game

The Sparks reportedly agreed to trade All-Star guard Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday night, ending a brief stint in Los Angeles as the franchise continues its rebuild ahead of the WNBA trade deadline.

ESPN reported the Sparks acquired guard Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round draft pick and a 2028 second-round selection for Plum.

The move comes less than two years after the Sparks acquired Plum in a blockbuster three-team trade with the Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm, sending the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft as part of the package to land the two-time champion.

The Sparks fired general manager Raegan Pebley on July 12 following two straight wins. Since then, the Sparks have lost six in a row and dropped further back in the playoff race.

Despite Plum’s individual success, the partnership never translated into team success. The Sparks entered the deadline well outside the playoff picture, and reports in recent days indicated Plum was not expected to re-sign after the season, making a trade the organization’s best opportunity to recoup assets before free agency.

Plum, who has been out because of a lower leg injury, was enjoying one of the best offensive seasons of her career before sitting out 10 games, averaging 23.9 points and 6.4 assists and while shooting 52.7% from the field and 38.3% from three-point range in 12 games. She earned another All-Star selection while serving as the focal point of the Sparks’ offense.

For Phoenix, Plum provides an immediate offensive boost. One of the league’s premier scoring guards, she brings championship experience, perimeter shooting and playmaking to a team that is trying to move back into the WNBA playoff picture. The Mercury (11-19) are 12th in the standings just behind the Sparks (10-17).

The Sparks, meanwhile, are stuck in their rebuild limbo, with several veterans on long-term contracts and just Rae Burrell on an expiring contract.

The trade is one of the most significant moves before the WNBA deadline on Sunday and could reshape the championship race. But for the Sparks, it’s just another indicator that they are still searching for a way to contend.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Isabella Villareal practiced with the Los Angeles Queens for the first time on Saturday morning, hours before the team’s first game.

She ended up being in the center of the most important moment in the first game of the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s history.

Villareal hit a pinch-hit double with two outs in the top of the seventh to give the Queens a 10-8 lead they’d hold onto to clinch the first WPBL victory.

“The adrenaline was pumping, but I was also nervous,” Villareal said. “But I’m so stoked that I got to go in. I blacked out, I don’t even know what I was thinking, I’m just glad I got to prove myself.”

The Los Angeles Queens’ Ashton Lansdell, left, and Meggie Meidlinger celebrate after beating the New York Heights during the Women’s Pro Baseball League debut game on Saturday in Springfield, Ill.

(Jessie Alcheh / Getty Images)

Second baseman Amira Hondras, coming off a strong women’s baseball World Cup debut last week, tied the game in the at-bat prior with a single up the middle to set up Villareal’s heroics.

“I told her, ‘This is your moment,’ and walked away,” Queens manager Eric Young said of Villareal. “And she went and got the big hit even though she just joined us today. You never know who is going to do it, because everyone is going to play.”

The Queens trailed 7-2 in the second inning but slowly chipped away. Maggie Foxx, whose two-run single in the first inning was the first hit in league history, went 2-for-2 with two runs, a walk and a stolen base and pitched two innings while giving up one run.

Villareal, who turned 20 just two days prior, didn’t know she would play at all on Saturday. Young decided to pinch hit her for designated hitter Thaima Maximiliana despite having never seen her hit in person.

“I was standing next to [Young] before he told Bella she was going to hit and she was in shock,” said Mo’ne Davis (0-for-4, one run). “But you know, she stayed calm the whole time, and everyone was just so supportive throughout the entire game.”

The first WPBL game was delayed 90 minutes by rainy conditions that went on to affect that seventh inning, when Michelle Roche popped up to right field and New York’s Natsuki Yonetani lost the ball in the wind.

Davis, who played center field all night, said the conditions made it difficult to field cleanly.

“We just relied on each other,” she said. “We were all just talking on every single pitch. The last inning was very, very tough. We were getting directions from our coaches and we could not see. But you know we’ll talk over that during practice. But we were just just making sure we had each other’s back, you know, putting each other in the right position, and communication is key.”

Former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player Maybelle Blair, left, and Los Angeles Queens’ Elodie O’Sullivan, right, talk before the inaugural Women’s Professional Baseball League game Saturday in Springfield, Ill.

(Lexie Knight / Associated Press)

Fans wrapped around the concourse and emptied the merchandise stand before the delayed first pitch and witnessed a torch passing between the league’s current players and past women’s baseball legends.

One of those legends, 99-year-old Maybelle Blair, threw the ceremonial first pitch to San Francisco pitcher Kelsie Whitmore.

“Kelsie was very emotional, and I just went over there and gave her a hug, and I know how much this means to her, and then also Maybellel Blair,” Davis said. “I went up to her. She’s the same person she has always been. Just super high energy. I told her to throw a strike, and she was like, ‘You know I will throw a strike.’ She gave me that sass.”

Foxx is also 20 years old and is listed as a catcher but played in the outfield and pitched on Saturday. New York manager Rocky Henley noted that most players are going to have to play multiple positions, including pitch, because teams have just 15-player rosters.

Foxx, Maximiliana, Hondras and Villareal make up a young core around stars like Davis and Ashton Lansdell that make the Queens, one of the favorites to win the league.

The bats coming alive late on Saturday were a good sign of that.

“This is something that we’ve all been working towards, culminating this event, and it feels like it kind of feels like another baseball game, but it feels like something that we’ve been putting in the work for for 70 years now,” Foxx said.

The Queens won’t play again until Wednesday when they take on the Boston Hunters.

“When I walked on the field I started crying because of how much this moment meant, and how much it meant to everybody,” Foxx said. “It means everything to us.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The first day all the members of the Women’s Professional Baseball League were at the same field, it rained.

That didn’t dampen the smiles around Robin Roberts Field the day before the league opens play Saturday, marking the first professional women’s baseball games in 72 years.

“Getting to be together for six whole weeks or around two whole months with them [if we make the playoffs] is honestly going to be a game changer,” said third baseman Ashton Lansdell, who stars for the USA national team. “I think we’re going to build a really unique and exciting culture that is going to last a very long time, especially with the inaugural season at WPBL. Like we’re starting from the ground up, so we get to build all of these things from the very beginning.”

The Los Angeles Queens, managed by former Dodgers second baseman Eric Young, have arguably the most star-studded roster, behind Savannah Bananas third baseman Lansdell, former Little League star Mo’ne Davis and Japanese ace pitcher Ayami Sato.

The Los Angeles Queens’ Ayami Sato pitches during a Women’s Pro Baseball League exhibition game in March 19 in Fort Myers, Fla.

(Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

“I pretty much have an idea who I want to lead off and who’s my starter,” Young said. “Those two things I do know. But the rest of the lineup, I’m looking forward to making it. The first one will be very special, just like everything else.”

Women’s baseball has been long fractured with few opportunities for the best to gather in one spot. The only consistent tournament has been the Women’s Baseball World Cup, with the U.S. going undefeated in group play this week in Rockford ahead of the WPBL’s quick week of preseason practices.

The WPBL will be the first women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which operated from 1943 until 1954 to offset the loss of male baseball players called into action during World War II. The league gained popularity and notoriety when it was dramatized in the 1992 film “A League of Their Own.”

While women’s baseball didn’t boom and girls were mostly limited to playing softball, some women sought a chance to play the sport they loved.

The WPBL, even with a limited six-week season at one location, is helping many players realize seemingly impossible dreams and honoring the first recorded women’s game with a paid crowd and the home of the single-season Springfield Sallies.

Games will span seven innings and the league will use aluminum bats featured in college baseball and softball, while outfield dimensions were altered to be closer to the Women’s World Cup field dimensions. Salaries range from $300-$500 per game for the 15-player rosters.

“It’s just what we’ve all dreamed of our whole lives,” Lansdell said. “The coolest thing out of all of it is that we’re starting this league this year, but in the next five to 10 years, even two years down the road, I’m so excited to see just the growth of women’s baseball and the amount of hope and inspiration that we have.”

Like many women’s baseball players, Lansdell had a history in softball, contributing to the Women’s College World Series season in 2025 at Ole Miss. More recently, she went 11-for-13 with two doubles and two home runs in five games during the U.S. World Cup group stage for a historic .846 batting average.

Players warm up before a game on the fourth day of tryouts for the Women’s Professional Baseball League in August 2025 at Nationals Park in Washington.

(Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press)

She will be the core of the Queens’ lineup, surrounded by some of the biggest name in the sport. Brittany Apgar grew up playing in all-boys baseball tournaments before playing college softball at Greensboro College.

“I think this is really when the quote that baseball is 90% mental and 10% physical kicks in because that game’s going to be a lot,” Apgar said of the Saturday opener. “Like we have the honor of doing the first game. That will be a lot of pressure on everyone.”

The Queens flaunt one of the best right sides of the infield in the league with Lansdell at third and Curacan 19-year-old shortstop Thaima Maximiliana.

Australian shortstop Caitlin Eynon hit .375 in the World Cup and could contribute to the Queens’ lineup, too.

Davis highlights an outfield that includes Apgar and Japanese center fielder Suzu Narasaki. Amira Hondras, 18, played for the U.S. after spending time with MLB Develops and the Chicago White Sox youth league and is one of the best young women’s baseball prospects in the nation.

