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Tuesday: Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 9-2, 2.71 ERA) at Athletics (*Jeffrey Springs, 3-7, 5.52 ERA), 6:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Wednesday: Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 8-2, 1.58 ERA) at San Diego (J.T. Ginn, 6-4, 3.15 ERA), 6:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
All times Pacific
*-left-handed
Wife, kids of Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas in Caracas when earthquakes hit Venezuela
Mookie Betts is ‘back’ for Dodgers: Offensive takeaways from series win over Padres
‘He cares about people.’ How Dodgers’ Dave Roberts got to the cusp of 1,000 career wins
Shaikin: Did Padres curse themselves by messing with that anti-Dodgers FTD burger?
Vin Scully and Fernando Valenzuela throw out the first pitch before Game 2 of the 2017 World Series. Watch and listen here.
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.
Canberra says tech platforms are still letting too many children bypass its under-16 social media ban.
Published On 27 Jun 202627 Jun 2026
Australia says it will double fines on social media companies that fail to keep children off their platforms, accusing Big Tech of dodging the spirit of its under-16 ban.
The government said on Saturday that new legislation would raise the maximum penalty for systemic breaches from 49.5 million to 99 million Australian dollars ($31m to $68m) and give the eSafety Commissioner stronger powers to force platforms to comply.
list of 3 itemsend of list
The regulator is investigating possible breaches by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
“It’s clear Big Tech are not doing enough to comply with the law – there are still too many children on social media,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
“These changes reflect the seriousness with which we take any failure by social media companies to comply.”
The ban, which came into force on December 10, made Australia a global test case for countries trying to curb children’s access to social media. The United Kingdom, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand are among those watching or considering similar restrictions.
But children have continued to evade the rules by using accounts registered to older people, creating fake profiles or logging in through private browsers.
A peer-reviewed evaluation published this month in the British Medical Journal found “insufficient evidence” that the ban had sharply reduced social media use among young people. Researchers surveyed more than 400 children before the measure took effect and again three months later, finding “substantial circumvention” of the rules.
The government says more than five million accounts held by under-16s have been blocked, but Communications Minister Anika Wells said platforms were still falling short.
“Based on the regular updates I receive from the eSafety Commissioner, it is clear to me that social media platforms are adopting tricks straight out of the Big Tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by,” Wells said.
“Social media platforms are some of the richest and most powerful companies in the world, and we’re serious about holding them to account,” she added.
The new powers would allow the eSafety Commissioner to demand documents and evidence from platforms, age-checking companies and app stores.
Platforms must show they have taken “reasonable steps” to keep under-16s out. Some use artificial intelligence to estimate ages, while users can also verify their age with a government ID.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. We are exactly halfway through the Dodgers season and they are 52-29. The newsletter mathematician is out sick, but I think that works out as being on pace for a 104-58 record this year.
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Remember a few weeks ago when the Dodgers were slumping a bit? They had lost four in a row and had dropped into second place behind the San Diego Padres? Well, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball now and are in first place by nine games over the Padres.
They are headed to Petco Park to start a three-game series tonight, with a chance to bury the Padres this weekend, or, let the Padres get within shouting distance again.
So, with 81 games to go, here’s a look at the top two teams in the NL West:
Record
Dodgers, 52-29
Padres, 42-37
Batting average
Dodgers, .262 (1st among the 30 teams)
Padres, .220 (30th)
On-base%
Dodgers, .345 (1st)
Padres, .294 (30th)
Slugging%
Dodgers, .438 (1st)
Padres, .364 (30th)
Runs per game
Dodgers, 5.22 (2nd)
Padres, 3.91 (30th)
Doubles
Dodgers, 137 (7th)
Padres, 113 (T24th)
Home runs
Dodgers, 109 (3rd)
Padres, 81 (T22nd)
Batting avg. with runners in scoring position
Dodgers, .265 (7th)
Padres, .247 (15th)
Batting avg., two out and runners in scoring position
Dodgers, .242 (9th)
Padres, .238 (12th)
Well, there goes the theory that the Dodgers are a poor clutch-hitting team.
ERA
Dodgers, 3.40 (3rd)
Padres, 3.85 (9th)
Rotation ERA
Dodgers, 3.25 (2nd)
Padres, 4.50 (23rd)
Bullpen ERA
Padres, 3.12 (2nd)
Dodgers, 3.68 (10th)
The Dodgers are in the top 10 in everything, while the Padres are in the bottom 10 in a lot of things. It’s amazing they are in second place with an offense that bad,
Now let’s look at the lineups.
Catcher
Dodgers, Will Smith, .249/.338/.382, 102 OPS+
Padres, Freddy Fermin, .145/.245/.258, 41 OPS+
Smith is having an off year by his standards, while Fermin is having an off year by living person standards. His backup, Rodolfo Durán, is hitting .136/.239/.339
First base
Dodgers, Freddie Freeman, .282/.372/.486, 139 OPS+
Padres, Ty France, .252/.297/.485, 115 OPS+
Freeman just keeps chugging along. He is in the top 100 in major league history in hits, runs, doubles, homers, RBIs and walks. He is the active leader in times reached base with 3,741. He’s 36, and next year he will really start rocketing up the career lists as a lot of players are tightly bunched just ahead of him. France is 31, and next year he has a really good shot at being 32.
Second base
Dodgers, Alex Freeland, .241/.324/.340, 87 OPS+
Padres, Fernando Tatís Jr., .283/.347/.367, 101 OPS+
Freeland is the worst hitter among the starters, and he isn’t that bad. Tatis hit 25 homers last season and has three this season, as the Padres have lost all their power this season for some reason. Normally, Jake Cronenworth starts at second for the Padres, but he has been on the IL since May 5 because of concussion symptoms and was hitting only .144 in 34 games before that.
Third base
Dodgers, Max Muncy, .266/.365/.508, 142 OPS+
Padres, Manny Machado, .184/.267/.378, 79 OPS+
You know what you never hear anymore? This: “The Dodgers need to move on from Muncy at third.” Muncy has been their most consistent hitter and has worked hard to improve defensively. Meanwhile, everyone would like to know what happened to Machado, who has been terrible this season and at one point seemed to blame analytics for his slump. He had a walk-off hit Tuesday and seems to be emerging from his doldrums, hitting .259/.339/.556 since June 9.
Shortstop
Dodgers, Mookie Betts, .230/.290/.415
Padres, Xander Bogaerts, .230/.321/.337
Speaking of season-long slumps, hi Mookie! He is also showing signs of life, hitting .317/.358/.524 since June 9 and lifting his numbers to where they are better than Bogaerts’.
Left field
Dodgers, Teoscar Hernández, .276/.348/.436, 119 OPS+
Padres, Samad Taylor, .379/.438/.448, 150 OPS+
Hernández should be back off the IL soon, and Alex Call has filled in quite well in his place. The Padres have played better since calling Taylor up from the minors a couple of weeks ago. His lofty numbers will probably drop (he has had only 66 plate appearances), but his speed has been a spark for San Diego. He replaced normal left fielder Ramón Laureano, who is probably out for the season after hip surgery.
