Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun called Monday for state lawmakers to return to Indianapolis for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries, escalating a national fight over midcycle redistricting.
President Trump has ramped up pressure on Republican governors to draw new maps that give the party an easier path to maintain control of the House in the midterms. While Republicans in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina have moved quickly to enact new districts and California Democrats are seeking to counter with their own redistricting plan, Indiana lawmakers have been far more hesitant.
Braun called for the General Assembly to convene Nov. 3 for the special session. It’s unclear whether enough of the GOP majority Senate will back new maps.
The White House held multiple meetings with Indiana lawmakers who have held out for months. The legislative leaders kept their cards close as speculation swirled over whether the state known for its more measured approach to Republican politics would answer the redistricting call.
National pressure campaign
Vice President JD Vance first met with Braun and legislative leaders in Indianapolis in August and Trump met privately with state House Speaker Todd Huston and state Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray in the Oval Office weeks later. Vance also spoke to state lawmakers visiting Washington that day.
Vance returned to Indianapolis on Oct. 10 to meet with the governor, as well as the Republican state House and Senate members.
Braun is a staunch ally of Trump in a state the president won by 19 percentage points in 2024. But Indiana lawmakers have avoided the national spotlight in recent years — especially after a 2022 special session that yielded a strict abortion ban. Braun previously said he did not want to call a special session until he was sure lawmakers would back a new map.
“I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair,” Braun said in a statement Monday.
Typically, states redraw boundaries of congressional districts every 10 years after the census has concluded. Opponents are expected to challenge any new maps in court.
State lawmakers have the sole power to draw maps in Indiana, where Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers. Democrats could not stop a special session by refusing to attend, as their peers in Texas briefly did.
Republican opposition to redrawing the maps again
A spokesperson for Bray said last week that the Indiana Senate lacked the votes to pass a new congressional map and she said Monday that the votes are still lacking, casting doubt on whether a special session will achieve Braun’s goals.
With only 10 Democrats in the 50-member Senate, that means more than a dozen of the 40 Republicans oppose the idea. Some state Republican lawmakers have warned that midcycle redistricting can be costly and could backfire politically.
Republicans who vote against redistricting could be forced out of office if their colleagues back primary opponents as punishment for not toeing the party line. Braun’s move to call a special session could force lawmakers who haven’t commented publicly to take a stance.
Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders praised existing boundaries after adopting them four years ago.
“I believe these maps reflect feedback from the public and will serve Hoosiers well for the next decade,” Bray said at the time.
Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder decried the special session and threatened legal action over any maps passed by the Legislature.
“This is not democracy,” she said in a statement. “This is desperation.”
Redistricting balloons
Democrats only need to gain three seats to flip control of the U.S. House, and redistricting fights have erupted in multiple states.
Some Democratic states have moved to counter Republican gains with new legislative maps. The latest, Virginia, is expected to take up the issue in a special session starting this week.
Republicans outnumber Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation 7 to 2, limiting possibilities of squeezing out another seat. But many in the party see it as a chance for the GOP to represent all nine seats.
The GOP would likely target Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, a longtime Democratic stronghold that encompasses Gary and other cities near Chicago in the state’s northwest corner. The seat held by third-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan has been seen by Republicans as a possible pickup in recent elections.
Lawmakers in Indiana redrew the borders of the district to be slightly more favorable toward Republicans in the 2022 election, but did not entirely split it up. The new maps were not challenged in court after they were approved in 2021, not even by Democrats and allies who had opposed the changes boosting GOP standing in the suburbs north of Indianapolis.
Mrvan still won reelection in 2022 and easily retained his seat in 2024.
Republicans could also zero in on Indiana’s 7th Congressional District, composed entirely of Marion County and the Democratic stronghold of Indianapolis. But that option would be more controversial, potentially slicing up the state’s largest city and diluting Black voters’ influence.
Angels superstar Mike Trout testified Tuesday morning that he knew team employee Eric Kay had a drug problem but that pitcher Tyler Skaggs showed no signs of drug use.
Trout, a three-time American League Most Valuable Player, has played with the Angels his entire 15-year career and is under contract through the 2030 season. He was a teammate of Skaggs from 2014 to 2019, when the left-handed pitcher died in a Texas hotel room July 1, 2019, after snorting a counterfeit oxycodone pill that contained fentanyl, a powerful opioid.
According to trial transcripts, Skaggs lawyer Daniel Dutko asked Trout about his reaction when he learned the next day in a team meeting that Skaggs had died.
“Cried,” Trout answered.
“You loved him like a brother,” the lawyer said as Trout nodded affirmatively. Trout added that he was unaware of any drug use by Skaggs.
Skaggs’ lawyer asked questions to elicit testimony from Trout that would humanize Skaggs, to establish that he was a valued teammate and friend. Trout said he and Skaggs were roommates in 2010 when both were 18 years old and playing for the Angels affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Trout, the highest-paid Angels employee making more than $37 million a year, attended Skaggs’ wedding in 2018.
Neither Dutko nor Angels attorney Todd Theodora asked Trout why he didn’t inform a team executive or human resources when he suspected Kay’s drug use.
Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas, on July 1, 2019, before the Angels were scheduled to start a series against the Texas Rangers. The Tarrant County medical examiner found that in addition to the opioids, Skaggs had a blood-alcohol level of 0.12. The autopsy determined he died from asphyxia after aspirating on his own vomit, and that his death was accidental.
Trout’s testimony followed that of longtime Angels executives Tim Mead and Tom Taylor. Kay reported to Mead nearly his entire 23-year career and worked closely with Taylor, the team’s traveling secretary. Both men testified that they had no idea Kay was addicted to opioids or that Kay supplied Skaggs with drugs.
Skaggs’ widow, Carli Skaggs, and parents Debra Hetman and Darrell Skaggs are seeking $118 million from the Angels for Skaggs’ lost future earnings as well as compensation for pain and anguish, and punitive damages.
The Angels announcement that longtime former big league catcher Kurt Suzuki was hired as manager coincided with Trout’s testimony.
Trout, a three-time American League most valuable player who hit his 400th career home run this year, is expected to take the stand in a Southern California courtroom and speak about his friendship with Skaggs, who died on a team trip to Texas in 2019 after taking a fentanyl-laced pill he got from Angels communication director Eric Kay. Trout could also be asked about what he knew of Kay’s drug use at the time.
The testimony will come in the trial for a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Skaggs’ wife, Carli, and his parents seeking to hold the Angels’ responsible for his death. The family contends the Angels made a series of reckless decisions that gave Kay access to MLB players when he was addicted to drugs and dealing them; the team has countered that Skaggs was also drinking heavily and his actions occurred on his own time and in the privacy of his hotel room when he died.
During opening statements, a lawyer for the Skaggs family said Trout was aware of Kay’s drug problem and had offered to pay for him to attend rehab. Other players, including former Angels pitcher Wade Miley, who currently plays for the Cincinnati Reds, could also testify during what is expected to be a weeks-long trial in Santa Ana.