Sato leads a staff of pitchers from several backgrounds. Canadian 19-year-old right-hander Michelle Roche plays college baseball in British Columbia while 38-year-old veteran Meggie Meidlinger has been a bullpen stopper for the U.S.

“More than anything, I’m excited for the opportunity to play with talented players from around the world,” Sato said through her translator, Mayo Hiran. “That’s something that I’ve been working for for a long time.”

The Queens face the New York Heights to begin their season and will play 30 games through the start of September before a two-week playoff period.

By this time next year, they may get a chance to play home games in the Los Angeles area. The league hasn’t announced its plans for shifting games outside of Illinois other than to confirm they aspire to do so.

But for a few moments this weekend, in Springfield alone, dreams will come true and a sport will be reborn.

“It’s going to be a lot of people’s first time for a lot of things,” Apgar said. “Some of the people didn’t actually get to make it to tryouts, so there’s some people that are drafted that I haven’t even seen in person before. It’s all exciting.”

THEY say you should never meet your heroes . . . but I can heartily recommend meeting your villains.

At the Night With The Knights special event near Belfast, a crowd of Game Of Thrones fans joined a Q&A session with actors Ian Beattie (sadistic Kingsguard Ser Meryn Trant), Dominic Carter (weaselly Ser Janos Slynt) and Ian McElhinney (noble Ser Barristan Selmy).

Beattie stole the show with hilarious, sweary anecdotes about his time on the HBO fantasy series, with Ed Sheeran the target of some choice barbs.

But all three were amusing and gracious, posing for photos, signing autographs and coming round to chat during our dinner.

It was my first time at the GoT Studio Tour — which is planning more events with stars — and, as a megafan, I was not disappointed with all the costumes, weapons and sets.

Highlights were being able to scan my mug into the Hall of Faces, which Arya Stark’s assassins used to disguise themselves, posing with the giant Wun Wun and, of course, sitting on the coveted Iron Throne.

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Our evening was just one stop on a five-day tour of film and TV locations in Northern Ireland.

We’d started in Londonderry, home to Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls, spotting a giant mural featuring the five hellraising teens and visiting an exhibition showcasing a few sets and props.

From there, we travelled east around the coast, and in fair weather there are few places that can rival the scenery.

It’s easy to see why Northern Ireland is so attractive for filmmakers.

The route was packed with superb locations for memorable Thrones scenes, including:

• Downhill Beach — the clifftop temple where Red Priestess Melisandre burned heretics.
• Portstewart — where Jaime Lannister and Bronn encounter the Sand Snakes in Dorne.
• Dunluce Castle — Greyjoys’ home Pyke, with help from CGI.
• Ballintoy Harbour — where Theon Greyjoy meets sister Yara, and the neighbouring bay, where he is baptised for the Drowned God.
• Carnlough Harbour steps — where Arya Stark crawls to safety after her battle with the Waif.
• Hidden Village of Galboly — which doubles as the Vale of Arryn.
• Cairncastle’s hills — where Ned Stark beheads a deserter in the first episode.

The film scenery isn’t restricted to GoT, as the clifftop ruins at Dunseverick Castle were used for the live-action remake of How To Train Your Dragon.

At the centre of Glenarm Castle’s walled gardens, you can see areas used to film Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, and Thrones spin-off A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms.

Nearby, in Glenarm village, is Steensons jewellers, which made many of the pieces used in GoT, then it was on to Carrickfergus Castle, a key location for Dungeons & Dragons.

I’d recommend having a guide — not just to get to the right places, but because locals love a good chinwag.

You’ll probably hear stories about the cast and crew (occasionally indiscreet, such as the actress despised by fellow thesps, or which actor appeared naked in a hotel lobby), and they are proud to show off their country.

Next stop Belfast, with locations for some of my other favourite non-fantasy TV series including Line Of Duty, which was shooting its seventh season while we were there, the Botanic Gardens where The Fall’s sexy serial killer, played by Jamie Dornan, stalks his victims, and Crumlin Road Gaol, now used for tours and filming.

We stayed in a different hotel every night and not a dud among them, but highlights were Harbourview in Carnlough, a destination whiskey property, and Slieve Donard in Newcastle, with an opulent pool.

South of Belfast we were back into the wild at Castle Ward, which served as the Starks’ seat of Winterfell and features the courtyard where Ned Stark taught his children archery, the stable where Tyrion Lannister romped with brothel beauties, and the window from which Jaime Lannister pushed Bran Stark.

Further around Strangford Lough is Audley’s Castle, a 15th-century tower that doubled (literally, as CGI was used to create two) as The Twins, treacherous Walder Frey’s stronghold.

Finally, at mystical Tollymore Forest, GoT scenes here include the creek where the direwolf pups are found, and where Arya hides from the Gold Cloaks.

Most bone-chilling, though, was the glade where Thrones’ opening scene was shot, where Night’s Watch rangers encounter a pit containing dismembered corpses that are not as dead as they appear.

So our tour’s end had brought us to the start, which just made me want to binge-watch it all again.

To paraphrase Jaime Lannister, the things we do for love of TV . . . 

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Will the person in charge please stop turning up Earth’s thermostat. It’s warm enough now.

There’s a problem in the Dodgers’ offense. Yes, they are near the top in most offensive categories, but, well, let’s see if you can spot it.

Batting average/OB%/SLG% by lineup position

Batting first: .275/.378/.522
Second: .229/.305/.348
Third: .273/.364/.457
Fourth: .262/.340/.445
Fifth: .247/.333/.406
Sixth: .273/.339/.464
Seventh: .264/.344/.447
Eighth: .269/.341/.410
Ninth: .265/.326/.402

One of those lines is not like the other. The No. 2 spot in the lineup has been horrible. And it’s not just one person, it’s anyone they try there. A look at each player who has batted in the No. 2 spot this season:

Santiago Espinal, 1 for 1
Tommy Edman, 2 for 4
Andy Pages, .254/.336/.431, 238 plate appearances
Kyle Tucker, .238/.330/.333, 97
Freddie Freeman, .213/.276/.263, 87
Alex Call, 1 for 5
Miguel Rojas, 1 for 6
Mookie Betts, .149/.196/.234, 51
Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1
Will Smith, 0 for 8

Wow. Everyone who has spent any time in the No. 2 spot is hitting worse than their overall numbers.

Last season, the No. 2 position hit .259/.324/.418, which was mainly Betts.

Let’s break out the four players who have the most appearances in the No. 2 spot this season and see how well they hit in other positions:

Andy Pages
Batting second: .254/.336/.431, 238 plate appearances
Third: .167/.200/.167, 25
Fourth: .200/.292/.350, 24
Fifth: .222/.300/.500, 40
Sixth: .375/.394/.781, 33
Seventh: .271/.329/.414, 79
Eighth: .476/.500/.810, 22

Kyle Tucker
Batting second: .238/.330/.333, 97
First: .222/300/.556. 10
Third: .000/.111/.000, 9
Fourth: .263/.391/.395, 92
Fifth: .226/.329/.387, 73
Sixth: .225/.297/.326, 101
Seventh: .333/.412/.633, 34
Ninth: 0 for 1

So hit Pages sixth and Tucker seventh?

Freddie Freeman

Batting second: .213/.276/.263, 87
Third: .328/.421/.572, 273
Fourth: .288/.342/.452, 79
Fifth: .417/.417/.583, 12

So Freeman should bat third.

Mookie Betts

Batting second: .149/.196/.234, 51
First: .125/.125/.500, 8
Third: .179/.281/.429, 32
Fourth: .261/.326/.436, 181
Fifth: .250/.276/.464, 29

Betts at cleanup? Should the Dodgers lineup be:

Shohei Ohtani
Tommy Edman
Freddie Freeman
Mookie Betts
Max Muncy
Andy Pages
Kyle Tucker
Teoscar Hernández
Dalton Rushing

Of course, here we are talking about making changes to the team that is fourth in the majors in runs scored per game (5.15).

But why does everyone fall apart in the No. 2 spot? Do the pitchers relax a bit after facing Ohtani and pitch better because of it? Do they concentrate more? Is it just the randomness of baseball? We’ll never know. But right now, the No. 2 spot is a weakness.

Editor’s note: Of course, right after I write this, Pages goes five for eight with a double and a homer in the No. 2 spot. The randomness of baseball!

Where doesn’t it hurt?

We knew that Shohei Ohtani‘s left knee was still bothering him, but it turns out his right biceps is bothering him, too.

“My biceps is not 100%,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton while speaking to reporters. “Just [a] similar issue with the knee. Do we consider pushing this? It is still July. So, I think the conversation would be a little different if we’re in August or September.”

And the longer Ohtani sits, the more likely he will have to be built back up as a starter. Don’t expect him to come back and pitch seven innings right away.

“You know, he’s a starting pitcher, and then, when you start missing three, four, five weeks of that build-up,” Dave Roberts said, “then you’ve got to kind of start up again.”

Phil ‘The Vulture’ Regan dies

Phil Regan, who had one great and one good season as a relief pitcher with the Dodgers, died earlier this month at 89.

In 1966 with the Dodgers, Regan pitched in 65 games and went 14-1, with a 1.62 ERA and a league-leading 21 saves. It was that season where he earned his nickname, “The Vulture.”