Center field
Dodgers, Andy Pages, .266/.318/.474, 119 OPS+
Padres, Jackson Merrill, .212/.274/.352, 74 OPS+
Pages has been the linchpin of the offense pretty much all season and it’s nice to see a player shake off a brutal postseason on offense by rebounding this year. Merrill is one of many Padres who are mysteriously slumping this season. He hit .264/.317/.457 last season.
Right field
Dodgers, Kyle Tucker, .234/.333/.374, 98 OPS+
Padres, Jase Bowen, .133/.138/.167, 1 OPS+
Tucker would have been great if he was working under the same contract Michael Conforto had last season. Dodgers fans would be pleased with that production for that pay ($17 million). Instead, he’s getting $60 million for league-average production. Bowen has had only 32 plate appearances, and Tatís will move back here once Cronenworth is able to return to second base.
Designated hitter
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani, .295/.414./.549, 168 OPS+
Padres, Miguel Andujar, .246/.283/.405, 90 OPS+
Ohtani is the best player in the game, while the Padres seem confused as the what a DH is supposed to do. Hint: the word “hitter” is right there in the job title.
Starting pitchers (in order of IP)
Dodgers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 7-5, 2.65 ERA
Justin Wrobleski, 9-2, 2.71 ERA
Shohei Ohtani, 8-2, 1.58 ERA
Roki Sasaki, 3-4, 4.76 ERA
Emmet Sheehan, 3-5, 5.32 ERA
Eric Lauer, 2-0, 2.54 ERA
Padres
Michael King, 5-6, 3.33 ERA
Randy Vásquez, 6-5, 4.17 ERA
Walker Buehler, 4-3, 3.96 ERA
Griffin Canning, 1-5, 7.38 ERA
Lucas Giolito, 2-3, 5.16 ERA
The Dodgers have one weak spot right now in Sheehan. The Padres just put Giolito on the IL and have been using openers quite a bit lately. It’s nice to see Buehler become a productive pitcher again.
Closer
Dodgers, Tanner Scott, 1-3, 2.18 ERA, 11 saves
Padres, Mason Miller, 2-1, 0.79 ERA, 21 saves
Scott has been good this year, but Miller is the best closer in baseball and has given up only 14 hits and 13 walks in 34 innings, while striking out 66.
Relievers (six most-used, in order of IP)
Dodgers
Edgardo Henriquez, 2-0, 2.93 ERA
Will Klein, 2-2, 2.59 ERA, 1 save
Jack Dreyer, 3-1, 3.82 ERA
Alex Vesia, 1-1, 2.39 ERA, 3 saves
Kyle Hurt, 2-1, 3.42 ERA, 1 save
Blake Treinen, 4-1, 3.52 ERA, 1 save
Padres
Adrián Morejón, 6-1, 3.51 ERA, 1 save
Wandy Peralta, 1-0, 1.82 ERA
Jason Adam, 2-1, 2.45 ERA
Ron Marinaccio, 1-0, 3.72 ERA
Yuki Matsui, 0-1, 1.67 ERA
Kyle Hart, 0-1, 4.13 ERA
It seems unlikely that the Padres will fade quietly into the night, especially if Machado and Tatís start hitting.
For full stats for both team, click here for the Dodgers and click here for the Padres.
Betts hit the 300th home run of his career Wednesday against the Twins, becoming only the 169th player to reach that mark. He is tied with Chuck Klein and one behind the great Rogers Hornsby. He is 14 behind for Dodger Reggie Smith and 16 behind former Dodger Ron Cey.
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing wears his emotions on his sleeve. Sometimes, that’s a good trait in a player. Alex Vesia is like that and he seems to fire up the team. He does it in a “Yeah! Let’s beat these guys!” sort of way.
Rushing, however, is sort of a high-energy Eeyore, the guy who makes every mistake he makes a tragedy of epic proportions.
During Wednesday’s game against the Twins, Rushing had some problems behind the plate while Ohtani was pitching.
Rushing let a pitch get past him for a passed ball due to some miscommunication. Ohtani explained to reporters after the game (through interpreter Will Ireton): “There were two pitches called. The first one was offspeed. The second pitch was a fastball. Rush thought that he was getting an offspeed because I started moving after the first pitch was called, but what I had in mind was the second pitch, which was a fastball.”
From Rushing: “Shohei and I talked about it. It was an error on my side. I messed it up. It was my fault.”
Also, a pitch was called a ball and Ohtani thought it was a strike. He tapped his head to call for an ABS challenge while Rushing shook his head to not challenge. The umpire accepted the challenge and it was a strike.
Ohtani gave up three runs in the second inning. After that, he called his own pitches instead of letting Rushing call them. He then pitched four scoreless innings.
Ohtani, on how to make things better: “The in-game flexibility, reading the swings, reading how the hitters are really taking their approach during the game — that’s how I see what adjustment needs to happen. In that sense, I personally realized we just have to be better at being on the same page and communicating throughout the game.”
Also Ohtani: “There’s really a couple ways of communicating. One is by words, but the other way to be able to communicate is by example, and just taking charge and showing Rush what kind of pitching style I’m capable of.”
Now, I’m not interpeter Will Ireton, but I interpret that as, “When is Will Smith coming back?”
Rushing also struck out in his first three at-bats. He was upset with himself during the game and was consoled on the bench by Dave Roberts, Freeman and Dodgers mental skills coach Brent Walker. That’s a lot of hand holding during a game. And Rushing has had other moments on the bench during games where he has gotten upset or angry about something that has happened. Always directed toward himself, not to his teammates.
Could this be a big problem? Well, it could be. But, the Dodgers didn’t get to where they are by not knowing how to handle situations like this. A lot of scouts will tell you that the biggest difference between triple-A and the majors is the mental aspect. Rushing is learning this now. It would be great if he was just calm and cool and handled all situations flawlessly. But we were all made different for a reason. So, we can afford to give him a little grace, and if the Dodgers feel he (or anyone else) is becoming a detriment to the team, then one day we will wake up to discover, “The Dodgers have traded …”
In the meantime, don’t focus on just these occasional outbursts, look at how well he has played overall. He’s a major league player, he just needs a little help. And don’t we all sometimes?
Final word from Rushing, to reporters after the game: “Good thing he’s as good as he is and he can take control of the game, but it’s pretty embarrassing. They’ve always got my back. Once again, it’s embarrassing that I need support like that. I’m a grown man, and it’s a pretty tough pill to swallow.”
Friday: Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 3-4, 4.76 ERA) at San Diego (Walker Buehler, 4-3, 3.96 ERA), 6:45 p.m., Apple TV, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Saturday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 7-5, 2.65 ERA) at San Diego (Randy Vásquez, 6-5, 4.17 ERA), 5:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Sunday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 3-5, 5.32 ERA) at San Diego (Michael King, 5-6, 3.33 ERA), 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
All times Pacific
*-left-handed
Shohei Ohtani is the first Dodger to be named 2026 All-Star
Shohei Ohtani takes control of Dodgers’ win after miscommunication with Dalton Rushing
Dodgers fulfill $1-million pledge in response to ICE raids, owners divest from prison group
MLB clears Dodgers’ Dr. Neal ElAttrache after link to Conor McGregor steroids report
Shaikin: Why a salary cap wouldn’t be enough to stop the Dodgers from winning
Vin Scully tells us the first phrase he learned in Japanese. Watch and listen here.
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.
