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Guy Ritchie is back on Netflix this week with his big name cast for Season Two of hit series The Gentleman

Guy Ritchie admitted the success of his drugs thriller The Gentlemen “surprised” him and made him work even harder on the follow up series. The Gentlemen became a global success when the series launched in March 2024, having reached the global Top 10 in over 90 countries and securing the number one spot in 75. Between 2024-2025 the series generated 100 million views globally.

Speaking at a London press conference to launch the second season of The Gentlemen, Creator, Writer and Executive Producer Ritchie said: “We were quite surprised by the interest that season one provoked. And then of course the challenge is how do you keep this live and interesting.

“We have paid more attention to the second season but our principle challenge is to evoke an unpredictable but enough of the same world where we were stimulated. And the audience would feel they were given enough of something new, but a meal that they were anticipating. We are trying to thread the needle of something new and provocative and something that is also familiar enough.”

The award-winning filmmaker also discussed the difficulties of trying to come up with a story which was “new and provocative” whilst also being “familiar enough”.

“The scripts, to some degree, write themselves as characters do,” Ritchie added. “Once characters have been given a voice, it’s odd how they can unfurl their characteristics and subsequently the drama that thereby follows.”

The first season followed aristocratic Eddie Horniman, played by Theo James, who inherits the family estate and discovers that it is home to a huge weed empire. In a separate interview with other media, actor Theo was asked about the rumours of Meghan Markle making her acting comeback in Season Three, which is yet to begin filming.

“I think that is just a rumour,” Theo responded. “I don’t even know the practicalities of how one would make that happen.”

Ritchie and other cast were not asked about Meghan possible involvement at the drama’s main global press conference, despite questions being submitted on the subject.

Manda Levin, Netflix ’s scripted chief in the UK, cryptically said last week “all bets are off” when asked about Meghan.

The Gentlemen also stars Skins actress Kaya Scodelario, who plays Susie Glass. Susie teamed up in business with Eddie in the first series and is the daughter of Ray Winstone’s character Bobby Glass. On working with Winstone, 34-year-old Kaya said: “Some days I’d go home, having spent 12 hours on set honestly feeling like I’ve grown as an actor.

“Working with Ray really is a masterclass. I’ve also learned how funny and kind Ray is and that you can be both this sort of scary East End guy and also a feminist. But then Ray’s the father of three daughters so what do you expect?”

The second series begins a year on from when Eddie and Susie joined forces to work together in Bobby’s criminal empire overseas. But Bobby is making some dubious decisions which seem to be increasingly unsound and the duo have to decide what to do next.

There is also a growing tension between the pair when it comes to business.

Other cast members who attended the premiere in London’s Guildhall included Vinnie Jones, Joely Richardson, Hugh Bonneville and Chris Eubanks Jnr.

* The Gentlemen Season 2 launches September 3/today.

After sparse attendance during USC’s season-opening win over San José State turned the Trojans into a national punchline during the weekend, USC coach Lincoln Riley responded Tuesday, dismissing what he called a “false narrative” being spread about the program in recent days.

“I think that comes from a lot of people who don’t follow our program, most of those who have never stepped foot in the Coliseum,” Riley said. “The reality is, during my years here, attendance has gone up every single year. As has our play in the Coliseum, including running the table last year in front of a lot of epic atmospheres. And I expect that to happen again this year.”

Average attendance for USC football games at the Coliseum actually dropped from the 2024 to the 2025 season, from an average of 71,571 to 67,783. But the 2025 season also featured fewer marquee home matchups, plus one game soaked by heavy rain (Iowa), and it was still the second-best average attendance of Riley’s four seasons as coach.

Saturday, though, marked the smallest home crowd at USC since late in the 2018 season, when the Trojans had their worst finish for the program in a quarter century, under former coach Clay Helton.

Much of that was due to the scorching heat throughout the Southland, which reached a heat index about 100 at the Coliseum on Saturday. It was so hot and humid that Lee Feaster, a native Texas and the father of freshman wideout Boobie Feaster, said on Tuesday that his wife passed out during the game and still had blisters.