On Aug. 1, 1966, Sandy Koufax was facing the Pittsburgh Pirates and left after seven innings with the score tied, 1-1. Regan relieved him, and the Dodgers scored four runs to win the game. Afterward, Koufax said to Regan, “You’re getting to be a real scavenger. A vulture, that’s what you are.”

Regan went 6-9 with a 2.99 ERA and six saves with the Dodgers in 1967. He pitched in five games for them in 1968, going 2-0 with 3.52 ERA, before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with Jim Hickman for Jim Ellis and Ted Savage.

Regan last pitched in the majors in 1972 with the Chicago White Sox, who released him in July. His career record was 96-81 with a 3.84 ERA and 92 saves.

He went on to become a longtime pitching coach for several teams and managed the Baltimore Orioles during the 1995 season.

He came out of retirement at 82 in 2019 to become interim pitching coach for the New York Mets, saying, “Well, I love the game and I love what I’m doing. I know I’m 82 years old now, but I still enjoy it. I feel good. I’m going to retire one of these days, or die, I dont know. One or the other.”

Scheduling note

The next newsletter will be delayed until after the trade deadline so we can discuss what happened, or what didn’t happen, and see what moves other postseason contenders made.

Up next

Friday: Boston (*Ranger Suarez, 4-3, 3.02 ERA) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Boston (*Payton Tolle, 6-6, 3.32 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 11-6, 2.72 ERA), 6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Boston (*Jake Bennett, 6-4, 2.74 ERA) at Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 4-7, 4.95 ERA), 4:20 p.m., NBC, Peacock, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman addresses Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury and trade deadline approach

Dodgers Debate: Trade deadline madness

‘Do we consider pushing this?’ Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound remains unclear

Shaikin: The Dodgers’ three-peat chance may never come again. Trade accordingly

Dusty Baker’s peers expect him to become the first Black manager in the Hall of Fame

And finally

Vin Scully calls Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

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

If there’s a day of uncontaminated enthusiasm on the NFL calendar it’s the first day of training camp. Everyone’s healthy, everyone’s hopeful, and the Super Bowl is seemingly in reach for everyone.

A few thousand Chargers fans were at the team facility Wednesday to watch the inaugural practice, and afterward coach Jim Harbaugh and many of the players stuck around to sign autographs, pose for selfies and make small talk. It was the kind of scene unfolding all around the NFL.

“It was amazing,” said All-Pro safety Derwin James of the practice. “Kind of like the first day of school.”

Were they to receive a grade for their first two seasons under Harbaugh, the Chargers might get an incomplete. They played well enough to make the playoffs in both seasons — overcoming a dizzying array of injuries on the offensive line a year ago — yet failed to show up in the postseason, suffering lopsided losses at Houston and New England.

Harbaugh said the first day of camp feels like “Christmas morning” to him. When asked whether the entire team was full speed and ready to go, he made the analogy of an airplane gathering speed down a runway before achieving flight. There’s a deliberate ramp-up to the intensity of training camp, he said.

So now it begins again, and with a rebooted offensive line with two of the most promising bookend tackles in the game, first-round picks Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, both of whom were sidelined for most or all of last fall.

Slater suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp. Alt missed three games with a high-ankle sprain in Week 4, then suffered a more severe injury to the same ankle upon his return.

For those players in particular, each medically cleared to return, every day off crutches is a good day.

That said, Slater is determined not to dwell on what happened a year ago.

Chargers fan Christian Cavanias cheers while attending the team’s training camp in El Segundo on Wednesday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“I’ve been injured before in the NFL, and I learned a lot from that experience,” he said. “I don’t think analyzing it any deeper than what it was is really worthwhile. I attacked the rehab and moved on, didn’t really give any thought to it. Trying to set the tone for the season, show up and be the best version of myself I can be.”

A healthy offensive line isn’t the only big change for the Chargers. They have a new offensive coordinator in former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, and a new defensive coordinator in Chris O’Leary, who is replacing his mentor, Jesse Minter, new coach of the Baltimore Ravens.

McDaniel began making small adjustments to Justin Herbert’s footwork during organized team activities, and those changes have become second nature for the Chargers quarterback.

“I’ve had a few weeks as well to work on it when I was back home,” Herbert said. “I thought it was a great time to be able to master my footwork, and then to come back out and just play fast and not have to worry about it.”

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert speaks during a news conference at training camp on Wednesday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Like Harbaugh, McDaniel has the kind of boundless energy that almost has him looking like a player when the team is running drills.

“He’s all hands on,” James said of McDaniel. “I feel like he’s almost out there running the route, how close he is to the receiver sometimes.”

McDaniel needles the other side of the ball too, James said, warning defenders to be ready for a deep pass before hitting them with a quick out.

“He’s playing some mind games,” James said with a smile. “It’s cool, though.”

Chargers free safety Derwin James speaks to reporters at training camp on Wednesday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

There was a bit of buzz at camp about Herbert getting engaged to girlfriend Madison Beer, with the couple posting photos Tuesday of the proposal, complete with the quarterback dropping to a knee to pop the question.

Harbaugh called the development “awesome” and said the coaching staff didn’t know in advance. He said Herbert had mentioned earlier in the summer that a proposal was coming, but didn’t let the coaching staff know about the particulars until after it happened.

For his part, Herbert conceded that he was more nervous about proposing than he was before the first start of his NFL career. Then again, he had a lot more time to dwell on asking his girlfriend than he had to prepare for playing, as he was immediately pressed into action on the Sunday of his NFL debut.

The WNBA has deleted a social media post that appears to show two of its star players, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, making a $400 bet with each other on their teams’ game — an act that seems to be in violation of the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

The post was made Wednesday afternoon on X ahead of that night’s game between Reese’s Atlanta Dream and Bueckers’ Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, and deleted soon after. It featured a video that showed Bueckers talking to a reporter, who mentions that “at All-Star weekend, you and Angel made a bet with each other on this game.”

Bueckers appears to jokingly play dumb. “We did?” she asked.

The video then cuts to footage of Reese and Bueckers, apparently at practice during last weekend’s All-Star festivities in Chicago, joking around and making a friendly wager with each other on the Dream-Wings game later that week.

“If y’all win, you get your 400,” Reese appears to say before adding that if Atlanta wins, “you owe me 400.”

A WNBA spokesperson said in a statement emailed to The Times: “While the social media post was intended to be lighthearted, WNBA players are well aware of the league’s policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies. We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally.

“We will also use this as an opportunity to reemphasize with the players involved that conversations about wagering on WNBA games, even when intended as a joke, can have negative consequences.”

Reese had 22 points and 12 rebounds in her team’s 82-81 victory against the Dream. During a postgame news conference, Reese laughed out loud when a reporter made reference to the wager she had with Bueckers.

“Yeah, I’ll be requesting my Apple Pay after this,” Reese said.

Reese also apparently was alluding to the bet when she added the hashtag #cuatrocientos (Spanish for four hundred) to an X post later that night.

Bueckers, who had 16 points in the loss, was not asked about the bet after the game.

According to Article XIV, Section 5(c) of the league’s CBA, “Any player found by the Commissioner after a hearing to have been guilty of wagering (directly or indirectly), or of offering or attempting to wager, money or anything of value on the outcome, score, or any other aspect of any WNBA Competition shall, in the sole discretion of the Commissioner, be subject to a fine, suspension, and/or dismissal and disqualification from any further association with the WNBA.”

The Women’s National Basketball Players Assn., the Wings and the Dream did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tuli Tuipulotu wants to get paid.

Although Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh expected everyone to be full-go for training camp, the fourth-year edge rusher is holding in amid contract negotiations.

Tuipulotu, who was a full participant in minicamp, did individual work off to the side during Wednesday’s practice and was in general workout attire rather than in a helmet, jersey and football pants like his teammates. On Thursday, Tuipulotu suited up normally and participated in drills alongside fellow defensive linemen but didn’t participate in team sessions.

A hold in is one way players can exercise leverage during contract negotiations. Hold-in players fulfill basic requirements outlined in the collective bargaining agreement — such as attending meetings and doing individual work — to avoid mandatory fines from teams for not reporting to training camp.

“We keep it rolling in practice,” Chargers defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary said. “You know, you get into a game, and you spend a little bit more time game planning and figuring out how to fill that void. … So we haven’t felt it as much. Obviously, we miss [Tuipulotu] out there. We miss how vocal he is and plays that he makes. But for us, we’re just keeping it rolling with the guys we got out there.”

The No. 54 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Tuipulotu has steadily climbed into a key role in the Chargers’ defense and is coming off a career year.

He collected 13 sacks in 2025 as a pivotal part of former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s system, which helped the Chargers finish the season fifth in yards allowed per game (285.2) and ninth in points per game (20.0).

“I just let my agent — let the guys — handle that,” Tuipulotu said during minicamp in June. “I’m just trying to be here with the team, you know what I’m saying? Be close with the guys.”

Tuipulotu, a Hawthorne native, has earned 26 sacks and 144 tackles over 36 starts with the Chargers. He made 16 starts last season.

“It’s just the process of it, man,” said Chargers safety Derwin James, who has earned a pair of hefty paydays after a training camp hold in of his own four years ago. “We love Tuli. Like, I knew the team loved me too when I had [a] similar situation.