Coastal La Guaira state showed widespread infrastructure damage. (Reuters)
Caracas, June 25, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela suffered two successive major earthquakes on Thursday afternoon that caused devastating damage.
Authorities reported that 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck 39 seconds apart just after 6 pm. The epicenters were close to San Felipe, Yaracuy State, some 120 kilometers west of Caracas.
The tremors strongly shook central and northern Venezuela and were felt as far as Brazil and Colombia. Geological services registered 20 aftershocks in the following hours.
Emergency services, firefighters, and civil protection brigades were immediately deployed. Videos circulated on social media showed collapsed infrastructure in parts of the capital and nearby towns and rescue teams removing rubble to reach survivors.
Reports from the coastal of La Guaira showed completely devastated areas with rows of destroyed buildings.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez addressed the nation on Thursday night and again in the early hours of Friday, calling for calm and unity in the wake of the natural disaster and declaring a state of emergency.
Rodríguez decreed a suspension of educational and “non-essential” activities, as well as the Caracas metro and suburban trains. The Simón Bolívar airport in nearby Maiquetía was likewise temporarily shut down.
“The priority right now is to save lives,” the acting president told press. “Later we will address the material reconstruction.” Rodríguez gave a preliminary figure of 32 dead and over 700 injured.
The acting president called the situation in La Guaira “a real tragedy” and a “disaster zone” with dozens of collapsed buildings. She expressed condolences to relatives of victims and urged Venezuelans to report missing people or damaged infrastructure via a dedicated phone app.
Rodríguez went on to call on people to evacuate buildings with visible structural damage and urged medical personnel to report to their stations as soon as possible.
During her press conference, Rodríguez thanked multiple countries for expressing solidarity and offering support, and announced the imminent arrival of rescue teams from the US, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Qatar.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on social media that Washington is “immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.”
Caracas additionally received support from Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, and a host of other nations. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reported that specialized rescue teams are being prepared and that her government is in contact with Venezuelan counterparts.
Some areas of the capital and nearby states remained without electricity hours after the earthquakes. Authorities temporarily disconnected the direct supply of cooking gas to avoid secondary fires.
Story in development.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell.
Get our Dodgers Dugout newsletter for insights, news and much more.
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We received more than 500 questions for Justin Turner after putting out the plea a couple of weeks ago, which is a record. (Some were the same question asked by multiple people.) I selected a few, and Turner answered them via email between games with the Tijuana Toros.
Mark Haendel in Santa Monica asks: Any ideas of staying in baseball after you actually retire? Coaching, managing, college or pro level, etc.?
Turner: I will definitely stay in the game in some capacity. I love it too much and my son loves being around it too much to step away.
Kristen Lazalier in Norman, Okla., asks: Please share three favorite memories of your years with the Dodgers. Thank you for always bringing such passion and joy to your play — both on and off the field!
Turner: It would have to be winning the World Series in 2020. Winning the Roberto Clemente Award in 2022. The walk-off homer in the NLCS and winning the fan vote for my first All-Star Game in 2017.
Chris Nayve asks: What is your go-to mindset or thought that helps you when things get challenging in baseball or just in life?
Turner: The best thing is just to simplify things and not try to do too much. Take the results out and trust the process. Live in the moment and control what is in front of me.
Robert Scott Wallace asks: First and foremost, I wanted to thank JT and his wife for all the good they do for the city of Los Angeles. A basic question: Who is the toughest pitcher you had to ever face in the big leagues and why?
Turner: Felix Hernández was the nastiest. Cliff Lee and Tyler Glasnow, after the 2020 World Series, own me. (Editor’s note: Turner was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts against Hernández, one for 20 against Lee with four strikeouts and 0 for 11 against Glasnow with 10 strikeouts.)
Paul Mihalow asks: Did anybody on your MLB teams ever complain about the “pine tar” on the back of your jersey — like clubhouse managers or laundry guys?
Turner: No. I asked the clubhouse guys and they said it was actually very easy to get out every night.
Jeff Plotkin asks: Who were some of your favorite teammates?
Turner: That’s a tough one. I get along great with just about everyone. But my favorite baseball guy of all time is, hands down, Chase Utley.
Gabriel Ortega asks: What is one lesson you’ve learned from fatherhood that has surprised you the most, and how has it changed the person you are both on and off the field?
Turner: Being a dad definitely taught me patience and understanding. That just because i know what I’m saying or asking doesn’t mean Bo or anyone else does. Sometimes you have to get creative to get your message across.
Robert Shannon asks: Where does the 2004 College World Series championship with Cal State Fullerton rank on your career highlights?
Turner: That has to be way up near the top. That’s one of the hardest tournaments to win and that was always a special group of guys.
Marshall Fong asks: What adjustments did you make as you aged to remain a competitive player?
Turner: The biggest thing is time management and learning how to get my work in that needs to be done without killing myself and my energy for the game.
Thanks again to Turner for taking the time to answer reader questions.
Last week, colleague Liana Handler wrote a nice story on Andy Pages and the struggle he has as his family lives in Cuba. He is unable to see them and sometimes he can’t get reach them on the phone, which is when the fears really loom large.
A few key passages from Handler’s story:
Unlike his teammates — both American and those on visas — Pages is distinctly cut off in the United States, where he lives with his wife, Alondra, but is separated from his parents and sister in Mantua. The third-year Dodgers center fielder is making $800,000 this year but can’t spend his money on flights home or on bringing his family to the country where he plays baseball. The tense relations between the U.S. and Cuba — the Trump administration has imposed economic sanctions and made diplomatic threats — don’t allow for that.
“I haven’t found any way that gives me that tranquility and peace,” he told The Times in Spanish two weeks ago. “Because the way things are there, what’s always on your mind is that it could happen. Anything, any time. And I have all my family in Cuba. So, you have to live with that worry all the time.”
Most of Pages’ family can only listen to his baseball games on the radio or through fuzzy images on the television.
No one understands that more than Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas. A Venezuelan immigrant, Rojas said he felt a personal responsibility for Pages, who is caught between wanting to speak more about the situation and being guarded because of his budding career and the fact that he’s not yet eligible to be a free agent.
“We need to preserve our job, because this is our only way to make an income, and a lot of us are the head of the family, so we got to continue to think about it that way,” Rojas said. “I would like to be more vocal and be a little bit more present for my community, but it’s really hard because I’m performing my job, and if I stop doing this, I don’t know how to do anything else.”
As Rojas describes, it is not easy to focus on your job when you see people you know at home suffering.
“We are here to perform and actually provide entertainment to people, and sometimes we are seen like that,” he said. “The problem is when the lights are off at night, when you have to go home, when you become a regular human being that is on the streets.”
The story is well worth your time and can be read here.
Shohei Ohtani missed Friday’s game to be present for the birth of his second child with his wife, Mamiko.
“We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together,” Ohtani said on Instagram. “Thank you for being born safely. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey.”
—Will Smith has an inflamed disk in his neck and recently had an injection there to help reduce it. The earliest he will be back is Friday, as he is not going on the team’s trip to Minnesota.
—Teoscar Hernández will begin a rehab assignment in triple-A this week and could be back before the end of the month.
—An MRI on Blake Treinen‘s elbow showed no structural damage, so he should be back as soon as he can come off the 15-day IL.
