roster

The now two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers made their first move of the offseason on Thursday.

It will ensure a familiar face is back for their pursuit of a three-peat next year.

The team picked up its $10-million club option for third baseman Max Muncy, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly, bringing the now longest-tenured member of the roster back for what will be his ninth season in Los Angeles.

The decision was not surprising. This year, Muncy had perhaps his best all-around season at the plate since a 2021 campaign in which he received MVP votes. He hit .243, his highest mark since that 2021 season, with 19 home runs, 67 RBIs and an .846 OPS in 100 games. He atoned for a relatively quiet postseason by hitting a crucial home run in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the World Series, setting the stage for the team’s ninth-inning comeback and eventual extra-innings, title-clinching victory.

Muncy was in the final season of a two-year, $24-million extension he signed in the 2023 offseason. And injuries have been a problem for the 35-year-old in recent years (he was limited this past season by a knee contusion in July and an oblique strain in August).

However, the $10-million option was a relative bargain for a player who, prior to second-half injuries, had shaken off a slow start to the year by being one of the hottest hitters in the majors in May and June.

His return will also help keep a key part of the club’s veteran core intact, bringing back a player who — in the wake of Clayton Kershaw’s retirement — has been with the Dodgers longer than anybody else.

Muncy’s 2025 season did not start well. After an offseason in which trade rumors involving Nolan Arenado swirled, and a spring training spent working through the lingering after-effects of an oblique and rib injury that limited him in 2024, Muncy hit .176 through his first 34 games, and had only one home run.

In early May, however, he started wearing glasses to address an astigmatism in his right eye. Around that same time, he also found a breakthrough with his swing, one that helped him begin punishing fastballs up the zone. From May 7 to the end of June, he hit .315 with 12 home runs and a 1.039 OPS, one of the best stretches of his 10-year, two-time All-Star career.

That streak was derailed on July 2, when Muncy suffered his knee injury after being slid into at third base. His return a month later was cut short, too, when his oblique began bothering him during a batting practice session in August.

Those IL stints preceded a September slump that carried into the postseason, when Muncy hit just .173 entering Game 7 of the World Series.

But that night, he collected three hits, had the pivotal eighth-inning home run off Trey Yesavage that got the Dodgers back within a run, and became one of six players to contribute to all three of the Dodgers’ recent World Series titles.

“It’s starting to get a little bit comfortable up here,” he joked from atop the stage at the Dodgers’ World Series celebration on Monday. “Let’s keep it going.”

On Thursday, the team ensured his run with the Dodgers will, for at least one more season.

Alex Vesia’s option also picked up

The Dodgers on Thursday also picked up their $3.55-million club option for reliever Alex Vesia in 2026, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly. That was also not a surprise, though Vesia still would’ve been under team control and eligible for arbitration if they hadn’t.

Vesia was one of the few consistent performers in the Dodgers’ bullpen this year, posting a 3.02 ERA in a career-high 68 appearances. He was also one of their most trusted relief arms in the playoffs, bouncing back from a two-run outing in the wild-card series opener with 4 ⅓ scoreless innings the rest of the way.

Vesia was not available for the World Series as he and his wife dealt with what the team described as a “deeply personal family matter.” But he figures to be a key cog in their bullpen again next season, in what will be his last before reaching free agency.

TORONTO — The Dodgers announced Thursday that reliever Alex Vesia is away from the team as he and his wife “navigate a deeply personal family matter,” and manager Dave Roberts said his availability for the World Series is uncertain.

Vesia, who has been the Dodgers’ top left-handed pitcher in the bullpen this season, was not present at the team’s World Series media session on Thursday, and was not seen at the club’s open workout at Dodger Stadium on Monday.

Roberts said that the club was reviewing its options within MLB’s postseason roster rules, but that for now Vesia’s status was considered day-to-day.

“We have a little bit of time — I think 10 o’clock tomorrow or something like that — to finalize our roster,” Roberts said. “But, yeah, we’re going through the process of trying to backfill his spot on the roster.”

One potential option for the Dodgers would be to place Vesia on MLB’s Family Medical Emergency List, which would require him to miss a minimum of three days but make it possible for him to rejoin the active roster later in the World Series.

For now, however, Roberts said “we’re just going day-to-day with really no expectations.”

In the Dodgers’ team statement, the club said “the entire Dodgers organization is sending our thoughts to the Vesia family.”

SEOUL, Oct. 20 (UPI) — South Korea’s special prosecutor has launched an internal probe after investigators found a confidential roster of law enforcement officers inside a Unification Church office during a recent raid — a discovery that has intensified a widening corruption case linking religion, politics and the state.

The list, first reported by The JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, contained the names and assignments of police officers temporarily working at the Special Prosecutor’s Office. Such documents are normally restricted even within the agency.

Officials said they are investigating whether a retired police officer, identified only by the initial A, leaked the file to church officials.

An special prosecutor’s spokesperson said the office is “verifying how the document was obtained and whether any ongoing investigations were affected.” If confirmed, prosecutors say, the breach would mark one of the most serious leaks of investigative information in years, potentially allowing suspects to anticipate raids or destroy evidence.

Indictments for embezzlement, political-fund violations

The leak inquiry comes just days after prosecutors indicted Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han and two senior aides, Jung Wonju and Yoon Young-ho, on charges of embezzlement and illegal political donations.

According to charging documents filed Oct. 10, Han and Jung allegedly diverted money from church accounts earmarked for missionary work to finance luxury purchases and covert political activity.

Between May and August 2022, about 500 million won (about $380,000) was allegedly used to buy designer jewelry and handbags for Han, disguised through falsified expense reports. One transaction dated May 9, 2022, shows Jung instructing a finance officer to spend 42 million won on jewelry “for Hak Ja Han.”

Another section of the indictment cites roughly 900 million won ($700,000) moved from the “2027 Project Support Fund” into accounts controlled by Jung without approval from the church’s finance board. Prosecutors believe the funds were used for non-religious or political purposes, violating internal rules.

Donations to ruling party before 2022 election

Investigators also allege that the Unification Church, directed by Yoon Young-ho, its former secretary-general, channeled money to all 17 provincial branches of the ruling People Power Party around the time of the 2022 presidential election.

According to the special prosecutor’s findings, Yoon called regional leaders to a meeting in early March 2022 and instructed them to distribute “missionary support funds.” Roughly 2.1 billion won ($1.5 million) was withdrawn from church accounts, and 144 million won (about $105,000) was later delivered through split donations made under individual members’ names.

Prosecutors say the arrangement violated the Political Funds Act, which bars corporate or religious entities from contributing to political organizations.

A special prosecutor’s official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing, said the case “shows signs of coordinated funding activity at a national level.”

Church denial

In a written statement, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification — the church’s official name — denied wrongdoing, asserting that “all expenditures were legitimate and related to global missionary work.” Han’s defense team said she would cooperate fully while seeking to have the charges dismissed as “politically motivated.”

Han was indicted under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and the Political Funds Act. Jung was indicted without detention. Their first hearings are expected later this month at the Seoul Central District Court.

Broader implications for institutions, trust

The twin controversies — alleged embezzlement and the suspected leak of a classified roster — have raised alarm over the integrity of state institutions, as well as the political reach of major religious movements.

Legal commentators in Korean media have warned that, if verified, the leak could amount to obstruction of justice or a violation of the Public Official Information Protection Act, both of which carry heavy prison terms.