But the attendance announced by USC — 51,144 — admittedly felt generous.

Attendance was that low just once under Helton, for a 38-35 loss to Arizona State, the weekend before Halloween in 2018. But average attendance plummeted after the 2017 season as fan sentiment turned on Helton. For the rest of Helton’s tenure, from 2018 to the start of 2021, USC reached the 60,000-fan mark just four times.

Empty swaths of Coliseum bleachers hadn’t been as much of a concern for Riley, who had never fallen below the 60,000-fan mark at home until Saturday. But as photos of the poor attendance circulated on social media during the weekend, USC chose to release a statement responding to the online derision.

“We understand the factors that impacted Saturday’s attendance,” the statement read. “We have high expectations and a premier home schedule this season, and we know the competitive advantage an electric Coliseum atmosphere can provide our program. We thank our fans who showed up Saturday and look forward to seeing increased attendance the rest of the season.”

The response, though, only poured gasoline on a viral fire.

By Monday, the conversation had crossed over from critical posts on social media to Riley’s coaching peers roasting USC, starting with his alma mater.

“Not to take any shots because I have a lot of respect for USC and Lincoln Riley, but man it’s really awesome to be playing Lubbock, Texas, in front of 60,000,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “And it’s going to be warm. It’s going to be every bit as warm as it was Saturday. The great thing is we’ve got some really tough people in West Texas that love their football. They’re gonna show up no matter what the weather’s like. There’s not going to be any excuses of why they’re not here for us.”

A fan covers takes cover under a poster during USC’s season opener against San José State Saturday at the Coliseum.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

New California coach Tosh Lupoi piled on some more Tuesday.

“To turn on the TV, to see that environment in Los Angeles, that’s disheartening to see,” Lupoi said in Berkeley. “I can guarantee you, that’s a completely different environment here.”

USC should have a much more temperate environment to play on Friday, when it kicks off against Fresno State at 6 p.m. at the Coliseum. And Riley knows the world will be watching closely, to see how many seats are filled for the Trojans’ second game.

“This is USC, right?” Riley said. “People are going to pay attention. People are going to have an opinion. It’s part of being a blueblood school.”

The Dodgers made a flurry of moves on Tuesday, as rosters expanded for September, the most surprising of which was activating catcher Dalton Rushing (sprained right elbow) off the injured list.

The Dodgers also activated catcher Will Smith (neck) from the IL, optioned outfielder Alek Thomas to Triple-A Oklahoma City and designated catcher Ben Rortvedt for assignment. With two extra active roster spots for the rest of the season, the team activated left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski from the IL and recalled infielder Alex Freeland from Triple-A.

Rushing has been on the IL since early August, has been working through a hitting progression, and according to manager Dave Roberts has also started a throwing program. But Roberts indicated over the weekend that he wasn’t necessarily expecting Rushing to be ready to be activated Tuesday.

Regardless of how far Rushing’s throwing has advanced, he can provide a left-handed bat off the bench — a role the Dodgers could also use in the postseason. The Dodgers still have catcher Hunter Feduccia on the roster, and he can serve as the backup to Smith.

Smith returns after being sidelined for almost three months by a nagging neck injury. Wrobleski (left forearm inflammation), on the other hand, spent just over two weeks on the IL, as the Dodgers kept an eye on his workload for the overall season.

Freeland, a switch hitter, also provides a left-handed bat. And his addition improves lineup flexibility: when he plays second base, that could free up Tommy Edman to move to the outfield.

In two months as the Angels’ interim general manager, John Mozeliak has reoriented the team’s draft selection priority from “closest to the majors” to “best available,” traded one-third of the major league roster to seed a barren minor league system, fired three coaches and completed a restructuring of the front office.

On Monday, he has scheduled the first meeting of the new leadership group in baseball operations.

We’ll get to that restructuring, but none of the decisions so far resolve two of the most compelling questions in Anaheim: Who is going to be running the Angels next year? And, with this year’s Angels flirting with the first 100-loss season in franchise history, are the Angels going to be much better next year?