—Reliever Edwin Díaz is progressing well and remains on track to return after the All-Star break.
—Reliever Evan Phillips has pitched in six games for triple-A Oklahoma City. In 5-1/3 innings, he has given up five hits, walked four and struck out five. He should return in early July.
—Reliever Brock Stewart could be activated before today’s game against Minnesota. If not, then sometime this week.
How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams (through Sunday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:
Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.22 ERA, 2 saves, 32 IP, 26 hits, 14 walks, 29 K’s, 104 ERA+
Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .276/.370/.473, 324 PA’s, 15 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 49 RBIs, 133 OPS+
Walker Buehler, Padres: 4-3, 3.96 ERA, 72.2 IP, 73 hits, 23 walks, 65 K’s, 105 ERA+
Mike Busch, Cubs: .247/.377/.396, 337 PA’s, 13 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homers, 42 RBIs, 122 OPS+
Michael Conforto, Cubs: .222/.328/.434, 116 PA’s, 9 doubles, 4 homers, 13 RBIs, 116 OPS+
Justin Dean, Cubs: .500/.500/1.500, 2 PA’s, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 443 OPS+
Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 0-0, 1.50 ERA, 12 IP, 10 hits, 5 walks, 12 K’s, 302 ERA+
Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 1-8, 5.35 ERA, 65.2 IP, 69 hits, 34 walks, 78 K’s, 81 ERA+, on the IL
Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 1-3, 4.00 ERA, 9 saves, 18 IP, 10 hits, 10 walks, 22 K’s, 110 ERA+
Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 5.50 ERA, 18 IP, 19 hits, 8 walks, 18 K’s, 78 ERA+
Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL
Dustin May, Cardinals: 5-6, 4.30 ERA, 83.2 IP, 78 hits, 22 walks, 77 K’s, 94 ERA+
Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .177/.272/.259, 171 PA’s, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 11 RBIs, 48 OPS+
James Outman, Tigers: .169/.238/.286, 84 PA’s, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 5 RBIs, 44 OPS+
Joc Pederson, Rangers: .237/.333/.419, 235 PA’s, 7 doubles, 2 triple, 9 homers, 25 RBIs, 119 OPS+
Luke Raley, Mariners: .241/.303/.503, 210 PA’s, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 35 RBIs, 126 OPS+
Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors
Corey Seager, Rangers: .186/.284/.373, 204 PA’s, 6 doubles, 9 homers, 24 RBIs, 91 OPS+, on the IL
Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .273/.483/.461, 196 PA’s, 14 doubles, 6 homers, 25 RBIs
Trea Turner, Phillies: .227/.280/.336, 328 PA’s, 12 doubles, 7 homers, 22 RBIs, 67 OPS+
Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .236/.353/.465, 324 PA’s, 12 doubles, 1 triple, 16 homers, 44 RBIs, 126 OPS+
Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-3, 3.68 ERA, 1 save, 14.2 IP, 9 hits, 7 walks, 19 K’s, 116 ERA+
Monday: Dodgers (*Eric Lauer, 2-5, 5.37 ERA [1-0, 3.22 ERA with Dodgers]) at Minnesota (Zebby Matthews, 3-4, 4.78 ERA), 4:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Tuesday: Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 8-2, 2.72 ERA) at Minnesota (Joe Ryan, 5-3, 2.99 ERA), 4:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, TBS, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Wednesday: Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 7-2, 1.47 ERA) at Minnesota (*Connor Prielipp, 2-5, 5.17 ERA), 4:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
All times Pacific
*-left-handed
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani announces birth of second child
Lopez: There might be one advantage to climate change: More home runs at Dodger Stadium
Dodgers Debate: BLISTER WATCH. Should Shohei Ohtani be shut down?
Shaikin: The Dodgers are ruining baseball! Stop them! But first let me vote for all their players
Vin Scully tells us “Don’t be afraid to dream.” Watch and listen here.
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.
Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson told BBC Sport:
“We were outstanding throughout the season, it’s nice now to be able to put a full stop on it with a big tin cup and say ‘we were the best side in the league’.
“I think it looked like a final.
“That was a proper final where it was nip and tuck, there were opportunities, we got held up, they got held up.
“We maybe weren’t as clinical as we’d have liked to have been, and that can certainly change the pressure.
“But I thought at 60 minutes to go we felt in a good space and the messages that were coming back to the coaching group from how the players were talking to each other and connecting was very positive.
“You bring on people like Callum Chick and Fraser Dingwall, who have been there before, and the last 20 minuets we looked very strong.”
Departing Northampton captain George Furbank told BBC Sport:
“I said to the boys I don’t really know how to feel after the final whistle.
“It was a mix of relief, happiness, sadness, all merged into one.
“It was a different feeling to the last time we won it – I think we’re going to have a good few days to celebrate and it’ll all sink in.
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Sport:
“The first thing you have to do in a final is congratulate the opposition because otherwise when you just talk about yourself – it just feels like you’re critiquing and criticising yourself, and thinking these are the things we could have done.
“We had them deep into the game, under pressure, scores behind, they’ve kind of stuck with what they do.
“I’ll look back and I’ll go ‘we must have been pretty good because we forced two tries out of kicks through’, one where for whatever reason we don’t get our comms quite right and we actually just bump the ball out of our own hands into their hands for one try, and then the last try where they slide it through and it’s almost on a pinpoint.
“You look and go ‘well, we forced Northampton to score 12 points with two relatively speculative kicks through, that’s a pretty pretty good performance from us’.”
Northampton: Furbank (c); Freeman, Litchfield, Hutchinson, Hendy; Smith, McParland; Iyogun, Langdon, Millar Mills; Coles, Prowse, Kemeny, Pearson, Pollock.
Replacements: Wright, Fischetti, Green, Van der Mescht, Lockett, Chick, Mitchell, Dingwall.
Yellow card: Kemeny (51)
Exeter: Woodburn; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Ikitau, Ridl; Skinner, Varney; Sio, Norey, Iosefa-Scott; Jenkins (c), Zambonin, Hooper, Roots, Fisilau.
Replacements: Dweba, Burger, Tchumbadze, Tshiunza, Vintcent, James, Cairns, Haydon-Wood.
Yellow card: Jenkins (57)
Referee: Matthew Carley.
June 20 (UPI) — After a day of jabs on social media, President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are continuing to duke it out online.
On Friday, Italy’s foreign minister canceled a trip to the United States after Trump said that Meloni had “begged” for a photo with him at the G7 Summit in France last week. Meloni shot back with, “Neither I nor Italy ever beg.”
On Saturday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France. She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!). She wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other “so-called” NATO Allies. Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!”
Meloni responded on Instagram in English.
“President Trump, these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless. As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done,” the prime minister wrote.
“That is also what I did regarding the American military bases in Italy. Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected, and that cannot be violated as long as I’m prime minister. Italy remains a sovereign nation.
“In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours,” Meloni said.
Under the post, she wrote in Italian, “My response to Donald Trump’s latest post concerning me. But I will not revisit the subject, because I still believe in Western unity and do not believe this is a spectacle worthy of our task.”
Meloni, a conservative politician, has befriended Trump since he took office for his second term. She was the only European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration last year.
Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha scores Brazil’s first two goals in 3-0 win against Haiti as FIFA event progress nears.