Local editorial writers have described it as a test of transparency — whether the rule of law can withstand influence from powerful organizations that straddle the line between religious authority and political power.

The Special Prosecutor’s Office said it has strengthened internal data-security protocols and restricted access to sensitive records.

First-year girls’ basketball coach Will Burr of Harvard-Westlake High has already concluded more than a month before the season begins that 6-foot-2 freshman Lucia Khamenia is going to be an impact player.

She’s the sister of former Harvard-Westlake All-American Nikolas Khamenia, who is now a freshman at Duke.

Burr said Khamenia can play different positions because of her size and versatility, go inside or make threes like her brother.

She’s not the only high-profiled freshman on the Wolverines’ roster. Valentino Collins is the daughter of former Harvard-Westlake and NBA player Jarron Collins. Her sister, Alessandra, is a junior for the Wolverines.

Senior Valentina Guerrero will lead a young Wolverines team.

Burr is a highly regarded coach, having guided Oak Park to three straight Southern Section titles after winning one at Viewpoint.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

PHILADELPHIA — When Clayton Kershaw was left off the Dodgers’ roster for the best-of-three wild card round against the Cincinnati Reds, it marked the first time since his 2008 rookie season that he pitch didn’t in one of the team’s playoff series when healthy.

But on Saturday, ahead of Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers decided to add Kershaw back in the mix, ensuring he will likely get the chance to take the mound at least one more time before entering retirement this offseason.

Kershaw and fellow left-handed pitcher Anthony Banda were the only two changes the Dodgers made to their NLDS roster Saturday, swapping them in on an 11-man pitching staff in place of multi-inning left-hander Justin Wrobleski (who didn’t pitch in the wild card series) and rookie right-hander Edgardo Henriquez (who walked two batters and gave up a hit while recording no outs in Game 1 against the Reds).

The Dodgers made no changes to their 15-man position player group from the wild card round, once again keeping three catchers on the roster (as Will Smith continues to recover from a fractured hand) as well as speedy defensive specialists Justin Deal and Hyeseong Kim.

Kershaw’s return was had been expected, even before manager Dave Roberts officially confirmed on Friday that the future Hall of Famer would be on the roster for the NLDS.

First and foremost, the Dodgers will need added left-handed pitching depth to combat a Phillies lineup that includes left-handed threats like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott. That’s why Banda was included as well.

But Kershaw, who went 11-2 this season with a 3.36 ERA, also gives the Dodgers a steady veteran presence out of the bullpen (where he is expected to pitch).

They missed that in the wild-card round, when a string of younger pitchers struggled to consistently find the strike zone while pitching in relief.

Thus, they will be hoping their 18-year veteran can provide it, in what would be his final career postseason series if the Dodgers don’t advance.

The only other major roster question facing the Dodgers entering this series is at catcher. Roberts said Friday that Smith “will be available to catch” in this NLDS, but was unsure if he’d be able to start right away in Game 1. Smith, who has taken only live at-bats in the last week while nursing his injury, did not appear in the wild-card series despite being on the roster. He took more live at-bats during the team’s Friday night workout at Citizens Bank Park.

Despite missing the last three weeks of the season with a fracture on his right hand, catcher Will Smith was included on the Dodgers’ roster for their best-of-three wild card series against the Cincinnati Reds this week, the team announced ahead of Game 1 on Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear if Smith would be able to start Game 1 at Dodger Stadium. Ben Rortvedt was also on the roster, and is expected to start behind the plate if Smith can’t go.

Still, even having Smith’s presence as a potential pinch-hitter will be a boon for the team, which was bracing to begin the playoffs without the two-time All-Star before he made late progress this week in his recovery from his hand injury.

Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, who both missed time last week with minor injuries, were also on the roster as expected.

The other big development from Tuesday’s roster announcement was the absence of outfielder Michael Conforto, the $17 million offseason signing who struggled mightily for much of the regular season but had continued to get playing time through the end of the schedule.

Conforto hit only .199 this season, the lowest mark of any hitter with 450 plate appearances. He also managed just 12 home runs (a full-season career-low), 36 RBIs and struck out 121 times (albeit while drawing 56 walks and keeping his on-base-percentage above .300).

Conforto did finish the season better, batting .228 with a .678 OPS after July 1 and going 15-for-61 (.246 average) in September. As a left-handed hitter, he also appeared to have potential value off the bench.

However, the Dodgers elected to roster trade deadline acquisition Alex Call and defensive specialist Justin Dean (who finished the season in the minors) on their wild card roster. They also kept infielder Hyeseong Kim, who is a speed threat but has been equally inconsistent from the left side of the plate down the stretch.

There were few surprises among the Dodgers’ pitching staff, which included only 11 arms (not including two-way player Shohei Ohtani) for this abbreviated opening-round series.

Rookie phenom Roki Sasaki, who returned from a shoulder injury and impressed in two late-season relief appearances, was on the roster as manager Dave Roberts had hinted the day before.

So too were right-handed veteran Blake Treinen and embattled left-handed closer Tanner Scott, who were major disappointments in late-inning roles this year but flashed some improvement in the final days of the regular season.

The rest of the Dodgers’ bullpen includes converted right-handed starters Tyler Glasnow (who will likely return to the rotation if the team advances to the division series) and Emmet Sheehan, hard-throwing rookie right-hander Edgardo Henriquez, and three other left-handed options in addition to Scott: Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer and Justin Wrobleski.

Anthony Banda was the only snub from the team’s regular-season roster. Clayton Kerhsaw was also left off the roster as expected, but could have a role in future rounds if the Dodgers advance.

After aiming to leap from the WNBA’s worst team to a season of triumph, the Sparks instead ended the season seeking perspective — none more so than Kelsey Plum.

In the season’s final weeks, while fighting for a playoff spot, Plum called Dearica Hamby, her closest teammate, to voice her frustration. Accustomed to winning seasons with the Las Vegas Aces, Plum sought solace after several losses, and Hamby grounded her.

“Hey, I won eight games last year,” Hamby responded. “So this looks different to me.”

Despite finishing under .500 for the fifth consecutive season and falling just short of making the playoffs, the Sparks easily more than doubled last year’s win total. Hampered by a slew of injuries that stunted momentum, they greatly improved with the league’s fourth-best record after the All-Star break.

“I really wanted to impact winning, and so it’s tough because sometimes I don’t do a great job of giving myself grace,” Plum said. “We did win 21 games, different from eight a season ago, [but] at the same time, as a competitor, I really want to be in the playoffs.”

Missing the postseason has left Plum carrying that burden, an internal battle she said she’ll have to process. The weight was heavier for Plum, after taking a leap of faith, betting on herself as a No. 1 option for the first time in her career and the motivating factor behind accepting a trade to L.A.

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, who will become a free agent this offseason, drives against Dream guard Jordin Canada during a game Sept. 5.

(Paras Griffin / Getty Images)

Now, heading into the offseason, Plum’s message to her teammates is to “take that chip and that hunger,” as she will, and carry it into next season.

For Hamby, this season was a necessary dismantling and rebuilding of the organization, an essential step for lasting success.

“My optimism and perspective is I’d rather have a slow burn than a quick fix,” Hamby said. “We’re talking about long-term and wanting to build something for years to come, with the core that we have.”

For the Sparks to take the next step, head coach Lynne Roberts and general manager Reagan Pebley face a tall task: holding together a roster that finally showed promise of reaching lofty goals. Drawing on their coaching backgrounds, both have leaned on a collaborative approach to building the roster, but free agency will be a test this offseason.