The civil case comes more than six years after 27-year-old Skaggs was found dead in the suburban Dallas hotel room where he was staying as the Angels were supposed to open a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. A coroner’s report says Skaggs choked to death on his vomit and that a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone was found in his system.
Kay was convicted in 2022 of providing Skaggs with an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. His federal criminal trial in Texas included testimony from five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay at various times from 2017 to 2019, the years he was accused of obtaining pills and giving them to Angels players.
Angels outfielder Mike Trout catches a fly ball in front of graphic honoring the life of Tyler Skaggs at Angel Stadium in 2019.
(John McCoy / Getty Images)
The family is seeking $118 million for Skaggs’ lost earnings, compensation for pain and suffering and punitive damages against the team.
Skaggs had been a regular in the Angels’ starting rotation since late 2016 and struggled with injuries repeatedly during that time. He previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After Skaggs’ death, the MLB reached a deal with the players association to start testing for opioids and to refer those who test positive to the treatment board.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (L), Vivek Ramaswamy and Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla. (R), visited Donald Trump’s criminal trial in 2024. On Wednesday, Johnson brushed off questions about a restraining order against Mills granted on Tuesday. File Pool Photo by Justin Lane/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 15 (UPI) —Mike Johnson, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, called Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., a “faithful colleague” on Wednesday, one day after he was issued a restraining order.
“I have not heard or looked into any of the details of that. I’ve been a little busy,” Johnson told reporters in the Capitol. “We have a House Ethics Committee. If it warrants that, I’m sure they’ll look into that.”
The petitioner was Lindsey Langston, a Republican state committeeperson and Miss United States 2024. She alleged that Mills threatened her on Instagram after blocking him and telling him she didn’t want further contact. “The messages progressively got more threatening over time,” she wrote.
She said he threatened to release nude videos of her.
In his order, the judge said the evidence supported Langston’s allegations that Mills had caused her “substantial emotional distress.” The judge said Mills offered “no credible rebuttal” to her testimony. He found that Langston has a “reasonable cause to believe she is in imminent danger of becoming the victim of another act of dating violence” without the restraining order being put in place, Politico reported.
When pressed about the allegations, Johnson brushed them off.
“You have to ask Rep. Mills about that. He’s been a faithful colleague here. I know his work on the Hill. I don’t know all the details of all the individual allegations, and what he’s doing — things outside life,” Johnson said. “Let’s just talk about the things that are really serious.”
The restraining order directs Mills, 45, to stay at least 500 feet away from Langston and to not contact her until Jan. 1. The order also blocks Mills from mentioning Langston on social media, according to NBC News.
Mike Trout is in the final week of a profoundly frustrating season. His numbers at the plate have been shockingly pedestrian amid regular struggles with his swing mechanics, and he misses playing in the outfield.
Yet Trout remains optimistic and engaged — and the 34-year-old slugger says he still believes he can recapture his MVP form with the Los Angeles Angels.
“Yeah, I’m very confident,” Trout said Tuesday. “I think it sounds funny, but I joke about it with all the guys in there – when I see the ball, I’m good. When I don’t see it, man, it’s a battle.”
Trout entered the final homestand of the Angels’ 11th consecutive non-playoff season batting .229 with 22 homers, 59 RBIs and a .772 OPS. Those totals are all the lowest of his career during a season in which he’s played at least 100 games, and the OPS is his lowest since his first major league season in 2011.
Trout reached two big career milestones this season, getting his 1,000th RBI on July 27 and hitting his 400th home run last Saturday.
But after making baseball seem so joyously simple during his first decade in the majors, this 11-time All-Star admits he has been in a weekly fight for consistency at the plate.
“It’s been a grind this year, no doubt,” Trout said. “That’s what sports do to you. You’re not going to go out there and just get a hit every time or feel good every time. I get that. But it’s great to be able to get some confidence going into the offseason.”
At least the three-time AL MVP has stayed largely healthy this season after missing huge chunks of the past four years amid injury struggles that altered the substance of his baseball legacy.
Although Trout missed nearly all of May with a bone bruise in his knee that still bothers him in certain situations, he has stayed in the lineup ever since. He will play more games this season than he has managed since 2019 — even if it’s been mostly as a designated hitter.
Trout said he “definitely” wants to play the field again in 2026.
“I think he wants to put himself in a good spot in the last week to build off what, for him, was probably – I don’t want to use the word disappointing, but a frustrating season,” Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery said. “He fought through some things, (particularly) physically, to remain on the field, because we all know how good he is when he plays defense. He’s not a DH, you know what I mean? He did it out of necessity. Hopefully he gets a healthy offseason, gets ready to come back in the spring and be Mike Trout.”
Before the Angels faced Kansas City, Trout went into extensive detail about what he has meant by “seeing the ball” when he described his 2025 struggles at the plate. It’s not an ophthalmological diagnosis, but rather a measure of his mechanics to make sure he’s tracking pitches with both eyes — a necessity for his timing.
Trout has struck out 173 times this season, the second-most of his career, with six games to play. That’s a function of being unable to put together the series of reactions that used to come so easily to him, he said.
“There was a lot of at-bats this year when I’d go up there and I knew what they were going to throw me, and I just couldn’t pull the trigger,” Trout said. “Something was just a tick off, and as much as I want to go up there and I try to put aside everything I work on in the cage and just go compete, it was tough for me, because the ball was moving. Nothing was slowing it down.”
Trout repeatedly thought he had found a fix this season, only to lose it again. He believes he made another breakthrough in September, hopefully allowing him to finish strong.
“Before, it was just a Band-Aid,” Trout said. “I think it’s more of a solution this time. To be able to confidently know what I’m doing, and to be able to get to a spot and start early and be on time every single time, I think it’s something to build on in the offseason.”
Trout has five seasons left on his $426.5 million contract extension, and he’s still looking for his first career playoff victory. The Angels weren’t close to postseason contention again this year despite a modest improvement from the worst season in franchise history in 2024, and Trout essentially said that he needs to sort out his own game before he can help to build a winner with shortstop Zach Neto and the team’s young core.
“We saw signs of good stretches,” Trout said. “We’ve just got to put a full season together. I think that’s the key. For me, I think if I can get back to where I felt this last week-and-a-half, two weeks for a full season, it’ll be different.”
What a cool request! Trout had already agreed to give Alberto — who attended the game with his wife and two children — three signed bats and two signed baseballs in exchange for the ball he crushed.
While Trout signed the balls and bats in the dugout long after the game had ended, Alberto politely asked him while making a throwing motion with his right arm, “You mind if we play catch with a ball on the field?” the three-time American League Most Valuable Player didn’t hesitate, saying, “Yeah, you want to do it?” Alberto grabbed his glove.
A post on the MLB.com X account shows Alberto tossing the ball back and forth to Trout, who catches it with his bare hands while wearing his cap backwards. At one point, Trout says something to Alberto’s young son, who is watching in awe.
And no wonder. Shortly before Trout hit No. 400, Alberto told Trout he’d turned to his son and said, “He’s got a lot of power.” No kidding, enough to drive the ball deep into the left-center field stands. Alberto caught the blast with his bare hands.