“Sometimes, that stuff takes longer to iron out. But man, everyone knows we love Tuli here. … And he loves the team. So it’ll get worked out. … I can’t wait to have him out there. It’s just part of the business, man.”

James, a five-time Pro Bowl selection set to earn more than $24 million this season, is someone Tuipulotu can lean on during his hold in. Another is fellow edge rusher and future Hall of Famer Khalil Mack, who has mentored Tuipulotu.

The two said they discussed Tuipulotu’s situation privately. Like James, Mack is seasoned in contract negotiations, having famously signed a record six-year, $141-million extension with the Bears in 2018 after a holdout with the Raiders had him shipped to Chicago.

“I would be doing [Tuipulotu] an injustice not to talk to him about business or just life in general, of how to handle your business off the field and on the field,” Mack said, referencing Raiders teammates such as Charles Woodson and Justin Tuck who helped him navigate his early NFL years. “He kind of bounces questions off of me, and I say what I did or what I saw other people do — just give the best example or the best advice I can. But every situation is different.”

“I just hope you know everything works out in his favor,” Mack added. “And whatever works in his favor works in the organization’s favor as well.”

Tuipulotu said he didn’t have a timeline for his contract negotiations, but reiterated he’d show up.

But as a key cog in the Chargers’ defense who loves practice and training camp, the Chargers won’t feel quite complete on the field until Tuipulotu is practicing with his teammates again.

“There’s always something to get better at,” Tuipulotu said. “There’s always something you miss. Man, I love practice, you know what I’m saying? I bring the juice during practice.”

The Angels traded reliever Chase Silseth and struggling catcher Logan O’Hoppe to the Texas Rangers for minor league third baseman Angel Arredondo on Wednesday night.

The deal, announced a few minutes before the Angels’ series finale against the Houston Astros, could mark the beginning of an extensive rebuilding process for the Angels, who entered play Wednesday with an American League-worst 42-66 record and 13 1/2 games behind the Rangers in the AL West.

“We know we have to start shaking up this roster, and today was day one,” Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak said. “Clearly, where the Angels are at right now, we need to do things differently.”

Silseth, 26, was one of the Angels’ top relievers, going 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 47 games this year. O’Hoppe, 26, appeared in 75 games, batting .209 with 23 RBIs.

Arredondo, 19, hit .247 with eight home runs, 15 doubles and 47 RBIs in 86 games for low-A Hickory this season. He signed with the Rangers as an international free agent out of Mexico in 2024.

Cam Smith gave Houston the lead with a two-run double in the sixth inning, Yainer Diaz and Jeremy Peña hit solo homers and the Astros beat the Angels 7-4 on Wednesday night for a three-game sweep.

Houston right-hander Hayden Wesneski, making his first start in almost 15 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2025, gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking two, to earn the win. Bryan Abreu got the final four outs for his seventh save.

Wesneski (1-0) survived a three-run, four-hit first to blank the Angels on three hits over the next 4 2/3 innings to help the Astros win for the eighth time in nine games and reach .500 (55-55) for the first time since April 7, when they were 6-6. Houston also pulled within a game of first-place Texas in the American League West.

Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez gave up two runs and five hits in five innings, striking out six and walking two, for the Angels, who lost for the 18th time in 23 games.

Vaughn Grissom’s two-run double and Jo Adell’s RBI single gave the Angels a 3-0 lead in the first. Homers by Diaz in the second and Peña in the third trimmed the deficit to 3-2.

Rodriguez retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings, but with his pitch count at 98, he was replaced by left-hander Mitch Farris (0-3) to start the sixth.

Tyler Trammell walked with one out, Diaz singled and Smith lined a two-run double into the left-field corner for a 4-3 Houston lead. Smith took third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch for a 5-3 lead.

Houston pushed the lead to 6-3 in the seventh when Altuve singled and scored from first on Diaz’s bloop single to shallow right field. Adell hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth for the Angels, and Houston scored on an error in the ninth.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman all but confirmed Wednesday that the team would be in contact with the Tigers to gauge their asking price for reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

“There just aren’t that many star-level players in the game,” Friedman said Wednesday afternoon when asked how aggressive the Dodgers would be in pursuing big-name players. “Any time one is available, we’re always going to participate in those conversations. We’ve shown to be very aggressive in the past. … We’ve traded a lot of really talented young players.

“But we’re able to be in those conversations because of the incredible work by our scouts and our front office and our player development group that has our farm system in such a strong spot to be able to talk to any team basically about any player.”

All that was expected. Checking in is simply due diligence.

Friedman avoided showing his hand when asked the odds of the Dodgers acquiring a player like that at the deadline.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not in the handicapping business.”

Part of the calculation, with the Tigers on a skid that could push them to sell at the deadline, will be the health of the Dodgers’ pitching staff, which is steadily improving. So, instead of trying to fill specific holes, the Dodgers have the luxury of reading the market and being “a little bit more selective and opportunistic.”

Before the Dodgers’ game against the Mariners on Wednesday, they activated closer Edwin Díaz and designated left-hander Charlie Barnes for assignment. Right-handed starter Tyler Glasnow (back spasms) threw two innings of live batting practice, and right-handed reliever Blake Treinen (right elbow inflammation) threw one simulated inning.

Over in Class-A Ontario, left-hander Blake Snell (arthroscopic elbow surgery) was set to make what could be his last rehab start before being reinstated from the IL, although Friedman said the team was still talking through the next steps.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s timeline back to the mound is the biggest unknown, but Friedman insisted that his lingering knee injury didn’t change the Dodgers’ evaluation of its rotation heading into the deadline.

“I don’t think it puts it in an acute need at all,” Friedman said. “We’re confident he’s going to come back. Again, if there was something structural, then we would be much more concerned with that. But there’s not. And the fact that it does keep improving suggests that we’re on the right path and feel very confident that he will be back.

“And then that’s also where it gets to the depth that we have and the talented arms that have stepped up with some of our injuries, that we feel like deserved an opportunity to keep going. So it just doesn’t fall into acute. That being said, we’re always open-minded to different things.”

Friedman also offered some insight on Ohtani’s right biceps injury, which he first publicly acknowledged on July 3 and that he said Tuesday night was not 100%. Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a game since that July 3 start, when the biceps issue flared in his last at-bat.

“If it weren’t for the knee, he would be pitching right now, he would be making his regular turn [in the rotation],” Friedman said. “We kept the arm going. Does he feel 100% in his arm? No. But neither does any pitcher in late July. But this is around the knee and making sure that we can get it to a place where there’s just no compensation. So exactly when that is, I’m not sure. But I feel confident that relatively soon, he’s going to start getting out and start ramping up for catch play and bullpens and getting him back.”

Ohtani’s timeline, however, hasn’t progressed the way the Dodgers initially expected since receiving an Orthovisc injection to lubricate his knee at the beginning of the All-Star break. They’d hoped he’d return to the rotation in its first turn out of the break. Instead, he threw a bullpen in Philadelphia last week, and then his throwing program stalled.

It’s also unclear what version of Ohtani the Dodgers will get when he returns to the mound.

“There’s no question it got significantly better,” Ohtani said in Japanese of the effects of the injection. “But after talking with the doctors, I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the pain to be zero. That may end up being something that has to wait until the offseason. In the meantime, I’ll keep working through my rehab program and try to get it as close to zero [pain] as possible.”

While playing through the knee injury, and searching for a mechanical adjustment to take some pressure off it, Ohtani’s execution has wavered. He had a 4.38 ERA in his last four starts, compared to 0.74 in his first 10.

“I think it speaks to the knee and the delivery and just the challenge of repeating it over and over and over again,” Friedman said, “and more speaks to why we are doing this and making sure that we get it calmed down and in a good spot so he can repeat. Then I’ll bet on him to execute.”

Shohei Ohtani has not pitched in a game for the Dodgers since July 3, though he admitted after Tuesday’s game that there’s more going on than just a sore left knee.

“My biceps is not 100%,” said Ohtani through interpreter Will Ireton while speaking with the media for the first time since before the All-Star break. “Just [a] similar issue with the knee. Do we consider pushing this? It is still July. So, I think the conversation would be a little different if we’re in August or September.”

Ohtani, who has remained in the lineup at designated hitter, has stalled in his throwing program after the team scratched a bullpen session tentatively scheduled for last Saturday that was to come on the heels of a roughly 30-pitch side session he threw last Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Ohtani received an orthovisc injection in his knee on July 12 and he skipped All-Star Game obligations in Philadelphia to allow for rest and recovery. But it remains unclear when Ohtani will return to the mound, and though manager Dave Roberts remains optimistic about him pitching again this season, concerns about building back up start to factor in.

“We are getting closer to that,” Roberts said. “You know, he’s a starting pitcher, and then, when you start missing three, four, five weeks of that build-up, then you’ve got to kind of start up again.”

Ohtani, who led off Tuesday’s 7-6 loss to the Seattle Mariners with a home run, clarified the origins of his knee problem and shared an estimate of where it’s at strength-wise.

“The discomfort was caused initially by the pitching,” Ohtani said. “So, it’s something I have to work around. In terms of running, I’m not exactly at 100% capacity. When I know it’s not, then it’s always a little harder to be aggressive on the basepaths.”