Outside of second-year contributors Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, and this year’s rookie class — all locked into multi-year deals — every veteran on the roster will hit the market. That includes three players who delivered career years: Plum, Hamby and Azurá Stevens.

Plum, with Hamby seated beside her, refrained from guaranteeing her return during exit interviews Friday night. Yet her impassioned message to fans after the season finale, role as the face of the franchise, and input in offseason plans make a return likely.

Hamby, who began recruiting Plum nearly a year ago in hopes of building a legacy together, also appears committed to staying. As she put it, the two “always talked about being together, staying together, whatever we do.”

Fever forward Kelsey Mitchell, middle, tries to drive against the Sparks’ Dearica Hamby (5) and Azurá Stevens (23), who both will be free agents this offseason.

(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)

For starters, retaining them along with Stevens and Julie Allemand is a priority, but it could become a bit complicated come free agency.

Stevens, the healthiest she’s been in years, delivered career highs in points (12.8), rebounds (8.0), minutes (28.4) and games (all 44) as a primary contributor, particularly when injuries plagued the team early in the season — a showing that could attract suitors in free agency.

Allemand is headed to Turkey to play professionally this offseason but hopes to return next season — a return that might hinge on a more defined role. She said she can “do a lot more” and doesn’t want “to be satisfied with this, and be like, ‘OK, let’s just come back next season,’ and it’s the same.”

“It’s always tough to run it back,” Pebley said. “Success is really hard to sustain, and momentum is really hard to hold on to. … We’ll do everything we can to make sure the right pieces stay. Maybe it’s putting people in a different spot, but also addressing some needs that we have.”

The challenge isn’t just shuffling or adding talent; it’s doing so without overcorrecting. The goal is bringing in players who add value while preserving locker-room balance — those whom both Roberts and Pebley trust to fit seamlessly into the culture, enhancing it rather than disrupting it.

Changing the culture and building an identity was Roberts’ top priority heading into her first full WNBA season, and she believes the roster has fully bought in, a process that began with earning the players’ trust.

“They don’t care what you know until they know you care,” Roberts said. “I wanted to get them on board and get them bought in. And so then next year there can be more accountability and I can do a better job.”

Sparks coach Lynne Roberts talks with guard Julie Allemand during a break in play. Allemand will become a free agent this offseason.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Pebley said missing the playoffs has left everyone focused on accountability, at times, to a fault.

Plum is carrying the weight of coming to L.A. to win and falling short. Roberts is shouldering the responsibility of missing the mark of turning a perennial losing team into a winner, like she was hired to do. Pebley herself has been reflecting on the decisions she could have made differently.

“Like mature, experienced people that can gain perspective, do hold on to that self-accountability, but also start to move things into the right place,” Pebley said. “We want to get better, and we will. We’re very committed to doing that, and grateful that it’s not just on one of our shoulders.”

From his seat inside Allegiant Stadium last weekend, Jorge Morales surrounded himself with the UCLA football gameday essentials.

Pizza. Beer. The Bruins’ roster pulled up on his cellphone.

During the game’s first series, the lifelong fan saw No. 15 on the UCLA defense surge into the Nevada Las Vegas backfield. Morales wondered about the identity of this fast, feisty edge rusher and looked him up. It was Anthony Jones, a transfer from Michigan State.

Later, Morales watched No. 3 in coverage and commenced another search. It was defensive back Robert Stafford III, a transfer from Miami (Fla.).

UNLV’s Var’Keyes Gumms (30) stiff arms UCLA’s Cole Martin (21) while scoring a receiving touchdown at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev.

(Ian Maule / Getty Images)

Curious about the starting offensive linemen, Morales went back to his phone once more. He discovered a group that included three new starters in left tackle Courtland Ford and guards Eugene Brooks and Julian Armella — all transfers.

“I didn’t recognize any of the numbers,” Morales said.

Similar bewilderment was playing out in the San Diego living room of Ted Zeigler. Watching the game on his 65-inch television, the self-described hardcore Bruins fan also had the roster pulled up on his phone for ready reference, alternating between one screen and the other.

“This adds another dimension to watching the game that I wasn’t looking for,” Zeigler said. “I just feel disinterested.”

It’s hard to be a UCLA fan these days for reasons that go beyond the team’s 0-2 record. Few recognize more than a handful of names on a roster laden with 57 new players, including 37 transfers in their first season with the team.

The days of starting lineups rife with Bruins who have been in the program for two or three years may have gone the way of New Year’s Day bowl appearances for a team stuck in a decade-long funk.

All the new faces are a function of unlimited transfers in college football — Jones is attending his fourth college in as many years, after previous stops at Michigan State, Indiana and Oregon — and a need to restock the roster after the Bruins lost every starter on defense and seven on offense.

UCLA is hardly the only team experiencing such massive turnover, though that disclaimer has done little to lessen the growing detachment some fans feel watching a team only recognizable because of its uniforms.

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava looks to pass during a game against UNLV at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev.

(Ian Maule / Getty Images)

“College football’s changed,” Bruins coach DeShaun Foster said. “It’s not the same game it was when I played, it’s not the same game that it was when I started coaching and it’s evolving every day, basically.”

For Foster’s team, those changes have involved a curious lack of marketing of newcomers who presumably want to build their brands in an era when they are paid for their name, image and likeness.

From the start of training camp, Foster severely restricted media access. Reporters were allowed to observe stretching, individual drills and a handful of plays involving the offense facing the defense — and even those glimpses of team periods have been eliminated in recent weeks. Requests for feature story interviews involving players and a staff including eight new assistant coaches have largely been not just denied but ignored.

“It’s tough,” Foster said when asked about granting interviews for human-interest stories, “but we’re trying to win games.”

So where does that leave the fans? Some say they’re watching as much out of habit as interest, especially since they know so little about the team they have long loved.

“Foster shielding the media from camp and everything,” said Vic Deverian, a UCLA graduate and longtime season ticket-holder, “you didn’t get a chance to know who the players were, who looked good in practice — you didn’t know any of that stuff. So it’s kind of like going on a lot of blind dates — it’s like, I don’t know who you are but this is where I’m supposed to be on Saturday and I’m going to watch UCLA, but I don’t recognize these players at all.”

Among the new players Deverian has developed a fondness for in the season’s early going are slot receiver Mikey Matthews, quarterback Nico Iamaleava and running back Anthony Woods.

“He’s a talented running back,” Deverian said of Woods, who arrived at UCLA after previous stops at Utah and Idaho. “He needs to get the ball more.”

Utah linebacker Trey Reynolds (37) intercepts the ball as UCLA receiver Kwazi Gilmer (3) tries to stop him on Aug. 31 at the Rose Bowl.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

But how many of the new players will make more than a cameo appearance as Bruins? Iamaleava said in July that he hoped to head to the NFL after this season and as many as 33 players will have exhausted their eligibility by season’s end, possibly leading to another large group of transfers.

Foster said he didn’t want to dip so heavily into the transfer portal in future seasons, which would require extensive player retention and success in high school recruiting.

“If you can get guys and develop them, then they understand your culture, you know?” Foster said. “But when you’re getting new guys and you don’t have them for as long as you would like, they’re still learning the culture, you know?”