It was Trout’s third home run of at least 485 feet since Statcast began tracking long balls in 2015, the most of any player. The 34-year old outfielder in his 15th season became the 59th MLB player to reach 400 homers and the 20th to hit them all with one franchise.
The No. 400 ball clearly had more monetary value than the signed balls and bats, but nowhere near the value of a career 500 home run ball or, say, the home run the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman hit to win Game 1 of the 2024 World Series — which was sold at auction for $1.56 million.
The home run was meaningful to Trout, who admitted to feeling pressure as he approached the milestone. It was only his second long ball since Aug. 7.
He also recognized that catching the ball and returning it to the player who belted it was meaningful to Alberto, who likely has already done what dads do — play catch with his children.
“Once they get older and realize, that’ll be an awesome memory for the dad to tell the kids, to experience that,” Trout told reporters. “I know how I felt when I went to a ballgame with my dad.”
Mike Trout introduced himself to Angels fans at the 2010 Futures Game. In his first performance at Angel Stadium, his magic was on display: beating out an infield single, turning a routine single into a double on sheer hustle, forcing two errors with his speed on ground balls that could have been scored as hits.
He was not selected the most valuable player of the game. Fifteen years later, does he remember who was?
He thought about it for a second. Then his eyes lit up.
“Hank Conger,” Trout said.
The Angels had drafted both in the first round: Conger, a catcher, in 2006; Trout, an outfielder, in 2009. Before the 2010 season, Baseball America ranked Conger as the 84th best prospect in baseball, Trout as the 85th.
Of the 29 position players in the 2010 Futures Game, Trout is the only one still playing. Conger, now a coach for the Minnesota Twins, last played in the major leagues nine years ago.
In 2012, when he and Trout each started the season at triple-A Salt Lake, Conger realized there were top prospects, and then there was Trout.
Trout was 20. He played 20 games, batted .403, and the Angels summoned him to the major leagues for good.
“He goes off, gets called up, misses almost a month,” Conger said, “and still becomes the rookie of the year.”
That vote was unanimous. Trout also finished a close second for American League MVP to Miguel Cabrera, who won the Triple Crown. He went on to win three MVP awards — only Barry Bonds has won more — and finish in the top five in MVP voting every year for nine consecutive years.
On Saturday night, Trout hit his 400th home run, a milestone the oft-laconic Trout readily put into perspective.
“Definitely one to sit on, just to look back and reflect how quick it’s gone,” he said last month. “It seems like yesterday I just got drafted. Now I have two kids, and I’ve been here 14 years.”
Trout is 34, deep into the second half of his major league days. The mere mention of his name commonly triggers twin laments from fans: how injuries have hampered his career, and how the Angels have hampered his career.
In the first nine seasons of his career, the Angels put Trout on the injured list twice. In the five seasons since, this one included, the Angels put Trout on the injured list six times. He has not played 130 games in a season since 2019.
“Is this our modern-day version of Mickey Mantle?” asked Tim Salmon, who ranks second on the Angels’ all-time home run list at 299. “They talk about Mickey Mantle: if he didn’t blow out his knee, what could he have been? Are we going to look back on Trout’s career and say the same things?
“He’s obviously a Hall of Famer in so many ways already, but will he get the typical benchmarks? Will he be in that category like (former Angels teammate Albert) Pujols? He could have been.”
If Trout had played as often since the pandemic as he did before it, he already would have topped 500 home runs.
He still hits for power. He still gets on base, tied for third in the AL in walks. He hits the ball hard, when he hits it.
However, of the 144 major leaguers with enough at-bats to qualify for a batting title, Trout has struck out the second-most (.320 strikeout percentage). After hitting his 398th home run on Aug. 7, he did not hit his 399th until Sept. 11.
With 400 home runs, Trout ranks among the top 60 all-time. Dan Szymborski of Fangraphs projects Trout will finish his career with 503 home runs. That would get Trout into the top 30.
With good health, Trout might well have gotten to 600. That could have put him into the top 10, ahead of Frank Robinson, looking up at the likes of Pujols, Ken Griffey Jr. and Willie Mays.
“I’ve always told myself everything happens for a reason,” Trout said. “I did everything I could to be on the field.
“If I look back, I can say, ‘It sucks I’ve been banged up,’ but I’m here now, and I’ve still got a lot of time left to enjoy.”
The first two names former Angels manager Joe Maddon dropped in a comparison with Trout: Bonds and Griffey.
“He’s just among the best athletes ever to play the game,” Maddon said. “He has strength and speed and agility and everything.
“If you’re going to scout the perfect player, it would be Mike Trout.”
Bonds did not win a World Series; the Angels denied him. Griffey did not play in a World Series.
No one denies their greatness. No one should discount Trout’s, no matter how interrupted his half-decade has been. He was the dominant player of the previous decade, all of it.
Joe Maddon, left, who was Mike Trout’s manager from 2020-22, said, “If you’re going to scout the perfect player, it would be Mike Trout.”
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
“He was the best player in the game for, what, eight, nine, 10 years?” Dodgers Hall-of-Famer-in-waiting Clayton Kershaw said. “We’re not just talking about being an all-star. It was unanimous.
“If you ever asked anybody who the best player was, they’d say Trout. It’s like right now with Shohei (Ohtani) or (Aaron) Judge. It’s pretty obvious that Trout was the best player back then, and it’s not like he’s bad right now.”
“Player marketing requires one thing for sure: the player,” Manfred said.
The Angels shot back with a scathing public rebuke of the commissioner and a hearty endorsement of Trout — crafted in part by owner Arte Moreno — that ended thusly: “We applaud him for prioritizing his personal values over commercial self-promotion. That is rare in today’s society and stands out as much as his extraordinary talent.”
The adult in the room was Trout, who followed the Angels’ statement with his own. It ended this way: “Everything is cool between the Commissioner and myself. End of story. I am ready to just play some baseball!”
The first two questions Conger always gets: You played with the Angels? What’s Mike Trout like?
Conger might not tell them about the group texts with long-ago teammates in which Trout still participates, or the random videos Trout sends, like the one of Conger breaking his bat and popping up. He will tell them about the one player that, even on a team with Pujols and Torii Hunter, got inundated with requests to go somewhere or meet someone or sign something.
“Seeing him do almost everything like that, with a smile and really making an effort, was the most impressive thing for me to see as a person,” Conger said.
“You hear the saying, ‘Don’t meet your heroes.’ He’s the complete opposite. I know he’s not outspoken or super flashy so people are like, ‘We need him to be more marketable.’ But, in this day and age, he is the role model citizen of what everybody should strive for in Major League Baseball.”
The private group chats with teammates past and present are what Trout is about, not commercial shoots or talk shows, not podcasts or YouTube channels. He’d rather be cheering on his Philadelphia Eagles.
“The story is, honestly, that he is who he is based on where he came from,” Maddon said. “He’s not been infiltrated by social media and any other new-age, new-wave method of expressing yourself.”