To the latter question: Probably not.

“With the starting pitching we have, if we have the ability to be more consistent with our offense, you can definitely squint and see a better club out there,” Mozeliak told me. “But it’s going to take a few pieces to do that.”

Uh oh. That sounds discouragingly like the Angels of the past decade: We’re undermanned, but we want to be competitive, so we’ll sign a few lower-tier free agents and hope we can sneak into the playoffs with an 83-win season. In the real world, the Angels clinched their 11th consecutive losing season before the calendar turned to September.

Mozeliak has said he did not believe that the Angels need to rebuild, that the resources available to a team in the second-largest market in the majors should preclude outright tanking. In theory, that should mean that Mozeliak could trade José Soriano for shortstop Arjun Nimmala, 20, now the Angels’ top prospect, comfortable that owner Arte Moreno could buy a quality free agent to replace Soriano in the starting rotation.

In reality, Mozeliak cannot rightly tell Moreno that the Angels are one or two free agents from winning. And, as Mozeliak said, “It’s not the most robust free-agent class of all time.”

The Angels rank 26th among the 30 major league teams in runs scored, so Mozeliak might well focus on offensive upgrades. Standout names among free agent hitters this fall: Luis Arraez, Gleyber Torres, Jake Bauers … Taylor Ward, anyone?

With the infusion of talent from the draft and the trade deadline, analyst ratings for the Angels’ minor league system have risen from among the worst in baseball to middle of the pack. It’s a start. If next season is about building, why not just play the kids?

The Angels’ Denzer Guzman hits an RBI single against the Athletics at Angel Stadium on June 27.

(John McCoy / Getty Images)

Rookie Denzer Guzman is batting .218, with a .263 on-base percentage and a .341 slugging percentage.

“We’re starting a 22-year-old at third base,” Mozeliak said. “Most 22-year-olds are finishing their senior year in college. He’s competing. There’s a lot of upside in him, but that requires a little patience.”

Of the 12 prospects Mozeliak acquired at the trade deadline, he said he anticipated two — designated hitter/catcher Moises Ballesteros and infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. — would have a chance to make next year’s team. The Angels also would prefer not to replace Soriano from a blossoming corps of young arms.

“We don’t want to start reaching down to the minors to try to push someone that might not be ready,” Mozeliak said. “I think we’ve seen that here before.”

As Mozeliak restructures the roster, he is doing the same in the front office. He said he is elevating Matt Swanson — removed as scouting director by former general manager Perry Minasian — to oversee all of the Angels’ scouting operations: amateur, professional and international.

The rest of the leadership core, all from within the organization: Joey Prebynski to oversee player development, including a separate minor league director to be hired; Michael Lord to head research and development; and assistant general manager David Haynes, who will focus on major league personnel. Mozeliak said he will ask those leaders to evaluate their departments and make personnel recommendations.

“I think that exercise is going to happen over the next four weeks,” Mozeliak said.

That timeline could mean that the Angels do not hire a general manager by the end of the season, as the team originally outlined. Mozeliak said he has neither interviewed any candidates nor set up any interviews.

Within the industry, former major league pitcher and current St. Louis Cardinals assistant general manager Randy Flores is considered the favorite, with Mozeliak remaining either as a president of baseball operations or a senior adviser.

Mozeliak insists he has not decided what he wants to do beyond the season, and he said his long working relationship with Flores in St. Louis will not preclude a round of interviews.

“I certainly understand that Molly [Jolly, the Angels’ team president] and Arte would want a very exhausting search,” Mozeliak said, “and one that isn’t just two degrees connected to Mo.”

If the Angels get to the end of the season without a general manager, who would make the call on whether to retain manager Kurt Suzuki and the coaches?

“Based on the timeline today, it would feel like it would be our group now,” Mozeliak said, “but time will tell.”

If the Angels dismiss Suzuki, that would allow a new general manager to hire a new manager. If Mozeliak decides to retain Suzuki, that could set up the awkward prospect of a new general manager inheriting a manager he did not choose, as Minasian did with Joe Maddon. In Minasian’s six seasons as general manager, the Angels had five managers.