Published On 20 Jun 202620 Jun 2026
Vinícius Junior scored and assisted on one of Matheus Cunha’s two goals as five-time champion Brazil eliminated Haiti from the World Cup with a 3-0 victory.
Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation that qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1974, became the first team guaranteed not to reach the knockout round. Meanwhile, the Selecao got the decisive performance they needed on Friday.
list of 4 itemsend of list
Cunha, the Manchester United standout, got the start and showed with every surf-and-slide goal celebration why he should have been in the starting lineup in Brazil’s listless 1-1 draw against Morocco. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti made the surprising decision in the opener to instead insert Cunha as a late substitute.
Cunha thrilled the Brazilian fans who made up the bulk of the 68,324 spectators at Philadelphia Stadium when he tapped in a rebound for his first career World Cup goal. He then sent a left-footed strike into the upper left corner for a 2-0 lead in the first half against the overmatched Haitians.
Brazil forward Raphinha, who was subbed out with an injury in the first half, had an early goal disallowed on an offside call that only temporarily muted the yellow-clad Seleção fans in an otherwise festive atmosphere at the home of the two-time Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles — whose cheerleaders did their part to rally the crowd.
Haitian fans danced and sang “Grenadye Alaso” (“Grenadiers to the Attack”), the traditional battle cry of the national team. Brazilians chanted back, reminding them their country is the five-time World Cup champion and the home of the king of soccer: “A thousand goals, a thousand goals, a thousand goals, a thousand goals, a thousand goals! Only Pele, only Pele!”
Cunha added to the frivolity in Philadelphia, home to nearly 6,000 Brazilian immigrants, when he flashed his familiar surfing celebration.
Vinícius, whose 32nd-minute goal helped Brazil earn the tie against Morocco, helped Brazil get on the board when his shot was stopped by goalkeeper Johny Placide and Cunha was there to slam home the rebound to make it 1-0. Cunha extended both arms as if trying to catch some tasty waves and was mobbed his teammates.
Vinícius slid a pass through the defense to find Cunha and he powered one high into the net that Placide never had a chance to stop to make it 2-0. Cunha slid on his stomach and mimicked a swimming motion that all but put Haiti in the drink — and validate the Brazilians’ fans decision not to tempt fate and dress the Rocky statue in team gear for bad luck.
Vinícius closed the half with a goal and that was enough to keep Brazil — seeking its first World Cup title since 2002 — happy before it closes Group C play against Scotland on Wednesday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Neymar was ruled out of Brazil’s second straight match because of a lingering calf injury.
A duo for the ages is convening once again.
The Williams sisters — Venus, 45, and Serena, 44 — will bring back their doubles partnership at Wimbledon in under two weeks. The All England Club announced the doubles wild card invitation on Tuesday.
Should they win for a record seventh time, the Williams sisters would make history as the oldest Grand Slam-winning doubles combo by nearly 16 years.
The record of 74 years and 303 days is held by Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strýcová, who won at Wimbledon in 2023. Venus will turn 46 on Wednesday and Serena will be 45 on Sept. 26, putting their combined age by the tournament’s end at 90 years and roughly 290 days.
The Williams sisters have won six doubles titles together at Wimbledon, most recently in 2016 with the first coming in 2000. They have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, the second most by any women’s team in the Open Era behind the 20 won by Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.
Serena recently returned to competition after almost four years away from professional tennis. She will compete in the Berlin Open doubles alongside world No. 10 singles player Karolína Muchová on Tuesday against Erin Routliffe and Giuliana Olmos.
The initial tournament in Serena’s comeback was abbreviated. Her playing partner, Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, suffered a knee injury that ended their effort at the Queen’s Club Championship after one match, a 7-6(2), 6-2 victory over No. 3 seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.
Venus, who will turn 46 on Wednesday, is in the midst of her record 33rd consecutive WTA season. She has been eliminated in the first round of singles at several tournaments while faring better in doubles.
The pairing at Wimbledon will be the first since 2022 for the Williams sisters. Serena took a long hiatus beginning that year and gave birth in 2023 to her second child, Adira River Ohanian.
Many of the sisters’ career highlights have come at Wimbledon. Serena has 14 titles on the hallowed grass court — six in doubles, one mixed doubles and seven in singles. Venus Williams has won 11 Wimbledon titles — five in singles and six in doubles.
Neither Williams sister is slated to play singles in this year’s tournament, although one women’s singles wild card has not been allocated.
Iran twice come from behind to draw 2-2 with New Zealand at the Los Angeles Stadium in their Group G encounter.
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Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Maybe the Dodgers can lure Nuke LaLoosh out of retirement.
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The Dodgers are struggling in June, going 7-6 this month after going 20-11 in March/April and 18-10 in May. Why? Let’s take a look.
Runs per game
March/April: 5.39
May: 5.25
June: 5.54
Batting average
March/April: .273
May: .252
June: .261
OB%
March/April: .350
May: .339
June: .354
SLG%
March/April: .452
May: .441
June: .413
Power is down a bit, but all the other numbers are normal, so offense does not appear to be a big problem. They are hitting about the same in all the clutch stats, so that’s not a big problem. Let’s look at the pitching:
ERA
April: 3.19
May: 2.95
June: 4.73
ERA by starters
April: 2.83
May: 3.31
June: 3.28
ERA by relievers
April: 3.88
May: 2.35
June: 7.51
Ah, we begin to see the problem: The bullpen, which has been outstanding all season until this month.
Let’s look at ERA by each pitcher in June:
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1.10 (16.1 IP)
Shohei Ohtani, 2.13 (12.2)
Edgardo Henriquez, 3.38 (5.1)
Justin Wrobleski, 3.38 (10.2)
Eric Lauer, 3.48 (10.1)
Tanner Scott, 4.15 (4.1)
Will Klein, 4.50 (4)
Emmet Sheehan, 4.97 (12.2)
Alex Vesia, 5.40 (3.1)
Roki Sasaki, 5.56 (11.1)
Blake Treinen, 6.23 (4.1)
Jonathan Hernández, 8.10 (6.2)
Jack Dreyer, 9.00 (7)
Kyle Hurt, 21.60 (3.1)
That’s a lot of bad pitching in the bullpen this month. Of course, this is the same bullpen that set a team record for most consecutive scoreless innings. And, just like batters go into slumps, so do pitchers.
“Out of the bullpen specifically, I think maybe some strike throwing, a few more walks that we’re not used to over the last six weeks or so, because they’ve been really, really good,” bench coach Danny Lehmann told reporters after the Dodgers lost to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. “We’ve gotten bit by the long ball, obviously in Pittsburgh, and here tonight. But overall, it’s more the strike throwing and just getting ahead of guys and doing what they’re supposed to do.”
Are fresh arms on the way?
Well, Brock Stewart is on a rehab assignment in Ontario, but he has been injured so often since the Dodgers traded for him, you can’t expect anything from him. You can just hope. Evan Phillips is on assignment in Oklahoma City, and is on track to return in early July.
“It’s really good to see,” Dave Roberts told reporters recently. “Evan’s a guy that’s very focused and determined, and he’s going to do everything he’s supposed to do to get back. And to potentially have him back is a big weapon that we’ve missed for quite some time, and I miss seeing him around. … I depended on him a lot when he was active, so to get him back is going to be a big boost to everyone.”