Trout came from Millville, N.J., a blue-collar town of not even 30,000 people, some 40 miles south of Philadelphia. His high school could have retired his uniform number, except that Trout returns to the school every year to present a jersey with his number — 1, of course — to the new team captain.
Salmon has spent his adult life around the Angels, as a player and broadcaster. Fans often press him for the scoop on Trout, he said, with some version of this line: “You guys share the same fishy last name, and he’s Mr. Angel just like you.”
Salmon would be a logical guy to ask. He chose “friendly” and “cordial” as adjectives to describe his relationship with Trout.
“Everybody expects me to know him,” Salmon said, “and I don’t, really.”
Said Kershaw: “I’ve always appreciated the way he goes about the game. There’s not a lot of flash. It’s just good baseball.”
The Angels have not played good baseball. Trout has played three postseason games, all 11 years ago, and the Angels lost them all. The Angels had Trout and Ohtani together on the roster for six years and never once managed a winning record.
That has led to a long, loud and frankly tiresome chorus of well-meaning fans across America crying to liberate Trout, so a great player could take the postseason stage. Come home and play for the Phillies! How about the Yankees? Demand a trade, at least!
“He’s never made a stink in a headline about being disgruntled,” Conger said.
“He’s never going to walk into Arte’s office and say, ‘Listen, we need to do better, what’s going on?’ ” Maddon said. “He wants to win, but he’s never going to influence or persuade anybody who is in charge, because that person is in charge, and his job is to be Mike Trout, the player.”
Even if Trout ever did ask to be traded, at this point Moreno might have to throw in $100 million or so to induce another team to assume the contract, and Moreno isn’t about to pay Trout to play elsewhere when the home fans still love him. And, really, should we not celebrate a star who honors his commitment rather than lobbies to escape it?
Trout has expressed measured frustration over the Angels’ poor performance, but loyalty is his north star. The Angels have treated him well, and he has returned the favor.
One year, the Angels gave every kid at their game a Trout T-shirt — every Sunday, all summer long.
Hank Conger, right, now a coach with the Minnesota Twins, played in the same Futures Game as Mike Trout in 2010 and last played in the majors in 2016.
(Matt Krohn / Associated Press)
He, not Salmon, is Mr. Angel now. I asked what being an Angel means to him.
“There’s a lot of teams that had a chance to get me, and a lot of teams passed on me,” Trout said. That draft was 16 years ago, and still it was the first thing he mentioned in his answer.
“The Angels took a chance on a kid from a little town in southern New Jersey. I enjoy putting the uniform on. I don’t take it for granted.
“They trusted me when they offered the deal — two of them.”
Trout twice passed up free agency to stay with the Angels. In 2014, three years before he could try free agency, the Angels guaranteed him $144.5 million. In 2019, two years before he could try free agency, they tore up the final years of the first big deal and guaranteed him a then-record $426.5 million through 2030.
Moreno celebrated that deal with more of a pep rally than a news conference, in front of a giddy gathering of fans, with Trout and his wife on a dais beneath an enormous red banner that said “LOYALTY,” with a halo adorning the A.
Tony Gwynn never won a World Series, but no one discounts his greatness, or his loyalty to the Padres. His statue, with the inscription “Mr. Padre,” looms beyond right field at Petco Park.
To the loyal and long-suffering fans of Orange County, Trout is their Gwynn.
The Angels have put up two statues at Angel Stadium: one in honor of founding owner Gene Autry, the other in memory of Michelle Carew, the daughter of Hall of Famer Rod Carew, who lost her life to leukemia at 18.
Trout has five years left on his contract. Even so: The first player in the history of a 65-year-old franchise to earn a ballpark statue is Mike Trout.
Times staff writer Jack Harris contributed to this column.
BOXING fans were left seething after Netflix started experiencing technical issues just hours before Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford’s super-middleweight melee.
Another chimed in: “Netflix don’t ever stream another fight again.”
Despite a litany of viewers having issues, several had no problems streaming the card and praised Netflix for the quality of the stream.
Canelo Alvarez on track to become a BILLIONAIRE in 2026 through huge boxing paydays, tequila drink and gaming
One said: “This Netflix stream ain’t buffered not once.”
And another said: “How does Netflix stream in 8k so well?”
Netflix experienced similar technical issues when it streamed Mike Tyson‘s crossover clash with social media sensation Jake Paul last November.
The intense demand to watch Iron Mike’s return to professional action led to issues with the stream’s quality and left several fans unable to log in to the app entirely.
SEATTLE — Rookie pinch-hitter Harry Ford drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 12th inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Angels 7-6 on Thursday night to move into a tie with Houston atop the AL West.
It was the second straight walk-off victory in extra innings for the Mariners, who extended their win streak to six games. Leo Rivas hit a two-run homer in the 13th inning Wednesday night to complete a series sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Seattle became the first team to play consecutive games that lasted at least 12 innings since Major League Baseball introduced the automatic runner for extra innings in 2020.
Mike Trout launched his 399th career home run for the Angels, tying it 4-4 in the fifth inning after they fell behind 4-0 in the second.
J.P. Crawford had three RBIs for the Mariners, including a tying single in the 11th.
Or maybe we should just kick back and enjoy an unexpected but extremely intriguing contest between two all-time great boxers from different eras (and weight classes).
Might as well take the last option because Tyson vs. Mayweather is happening in spring 2026.
CSI Sports / Fight Sports on Thursday announced the upcoming exhibition bout without providing too many other details, such as the date or location of the event or at what weight the fight will take place.
Another detail that hasn’t been revealed is how much money each fighter will earn. No doubt it will be quite a hefty amount, a notion Mayweather may have been referencing when he posted multiple videos Thursday on his Instagram Stories featuring himself sitting in what appears to be a private jet and handling large stacks of cash.
The hype machine has already started, though.
CSI Sports / Fight Sports co-founders Richard and Craig Miele predicted in a news release that the fight would be bigger than Tyson’s record-setting bout with Jake Paul last November. That fight was the most-streamed sporting event of all time and brought in the largest gate for a U.S. boxing or MMA event held outside of Las Vegas.
“Tyson vs. Mayweather will break every broadcast, streaming and economic record set by Mike Tyson in 2024,” the Miele brothers said. “We are planning a robust promotional campaign complete with weekly premium storytelling and worldwide marketing reach. The event itself will be in a world-class venue and be presented to a global audience with new in-ring technology elements that will reshape how boxing is presented, and scoring is achieved for years to come.”
Tyson (59-7, 44 KO) was the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987-1990. The then-57-year-old Tyson ended nearly two decades of retirement from professional fighting last year when he fought the then-27-year-old Paul in a sanctioned bout. Paul won that match by unanimous decision.
Mayweather (50-0, 27 KO) won 15 championship belts spanning five weight classes, from super featherweight to light middleweight. He is now 48 and hasn’t fought a professional bout since his 10th-round technical knockout of Conor McGregor in 2017.
The boxers are already in hype mode as well, as evidenced by their comments in the press release announcing the event.