Longtime fan and UCLA graduate Travis Fuller said he felt especially close to the team growing up watching stars such as Cade McNown, Marcedes Lewis and Drew Olson because they spent multiple years in blue and gold, developing into widely known personalities.

Now, a high turnover rate is compounded by a lack of success for a program that hasn’t won much since coach Jim Mora guided the Bruins to a 10-3 season in 2014 while setting attendance records at the Rose Bowl.

Contrast that with what could be a record-low crowd Friday night when UCLA faces New Mexico (1-1) at the Rose Bowl given the confluence of weekday traffic, an opponent from the Mountain West Conference and a winless, largely anonymous batch of Bruins.

Lifelong fan Scott Detki, who acknowledged feeling more detached from the Bruins than usual, said he would be driven to learn about a successful team.

“I would be more attached if the team was actually winning,” Detki said, “because that would inspire me to be like, ‘Oh, who’s this guy? Where did he come from?’ It almost leads to more questions on what their story was.”

Then again, maybe there’s an upside to all of this unfamiliarity. As the Bruins fell behind by 23 points against UNLV last weekend, Morales found some comfort in knowing so little about his favorite team.

“It maybe made it a little easier to watch because I couldn’t get mad at any of the players,” Morales said with a laugh. “I don’t know who’s who, so I don’t know who I’m upset with.”

Roki Sasaki topped 100 mph a half-dozen times in four shutout innings of a rehab start for triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, pushing himself back into the conversation for a spot on the Dodgers’ postseason pitching staff.

“We’ve all got to huddle up and figure out what’s the next plan,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I personally don’t know Roki’s plan after tonight.”

Sasaki struggled through four rehab appearances and seemed to have dropped off the Dodgers’ radar. But he gave up just a hit through the first four innings Tuesday before tiring in the fifth, when he gave up three runs, two walks, two hits and a hit batter.

He threw 90 pitches, 52 for strikes, striking out eight and walking four.

It’s unlikely Sasaki, 23, will be considered for a spot in the rotation but he could pitch out of the bullpen.

“Anything’s possible,” Roberts said. “I know he wants to contribute. So we’ve just got to see where he fits in. And we’ll have that conversation as an organization.”

Sasaki went 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA in eight starts before going on the injured list with a shoulder impingement in mid-May. In his first four rehab starts for Oklahoma City, he gave up 17 hits and 11 earned runs in 14 innings.

The Dodgers’ bullpen is starting to get crowded, however, with left-hander Alex Vesia returning from the injured list Tuesday. Vesia was 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 59 games before going to the sidelines on Aug. 23 with a right oblique strain. Right-hander Ben Casparius was optioned to Oklahoma City to create a roster spot for Vesia. Casparius was 7-5 with a 4.64 ERA in 46 games.

Roberts said as the postseason roster begins to come together the decisions on who stays and who goes with 2 ½ weeks left in the regular season become harder.

“The conversation with Ben yesterday wasn’t fun for anyone,” he said. “It starts to get tougher.”

He’ll have to have another one of those talks Wednesday before activating utility player Tommy Edman from the injury list. Outfielder Justin Dean, who has appeared mostly as a defensive replacement, batting just twice in 18 games entering Tuesday, is the most likely to be sent down.

PITTSBURGH — Now is the time, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes, for his team’s intensity to rise.

And if the external pressures of a tight National League West race, postseason seeding implications and a looming World Series title defense in October don’t do it, then maybe, he hopes, increased internal battles for playing time will.

For a while on Tuesday night, in a series opener against the perpetually rebuilding Pittsburgh Pirates, the Dodgers showed fight. Clayton Kershaw gave up four runs in an ugly first inning, but the lineup clawed its way back to even the score — thanks, in part, to a 120-mph rocket of a home run from Shohei Ohtani in the third, his 46th of the season and 100th as a Dodger and a tying solo blast from Andy Pages in the fourth.

Kershaw, meanwhile, settled down to get through five innings without any more damage, retiring 13 of his final 15 batters to put the Dodgers in position for a come-from-behind win.

Instead…

The bullpen faltered, with Edgardo Henriquez (who hadn’t given up a run in his first 12 outings this year) and Blake Treinen (who had finally started looking like himself again after an early-season elbow injury) combining for three runs conceded to break the tie in the sixth.

The lineup couldn’t overcome another big deficit, scoring twice in the seventh only for the Pirates to get the runs back in the next two innings.

And once more, the Dodgers fell to a team miles behind them in the standings, losing 9-7 at PNC Park to drop their 10th game out of the last 14 against opponents with losing records this season.

“There were different points in the game that we showed some life,” Roberts said. “And then, unfortunately, we just couldn’t kind of put up that zero to build off of it.”

Still, the Dodgers’ inability to beat bad teams has underscored a persistent issue with the club.

They’ve been inconsistent, struggling to stack clean performances or any semblance of an extended winning streak. They’ve at times lacked urgency, failing to pull away from the slumping Padres in the division or get back in position for a top-two NL playoff seed (which would give them an all-important first-round bye in the postseason).

For all their efforts to rally on Tuesday, they also saw each of their three outfielders fail to snag tough but catchable balls, an eighth-inning wild pitch by Anthony Banda led to one key insurance run and a general lack of execution cost them in other key spots (like when they managed only one run from a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the second).

“Obviously we didn’t play well. We all know that,” shortstop Mookie Betts said. “Don’t have to necessarily have a team come-to-Jesus [moment] about it. We’ve just got to find ways to win games. There’s no secret formula about it. It doesn’t matter if a team’s below .500 or above .500. Especially right now, we’ve got to find ways to win games. We’re not doing it.”

Still, neither a soft spot in the schedule nor the realities of the calendar has remedied that issue.

Thus, Roberts highlighted another potential solution in his pregame address — acknowledging that players who don’t step up their performance soon could see their playing time get cut as the roster returns to full health.

“We got some guys coming back, and guys are gonna get opportunities,” Roberts said. “As we get into September, where all these games certainly matter, you got to have guys that you trust.”

On Monday, when MLB rosters expanded to 28 players at the start of September, the Dodgers (78-60) activated two key pieces from the injured list: Infielder Hyeseong Kim, who had been out since late July with a shoulder injury; and reliever Michael Kopech, who had been limited to eight appearances this year because of arm troubles and a meniscus surgery in his knee.

Next homestand, more reinforcements could be on the way, with Max Muncy and Tommy Edman beginning rehab assignments with triple-A Oklahoma City this week.

Before long, the Dodgers’ long-shorthanded depth chart could suddenly be crowded. And as a result, tough decisions could loom in left field, at second base and in the bullpen — forcing the issues for a number of players at various spots on the roster.

“I do think just kind of naturally it raises the level of performance and intensity,” Roberts said, pointing to veteran infielder Miguel Rojas as one example of someone who is “fighting for playing time” with recently improved play.

“I tip my cap to him,” Roberts said. “I’m expecting that from a lot of other guys as well.”

Roberts said Edman will play mostly center fielder during his rehab stint, something he had been unable to do earlier this season while battling an ankle injury. Once he’s back, that means someone such as Michael Conforto (who went 0-for-three with a walk Tuesday to dip to .189 on the season in batting average) could drop to the bench, leaving the corner outfield spots for Pages and Teoscar Hernández.

In the infield, Kim will likely figure in at second base (though could also kick out to left field, where he saw time during his own recent rehab assignment). That will create one more slice in an infield pie that is already being divvied between Rojas, Kiké Hernandez and Alex Freeland. Once Muncy is back at third, at-bats will be at even more of a premium.