There are the usual suspects in the minors, such as Paul Gervase, whom they can turn to, but other than that, it’s just wait and see and hope Stewart and Phillips can come back healthy (especially Phillips, who was a key man in the bullpen for four seasons).
Roberts missed Sunday’s game for a very good reason: His daughter, Emme, graduated from Stanford.
“I’m really proud,” Roberts told David Vassegh on AM 570 last week. “It is weird, though, because you never want to miss a game. But I think that this is a good reason.
“I think the one thing for me, is the world has evolved, and many can argue not in a good way. In some ways good, some ways bad. But I do think in a lot of ways from the workplace sense of things, it’s more open to people spending time with their families. Knowing that those moments are important, they’re fleeting. The job is going to get done with or without you.
“So I encourage my coaches to enjoy graduations and things like that. One of our coaches had to leave for a surgery for their daughter. I certainly welcome that, because there’s nothing more important than family. And also, I think when you get to do moments with your family and other things that are really important, I think you do your job better, and you feel better for the people you work with and for.”
How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams (through Sunday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:
Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.54 ERA, 1 save, 30 IP, 25 hits, 14 walks, 27 K’s, 98 ERA+
Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .265/.361/.462, 299 PA’s, 14 doubles, 3 triples, 10 homers, 45 RBIs, 128 OPS+
Walker Buehler, Padres: 4-3, 4.14 ERA, 67.1 IP, 68 hits, 22 walks, 58 K’s, 99 ERA+
Mike Busch, Cubs: .253/.377/.412, 313 PA’s, 13 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homers, 42 RBIs, 128 OPS+
Michael Conforto, Cubs: .227/.327/.443, 113 PA’s, 9 doubles, 4 homers, 13 RBIs, 120 OPS+
Justin Dean, Cubs: in the minors
Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 8.2 IP, 7 hits, 3 walks, 9 K’s, 219 ERA+
Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 1-8, 5.35 ERA, 65.2 IP, 69 hits, 34 walks, 78 K’s, 81 ERA+, on the IL
Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 1-3, 4.50 ERA, 7 saves, 16 IP, 9 hits, 9 walks, 21 K’s, 98 ERA+
Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 5.82 ERA, 17 IP, 19 hits, 8 walks, 18 K’s, 74 ERA+
Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL
Dustin May, Cardinals: 4-6, 4.21 ERA, 72.2 IP, 71 hits, 20 walks, 66 K’s, 95 ERA+
Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .178/.271/.259, 157 PA’s, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 10 RBIs, 48 OPS+
James Outman, Tigers : .164/.243/.299, 74 PA’s, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 4 RBIs, 49 OPS+
Joc Pederson, Rangers: .239/.344/.438, 210 PA’s, 7 doubles, 2 triple, 8 homers, 23 RBIs, 128 OPS+
Luke Raley, Mariners: .241/.303/.503, 210 PA’s, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 35 RBIs, 126 OPS+
Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors
Corey Seager, Rangers: .186/.284/.373, 204 PA’s, 6 doubles, 9 homers, 24 RBIs, 91 OPS+
Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .287/.405/.497, 173 PA’s, 12 doubles, 6 homers, 23 RBIs
Trea Turner, Phillies: .219/.269/.330, 309 PA’s, 11 doubles, 7 homers, 21 RBIs, 63 OPS+
Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .247/.370/.490, 304 PA’s, 11 doubles, 1 triple, 16 homers, 44 RBIs, 138 OPS+
Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-2, 4.38 ERA, 12.1 IP, 9 hits, 5 walks, 16 K’s, 99 ERA+
Monday: Tampa Bay (Nick Martinez, 2-5, 4.63 ERA) at Dodgers (*Eric Lauer, 2-5, 5.47 ERA [1-0, 2.76 ERA with Dodgers]), 7 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Tuesday: Tampa Bay (Drew Rasmussen, 6-2, 2.71 ERA) at Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 3-2, 4.50 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Wednesday: Tampa Bay (*Shane McClanahan, 6-2, 2.43 ERA) at Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 6-2, 1.06 ERA), 12:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
All times Pacific
*-left-handed
The hardest days are when calls don’t go through: Andy Pages opens up about family in Cuba
Shaikin: Would Dave Roberts snub Yoshinobu Yamamoto to start Shohei Ohtani in All-Star Game?
Vin Scully tells us about the history of home plate. Watch and listen here.
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.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and my second favorite announcer is the great Harry Doyle.
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A friend of mine, Tom Black, asked me the other day why Freddie Freeman never makes an ABS challenge. It made me wonder who makes a lot of challenges, who’s the best at it, etc., which led to this newsletter.
The majors instituted the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system this season, which allows a batter, pitcher or catcher to challenge an umpire’s ball or strike call.
First, some quick ABS rules:
1. Only the batter, pitcher or catcher can make a challenge. No one else.
2. Challenges must be made immediately after the umpire’s call, without assistance from the dugout or other players.
3. The player taps his cap or helmet to alert the umpire to his desire to challenge the call. Players are also encouraged to verbalize their challenge, to leave nothing to doubt, but the cap/helmet tap represents the official challenge.
4. A team gets two challenges per game. If a challenge is successful, they retain their challenge. Theoretically, you could challenge every pitch as long you were correct every time. Once you are wrong twice, you are out of challenges.
5. If a game goes into extra innings, any team that starts the extra inning out of challenges will get one challenge for the 10th inning. If they exhaust that challenge, they will then get another challenge for the 11th, and so on. If a team has challenges remaining at the start of the 10th inning, they will not get an additional challenge for that inning, though they will for any subsequent inning if they are out of challenges at the start of the inning.
There has been an average of 4.1 challenges per game.
From MLB.com:
How is the ABS strike zone measured?
Like the plate, it is 17 inches wide. The top end of the zone is at 53.5% of the player’s height, while the bottom is at 27% of the player’s height. The depth of the zone is 8.5 inches from both the front and back of the plate to its center.
All position players in Spring Training had their heights measured by a team of independent testers conducting manual measurements and by representatives from a research institute using biomechanical analysis to confirm the manual measurements and safeguard against potential manipulation. Players are measured standing straight up without cleats.
And now that the technical stuff is out of the way, let’s look at who is good and bad at challenges (all numbers through Tuesday and courtesy of baseball-reference.com):
Teams that are most successful at getting calls overturned:
1. Arizona, 60.2% (68 of 113)
2. Cincinnati, 59.9% (85 of 142)
3. Detroit, 59.5% (78 of 131)
4. Chicago Cubs, 59.4% (82 of 138)
5. Texas, 58.7% (64 of 109)
6. Dodgers, 58.4% (73 of 125)
The five worst:
1. Pittsburgh, 42.4% (53 of 125)
2. Cleveland, 44.7% (68 of 152)
3. Washington, 45.8%, (60 of 131)
4. Chicago White Sox, 47.2% (76 of 161)
5. San Francisco, 48.1% (65 of 135)
Minnesota has made the most challenges with 179, Boston the fewest with 105.