“I still can’t believe Floyd wants to really do this,” Tyson said. “It’s going to be detrimental to his health, but he wants to do it, so it’s signed and it’s happening!”
Mayweather said: “There hasn’t been a single fighter that can tarnish my legacy. … I’m the best in the business of boxing.”
At a time when most of their peers have retired, threatened to call it quits or died, the Beach Boys continue to perform 120 shows per year. Led by original singer Mike Love and longtime multi-instrumentalist Bruce Johnston, this version of the Beach Boys performs the sounds of Southern California to three generations of fans, something which isn’t lost on Love.
“The positivity that our music generates, and the good vibes and good feelings, is a wonderful thing to see,” Love says. “It’s an inspiration to me to see kids with their parents or their grandparents at our shows.”
This weekend, the Beach Boys return to Long Beach for the first time in nearly 15 years to the day, when they performed at Harry Bridges Memorial Park. As Love recalls, the band played one of its first shows in the city at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium on New Year’s Eve 1961.
“That first concert we were paid for as the Beach Boys at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium for the Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance,” he recalls. “We played three songs and got $300, but also on that show was Ike Turner and Kings of Rhythm. We got to hear Tina Turner sing this song called ‘I’m Blue.’ It was primordial and blew my mind.”
Thousands of shows later, the Beach Boys continue to have a receptive audience who will gladly see them perform the hits of yesteryear. Love has no issue leaning into the band’s 1960s heyday. In fact, he sees it as his duty to spread “peace and love” through the Beach Boys’ concerts.
Chatting hours before he departed his Lake Tahoe, Calif., home to fly to Southern California for the band’s latest string of shows, Love reflected on nearly 65 years of the Beach Boys, feeling like he finally got his due by being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, why he’s looking forward to the decidedly un-Beach Boys crowd at Riot Fest, and honoring his late cousin Brian Wilson.
Mike Love
(Udo Spreitzenbarth)
How did it feel to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame?
Better late than never, but it was a great honor. It meant a lot because I wasn’t recognized for my contribution to so many of the Beach Boys’ hits over the years. So, the recognition is a good thing. There are various reasons I wasn’t recognized for it. My uncle [Beach Boys original manager] Murry [Wilson], didn’t put my contribution of the lyrics. “I Get Around,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “Be True to Your School,” a lot of great songs that I wasn’t credited for. We fired my uncle as manager to get even for me, and he excluded me when he handled the publishing. We didn’t know what publishing was when we started in 1961. We were unsophisticated regarding the business end of it, and we just loved creating music. We loved harmonizing. That was a family tradition that morphed into a long-lasting profession because my cousin Brian and I got together and wrote some songs that people still love to this day.
What is it about the songs that continue to bring people together at a time when people can hardly agree on anything?
The harmonies and the positivity go a long way towards eliminating the negativity. In “Good Vibrations,” I wrote every word of it. I even came up with (sings) “I’m thinking of good vibrations / She gave me excitations” with the chorus melody as well as all the lyrics. But that was written in 1966. The Vietnam War was percolating, and there were student demonstrations. There were problems with integration, and stuff like that made the news. But I wanted to write “Good Vibrations.” I wanted to write this song. I wrote a poem about a girl who loved nature. She was only into the peace, love and flower power, which was also going on at that time. The juxtaposition of the negative and the positive is pretty amazing. It turns out there’s a psychologist in Sheffield, England, who wanted to find out which songs made people feel the best. And our song “Good Vibrations” came in at No. 1, which is unbelievable. In 1966, when it went to No. 1 in England, we were voted the No. 1 group in Great Britain, with No. 2 being the Beatles. Incredible. That was a pretty amazing achievement.
You’ve been joined on stage by the likes of Mark McGrath and Dexter Holland from the Offspring. What does that say to you about the longevity of what the songs have meant?
Dexter sounded amazing on it! He is a really good singer, obviously, but he wanted to do “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” and so we rehearsed backstage [at Oceans Calling Festival in Maryland last September], ran through it about once or twice, and came out on stage in front of 40,000 people, and it was pretty amazing! Mark McGrath is just the most positive and fun guy ever. We have the same birthday, so he’s a few years younger than I am (laughs).
And of course, John Stamos, who inducted you into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He’s been with us since he was Blackie on “General Hospital.” At this point, he is pretty much an honorary Beach Boy and family.
In the days after Brian’s death, the clip of the band appearing on “Full House” made the rounds on Instagram. What’s it like to remember that when both Brian and Carl were there and you appeared on that show?
John Stamos likes to say that we need this music more than ever now because of so much negativity in the world, and I agree. When I was writing, I accentuated the positive with the harmonies, giving that warm feeling, and the subject matter being fun at times. We’d maybe been a little introspective on “God Only Knows,” maybe “In My Room,” and “The Warmth of the Sun.” The upbeat songs are all fun, positive, and make people feel good. We were just in Spain, and we had standing ovations every night. It was amazing.
What’s wild is seeing the Beach Boys appear on the historically punk festival Riot Fest. Are you familiar with it?
Yeah! We were invited to do it a year ago, but we are doing it this year. Our songs go over well with every demographic and all kinds of people. It doesn’t matter what the format of this is. We’ve done very well with some country festivals, enormously well. It doesn’t matter what the genre of the festival appeals to. We played Stagecoach last year, and there were 70 or 80,000 people at our set. Singing along and dancing around, so we had a great time at that one.
Who are you looking forward to seeing at Riot Fest?
Who is on it other than us?
On your day, it is Weezer performing the Blue Album, Jack White, a reconfigured version of the Sex Pistols, Dropkick Murphys, All Time Low, James …
Weezer! They did “California Girls” on a tribute show that aired on Easter Sunday a few years ago. There’s a lot more guitar in that particular version (laughs). Maybe one of those guys will come and sing with us. What happens at those things is that you’re with a lot of people you don’t ordinarily see, and people like to do unique things.
Do you think the Beach Boys would be considered a punk band, if that was a term, in 1961?
If you listen to some of our songs, like “Surfin’ Safari,” “Catch a Wave” and “Hawaii,” there’s a lot of tempo there. I think those songs appeal to all kinds of genres.
Does returning to Long Beach, near where you all grew up, carry more weight with the loss of Brian?
Well, we have a tribute song called “Brian’s Back” that I wrote many, many years ago. So, back when that was released (in 1976 as part of “15 Big Ones”), we did a video tribute to Brian that we play every night at our concerts, which people love and appreciate. He may have passed on, but he’s always with us every night in the music.
Elton John said that the “Pet Sounds” album would be the one album that would be played forever, which is an amazing accolade,” Love said. “So those songs are pretty much immortal to some degree. So if somebody is capable of replicating them as closely as possible for the record, then great.”
(Udo Spreitzenbarth)
Do you see the Beach Boys continuing to tour in name after you and Bruce are done?
I’m not sure. We haven’t given that a whole lot of thought because we’re very active these days with this configuration. Elton John said that the “Pet Sounds” album would be the one album that would be played forever, which is an amazing accolade. So those songs are pretty much immortal to some degree. So if somebody is capable of replicating them as closely as possible for the record, then great.