The same situation could unfold in the bullpen, which will also get Alex Vesia and Brock Stewart back this month from their own injuries. That will raise the pressure on struggling offseason signings Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates to continue earning leverage opportunities.

How it all shakes out remains unclear.

But where there are more options, the Dodgers believe, better production — and intensity — will follow. To this point, nothing else seems to be consistently raising the team’s level of play.

The Chargers gave up the fewest points in the NFL last season (301) and will need that kind of stout performance again to get a firm foothold in the AFC West.

They will be tested right away, as they open in Brazil against the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs — a team the Chargers haven’t beaten since 2021 — then face Las Vegas and Denver in the following two weeks. All three division opponents in a row.

Coach Jim Harbaugh was especially pleased with his defense after it notched a strip sack and made a goal-line stand in a preseason victory over New Orleans.

“They just played with a lot of want-to and I’m thrilled with that,” Harbaugh told reporters. “I love guys that play like they want to be on this team. They want to show that they belong. That’s the way they practice and that’s the way they go out and play in the game. That warms the cockles of the heart.”

The defense is transitioning from a familiar fixture. Although his production had tailed off the past few years, Joey Bosa was a stalwart for this team since 2016, predating the club’s move to Los Angeles. The five-time Pro Bowl defensive end signed a one-year deal with Buffalo in March. The Chargers have moved on.

The leader up front is Khalil Mack, who is entering his 12th season and pointed to Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz in explaining why he decided to re-sign with the franchise this offseason.

“Why not here?” Mack asked reporters. “Got tremendous leadership here. … Knowing what Coach Harbaugh is building and what Joe is building, that was a no-brainer.”

It might be an outlier, as he’s typically in single digits for the season, but Mack had 17 sacks in 2023.

Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack will once again be at the forefront of the team’s pass-rushing effort.

(Peter Aiken / Associated Press)

A promising disruptor off the edge is former USC standout Tuli Tuipulotu, who had 8½ sacks last season.

“My standard is to play Khalil,” he told reporters of entering his third season. “He is the standard, that’s what I’m chasing.”

Another seasoned veteran in the rotation is Bud Dupree, who played in all 18 games last season and was tied for second with six sacks. The 11-year veteran re-signed with the team this summer.

A youth infusion could come from outside linebackers Caleb Murphy, in his second season, and rookie Kyle Kennard, who was SEC Defensive Player of the Year at South Carolina last season.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh congratulates defensive tackle Teair Tart after a win over the Raiders in September 2024.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Moving to the interior of the defensive line, the Chargers leaned on Teair Tart and Otito Ogbonnia last season, and in an effort to get deeper and similarly athletic at the position, signed veterans Naquan Jones and Da’Shawn Hand.

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has praised Ogbonnia’s improved footwork and counter moves in camp.

Jones played with Tennessee and Arizona over the past four seasons and adds depth to the rotation along with Hand, who played with Detroit, Tennessee and Miami during the past six years.

A player to watch is 340-pound rookie Jamaree Caldwell, who is coming off a strong showing at camp.

Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley could be primed for a breakout season.

(Denis Poroy / Associated Press)

Backing up that defensive front in the middle is Denzel Perryman, the veteran of the linebacker group. He’s in his second stint with the Chargers after brief stays with the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans. He was arrested on a felony weapons charge during training camp, although no criminal charges have been filed in the case.

Among the defenders to watch is Daiyan Henley, a third-year linebacker who had 147 tackles last season, 10½ of those behind the line of scrimmage.

Harbaugh called him “a shining star… ascending to be a superstar.”

Rookie Marlowe Wax was spectacular in the preseason finale against San Francisco, making key tackles all over the place, so it will be worth watching whether he can continue that production when it counts.

The Chargers didn’t break the bank in free agency, but they did open their wallet wide for cornerback Donte Jackson, who had five interceptions for Pittsburgh last season after spending six years with Carolina.

Second-year corners Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still were pressed into duty last season and join Jackson as starters, with Still on the third receiver. There’s going to be a lot of passing in the AFC West with opposing quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix and Geno Smith lurking.

The Chargers had 15 interceptions last season, almost one per game, putting them in the top quarter of the league.

Minter said during camp that he considers corner Benjamin St-Juste a “fourth starter.”

A young corner to watch is Nikko Reed, who had a pick-six in the Hall of Fame Game and consistently made big plays throughout camp.

“Derwin James told me Reed is a baller,” Harbaugh said. “I’m now agreeing with that statement.”

As for James, he rivals quarterback Justin Herbert as the best player on the roster.

Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. will once again be the biggest force in the secondary this season.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“I know when Derwin’s there, he’s going to be a wrecker,” Still told reporters. “It’s kind of like, he’s on the side of me and I got to know how he’s going to fit the run, what is he going to do in pass, if I can help him or how I can protect him, how he can protect me.”

Put bluntly by Jackson, intending this as a compliment: “I think DJ’s brain is a football. Literally, you open his head there’s probably a football in there.”

The Chargers line up James all over the defense.

Penciled in to start at free safety is Alohi Gilman, who is entering the final year of his contract. Elijah Molden and rookie R.J. Mickens figure to make significant contributions.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. The way I see it, the Dodgers needed to go 21-10 in their final 31 games to win the NL West (remember, they only have to tie the Padres), which meant the Padres would have to go 22-9. Right now the Dodgers are 3-0, the Padres are 1-2.

The Dodgers made a couple of changes since the last newsletter. Kiké Hernández was activated from the IL, which brings to an end the Buddy Kennedy era of the Dodgers. He was designated for assignment.

The Dodgers also activated relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates from the IL. If they return and pitch like they did last season, then it’s like the Dodgers acquired two great relievers at the trade deadline. We’ll have to wait and see. To make room for Scott and Yates, reliever Matt Sauer was sent to the minors and Blake Snell was added to the paternity list.

Snell spent a couple of days on the paternity list then was activated when the Dodgers put reliever Alex Vesia on the IL. Vesia has a strained right oblique, which is the same thing sidelining Max Muncy. The external oblique muscle is one of the outer abdominal muscles, extending from the lower half of the ribs around and down to the pelvis. These guys wouldn’t strain their obliques if they would insulate them in a nice layer or two of fat like I have.

Freddie Freeman is dealing with a neck issue, Alex Call has a sore back.

Right now, the Dodgers 26-man roster is:

Pitchers
*Anthony Banda
Ben Casparius
*Jack Dreyer
Tyler Glasnow
Edgardo Henriquez
*Clayton Kershaw
*Tanner Scott
Emmet Sheehan
*Blake Snell
Blake Treinen
*Justin Wrobleski
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Kirby Yates

*-left-handed

Two-way players
Shohei Ohtani

Catchers
Dalton Rushing
Will Smith

Infielders
Mookie Betts
Alex Freeland
Freddie Freeman
Kiké Hernández
Miguel Rojas

Outfielders
Alex Call
Michael Conforto
Justin Dean
Teoscar Hernández
Andy Pages

Beginning Monday, clubs can expand their rosters to 28, with no more than 14 pitchers. The Dodgers have the following players who could be coming off the IL in September: Vesia, Muncy, reliever Michael Kopech, pitcher Roki Sasaki, utility players Hyeseong Kim and Tommy Edman.