Ohtani and Roberts both said that the Dodgers haven’t reached a point of considering shutting down Ohtani from pitching.

“Everything that I’ve heard, that’s not the option,” Roberts said. “I guess anything’s possible, but for me, it’s highly unlikely.”

Added Ohtani: “The knee is where it is in terms of, for it to heal is the most important priority. I don’t think the team has really come to a place exactly where, do I pitch through it or not. That’s still really up in the air.”

In other injury-related updates, Kiké Hernández was activated Tuesday after being out since May 26 with a grade 3 oblique strain. Alex Freeland was optioned to triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.

“All you can do is take it one day at a time,” said Hernández, who did not play Tuesday. “And the best way that you can take things one day at a time is focusing on what you can do today to get better. And that’s what I did … literally going one day at a time and trying to be the best rehabber I could … the best teammate that I could. … It’s been a really long time. … So, I feel pretty good, and happy to see what I can do out on the field.”

Hernández had already made his season debut late — on May 25 — because of his recovery from offseason elbow surgery. Now, the 34-year-old utilityman is grateful to be back and eager to build on his four-for-four start over two games.

“A lot of nervousness,” Hernández said about playing again, mentioning that he had a panic attack when first learning of his worse-than-expected diagnosis. “I feel pretty good. … I feel like everything is in a pretty good spot right now. Trying to keep my 1.000 batting average going and be the best hitter in the league.

“[I’m] just happy to be back with the boys.”

Edwin Díaz will be the next to return.

The right-handed closer is scheduled to be activated Wednesday — fittingly, when 40,000 fans will receive an Díaz bobblehead — after missing three months because of right elbow surgery.

“He’s checked all his boxes,” Roberts said. “So getting him back in the mix is going to be fun for all of us as well.”

Meanwhile, Will Smith is starting baseball activities “pain-free” after sitting on the injured list since June 5 with a neck injury, Roberts added, and Tyler Glasnow will throw a live session Wednesday after being out since May with a back problem.

Yordan Alvarez homered and hit a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win over the Angels on Tuesday night.

Christian Walker added a solo homer while Houston relievers Enyel De Los Santos, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert and Josh Hader combined for four hitless innings. Okert (4-1) threw a scoreless eighth to earn the win and Hader threw a four-pitch ninth for his 14th save.

The Astros won for the seventh time in eight games to remain two games behind Texas in the American League West. The last-place Angels have lost 17 of 22 games.

Nick Allen started the winning rally with a pinch-hit double off Angels left-hander Mitch Farris (0-2). Christian Vázquez flared a one-out single to shallow right, advancing Allen to third. After Jeremy Peña struck out, Alvarez lined a single to right-center.

Angels left-hander Reid Detmers gave up two runs and four hits in five innings, striking out nine and walking none. Astros right-hander Peter Lambert gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one.

Alvarez drove a first-pitch fastball from Detmers 427 feet to right for his major league-leading 35th homer in the first.

The Angels tied it in the third on Vaughn Grissom’s RBI single to left.

Walker’s 21st homer, a 411-foot shot to left, gave Houston a 2-1 lead in the fourth. But the Angels tied it 2-2 in the fifth when Mike Trout singled and scored from first on Jorge Soler’s double down the left-field line.

Grissom singled to put runners on first and third, but Lambert struck out Wade Meckler to end the inning.

Three days ago, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert commented on a sexy selfie that pop singer Madison Beer posted on Instagram: “That’s my girlfriend!!”

On Tuesday morning, Beer posted several photos of the two of them together, along with a caption that provided a significant relationship status update.

“Meet my fiancé,” Beer wrote, much to the delight of the 1.5 million people who liked the post within the first hour.

The engagement announcement comes not quite a year after speculation started about a possible romantic link between the two. Last August, Herbert was photographed interacting with Beer on the set of the video shoot for her song “Angel Wings” at a house in Hancock Park.

The New York Post reported that Beer was seen introducing Herbert to crew members and that the two left the set together. They were spotted together multiple times soon afterward, including holding hands in Los Angeles the day after the Chargers’ seasonopener in Brazil last September.

They shared what is thought to be their first public kiss Oct. 5 on the SoFi Stadium sideline before the Chargers played the Washington Commanders. Since going public with their relationship, the 27-year-old singer and 28-year-old quarterback have been seen at Game 3 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium and sitting courtside at Lakers games at Crypto.com Arena.

In April, Herbert posted a photo of them on Instagram and captioned it, “My world!” Also this spring, he co-starred with Beer in the music video for her song “lovergirl” and received Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh’s blessing to miss portions of voluntary team workouts to join Beer on her world tour.

Beer’s post announcing the engagement features several photos of the couple, including one of Herbert down on one knee and another of him carrying his smiling bride-to-be over his shoulder with her ring on display. They each also posted one of the photos on their Instagram Story with Perry Como’s “And I Love You So” as background music.

No information on the upcoming wedding has been released.

Herbert was selected sixth overall by the Chargers in the 2020 draft. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, he has gone 52-43 as a starter and has passed for 24,820 yards with 163 touchdowns and 58 interceptions.

Beer has been nominated for two Grammy Awards — best immersive audio album for “Silence Between Songs” in 2024 and best dance pop recording for “make you mine” in 2025. Her third studio album, “locket,” was released earlier this year.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. New ranking of the summer movies I’ve seen this year: 1. The Odyssey; 2. Supergirl; 3. Young Washington; 4. Disclosure Day; 5. Masters of the Universe; 6. The Devil Wears Prada 2

We are less than a week away from the trade deadline (Monday at 3 p.m. PT). The Dodgers have a commanding lead in the NL West and are going to make the postseason. Their current team is good enough to win the World Series, but there’s now a big question mark over Shohei Ohtani, whose knee is preventing him from pitching.

Ohtani’s last start was July 3. And, in the category of things that make you wonder, his batting stats since then: .250/.300/.500, 16 for 64, four doubles, four homers, five walks, 17 strikeouts. Could just be a down couple of weeks, which every batter goes through. But when paired with the sore knee, it makes you think.

The Dodgers are counting on getting Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell back in August. That would give them a postseason rotation (if Ohtani can’t pitch again this year) of:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Snell
Glasnow
Justin Wrobleski

If Ohtani can pitch again, one of those guys drops off. But what if he can’t come back and Snell and/or Glasnow aren’t able to come back? Emmet Sheehan? Roki Sasaki? Bullpen game? Sasaki has pitched well his last couple of starts, but we’ve been down that road before.

Or do the Dodgers add a reliever? Another hitter? Stand pat?

And then add in the fact that getting someone, even someone like Tarik Skubal, guarantees nothing. The Dodgers have made big deals in the past and not won. They have made marginal deals and won it all.

What would you do? Assuming the trade is fair, which would you acquire first, a starting pitcher, reliever, batter or would you stand pat?

Click here to vote in our survey.

Maddie Lee offers her trade deadline take here.

In the meantime, here’s a look at some previous trade deadline deals by the Dodgers.

2017

—Acquired pitcher Yu Darvish from Texas for A.J. Alexy, Willie Calhoun and Brendon Davis.

—Acquired pitcher Tony Cingrani from Cincinnati for Scott Van Slyke and Hendrik Clementina.

—Acquired pitcher Tony Watson from Pittsburgh for Angel German and Oneil Cruz.

—Acquired outfielder Curtis Granderson from the New York Mets for Jacob Rhame.

Dodgers record before deadline: 74-31, .705

Record after deadline: 30-27, .526

2018

—Acquired shortstop Manny Machado from Baltimore for Rylan Bannon, Yusniel Diaz, Dean Kremer, Zach Pop and Breyvic Valera. (This trade was made July 18, but we will count it.)

—Acquired pitcher John Axford from Toronto for Corey Copping.

—Acquired second baseman Brian Dozier from Minnesota for Logan Forsythe, Luke Raley and Devin Smeltzer.

—Acquired infielder David Freese from Pittsburgh for Jesus Valdez.

Record before deadline: 59-49, .506

Record after deadline: 33-22, .600

2019

—Acquired pitcher Adam Kolarek from Tampa Bay for Niko Hulsizer.

—Acquired infielder Jedd Gyorko from St. Louis for Jeffry Abreu and Tony Cingrani.

Record before deadline: 71-39, .645

Record after deadline: 35-17, .673

2020

Nothing significant. This was the 60-game COVID season.

2021

—Acquired pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner from Washington for Gerardo Carrillo, Donovan Casey, Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz.

—Acquired outfielder Billy McKinney from the New York Mets for Carlos Rincón.

—Acquired pitcher Danny Duffy from Kansas City for Zach Willeman.

Record before deadline: 63-43, .594

Record after deadline: 43-13, .768

2022

—Acquired pitcher Chris Martin from the Chicago Cubs for infielder-outfielder Zach McKinstry.

—Acquired left fielder Joey Gallo from the New York Yankees for Clayton Beeter.

Record before deadline: 68-33, .673

Record after deadline: 43-18, .705

2023

—Acquired Kiké Hernández from Boston for Justin Hagenman and Nick Robertson.

—Acquired pitchers Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn from the Chicago White Sox for Jordan Leasure, Nick Nastrini and Trayce Thompson.