Best challenge overturned % by hitters (minimum seven challenges):
CJ Abrams, Washington, 100% (7 for 7)
Nick Kurtz, Athletics, 85.7% (6 for 7)
Xander Bogaerts, San Diego, 75% (9 for 12)
Davis Schneider, Toronto, 75% (9 for 12)
Aaron Judge, Yankees, 75% (6 for 8)
Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers, 70% (7 for 10)
Brent Rooker, Athletics, 70% (7 for 10)
Jose Altuve, Houston, 69.2% (9 for 13)
The worst
Trea Turner, Philadelphia, 12.5% (1 for 8)
Spencer Horwitz, Pittsburgh, 14.3% (1 for 7)
Andrés Giménez, Toronto, 14.3% (1 for 7)
James Wood, Washington, 20% (3 for 15)
Mauricio Dubón, Atlanta, 22.2% (2 for 9)
Most challenges by a batter
Sal Stewart, Cincinnati, 29 (65.5%, 19 for 29)
Gary Sánchez, Milwaukee, 19 (42.1%, 8 for 19)
Cam Smith, Houston, 17 (41.2%, 7 for 17)
José Caballero, Yankees, 16 (56.3%, 9 for 16)
Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta, 16 (43.8%, 7 for 16)
Best challenge overturned % by catchers, minimum 10 challenges
Carson Kelly, Chicago Cubs, 84.4% (27 for 32)
Mitch Garver, Seattle, 81.8% (18 for 22)
J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia, 80.8% (21 for 26)
Travis d’Arnaud, Angels, 80% (8 for 10)
Sandy León, Atlanta, 77.8% (14 for 18)
Salvador Perez, Kansas City, 75% (33 for 44)
Worst challenge overturned % by catchers, minimum 10 challenges
Bo Naylor, Cleveland, 33.3% (4 for 12)
Jhonny Pereda, Seattle, 35% (7 for 20)
Samuel Basallo, Baltimore, 36.4% (8 for 22)
Drew Millas, Washington, 38.9% (14 for 36)
Elias Díaz, Texas, 40% (4 for 10)
Most challenges by a catcher
William Contreras, Milwaukee, 81 (60.5%, 49 for 81)
Edgar Quero, White Sox, 66 (48.5%, 32 for 66)
Nick Fortes, Tampa Bay, 58 (58.6%, 34 for 58)
Patrick Bailey, Cleveland, 55 (58.2%, 32 for 55)
Shea Langeliers, Athletics, 53 (58.5%, 31 for 53)
Pitchers don’t make very many challenges. The most is five by Freddy Peralta of the Mets.
How Dodgers batters have done:
Freddie Freeman, 100% (1 for 1)
Mookie Betts, 75% (3 for 4)
Teoscar Hernández, 70% (7 for 10)
Miguel Rojas, 62.5% (5 for 8)
Alex Call, 60% (3 for 5)
Alex Freeland, 50% (1 for 2)
Max Muncy, 50% (2 for 4)
Will Smith, 50% (1 for 2)
Kyle Tucker, 40% (2 for 5)
Andy Pages, 33.3% (3 for 9)
Shohei Ohtani, 33.3% (1 for 3)
Dalton Rushing, 33.3% (1 for 3)
Hyeseong Kim, 0% (0 for 1)
Dodgers catchers
Will Smith, 66% (31 for 47)
Dalton Rushing, 61.1% (11 for 18)
Dodgers pitchers
Tyler Glasnow, 100% (1 for 1)
Edwin Diaz, 0% (0 for 1)
Kyle Hurt, 0% (0 for 1)
Freddie Freeman got his 2,500th hit during the rout of Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
“It means a lot,” Freeman told reporters after the game. “And then when your manager and teammates appreciate what you’ve done over the course of your career, it does mean a lot. Yeah, there’s always another goal to get to. But to step back and realize how long you have to play … to play at a high level over many, many years to get there, it does mean a lot.”
Freeman became only the 102nd player in history to get 2,500 hits. He is on pace to finish with 167 hits this season, which would give him 2,598 hits in his career, letting him pass the following players on the all-time hits list: Jimmy Ryan, Buddy Bell, Joe Morgan, Todd Helton, Heinie Manush, Garret Anderson, George Van Haltren, Steve Finley, Willie Davis, Manny Ramirez, Richie Ashburn, Ernie Banks, Reggie Jackson, Julio Franco, Vladimir Guerrero and Luis Gonzalez. He would be in 85th place, just one hit behind Steve Garvey.
Through Tuesday, Freeman had 796 of his hits with the Dodgers. Up next in his career is the magical 3,000-hit milestone.
“I would love to,” Freeman said. “I’m not going to deny that. But do I know if I’m going to get there? I don’t know.”
The Dodgers put Will Smith on the injured list because of an inflamed disk in his neck and recalled catcher Chuckie Robinson from the minors. Smith will be eligible to come off the IL next Friday.
“Hopefully, the day I’m able to come off,” Smith told reporters, “I can come back and play, that’s the plan for now.”
Robinson had one at-bat with the Dodgers last season and in 52 games in the majors he is hitting .131.
Thursday’s win over Pittsburgh could have proved costly. Shohei Ohtani left the game because of an inflamed left knee, and pitcher Justin Wrobleski left early after getting hit on the inside of his right leg by a liner. He left because of a sore hamstring.
The Dodgers were very optimistic that both would be fine, but we’ll see how they feel on Friday. Ohtani had surgery on that knee in 2019, but this is in a different part of the knee. Not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing.
“[Friday], he’ll get there, do his routine, play catch, push off, land on it, see how it reacts,” Roberts said. “And then obviously take swings and see how it reacts too.”
Friday: Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 3-3, 4.03 ERA) at Chicago White Sox (Sean Burke, 3-3, 3.88 ERA), 4:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Saturday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-4, 2.68 ERA) at Chicago White Sox (TBA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Sunday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 3-3, 4.70 ERA) at Chicago White Sox (Erick Fedde, 1-5, 4.69 ERA), 11:10 a.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
All times Pacific
*-left-handed
How the Dodgers plan to shuffle catchers with Will Smith on the injured list
Dodgers Debate: The pitching blues of the summer
Vin Scully discusses the history of Friday the 13th. Watch and listen here.
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.
Serena Williams opted to let Nike break the news about her pro tennis comeback at age 44 in two slick commercials. The abrupt end to her doubles foray at the HSBC Queen’s Club Championships was more muted.
Williams’ playing partner Victoria Mboko injured her left knee in a fall during a singles match Wednesday. The turn of events restricted Williams’ return to tennis to one match, a 7-6(2), 6-2 victory with the Canadian teenager over No. 3 seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.
Shed no tears for Williams. She pivoted quickly and will partner with Czech tennis star Karolína Muchová in doubles at the grass-court WTA 500 Berlin Open next week.
“Every tournament I add to my schedule right now feels special, and Berlin is no exception,” Williams said in a statement. “I’m excited to compete in front of the German fans and continue building momentum throughout the grass-court season.”
Another commercial by Nike, her collaborator and business partner of more than two decades, probably isn’t necessary. Williams’ announcement that she would play for the first time since the 2022 U.S. Open came via a pair of clips from the athletic footwear and apparel conglomerate.
One was captioned “good news travels fast.” Talk about buzzy. Her phone makes all sorts of sounds while she’s working out on the court, ending with the text: “Guess everybody heard the news,” and her saying, “I gotta change my number.”