If all six of them are activated, which four players from the current roster go bye bye? Wrobelski, Dean. Who else? Or will there be an injury or two to open a spot? (Knowing the Dodgers, probably.) Which 26 players will make the postseason roster? Who will be the starting pitchers in the postseason?

It will be interesting to watch.

A different view

Once again, in the quest to give you some different voices to hear from during the season, I have reached out to Clint Pasillas, the host and creator of “All Dodgers,” a (mostly) daily YouTube live podcast (you can watch it here), and co-host of “Dodgers Territory” with Alanna Rizzo on the Foul Territory Network (you can watch it here). He’s been writing about, talking about, tweeting about the Dodgers online since 2008.

This interview was conducted via email.

Q. How did you become a Dodger fan?

Pasillas: Simply put, I became a diehard fan by going to my first game. It wasn’t an important game by any stretch of the imagination — Dodgers vs Marlins in some mostly meaningless late-August game in 2002. Up to that point, I had watched the team off and on when games were on KTLA 5 for years. But going to that first game… showing up late (like a true Dodger fan) and hearing this insane roar of the crowd from the stadium through my rolled down window in my car while looking to find spot in the parking lot. In that moment, I was hooked.

That crowd roar, by the way, was a Dodger homer off the bat of Mike Kinkade. The Dodgers won it on a walk-off that night. Shawn Green doubled home Adrian Beltré. Good times!

Q. How important do you think it is for the Dodgers to win the NL West this season?

Pasillas: I feel like it’s massive. Avoiding a short wild-card series will do wonders for my heart, for one. Of course, it’ll also be beneficial to get some rest after the grind of 162. At least now that the Dodgers have seemingly cracked the code to surviving those five days off. Plus, lining up the rotation the way they want never hurts.

Quieting Padres fans is a fun reason to win the division as well.

Q. A genie grants your wish and says you are the owner of the Dodgers and can make three immediate changes. What changes do you make? And keep in mind it doesn’t have to be player changes.

Pasillas: If I have a genie, I’m assuming I’m already immensely wealthy (having used a wish on mad cash). So, making money to me wouldn’t be as critical in this hypothetical. With that set up out of the way, as the magic, genie-wielding owner of the Dodgers, I would make the ballpark experience affordable for fans again. Parking prices down. Ticket prices reasonable. Concessions not insane. Is that three wishes or four?

Q. If the postseason started tomorrow, and assuming all the players who are expected back from the IL do come back from the IL, what would be your 26-man postseason roster?

Pasillas:

Pitchers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (rotation)
Blake Snell (rotation)
Shohei Ohtani (rotation)
Clayton Kershaw (rotation)
Anthony Banda
Ben Casparius
Jack Dreyer
Tyler Glasnow
Edgardo Henriquez
Michael Kopech
Tanner Scott
Emmet Sheehan
Blake Treinen
Alex Vesia
(Sorry, Kirby)

Position Players
DH Shohei Ohtani
C Will Smith
1B Freddie Freeman
2B Kiké Hernandez
3B Max Muncy
SS Mookie Betts
LF Teoscar Hernandez
CF Tommy Edman
RF Andy Pages
Bench Dalton Rushing
Bench Miguel Rojas
Bench Hyeseong Kim
Bench Alex Call

Q. When would you have given up on Michael Conforto?

Pasillas: January 26, 1986, when the Bears won the Super Bowl (shout out Chris Farley for that one). My real answer… likely June?

Q. Who are your three favorites to win the World Series?

Pasillas: Dodgers in 5, Dodgers in 4, Dodgers in 6.

A different race

The race for the NL batting title is going to be interesting to follow. Here are the top seven after Thursday’s games:

Freddie Freeman, .302 (.292 over last seven days)
Trea Turner, Philadelphia, .299 (.185)
Sal Frelick, Milwaukee, .298 (.280)
Will Smith, .295 (.118)
Nico Hoerner, Chicago, .290 (.318)
Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona, .290 (.429)
Ketel Marte, Arizona, .289 (.238)

Dropping out of the top seven since we last checked: Manny Machado, Xavier Edwards. Joining the list: Perdomo and Marte.

The postseason

Here’s how the postseason race pans out after Thursday’s games.

NL
1. Milwaukee, 83-52
2. Philadelphia, 77-57
3. Dodgers, 77-57

wild-cards
4. Chicago, 76-58
5. San Diego, 75-59
6. New York, 72-62

7. Cincinnati, 68-66
8. San Francisco, 66-68

AL
1. Toronto, 78-56
2. Detroit, 78-57
3. Houston, 74-60

wild-cards
4. Boston, 75-60
5. New York, 74-60
6. Seattle, 72-62

7. Kansas City, 69-65
8. Texas, 68-67
9. Cleveland, 66-66

The Dodgers have three games remaining with Philadelphia, which could be crucial in determining the No. 2 seed. Right now, the Phillies lead the season series, 2-1. Whoever wins the season series has the tiebreaker advantage. If they tie, 3-3, in games, then the second tiebreaker is record within their own division. Right now, the Dodgers are 25-11 against the West and the Phillies are 21-18 against the East.

The top two teams in each league get a first-round bye. The other four teams in each league play in the best-of-three wild-card round, with No. 3 hosting all three games against No. 6, and No. 4 hosting all three against No. 5.

The division winners are guaranteed to get the top three seeds, even if a wild-card team has a better record.

In the best-of-five second round, No. 1 hosts the No. 4-5 winner and No. 2 hosts the No. 3-6 winner. That way the No. 1 seed is guaranteed not to play a divisional winner until the LCS.

Comparing the innings

Just to show you how much baseball can change even in a period as short as 10 years, let’s look at the Dodgers innings-pitched leaders every 10 years starting in 1965:

1965
Sandy Koufax, 335.2 (8.14 innings per start)
Don Drysdale, 308.1 (7.32)
Claude Osteen, 287 (7.18)

Dodgers used 12 pitchers and had 58 complete games.

1975
Andy Messersmith, 321.2 (7.98)
Doug Rau, 257.2 (6.78)
Don Sutton, 254.1 (7.27)

Dodgers used 14 pitchers and had 51 complete games.

1985
Fernando Valenzuela, 272.1 (7.78)
Orel Hershiser, 239.2 (6.90)
Jerry Reuss, 212.2 (6.38)

Dodgers used 14 pitchers and had 37 complete games.

1995
Ramón Martínez, 206.1 (6.88)
Ismael Valdéz, 197.2 (6.96)
Hideo Nomo, 191.1 (6.83)

Dodgers used 21 pitchers and had 16 complete games

2005
Jeff Weaver, 224 (6.59)
Derek Lowe, 222 (6.34)
Brad Penny, 175.1 (6.05)

Dodgers used 20 pitchers and had six complete games

2015
Clayton Kershaw, 232.2 (7.1 innings per start)
Zack Greinke, 222.2 (6.94)
Brett Anderson, 180.1 (5.81

Dodgers used 31 pitchers and had six complete games.

2025
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 139.2 (5.59)
Dustin May, 104 (5.52)
Clayton Kershaw, 88.1 (5.2)

Dodgers have used 39 pitchers and have no complete games.

Odd stat alert

Will Smith has more sacrifice flies since 2020 than any other player in the majors.

1. Smith, 41
2. Eugenio Suarez, 40
3. Xander Bogaerts, 35
4. Cody Bellinger, 33
4. Ryan Mountcastle, 33

The next highest Dodger is Freddie Freeman, tied for 18th place with 27

The new schedule is here!