—Acquired infielder Amed Rosario from Cleveland for Noah Syndergaard.

—Acquired pitcher Ryan Yarbrough from Kansas City for Derlin Figueroa and Devin Mann.

Record before deadline: 59-45, .567

Record after deadline: 41-17, .707

2024

—Acquired pitcher Jack Flaherty from Detroit for Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney.

—As part of a three-team deal, acquired infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman from St. Louis and pitcher Michael Kopech from the Chicago White Sox for Alexander Albertus, Jeral Perez and Miguel Vargas.

—Traded pitcher Ryan Yarbrough to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Kevin Kiermaier.

Record before deadline: 63-46, .578

Record after deadline: 35-18, .660

2025

Traded pitcher Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox. Received Zach Ehrhard and James Tibbs III.

Traded pitchers Paul Liñan and Eriq Swan to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Alex Call.

Traded catcher Hunter Feduccia to the Tampa Bay Rays for pitchers Adam Serwinowski and Paul Gervase and catcher Ben Rortvedt.

Traded outfielder James Outman to the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Brock Stewart.

Record before deadline: 63-46, .578

Record after deadline: 30-23, .566

See, last year, the most important acquisition was getting Rortvedt, and no one was exactly extolling his virtues when they got him. I remember when the Dodgers acquired Darvish, it seemed to guarantee the World Series title. And when they got Scherzer, that seemed like a slam dunk for the title. But you never know what’s going to happen.

And are there any trades up there that make you say, “Wow, that was a terrible deal?” No. Andrew Friedman has a great track record on trades, so, it will be interesting to see what the Dodgers do.

The postseason

Here’s a look at the NL. Remember, the three division winners plus the next three teams with the best record make the postseason. The two division winners with the best record get a first-round bye.

Division leaders
1. Dodgers, 67-39
2. Milwaukee, 66-40, 1 GB
3. Atlanta, 62-44, 5 GB

Wild-card standings
1. Chicago, 60-46
2. Philadelphia, 57-50
3. Pittsburgh, 55-52

4. Arizona, 55-52
5. Washington, 54-53, 1 GB
6. St. Louis, 53-53, 1.5 GB
7. San Diego, 53-53, 1.5 GB
8. Miami, 53-54, 2 GB
9. Cincinnati, 49-55, 4.5 GB

These names seem familiar

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: .259/.350/.420, 434 PA’s, 21 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 53 RBIs, 113 OPS+, on the IL

Walker Buehler, Padres: 6-5, 5.12 ERA, 100 IP, 99 hits, 42 walks, 91 K’s, 80 ERA+

Mike Busch, Cubs: .247/.368/.405, 468 PA’s, 18 doubles, 2 triples, 13 homers, 56 RBIs, 117 OPS+

Michael Conforto, Cubs: .237/.326/.481, 178 PA’s, 11 doubles, 9 homers, 24 RBIs, 122 OPS+

Justin Dean, Cubs: .286/.444/.571, 9 PA’s, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 1829 OPS+

Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 1-0, 3.86 ERA, 1 save, 21 IP, 23 hits, 10 walks, 20 K’s, 115 ERA+

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 3-8, 4.59 ERA, 86.1 IP, 80 hits, 42 walks, 102 K’s, 93 ERA+, on the IL

Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 2-4, 3.90 ERA, 12 saves, 27.2 IP, 17 hits, 17 walks, 31 K’s, 111 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 4.35 ERA, 31 IP, 26 hits, 12 walks, 29 K’s, 99 ERA+

Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL

Dustin May, Cardinals: 5-7, 4.59 ERA, 104 IP, 104 hits, 33 walks, 103 K’s, 87 ERA+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .200/.277/.298, 277 PA’s, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 20 RBIs, 61 OPS+

James Outman, Tigers: .161/.219/.295, 160 PA’s, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 16 RBIs, 42 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers: .251/.341/.491, 318 PA’s, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 17 homers, 36 RBIs, 140 OPS+

Luke Raley, Mariners: .230/.284/.447, 280 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 15 homers, 39 RBIs, 107 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): .292/.394/.472, 254 PA’s, 21 doubles, 6 homers, 28 RBIs

Trea Turner, Phillies: .244/.295/.391, 455 PA’s, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 41 RBIs, 82 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .242/.348/.484, 449 PA’s, 24 doubles, 1 triple, 22 homers, 63 RBIs, 131 OPS+

Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-5, 3.65 ERA, 3 saves, 24.2 IP, 16 hits, 11 walks, 30 K’s, 114 ERA+

Up next

Tuesday: Seattle (Luis Castillo, 3-9, 4.85 ERA) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Seattle (Emerson Hancock, 6-4, 3.16 ERA) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Seattle (Bryce Miller, 4-5, 2.75) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Tarik Skubal blockbuster deal likely isn’t part of Dodgers’ trade-deadline plans

Swanson: Hall of Famer Joe Torre passionate about going to bat for kids at risk of family violence

Huntington Beach’s Jeff Kent credits his parents for helping fuel his Hall of Fame career

Shohei Ohtani suffers setback in his plans to return to Dodgers’ rotation

Jeff Kent starting to feel like a Hall of Famer this weekend

Miguel Rojas on decision to visit Capitol Hill, White House: ‘I’m representing the Dodgers’

Dodgers Debate: The White House and the trade deadline

Lopez: 5 reasons the Dodgers should not go back to the White House again next year

And finally

Vin Scully narrates a wacky play at Candlestick Park. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

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

LeBron James has decided this time, he’s taking his talents to Philadelphia.

The Lakers couldn’t be happier.

By not extending his contract a summer ago, they made it clear: They were ready to move on. And they have. They found their way to a front-line center and got a whole lot younger. And get this: They got better. In the long run and probably in a sprint too.

Maybe it seems sacrilegious to suggest they’ve improved by parting ways with the greatest player of all time and trading for a fifth-year pro who missed all but five games last season with the Utah Jazz after suffering a torn labrum.

It’s not. Not when Walker Kessler was the missing piece for these Luka Doncic Lakers.

Maybe you’re finding it hard to get fired up about the new guy with no playoff experience. And you’re used to the Lakers collecting the biggest names — not guys whose games are unfamiliar. Giannis, say. Not … Walker.

But please, stop and consider the tankathon Utah has been running; the last thing the Jazz wanted was Kessler on the court winning games for them.

You also still might be experiencing sticker shock on the Lakers’ behalf. They’re getting Kessler on a $130-million, four-year deal after completing a sign-and-trade that sent out a 2031 first-rounder, 2033 first-rounder and first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.

But position, position, position is to the NBA what location, location, location is to real estate — and if this fit proves as fun as Doncic seems to believe, then Kessler’s contract is going to feel like a real fair trade on the hot center market.

Because, defensively, the Lakers’ new 7-foot-2 center is a shot-blocking, space-eating deterrent in the post. That’s invaluable when you’re going with Doncic and Austin Reaves on the perimeter.

Offensively, Kessler has good hands and good handoff timing. You can call for him to screen all day. He has a radar for the rim, sixth in the NBA in dunks per game in 2024-25.

And Kessler is a blessing on the glass, the king of second chances. His 4.6 offensive rebounds per game in 2024-25 led the NBA.

Also: LeBron is going to turn 42 this season; Kessler is 25.

Walker Kessler was a big presence in the paint for the Jazz before he got hurt last season.

(Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)

Age and experience count for a lot in life. But increasingly, today’s NBA is proving a young man’s game — and check ball, the Lakers are now in it.

Out went Deandre Ayton (28 years old), Rui Hachimura (28), Luke Kennard (30) and Marcus Smart (32). Jaxson Hayes (26) too, the only departing rotation player younger than 28.

In come Quentin Grimes (26), Sandro Mamukelashvili (27), Collin Sexton (27), Ziaire Williams (24), Jaden Hardy (24) and rookie summer league sensation Cameron Carr (21). Also, Kevon Looney, who will be Kessler’s backup big, and Matisse Thybulle, a proven defender on the wing, who are 30 and 29, respectively, and the only additions not younger than Doncic (27) and Reaves (28).

Still, I get it. You’re not wowed by the incoming group.

Were you wowed when the Dodgers acquired Max Muncy, Justin Turner or Chris Taylor? Probably not. But those guys went on to help the club win World Series titles.

Were the Dallas Mavericks banking on lob threat Derrick Jones Jr. — on a minimum contract — being a catalyst for their run to the 2024 NBA Finals? Do Lakers fans remember Doncic’s 17 assists to guys like Dante Exum, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Grant Williams in a 2023 victory over LeBron and Anthony Davis?

Doncic is manning the Lakers’ elevator now; it’s his job to lift his teammates to new heights. He can do it. He better do it.

Because the margins can be major, but they don’t account for most of the Lakers’ offseason grade this summer.

So give them a B+.

Not an A. No, because not every assignment has been completed.

There’s the minor matter of a starting five. The Lakers don’t appear to have one of those just yet.

They might yet add Jonathan Kuminga at forward. Or perhaps someone already rostered — hello, 22-year-old, skyscraping Adou Thiero — is waiting to wow us all in that role?

Normally, not having an answer to the most basic of questions at this point in the summer would fail you.

But this year is different.

Filling the hole at center was weighted so heavily among the Lakers’ priorities — and landing Kessler earned them so much extra credit — it bumps their grade almost all the way up.