The second is even zanier, a bit with LeBron James and Nike executives pitching a film called “The GOAT’s Goodbye” to Williams, who wants none of it because she still wants to play. James says to the suits, “You’re gonna have to find someone else,” and Williams walks onto the court with racket in hand.
Tagline: “The GOAT’s back.”
For now, her comeback is open-ended. Wimbledon begins June 29 and Williams has not indicated whether she will play. She has 14 titles in the prestigious tournament, six in doubles, one mixed doubles and seven in singles.
Asked shortly after her lone doubles victory at the Queen’s Club why she returned to the tour after a hiatus punctuated by the birth in 2023 of her second child, Adira River Ohanian, Williams shrugged.
“I don’t know, I had nothing better to do,” she said with a smile. “I got tired of sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?”
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and I’m wondering why no one ever talks about Roy Hobbs as one of the all-time greats. It’s like he didn’t even exist.
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The next part of our “Ask …” series is here, and it’s a big one. Former Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, now playing for the Tijuana Toros in the Mexican League, has agreed to answer selected questions from Dodgers Dugout readers.
Do I really need to remind you of who Turner is and his feats as a Dodger? I don’t think so. He is one of the most beloved Dodgers in recent times.
Turner agreed to answer questions from readers of this newsletter. Please send me an email with your question to houston.mitchell@latimes.com. Please make sure the subject line reads Ask Justin Turner. I will select some questions for him to answer. His answers will appear in a future newsletter. You have until Sunday at 6 p.m. to send in your question.
It appears reports of Shohei Ohtani‘s demise were greatly exaggerated.
On April 24 against the Chicago Cubs, he went 0 for 3, striking out all three times. His batting splits (batting average/OB%/SLG%) dropped to .237/.361/.433), his worst numbers in a few seasons. Stories started to appear everywhere that pitching and hitting is too much for him. The Dodgers needed to give him a lot more days off, or, have him stop pitching altogether, since no one can do what he is trying.
Ohtani heard all of that, I’m guessing, and used it to stoke his competitiveness.
His numbers since April 24:
Hitting: .344/.461/.576. He’s now hitting .301/.420/.521 this season. Last season he hit .282/.392/.622. His power is down, but power is down across the majors this season. At current projections, there will be 400 fewer home runs this season.
On the mound since April 24, Ohtani is 4-2 with an 0.97 ERA.
Will he become the first person to win MVP and Cy Young in the same season? Well, on Wednesday, MLB.com announced the results of a survey of 35 experts, asking them to vote as if the season ended that day. Here are the results:
NL MVP
1. Ohtani
2. James Wood, Nationals
3. Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks
They didn’t do voting for Cy Young, but most places have Ohtani third right now, behind Cristopher Sánchez of the Phillies and Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers.
The Dodgers have played 63 games this season and are 40-23. How do they compare to last season’s team at the same point in the season?
Record
2026: 40-23
2025: 38-25
Runs per game
2026: 5.24
2025: 5.69
Batting average
2026: .264
2025: .265
OB%
2026: .343
2025: .341
SLG%
2026: .443
2025: .466
Doubles
2026: 108
2025: 106
Triples
2026: 7
2025: 9
Home Runs
2026: 85
2025: 101
Walks
2026: 249
2025: 234
Batter Strikeouts
2026: 483
2025: 515
Grounded into double play
2026: 56
2025: 47
Left on base
2026: 438
2025: 416
Stolen bases
2026: 27
2025: 40
ERA
2026: 3.08
2025: 4.12
Starters’ ERA
2026: 2.96
2025: 3.69
Relief ERA
2026: 3.31
2025: 4.27
Hits per 9 IP
2026: 6.87
2025: 8.09
Walks per 9 IP
2026: 2.79
2025: 3.54
K’s per 9 IP
2026: 8.99
2025: 9.13
IRS%
2026: 26.8%
2025: 23.4%
I’m sure some readers get annoyed when during my semi-annual reminder that it’s only a game, and if you are angry five minutes after a game is over, perhaps you should find a new hobby.
But there was a reminder last week as to why it is so necessary to keep it in mind. The world is a much angrier place now than when I was younger (uh oh, old man rant). I blame social media. Everyone can find their own echo chamber of people who agree with them and never have to see an opposing opinion. And when they do, they can’t handle it (generally speaking, of course).
And the anonymity of social media gives people false bravado, causing them to say things they never would in person. Such was the case Saturday, after Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott had his first blown save in what has been a good season for him.
The next day his wife, Maddie, shared some messages the Scott family received on social media. One of them was, ““Hope this mutt d i e s soon,” on a photo of the Scott’s child on Instagram. And that was the most tame of the messages. All because Tanner Scott blew a save and the Dodgers lost.
Disturbing? That doesn’t begin to describe it. While I’m sure none of the Dodgers Dugout readers are this depraved, it serves as a reminder that these people are human beings trying their best. Be critical of their performance when warranted. But don’t get angry. You should see some of the emails I get after the Dodgers lose two in a row. Some people are just beyond furious, calling players names, etc.
“I don’t speak out often. Ever actually,” Maddie Scott wrote over a screenshot of the hatred she received. “I promise you, you don’t know what it’s like unless you’re living it. When did it stop being a game?”
Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. received death threats after a loss last season, telling reporters, “I understand people are very passionate and people love the Astros and love sports, but threatening to find my kids and murder them is a little bit tough to deal with just as a father, I think. So just as a father, I think there have been many, many threats over the years aimed at me. But I think bringing kids into the equation, threatening to find them or next time they see us in public they’re going to stab my kids to death, things like that, it’s tough to hear as a dad,” McCullers said, in the understatement of the year.
I realize the stupid people doing this are a small, small percentage of any team’s fan base. But, don’t give in to the anger when the Dodgers lose. Be disappointed, sure. But just think, if the worst thing in your day is that the Dodgers lost, then you’ve had a pretty good day.
Scott got the loss Thursday when he gave up a walk-off homer. Disappointing? Sure. Ruin the rest of your night? I hope not.
Time to vote for who you think should start in this year’s All-Star game. You can click here to vote. I still miss the days at Dodger Stadium when ushers (wearing their straw hats) would hand people stacks of ballots. Some ushers even had ballots with the Dodgers already selected for you.
Friday: Angels (*Reid Detmers, 2-5, 4.63 ERA) at Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 3-3, 4.59 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, KTTV, AM 570, KLAA 830, KTNQ 1020
Saturday: Angels (Jack Kochanowicz, 2-4, 5.23 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 5-4, 2.86 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, KCOP 13, AM 570, KLAA 830, KTNQ 1020
Sunday: Angels (José Soriano, 6-4, 2.72 ERA) at Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 3-2, 4.50 ERA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, KCOP 13, AM 570, KLAA 830, KTNQ 1020
All times Pacific
*-left-handed
Shaikin: MLB’s wild pitch: Using fan-despised TV blackouts as leverage against players
Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott’s wife reveals death threats she received about their child
Plaschke: Ryan Ward becomes an unlikely star in memorable Dodger Stadium debut
Justin Turner‘s walk-off homer against the Cubs in Game 2 of the 2017 NLCS. Watch and listen here.
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.
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SK Hynix (HXSCL) plans to double its memory-chip wafer production capacity over the next five years as it works to address soaring demand for AI-related memory chips.
Chairman Chey Tae-won told reporters in Taipei that the company is responding to