You hopefully read that headline for this topic in the same manner as Steve Martin when the new phone book arrived in “The Jerk.”

The 2026 Dodgers schedule was released earlier this week. They open at home on March 26 against Arizona and their final game is Sept. 24 against San Diego before they close the season with three games at San Francisco. No game times have been announced, but you can check out the schedule by clicking here.

Up next

Friday: Arizona (Zac Gallen, 9-13, 5.13 ERA) at Dodgers (*Blake Snell, 3-2, 1.97 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Arizona (*Eduardo Rodriguez, 5-8, 5.67 ERA) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 1-2, 3.36 ERA), 6:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Arizona (Brandon Pfaadt, 12-8, 5.24 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 11-8, 2.90 ERA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers draft pick Sam Horn is also competing for Missouri’s starting quarterback job

Shaikin: How Shohei Ohtani turned the Dodgers into a global entertainment gateway

Shaikin: The National League has one .300 hitter. What’s up with that?

BTS singer V surprises broadcasters at Dodger Stadium by being athletic

10 things to know about the Dodgers’ 2026 schedule. When do they play the Padres?

MLB relief pitcher of the year award to honor an essential role — just ask the Dodgers

And finally

Rick Monday hits a clutch home run against Montreal in Game 5 of the 1981 NLCS. 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 [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Ferguson, a second-round draft pick from Oregon, made his debut after sitting out the first two preseason games because of a hamstring injury.

Ferguson was quiet the first quarter, but in the second he got a chance to show why the Rams selected him to be the heir apparent to veteran tight end Tyler Higbee.

Lining up in the left slot, the 6-foot-5, 247-pound Ferguson broke toward the sideline and made an over-the-shoulder catch for a 33-yard gain. Ferguson, not realizing he slid out of bounds, got to his feet and ran to the end zone.

“It was a big thing for me to have that first catch and be able to stretch the field a little bit, showcase some vertical speed,” Ferguson said during the television broadcast.

A few plays later, Ferguson lined up in the right slot, caught a short pass and turned it into a 15-yard gain.

That was all coach Sean McVay and his staff needed to see.

“You feel him,” McVay told reporters in Cleveland after the game. “He’s just got a nice pace to his game. Thought it was great to be able to get him out there.”

Ferguson showed he will be a factor in a tight end group that also includes Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen.

By Tuesday, NFL teams must cut their rosters to 53 players.

So the Rams’ third preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday in Cleveland is the final opportunity for coach Sean McVay and his staff — and other pro teams — to evaluate players.

“We have a good idea of what a handful of things look like,” McVay said of the roster, adding, “while also knowing that hey, things can change with the snap of a finger, if you will, just because of injuries and some of the uncertainty.

“I’m looking forward to watching a handful of guys compete because there are still some spots to be determined.”

Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who practiced for the first time this week, will rest his back and not make the trip. McVay said he was still determining which other players would not make the trip.

Here are five things to watch when the Rams face the Cleveland Browns on Saturday at 10 a.m. PDT (ABC):

Through the first two weeks of USC’s preseason football camp, Prophet Brown had established himself as one of the early standouts in a crowded cornerback room.

But Brown’s breakout was cut short this week, when the redshirt junior suffered a noncontact injury during USC’s practice that’s expected to keep him out for the foreseeable future.

The timeline for his return remains uncertain. USC coach Lincoln Riley suggested the team would definitely be without him “for the first few games” but was still “hopeful to get him back here at some point.”

“Hate it for him because he’s been playing really well,” Riley said. “Obviously has had one of the more rapid ascents [this fall] in terms of all the years that he’s been here.”

USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn had just singled out Brown on Wednesday night as “one of the guys we trust most on defense.”

“He’s taken a big step,” Lynn said. “Outside of [safety] Kamari [Ramsey], I would say there’s no one on the back end that knows the defense quite like him.”

Brown had taken reps at all three corner spots since the beginning of camp, but was widely believed to be the favorite to start at slot corner. The only other player on USC’s roster with more than a handful of snaps in the slot during his college career is transfer corner DJ Harvey.

Lynn said on Wednesday that Harvey was getting some reps at slot corner.

“He’s a guy from a skill set standpoint that can do all three [corner positions],” Lynn said. “So we’re trying to get him as many reps at those slots as possible, to try to see which one is his best spot.”

Chasen Johnson, a transfer from Central Florida, and DeCarlos Nicholson were both expected to compete for outside corner spots and have minimal experience in the slot.

Until Friday, USC had felt pretty good about its depth at the position. But losing Brown is a significant blow, one that will put more pressure on young defensive backs to contribute early.

Riley also mentioned Braylon Conley and Marcelles Williams as corners who impressed in camp and could step up in Brown’s place.

Feeling good up front

At the start of camp, no position on USC’s roster appeared, on paper, to be as big of a concern as the offensive line, where the Trojans have to replace three starters from a group that already struggled a year ago.

But nearing the midway point of camp, Riley said he feels better about depth up front than he did in the spring.

“I like this group a lot,” Riley said. “Some young guys that have really come on fast. Give credit to Coach [Zach] Hanson for the development of these guys because we’ve got some guys who are rapidly improving.”

Among those who have surprised Riley: Guards Hayden Treter and Micah Banuelos, both of whom have dealt with injuries since coming to USC.

Both will likely be needed this season, given the lack of proven options otherwise.

Etc.

Star wideout Ja’Kobi Lane [unspecified injury] has yet to fully participate in USC’s preseason practices, but is expected to begin “ramping up” in the coming days, Riley said.

The Indiana Fever arrived in Los Angeles draped in momentum: Five straight wins, a knack for winning without Caitlin Clark and betting lines tilting their way. Their tear was proof they could keep pace even with their franchise centerpiece in street clothes.

But another storyline might’ve been tucked beneath Indiana’s.

The Sparks had ripped off six wins in their previous seven outings, probably fueled by the rare luxury of having every piece of their roster back for the first time in more than a year. And by night’s end at Crypto.com Arena, they had won seven of eight, the Sparks grinding out a 100-91 victory.

“Tonight was a great step in the right direction,” guard Kelsey Plum said. “That’s an incredible team, and they’re as hot as anyone. … They got everything it takes to make a run for a championship. So for us to come out and have that level of intensity, I was really proud.”

Sidelined since July 15 with a right groin injury, Clark never touched the hardwood Tuesday. But her presence was impossible to miss.

About an hour before tip‑off, Clark entered the arena to a wave of shrieks. Fans crammed shoulder‑to‑shoulder against the banisters and barricades, stretching jerseys, bobbleheads and posters toward her for autographs. But once the ball went up, Clark left her imprint not in ink but as an assistant coach to her Fever squad.

For all of Clark’s fire from the bench, the Sparks (13-15) seized on her absence to wrest control from one of the league’s hottest teams and move closer to a playoff berth.

“We’ve got enough pieces and talents to make a playoff run,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “We just got to keep our foot on the gas. As I always say, we didn’t come into the season saying we wanted to beat Indiana at home. We came in the season saying we want to make the playoffs.”

Roberts, who has spent much of the season juggling lineups amid injuries and roster turnover, can finally exhale, with a healthy starting five, Cameron Brink back in uniform and a bench ready to contribute.