Of course, this was only the introductory course.

The real tests for this fresh new roster — down an all-time talent but so much more solid in the center — come when the season begins. Or, really, when the postseason does.

And expecting that opponents won’t have an easy time coming up with answers for Doncic and his new dominant defensive center, the Lakers are now set up to score well there too.

Natasha Watley grew up dreaming about playing for the Atlanta Braves.

Sharlize Palacios wanted to suit up for her hometown San Diego Padres.

Megan Grant and Maya Brady thought softball would end after graduation.

The 2003 Honda Award winner. A 2024 second-team All-American. The single-season NCAA home run record holder. And a freshman of the year honoree.

The Portland Cascade’s Megan Grant fields the ball during a game against the Oklahoma City Spark on July 4 in Edmond, Okla.

(Courtesy of AUSL)

All of whom never dreamed of being a professional softball player. Not because their love for the sport dwindled. Nor because professional routes were not an option. Pro softball leagues have existed since 1976, but they have lacked the visibility and accessibility imperative to flourishing and gaining popularity.

“From my experience growing up, and it’s the same amongst a lot of athletes that are my age, we didn’t have a lot of role models to look up to,” said Chicago Bandits outfielder Jessica Clements, who spent her senior season at UCLA in 2025. “We had Jennie Finch, Natasha Watley, Monica Abbott, but the odds of playing professionally were slim. There wasn’t a lot of opportunity, and a lot of younger kids were unsure of what the environment would look like in many years.”

That’s changing with AUSL, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.

The AUSL — which launched in 2025 and builds off previous iterations of professional softball — saw a 181% increase in average viewership across ESPN platforms in one year, including a record-high 404,000 viewers for a June 21 game between the Portland Cascade and Texas Volts.

Among the 96 active players in the AUSL, 13 are former UCLA softball players — omitting two general managers, a head coach and an assistant coach that are a part of the AUSL and hail from the Westwood program — making UCLA the most well-represented school in the league. That pipeline was on full display this weekend at Texas A&M’s Davis Diamond, where the Utah Talons — who boast a roster with five former Bruins, including UCLA softball associate head coach Lisa Fernandez as the general manager — clinched their second straight AUSL title over the Chicago Bandits on Sunday. UCLA alum Jadelyn Allchin was named the AUSL championship MVP.

And UCLA softball’s presence in all facets of AUSL is no coincidence.

The Bruins feature 12 NCAA championships and 119 All-American honorees, both of which rank first all time, and that’s not including an AIAW title and one All-American before the NCAA era. But while the program is known for its accolades, the influence UCLA and its players have made on the sport stretches far beyond any banners or trophies.

“When you look at the history of softball in the last 40 years, you can’t see a U.S. national team, any pro venture or excellence at any level of softball without having an influence of UCLA in it,” said Oklahoma City Sparks general manager Kirk Walker, who spent 24 years coaching as an assistant coach in Westwood.

There have been only three coaches — Sharron Backus, Sue Enquist and Kelly Inouye-Perez — in UCLA history, all of whom created unparalleled success and a program built on a standard of excellence and a familial culture. But no aspect of the UCLA culture may be more significant than the “Bruin Bubble” — a concept at the very heart of the program centered on alumni involvement.

“It comes from the women who were there from the beginning, paving the way for players like us and players that are to come,” said Sparks infielder Delanie Wisz, who competed at UCLA from 2020 to 2022. “The idea of the ‘Bruin Bubble’ and buying into something bigger than yourself, coach Sue Enquist, coach Sharron Backus and coach Inouye-Perez have done a really good job of keeping that at the forefront, and making sure that we’re playing for something much bigger than any individual award.”

While the childhood aspirations of the Bruins in the AUSL never reached the height of professional softball, a common goal connected them all — playing for their dream school in Westwood and learning from individuals who have achieved immeasurable success greater than any record or championship.

Utah Talons General Manager Lisa Fernandez shows off her 2025 AUSL championship ring in Salt Lake City, Utah.

(Courtesy of AUSL)

Backus and Enquist set the foundation for what softball is today, paving the way for new opportunities by sacrificing for the greater good of softball’s future.

While the duo set the trail ablaze, they have passed the baton to a trio of coaches — Inouye-Perez, Walker and Fernandez, who have spent a combined 72 years in Westwood.

And the group has not stopped running since.

The Bruins are not only responsible for creating the next generation of pro softball players through the UCLA program, but also furthering the message and mission of Backus and Enquist.

“From when I was in college to now, there’s been a big shift in how things go,” said Rachel Garcia, two-time Honda Cup winner at UCLA and a Volts pitcher in the AUSL, “but at the end of the day, Lisa Fernandez, Kelly Inouye-Perez, Kirk Walker, that would be who I’d want to play for every single day, because I know that they are able to give the girls what they need in order to perform at the best that they can be.”

While Inouye-Perez continues to steer the Bruin ship, Walker and Fernandez serve in general manager roles for the Sparks and Talons, respectively.

The Utah Talons’ Jordan Woolery fields the ball during a July 11 AUSL game against the Oklahoma City Spark in Edmond, Okla.

(Morgan Givens / AUSL)

Grant emphasized that all three coaches could easily walk away because of the imprint they left and the resume they built. Yet, Inouye-Perez and Fernandez not only chose to stick around the game, but to reinvest their time in furthering the league and sport altogether.

“I accept the responsibility to help carry the torch and move it forward, and hand it off to the Jennie Finches and the Cat Ostermans,” Fernandez said. “They’re going to hand it off to the next generation that are going to continue to build this game and hopefully it’ll become something where little girls can go, ‘I’m going to be a professional softball player, and be a role model for those who have the opportunity to watch me.’ And at the end of the day that’s the true value.”

Integral to pushing the game forward is taking advantage of the traction and momentum gained by the 2028 Summer Olympics, where softball will return to the stage for the first time since 2021.

Fernandez highlighted that when softball was added to the Olympics in 1996, it was the pinnacle of the sport. But when it was removed following 2008 because the IOC didn’t see enough global competition for the gold medal, she felt that she failed. It was a setback that inspired her push to get the sport to a place where it did not have to rely on the host country to include it among Olympic events.

“A mission that’s close to my heart is the growth of the sport globally because it is so important for it to be in the Olympics, not just in 2028 but in 2032,” said Talons pitcher Megan Faraimo, who competed at UCLA from 2019 to 2023. “I don’t want to be the last generation to make it into the Olympics. I want to protect the future of everyone coming after me, and that means capitalizing on it being in L.A. We can use that to then push the sport into 2032 and hopefully get back on that Olympic rhythm.”

Ty Simpson did not make any jaw-dropping plays.

He also did not make any major errors.

So call it a quiet, workmanlike beginning for the 13th player taken in the NFL draft, a quarterback the Rams ostensibly chose to become Matthew Stafford’s heir apparent.

On Sunday, in the Rams’ first training camp practice, Stafford was held out as part of the plan to limit his reps, putting all eyes on Simpson and fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett as they began their competition to back up the reigning NFL most valuable player.

With Stafford, 38, back for an 18th season, the Rams are favored to win the Super Bowl.

But with Jimmy Garoppolo enjoying retirement — probably until an NFL team in desperate need comes calling — the Rams require a capable backup should something befall Stafford, who remains the most important player on a star-studded team favored to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.

Nate Scheelhaase, the Rams’ first-year offensive coordinator, praised Bennett and Simpson.

“We require so much of those guys, from what we do with formations with motions, with adjustments that they’re going to make before the ball is even snapped,” Scheelhaase said. “And so, if you can’t get that right, it’s going to be hard to get anything right post snap.

“So that’s the starting point. That’s the foundation.”

Rams quarterback Ty Simpson prepares to take a snap in training camp at Loyola Marymount on Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Last season, with Stafford sidelined throughout camp because of a back issue, Bennett took second-team reps behind Garoppolo.

Bennett has never taken a regular-season snap for the Rams, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft after he led Georgia to two national titles.

“He competes,” Scheelhaase said. “And I think anybody enjoys playing with a quarterback who competes, who’s going to throw it all in there, and that’s the mentality he has. … That’s something that’s been kind of his calling card.”

Bennett completed several passes to receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams and running back Kyren Williams.

He also was on the wrong side of the play of the day.

Bennett’s deep pass for Adams along the left sideline was tipped by new cornerback Jaylen Watson and intercepted by safety Kamren Kinchens.

Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett, left, twirls a football in front of quarterback Ty Simpson at training camp on Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Simpson started only 15 games for Alabama, but the Rams apparently saw enough to determine he was worthy of using their highest pick since selecting quarterback Jared Goff No. 1 overall in 2016.

On Sunday, Simpson completed several short passes. His deepest attempt, for tight end Terrance Ferguson, was broken up by cornerback Cam Lampkin.

Bennett and Simpson will continue to compete during 10 more training camp workouts, preseason practices — including joint practices with the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints — and preseason games against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Saints and the Chargers.

On Monday, in keeping with coach Sean McVay’s stated plan to have Stafford practice in the second and fourth practices of each four-day block, the starting quarterback will practice for the first time.

Etc.