But the problem is that mortality is an issue, of course. So, at some point in time, nature will take over and say, “OK, you’re out of here, huh?” But in the meantime, I think we’ve got a good several years to go.
What do people misunderstand about your and Brian’s relationship?
Well, there’s a lot of misinformation given out over this early part of our careers that says I didn’t like the “Pet Sounds” album, which is bull—, because I actually named it and Brian brought it to Capitol Records, who didn’t know what to do with it. If you listen to the tracks of “Pet Sounds,” you say, “How the heck did he ever do that with the greatest musicians in L.A., the Wrecking Crew?” My cousin Brian did some amazing stuff that’ll stand the test of time, if Elton John is right, forever. It’s a true blessing to be able to do what started as a family hobby and became a long-lasting profession.
Is “That’s Why God Made the Radio” the last Beach Boys album, or do you all have one more left in you?
Anything’s possible. We don’t have immediate plans, but I do think of that kind of thing from time to time.
Junior Caminero hit his 29th and 30th homers, Christopher Morel had a go-ahead shot and six Tampa Bay pitchers combined to strike out 16 in the Rays’ 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
Caminero hit a career-long 447-foot shot with a man on in the first, and had a solo homer in the third. Morel was 0 for 6 with six strikeouts in the series before hitting his solo homer in the seventh.
It was Caminero’s third two-homer game this season and he reached 101 RBIs for his career.
Nick Fortes also homered, his first hit in five games with the Rays since being acquired from Miami.
Starter Shane Baz struck out nine in four innings to help Tampa Bay win for the fourth time in 14 games. Garrett Cleavinger (1-4) was the winner, and Pete Fairbanks got his 19th save.
Ryan Zeferjahn (6-4) took the loss.
Mike Trout tied the score for Los Angeles with a three-run homer in the third. His 20th homer this season and 398th of his career was his 200th in Angels Stadium. He’s the first player in major league history with 200 homers and 100 steals (101) in one stadium.
The Angels loaded the bases with no outs against Griffin Jax in the eighth. But Jax, acquired from Minnesota for Taj Bradley on July 31, struck out the next three batters.
Rays center fielder Jonny DeLuca left in the sixth with right hamstring tightness after legging out a triple. DeLuca was reinstated from the 60-day IL (right shoulder strain) on July 25.
Up next
Both teams are off Thursday. Angels RHP Kyle Hendricks (6-8, 4.59) will pitch at Detroit against LHP Tarik Skybal (11-3, 2.18) on Friday night. Tampa Bay will start RHP Drew Rasmussen (9-5, 2.81) against RHP Luis Castillo (8-6, 3.22) at Seattle on Friday night.
Mike Johnson, the top legislator in the United States Congress, has visited an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, drawing condemnation from Palestinians.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called the trip by the speaker of the US House of Representatives on Monday a “blatant violation of international law”.
Johnson, who is next in line for the US presidency after the president and vice president, is the highest-ranking US official to visit a West Bank Israeli settlement.
His trip comes amid escalating settler violence against Palestinian communities that killed two US citizens in July.
The Israeli military has also been intensifying its deadly raids, home demolitions and displacement campaigns in the West Bank as it carries out its brutal assault and blockade on Gaza.
Johnson’s visit contradicts Arab and US efforts to “end the cycle of violence” as well as Washington’s public stance against settlers’ “aggressions”, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said.
“The ministry affirms that all settlement activity is invalid and illegal and undermines the opportunity to implement the two-state solution and achieve peace,” it added.
According to Israeli media reports, Johnson visited the settlement of Ariel, north of Ramallah, on Monday.
“Judea and Samaria are the front lines of the state of Israel and must remain an integral part of it,” Johnson was quoted as saying by the Jerusalem Post newspaper, using a biblical name for the West Bank.
“Even if the world thinks otherwise, we stand with you.”
The House speaker’s comments appear to be in reference to recent moves by some Western countries – including close allies of the US and Israel – to recognise a Palestinian state.
‘Illegal under international law’
Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal under international law. The International Court of Justice, the top United Nations tribunal, reaffirmed that position last year, saying that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end “as rapidly as possible”.
Asked about Johnson’s visit, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters on Monday: “Our standpoint on the settlements, as you know, is that they are illegal under international law.”
Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967, and annexed the entire holy city in 1980.
Successive Israeli governments have been building Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank on land that would be the home of a Palestinian state if a two-state solution were to materialise.
Hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers now live in the occupied West Bank.
The Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory, bans the occupying power from transferring “parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies”.
While the Oslo Accords granted the Palestinian Authority some municipal powers over parts of the West Bank, the entire area remains under full Israeli security control.
Israel also controls the airspace and ports of entry in the territory.
Israeli settlers in the West Bank have full citizenship rights, while Palestinians live under Israel’s military rule, where they can be detained indefinitely without charges.
Leading rights groups have accused Israel of imposing a system of apartheid on Palestinians.
‘It’s a matter of faith for us’
For decades, the US has publicly rejected West Bank settlements and called for a two-state solution despite providing Israel with billions of dollars in military aid.
However, US President Donald Trump has taken US policy further in favour of Israel, refusing to criticise settlement expansion or commit to backing a Palestinian state.
Many Republicans, meanwhile, have long expressed support for Israel from a theological perspective, arguing that it is a Christian religious duty to back the US ally.
“Our prayer is that America will always stand with Israel. We pray for the preservation and the peace of Jerusalem. That’s what scripture tells us to do. It’s a matter of faith for us,” Johnson said on Sunday during a visit to the Western Wall.
In a social media post, Marc Zell, chair of the US Republicans Overseas Israel, cited Johnson as saying on Monday that the mountains of the West Bank are “the rightful property of the Jewish People”.
Mike Trout hit a two-run homer in a four-run fifth inning to reach 1,000 career RBIs, and the Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1 on Sunday.
Kyle Hendricks (6-7) gave up one run on two hits over six-plus innings and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 18th save as the Angels earned a split of the four-game series.
Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 41st home run for the Mariners.
The Angels broke a scoreless tie when Kevin Newman’s grounder brought home Travis d’Arnaud in the fifth. Luis Rengifo then scored on Logan Gilbert’s wild pitch.
Trout crushed a 443-foot drive to center field off Gilbert to give him 1,001 RBIs. It was his 397th career homer and 19th this season.
Raleigh connected against Hendricks in the seventh, his second home run in two nights and fourth this year against Los Angeles.
Hendricks, who had one walk and three strikeouts, won for the first time since June 17.
Gilbert (3-4) gave up four runs and three hits over five innings with seven strikeouts.
Key moment: Angels center fielder Jo Adell kept Seattle off the scoreboard in the sixth when he reached above the wall to take away a home run from J.P. Crawford.
Key stat: Trout became the third player to get his first 1,000 RBIs entirely in an Angels uniform, following Garret Anderson and Tim Salmon.
Up next: Angels right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (3-9, 6.03) is expected to start Monday against Texas.
NEW YORK — Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer to power the New York Mets to a 6-3 win and series sweep of the Angels on Wednesday.