With stable rotations came steady results. Plum set the night’s tempo, piling up 25 points and 11 assists. Around her, the Sparks’ scoring core — Rickea Jackson matching with 25, Dearica Hamby dropping 16 and Azurá Stevens racking up 19 — kept the scoreboard humming. Julie Allemand steered the offense in sync, dishing out seven assists to go with five points and eight rebounds.

We all in this room know she [Plum] can go for 40,” Roberts said, “but she wants to win more than go for 30. And if going for 40 is what it takes to win, then she’ll do it. But tonight, she gained so much attention from the other team’s scouting report — as she should — but she’s … trying to win.”

Midway through the first quarter, Brink checked in, snagged a couple of boards, and promptly stuffed a shot by 6‑foot‑2 Natasha Howard for the first of five rejections on the night.

“We’re just getting that chemistry on and off the court,” Jackson said. “But when we’re playing like that and feeding off each other’s energy, that’s fine, and that’s when we’re going on our runs, and that’s when we’re not flinching because we trust each other that much.”

After Rae Burrell spun in an acrobatic layup to put the Sparks ahead 32‑30, they never loosened their grip, stretching the lead to 90‑68 midway through the third quarter. But Aari McDonald and Kelsey Mitchell sparked a 21‑5 run that, suddenly, had the game uncomfortably tight with under two minutes remaining.

But in a building where wins have been scarce, the Sparks clutched this one tight and handed it back to the L.A. faithful.

Sex toy tossed on court

A sex toy landed near Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham after it was thrown from the stands.

The incident occurred with 2:05 left in the second quarter, with the object landing in the lane near Cunningham, who had been vocal on social media admonishing fans for throwing sex toys on the court during other games. The Fever forward jumped back in surprise and then Plum kicked it into the stands.

“I think its ridiculous, it’s dumb, it’s stupid,” Roberts said. “It’s also dangerous and players’ safety is number one. Respecting the game. All those things. I think it’s really stupid.”

Plum added that she thought both teams did a great job “playing on, don’t give it any attention. The refs too, I really appreciate them too, was just like hey let’s go.”

Cunningham walked over to the Sparks bench and was laughing about it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Basketball usually took a backseat in early conversations between Eric Musselman and prized recruit Alijah Arenas.

On one side was a teenage phenom navigating an early jump to college. On another was a USC men’s basketball coach seemingly more interested in other aspects of Arenas’ life, including his mood, when he woke up and how he made sense of the people and the world around him.

So when USC’s coach stood in front of the Galen Center’s vibrant new scoreboard Friday morning — two days after it was announced that Arenas would miss six to eight months with a knee injury — Musselman found himself stammering, stitching together the words to encapsulate what the freshman meant to him.

“I probably feel closer to him than anybody that I’ve coached in a two-month span since he’s been on campus,” Musselman said.

The bond has already weathered more than most would in four years.

First came the reclassification — Arenas skipped his senior year of high school to join USC. Then came the rush course into collegiate basketball as he prepared spring practice. Then, on April 25, Arenas was in a serious car crash that led to him being placed into a coma.

After recovering from his injuries, Arenas was barely two weeks back from being medically cleared to practice when he sustained a slight meniscus tear and bone bruise.

But even in those 14 days — and just one full practice with Musselman present — Arenas proved enough to be the centerpiece of his coach’s vision for USC.

“We built the roster around some of the stuff that he could do, and knowing that he could play the one and the two, and when he played the one, would have great length,” Musselman said. “And I told people from the beginning of the recruiting process what a great passer he was.”

At 6 feet 7, Arenas averaged 30.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game at Chatsworth High before landing 13th in ESPN’s Class of 2025.

In Arenas’ absence, Musselman said he has weighed adding a 14th player to the roster, but would do so only if it “could help us.” The bigger hurdle, the coach added, would be revenue-sharing limits.

Arenas will still be traveling, learning and rehabbing alongside USC. And he’ll continue to shadow Musselman in a role the coach never had to explain to him.

“To some people during the recruiting process, you call them and you can’t wait to get off the phone, and you’re just kind of calling them to try to develop a relationship,” Musselman said. “The reason that Alijah and I are in such a good spot is because he picked up the phone when I called him.

He added: “We already had a built-in trust before he got here.”

Etc.

Musselman said Friday that Terrance Williams II (wrist), whose injury he called “one of the weirdest injuries I’ve seen,” will return Aug. 25 when the Trojans report for practice on the first day of the academic year. … Musselman noted that Jordan Marsh has been the team’s “biggest surprise” of the summer, while Rodney Rice will take over as the Trojans’ primary ball handler.

As Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank conducted his Zoom with the media Saturday from the team’s practice facility, he looked to his right and mentioned how James Harden was in the gym working out and how Harden played a pivotal role in the team signing free-agent guard Bradley Beal.

But Frank is not done building a roster to compete in the rugged Western Conference, indicating that signing former Clippers guard Chris Paul is high on their list.

There have been so many rumors about Paul wanting to play for the Clippers in the upcoming season, about how he wanted to be close to his family in the Los Angeles area, and how the Clippers had interest in him returning to the franchise.

Frank didn’t shy away from how the Clippers view having Paul on the roster.

“He obviously possesses some of the qualities we just referenced about and of course we’re strongly, strongly considering him,” Frank said.

Paul, 40, played in all 82 games last season with the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 28.0 minutes per game, 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and shot 42.7% from the field.

He spent six years with the Clippers, from 2011-12 until the 2016-17 season, and ushered in the “Lob City” era with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

“What I’d say about Chris is he’s a great player,” Frank said. “He’s a great Clipper.”

Paul was traded in June of 2017 to the Houston Rockets, where he became a teammate of Harden.

Over the course of his 20-year career, Paul averaged 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and shot 47% from the field and 37% from three-point range.

If the Clippers do sign him, they will have three point guards — Harden, Kris Dunn and Paul.

Frank said the Clippers want to “lean into the ballhandling and playmaking” as they look to complete the roster.

“What we’ve seen is sometimes the problem of having too many guys and how that can impact the team,” Frank said. “So, we’ve learned from those lessons and I think the conversations that we have with anyone who’s going to join the Clippers next, they understand it’s a reserve role. They understand that kind of going into camp exactly what it looks like. So there’s no preconceived misconceptions yet.”

Adding Paul would give the Clippers five veteran guards — Harden, Beal, Paul, Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanonic — on a team that typically rotates 10 players during a game under coach Tyronn Lue’s system.

Harden played in 79 games last season and he averaged 35.3 minutes per game, ranking him 16th in the NBA. He averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds and shot 41% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range.

He’ll be 36 in August and having more playmaking guards like Paul will relieve some of the pressure off Harden.

“The reality is for any NBA team, the amount of times you have your top 10 all available, it’s usually 21 to 25 times throughout the course of a year,” Frank said. “So, you literally need everyone on your roster to be able to contribute. But to your point, because we do have a lot of versatility. …

“So, Brad Beal could give us more playmaking with the ball. … Kris Dunn can be the backup point guard. Bogdan can handle along with James. You just want to put everything on the table and then find the best person who can have total role acceptance and awareness and still if needed to play can play.”

Beal, 32, signed a two-year, $11-million deal with the Clippers, with a player option after next season. He averaged 17.0 points last season with the Phoenix Suns and shot 49.7% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range.

Beal probably will be the starting two guard next to Harden.

“As you guys know, Brad is a gifted two-way player who’s a three-level scorer who can create offense for himself and others,” Frank said. “He brings additional ball-handling, play-making and shooting to the group areas we wanted to upgrade.”