Offensive lineman Justin Dedich was placed on the non-football injury list. Dedich, a third-year pro who played at USC, started six games last season. … Second-year running back Jarquez Hunter broke off a run for a long gain.

NEW YORK — Dodgers reliever Will Klein had just induced the Mets’ Marcus Semien to whiff on a high fastball. So, he went there again, a little further inside. But Semien got a hold of it for a three-run home run that put the game thoroughly out of reach.

The Dodgers ended an impressive road trip on a sour note with the 8-3 loss to the New York Mets.

They went 6-3 on their East Coast swing and won series against the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Mets.

“It’s great,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday night. “It seems like we’ve been on the road a long time, but the travel has been nice as far as staying in this time zone. We’re finding ways to win. So that’s the main thing. That’s the object of the game.”

The Dodgers’ All-Stars, as well as Roberts and his coaching staff, left for Philadelphia two weeks ago. The rest of the team met them in New York for three games against the Yankees. Then they traveled to Philadelphia for a three-game set, took a detour to Washington to visit the White House before returning to New York.

“It’s been a long road trip — especially for the guys who went to Philly for the All-Star Game,” right fielder Kyle Tucker said. “Being able to come out of the break and play some really good teams and put together really competitive at-bats and great innings from our pitching staff is huge. Some of the guys are kind of grinding in terms of how long they’ve been away from L.A. It’s kind of part of it. You’ve got to come out and play regardless and they’ve done a great job of that.”

Even so, the Dodgers (67-39) played cleaner baseball on this extended road trip — a couple baserunning mistakes aside — than they did in the homestand before the break.

Maybe the Dodgers just needed time off to reset.

Against the Mets (44-62) on Sunday, the first couple innings didn’t look promising. After Shohei Ohtani led with a double and Max Muncy drew a two-out walk, both were left stranded.

A.J. Ewing’s lead-off double against Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan, however, almost immediately led to a run. Francisco Lindor then sent a low changeup into shallow right field for an RBI single.

The Dodgers’ three-up, three-down second inning ended when Teoscar Hernández tried to stretch a single into a double and ran into an out. Then, Sheehan hit Tyrone Taylor with a pitch to start the bottom half of the inning.

Sheehan retired the next three batters as the Dodgers started to take control. They pulled into the lead with a two-run third inning, powered by doubles from Eliézer Alfonzo — his second double in as many appearances — and Freddie Freeman.

The Dodgers manufactured another run the next inning with a pair of singles, an error by Mets first baseman Jared Young, and a run-scoring double play.

As the Dodgers bullpen took over in the sixth, however, the game slipped away. Jack Dreyer walked two batters and recorded just one out in the sixth inning before Roberts replaced him with Evan Phillips.

In a 1-1 count, Phillips threw a sinker on the inside edge of the strike zone, and Taylor lifted it into the left-field stands for a go-ahead three-run homer. Phillips, who last week talked about rewiring his rehab mindset, has already surrendered four home runs in just seven outings.

A run-scoring passed ball from Dalton Rushing and Semien’s three-run blast in the seventh ultimately sealed the win for the Mets.

CHICAGO — Jonquel Jones had 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, helping Caitlin Clark and Team Spoon outlast Marina Mabrey and Team Coop 129-122 in the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday night.

Dominique Malonga had a first-half dunk for Team Coop, but Team Spoon had eight players score in double figures in an All-Star Game that featured 127 three-point attempts and very little defense. Allisha Gray had 19 points for Team Spoon, and Clark finished with 17.

The WNBA celebrated its 30th season by holding its first All-Star Game in Chicago since 2022. This time, the marquee event was played in front of a record crowd of 19,783 at the United Center instead of the smaller Wintrust Arena in downtown Chicago, a sign of how much the league has grown.

Jones, a 32-year-old center for the New York Liberty, was named MVP. Nneka Ogwumike scored 11 points for Team Spoon while passing Maya Moore (119) for the most career points in All-Star Game history.

Kelsey Mitchell had 28 points for Team Coop, and Mabrey scored all of her 23 points during a red-hot first half. Malonga finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

WNBA greats Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted the All-Star teams from players that were either voted as starters by fans, media and fellow players or chosen as reserves by the league’s coaches. Las Vegas’ Becky Hammon coached Cooper’s team, and Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve was in charge of Weatherspoon’s squad.

Clark went 5 for 15 from beyond the arc and had five assists in her return to the All-Star game. The Indiana Fever guard missed last year’s event in Indianapolis because of a groin injury.

The 24-year-old Clark came out firing, connecting from 33 feet and 37 feet on her way to 11 points in the first 2 1/2 minutes. She buried another three early in the second quarter off a slick no-look pass from Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles, the only rookie selected for the game.

Clark and Mabrey each put on an offensive show, but Malonga got the biggest cheer of the night. The 6-foot-6 center from the Seattle Storm ran down the lane, got a pass from Angel Reese and threw down a right-handed jam with 6:24 left in the first half.

Reese jumped up and down as Malonga finished the play, and the two exchanged a mid-air chest bump on their way back down the court.

It was the first dunk in a WNBA All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles in 2022. Lisa Leslie (2005), Jones (2017), Brittney Griner (2019) also have accomplished the feat.

Leslie was on hand for the festivities, along with South Carolina coach and former WNBA guard Dawn Staley. Former NBA star Dwyane Wade also was courtside.

Cohen writes for the Associated Press.

Dear Dave Roberts: I was totally disgusted to see you at the Dodgers’ White House ceremony pandering to Trump. As far as I was concerned, you made a complete fool of yourself. I’m sure many Dodgers fans were equally horrified with your behavior.

Susan Stann
Temecula

Today’s visit to the White House was baseball, not politics. It was a boost for MLB, not columnists who try to be political hacks with personal bias. If the hacks or detractors listened to the references it was all about achievement in what the team did to win. The Dodgers are part of the entertainment industry which annually draws maybe a billion fans or more and certainly billions of dollars. The hacks and detractors will not be convinced otherwise but if you line up any 50,000 fans at a game, you will see a positive vote for the privilege of going to the White House. Baseball wins, sports wins, the entertainment industry wins, and America wins. Boo the hacks and the ignorant detractors.

Bill Koury
La Cañada

Dave Roberts justifies his appearance with Donald Trump because it is a “baseball tradition” that should be honored.

I didn’t hear him protesting to uphold other baseball traditions such as banning Black players from baseball, not having designated hitters, or starting with a runner on second base in extra innings.

Traditions come and go. It seems Mr. Roberts traded his moral compass for a trip to the White House lawn.

David Griffin
Westwood

In my dreams Dave Roberts says, “Nope, not gonna go to the White House. If they want to fire me, let ‘em.” Dream on.

Jay James
Pico Rivera

I will suggest the nuclear option. The Dodgers should never again visit the White House. No matter who is president.

Dennis Doherty
West Los Angeles

NEW YORK — Miguel Rojas’ off day in Washington started early. Before visiting the White House, he and fellow World Series hero Will Klein and manager Dave Roberts met with members of Congress on Thursday morning.

“Other than going to the White House, there were a lot of people from California, senators from California that are not just people who work for the government, but they’re Dodgers fans as well,” Rojas said Friday before the Dodgers’ series opener against the Mets. “So it’s pretty cool to give people that watch games and support us throughout the year [an opportunity] to get to see us.”

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) posted on X, “Think we can do this every year, @Dodgers?” with three photos — one of himself with their back-to-back World Series trophies, another posing with a World Series ring on his finger, and a group shot that included Rojas, Roberts, Klein and Dodgers president Stan Kasten.

Rep. Luz Rivas (D-North Hollywood), whose district includes several San Fernando Valley neighborhoods, posted on social media that she thanked Rojas for hitting his tying home run in Game 7of the World Series.

“Thank you to Miguel and the team for stopping by Capitol Hill,” she posted on X. “We can’t wait to welcome them back again next year (with a THIRD trophy, perhaps?…).”

The Dodgers’ visit to the White House on Thursday frustrated the portion of their fan base that wanted their team to stand up against the president’s anti-immigration policies.

Only two players on the active roster who were part of the 2025 World Series team did not attend: shortstop Mookie Betts, who told reporters he’d rather spend time with his family, and reliever Edgardo Henriquez, who declined to comment via Dodgers PR.

“This is something that I don’t really think about [being] political,” Rojas said of visiting Capitol Hill and the White House. “…I’m representing the Dodgers, and I’m going to these events just because I’m part of the Dodgers, and the Dodgers are deciding to go there. And I feel, as a professional, your job doesn’t just stop when the game is over. You have to do some things outside the field that sometimes are tied to success and to the things that you do on the field. So, for me, it’s a privilege to get the opportunity to go to a place where you will never be if you don’t have success in sports.”

Roberts, who has also talked about separating the visit from politics, kept his review brief.

“It was good,” he said. “It was an honor to be there.”

Ohtani update

Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, his second since receiving an injection in his left knee at the beginning of the All-Star break.

“That’s the beauty of where we’re at right now,” Roberts said. “We’re not going to push him. There’s constant conversation going on each day. But the main thing is with Shohei and this pitching thing is to remain nimble.”

Even if Ohtani’s bullpen goes well, Roberts said he probably won’t be ready to return to the rotation next week.

“That’s too early,” Roberts said. “I feel good that it won’t be next week.”