Alonso, mired in a 2-for-34 slump dating to July 10, homered two batters after Francisco Lindor broke a career-long 0-for-31 drought with an RBI single.
Brandon Nimmo hit his 14th career leadoff homer and Lindor added another RBI single in the fourth for the Mets, who swept a series for the fifth time this season.
Sean Manaea (1-1), making his third appearance and second start after battling oblique and elbow injuries, allowed one run and struck out five over five innings. Edwin Díaz got the final four outs for his 21st save.
Mike Trout homered in the third — the 396th home run and 999th RBI of his career — for the Angels, who were swept for the seventh time. Luis Rengifo (forceout) and Chris Taylor (double) collected RBIs in the seventh.
Left-hander Jake Eder (0-1), the last of three Angels pitchers on a bullpen day, gave up five runs in a career-high six innings.
Key moment
Alonso’s first homer since July 8 was the 248th of his career, pulling him within four of Darryl Strawberry for the all-time Mets franchise lead.
Key stat
Trout is aiming to become the second active player with 400 homers and the ninth with 1,000 RBIs.
Up next
Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (4-6, 3.13 ERA) starts Thursday, when the Angels return home for a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners and RHP Logan Evans (3-3, 3.81 ERA).
The Chargers were the first team in the NFL to open training camp, but the focus Thursday quickly shifted to who didn’t join them.
Wide receiver Mike Williams is retiring, the Chargers confirmed Thursday as the team began camp. Just as a hole opened in the receivers room, the Chargers also signed rookie receiver Tre’ Harris, the team announced, ending the second-round pick’s contract holdout.
The news of Williams’ sudden retirement broke on social media as Chargers players went through some of the first team drills of training camp. Williams, 30, was just months removed from his feel-good homecoming to the franchise that drafted him seventh overall in 2017. The free agent was optimistic about revitalizing his career in familiar territory. A wide smile split his face when he was asked in March about reuniting with quarterback Justin Herbert.
On Thursday, Herbert still smiled at the jaw-dropping plays they made together.
“I want what’s best for Mike,” said Herbert, who propelled Williams to a career season in 2021 with 86 catches and 1,146 yards receiving. “He’s always been there for us and we’re going to be there for him. It’s obviously a tough situation and I got so much respect for him as a teammate, as a friend, as a receiver, as a player and the man that he is. … Football at the end of the day is a game. There’s more to life than just football and I’m just hoping for the best for him.”
Williams, who was two years removed from his torn anterior cruciate ligament with the Chargers, was set to begin camp on the physically unable to perform list after suffering an undisclosed injury during the offseason training program. Speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon, general manager Joe Hortiz expected Williams could return to practice soon.
Later that day, Williams’ agent, Tory Dandy, dropped the news, a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly confirmed.
Williams caught 309 passes for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns for the Chargers. Coming off the season-ending knee injury, the 30-year-old was released in a salary-saving move in 2024. It was the beginning of what Williams called a “terrible” season. He caught only 21 passes for 298 yards for the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He returned to the Chargers as a free agent hoping to recapture the magic he had with Herbert.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert passes during the first day of training camp practice Thursday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Since being drafted by the Chargers in 2020, Herbert found comfort with the 6-foot-4 Williams, who always seemed to tilt the odds in his favor on 50-50 balls. Williams’ presence, especially in the red zone, demanded the defense’s attention. Herbert fondly recalled the receiver’s twisting, one-handed catch against the Rams as one of his favorite plays, but noted there are too many to recite the whole list.
“You can’t really replace a guy like that,” Herbert said. “But thankfully we’ve got a receiver room that’s continuing to push each other. They compete and they want to be the best.”
With Williams, the Chargers hoped to add another outside receiving threat to complement budding star Ladd McConkey and bring veteran leadership to a position in flux.
Harris can now rejoin the competition as he agreed to terms with the team. The 55th pick in the draft was stuck in an unprecedented 30-player standstill this week as second-round picks and teams negotiated for guaranteed money. The logjam began to loosen Thursday as several teams wrapped up deals, including the Chicago Bears, who signed the 56th pick Ozzy Trapilo early Thursday.
Harris still participated in rookie minicamp, voluntary workouts and the team’s mandatory minicamp before his holdout officially began Saturday. Herbert believed the previous reps would help Harris jump back in seamlessly.
Chargers fans take photos with owner Dean Spanos during the first day of training camp at the team’s headquarters in El Segundo on Thursday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
“No one’s going to fault him for doing what he’s doing,” Herbert said. “He’s a teammate. We respect him and we’ve got his back no matter what. … Whenever that deal gets done and he comes back, I know he’s not going to miss a beat.”
During the spring, Harris started moving up the depth chart, taking some team reps with Herbert in place of Jalen Reagor. Reagor, a 2021 first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, had the standout play of Thursday’s practice, diving for a fingertip catch on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Herbert.
Fans cheered when Reagor tucked the ball away and rolled into the pylon. The temporary stands at the Chargers’ training facility were packed as fans were eager for their first look at the team since January. Days after launching new gold-and-navy alternate jerseys, the team set up a shop to sell merchandise.
As Chargers players broke the final huddle, a group of fans started chanting “Bring back Keenan!”
Keenan Allen, another long-term Herbert target, remains unsigned after 70 catches for 744 yards receiving and seven touchdowns for the Bears last year.
Etc.
The Chargers placed running back Najee Harris on the active/non-football injury list Thursday. The recent free agent signing suffered a minor eye injury in a Fourth of July fireworks accident. … Quarterback Taylor Heinicke was the only player on the active roster who did not appear on the field during Thursday’s roughly 75-minute practice.
They lost a cherished teammate hours before they started training camp. But the Chargers receivers knew just what to do when they heard of Mike Williams’ sudden retirement.
“At this point [we’re] just treating it like the next man up,” receiver Quentin Johnston said. “Him leaving was unexpected, but at the same time, we just gotta fill in the blank and keep moving.”
Williams’ sudden departure has left an already questionable receiver group with even more to prove. The 6-foot-4 receiver was coming off one of the worst seasons of his career but was still expected to add a familiar, trustworthy face for quarterback Justin Herbert. When it came to winning 50-50 balls, Williams was one of the best ever, offensive coordinator Greg Roman said.
And in a group that was led by a standout rookie last year, the 30-year-old Williams was a much-needed veteran presence.
“It’s not easily replaceable,” Roman said. “But we like where everybody’s going. We like the guys we have, we just gotta work, keep getting better.”
Star receiver Ladd McConkey is already leading the way. Despite a record-setting rookie season, McConkey has already tweaked small details that could result in big improvements in his second season, Roman said. The former Georgia star’s work ethic already sets the tone: Roman walked by the receivers room at the Chargers’ practice facility Saturday morning and saw McConkey sitting alone studying Friday’s practice film.
But who will step up after McConkey? After his drop-plagued 2023 rookie season, Johnston improved drastically last year when he caught 55 passes for 711 yards receiving and a team-high eight touchdowns. But even the jump in production hasn’t quieted some critics who remain disappointed in the former first-round pick.
With Williams’ departure, Johnston could take an even bigger leap. Encouraged by the support of his teammates and coaches, he said his confidence is at an all-time high.
“I got what it takes to still be here,” Johnston said. “I just gotta go out there and prove that every day.”
Rookie Tre’ Harris can push Johnston on the outside. The 6-foot-3 Mississippi alumnus delivers some of the same traits as Williams, but Roman has started Harris in a role that more mirrors how former Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer played. Palmer, who signed with the Buffalo Bills in free agency, had 584 yards receiving and one touchdown on 39 catches last season.
Harris, who caught 114 passes for 2,015 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns in two seasons at Mississippi after beginning his career at Louisiana Tech, insists to coaches he can play any position. But Roman is mindful to not overload the second-round pick, especially after he missed several days of training camp because of a contract dispute.
Harris reported to training camp Friday, one day after the whole team, but nearly a week behind quarterbacks and other rookies who reported July 12.
“It was music to my ears when I heard that he signed and he was getting in,” Roman said. “It’s so important for young receivers to be in camp. There’s been so many different adjustments, it’s just a different game. So far he’s been outstanding. A really smart guy. On top of everything. … Attention to detail, technique, really excited for him. So far, so good.”
Harris was a focal point of his first practice Friday, becoming a frequent target in team and seven-on-seven periods. Receiver Jalen Reagor kept a close eye on the rookie as the sixth-year, former first-round pick shouted instructions on which routes to run. They often huddled on the sideline after plays.
Reagor is on his third team after the Philadelphia Eagles drafted him in 2020. Not only is he the Chargers’ most experienced receiver, he remains a reliable option outside with his versatility and speed.
Chargers wide receiver Jalen Reagor celebrates after making a catch against the New Orleans Saints in October.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“He does everything really well,” Herbert said. “I think he’s one of those guys, whether it’s the quick game, whether it’s the intermediate stuff or the deep balls like that, he’s definitely fast enough to be able to take the top off and he’s such a great route runner. He’s able to beat man coverage and another guy that you feel comfortable going to whether it’s zone or man, just finds a way to get open.”
Rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith sustained an undisclosed injury during the spring, but is back to full speed for training camp, Roman said.
The Chargers loaded up on offensive firepower during the draft, adding two rookie receivers and tight end Oronde Gadsden, a converted wide receiver who could add more lift to the passing offense. The additions appeared to be a signal from the front office that Johnston had to take another step forward in his career to maintain his place on the team.
But like the leaping touchdown pass he caught over his shoulder during Friday’s practice, Johnston took it all in stride.
“Water off a duck’s back,” wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal said during the spring. “I haven’t seen anything. I told him he’s a starter because he is and he’s operating that way.”
Etc.
Left tackle Rashawn Slater took a rest day during Saturday’s practice, Roman said. With right guard Mekhi Becton still celebrating his Super Bowl ring, right tackle Joe Alt shifted to the left in place of Slater, Trey Pipkins III subbed in at right tackle and Jamaree Salyer stepped in at right guard. Despite starting at right guard last year, Pipkins isn’t a top contender for a starting spot at left guard, where Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson have rotated during the offseason. Pipkins instead will be a swing tackle option off the bench, coach Jim Harbaugh said. … Running back Raheim Sanders missed a second consecutive day of practice Saturday.
PHILADELPHIA — Mike Trout arrived in Philadelphia in time to catch the unveiling of a new target in the deepest part of the ballpark — the 2026 All-Star Game logo, complete with the Liberty Bell in the center of the design.
The Angels slugger has something to aim for in Philly.
As a home run target? No, the oversized symbol that celebrates next year’s All-Star Game is raised well beyond the center-field wall and out of reach to even Schwarbombs in Ashburn Alley, closer to the retired numbers on the bricks at Citizens Bank Park.
As a potential destination for next season? Making the All-Star Game is more on the nose for Trout, an 11-time selection who hasn’t been picked to play for the American League since 2023.
Yet each time Trout plays in Philadelphia, just over 40 miles from the slugger’s New Jersey hometown, talk tends to drift from All-Star Games, his injuries, his upcoming career milestones — he’s closing in on 400 homers and 1,000 RBIs — or a rare Angels’ push at the postseason, and lands right on the possibility he’ll one day suit up for the Phillies.
“I hear it all the time,” Trout said with a laugh outside the Angels’ clubhouse on Friday. “Right now, I’m enjoying myself with this team in here. These guys come to the ballpark every day and play hard. It’s hard not for me to see it, because I see it and hear it all the time.”
He’ll settle for at least a crack at the 2026 All-Star Game.
“It would definitely mean a lot,” Trout said.
Mike Trout stands on the field during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 13.
(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)
Trout entered the start of a three-game series against the Phillies having the kind of season that has defined most of his last five seasons in California. When he’s healthy, he’s on. He has a .283 batting average, .433 on-base percentage and .478 slugging percentage with eight home runs and 23 RBIs in 41 games since he came off the injured list on May 30. Otherwise, it’s more stints on the IL. This season, he was hampered by a bone bruise on his left knee that cost him time.
Trout was the designated hitter on Friday night against the NL East champion Phillies, who could certainly use a right-handed bat with pop in the outfield as they make their own playoff run. He did some light pregame work in the outfield (“get my feet under me”) and hoped he’d return to right field in the near future. Trout said his knee did feel “a lot better” after four days off and off his feet over the All-Star break.
“I’m just happy to be in the lineup, contributing,” he said. “Years past, it’s just come to the ballpark, not be able to at least hit. That’s been frustrating, that’s been tough.”
He again expected a full house of fans from his hometown of Millville, N.J., on hand to root him on as the three-time AL MVP started the game with 395 career home runs and 995 career RBIs.
“To think about it, it’s just how fast it’s going,” Trout said. “Just trying to enjoy every minute of it. The milestones are awesome. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting them.”
Trout would have blown by those numbers years ago had it not been for his injuries that have allowed him to play more than 82 games only once since 2019.
“Things happen,” he said.
There are no guarantees he’ll chip away at those numbers over the weekend — Trout has never gone deep at Citizens Bank Park.
Trout has kept his ties to the area as he blossomed into one of baseball’s great sluggers; his family still lives in the area, he collaborated with Tiger Woods on a new golf course, and yes, the Eagles season-ticket holder still bleeds kelly green.
The Angels were 47-49 headed into Friday, but only four games out of a wild-card spot. Trout played in three career playoff games in 2014. The Angels’ 47 wins are the most for the franchise at the All-Star break since it had 49 in 2018.
“The team in there right now, we’ve got a great mindset,” he said. “We’ve got a great group in there. We pass the baton at the plate. We’re tough outs.”
None tougher at his best than Trout. He’s trying to become the 20th player in baseball history to hit his first 400 home runs with one franchise.
“This guy is a superstar,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “I saw him when he first came up and he hit the ball as far as you could think. He runs down the first base line, it sounds like a horse, just big and strong and fast.”