The Angels could use a little more time. In 2027, they just might get it, and perhaps no organization could benefit more from it.

If owners lock out major league players for all or part of the season, in a year Mozeliak suggests might be best remembered for the development of minor league players, that might be no great loss for the Angels. Better than 100 losses, certainly.

Angel Reese has broken another WNBA record with her 29th double-double of the season.

The Atlanta Dream forward had 15 points and 11 rebounds in the team’s 89-81 victory against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, surpassing the previous mark for most double-doubles in a single season set by Alyssa Thomas in 2023. (Thomas had set that record while playing for the Connecticut Sun during a 40-game regular season.)

The three-time All Star has already broken multiple rebounding records this season. During the Dream’s 78-71 victory over the Sparks on Aug. 24, Reese grabbed 26 boards, setting a new record for total rebounds in a single game. Chamique Holdsclaw previously held the record with 24 rebounds, which she had set on May 23, 2003, while playing for the Washington Mystics.

Reese also set the records for most rebounds in a single season during that match-up. She now has 485 rebounds on the season, with four regular-season games remaining. Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson held the previous record of 451 total rebounds, which she had set during the 38-game regular season in 2024. Reese surpassed Wilson’s mark in 37 games.

“I’m just in awe watching her rebound,” teammate Allisha Gray said after Reese’s record-setting performance in L.A. “That’s a talent.”

The third-year player — also known to fans as ATL Barbie — heads into the FIBA World Cup break averaging 16.1 points and 12.4 rebounds this season. Reese has led the league in rebounds in each of her first two seasons and is on track to do so again.

Reese and Dream teammate Rhyne Howard will be among the players representing the U.S. at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany. The tournament kicks off Sept. 4 and is scheduled to conclude Sept. 13.

On Monday, USA Basketball announced that Wilson and Kelsey Plum, who had previously been announced as members of the team, will miss the World Cup for heath reasons. The pair will be replaced by All Star Washington Mystics duo Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.

The announcement did not include further details about why Wilson and Plum will be missing the World Cup, but Plum has been dealing with a lower leg injury for most of the WNBA season.

“I did everything I could to be back on the court, but just ran out of time,” the Phoenix Mercury guard said in a statement posted to her Instagram story on Monday. “After careful consideration and conversations with my family, team doctors, coaching staff, and front office, the decision has been made to shut it down through [the] remainder of the season and focus on getting my body back to 100% … This is not an easy decision as I love to compete, but I know it’s the right one for the long term.”

Plum was a key piece to Team USA’s victory over France in the gold medal game at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Four-time MVP Wilson, meanwhile, has been having another MVP-calibur season with the Las Vegas Aces. She was recently listed as questionable due to a back injury ahead of a game against the Toronto Tempo, but started both games against the expansion team last week. Wilson was named most outstanding player of the 2024 Paris Games and the 2022 World Cup.

The WNBA will resume play on Sept. 17.

Aaron Donald watched closely.

After reaching the NFC championship game last season, the Rams traded for a star cornerback. Then they traded for a two-time defensive player of the year.

Donald, a future Hall of Famer two years into retirement, noticed.

His thought: “OK, I wish I was still out there playing right about now.”

On Sunday, there he was.

Hours after ending months of speculation that kept the NFL world at rapt attention, Donald, 35, agreed to terms with the Rams, donned his No. 99 jersey and practiced with the team for the first time since 2023.

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Future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald officially came out of retirement Sunday to rejoin the Rams for their Super Bowl title push.

“Do I feel like I can play at a high level? Yes,” Donald said after the workout. “Do I feel like I can still be myself? 100%.

“If I didn’t feel like that I wouldn’t be here.”

Rams coach Sean McVay is happy to have him. Since the Rams traded for star defensive end Myles Garrett in June, McVay had said he would welcome Donald’s return — and subsequently stressed that any decision would be Donald’s and on the eight-time All-Pro’s timeline.

Donald said that he and McVay communicated “damn near every day” as he worked out and pondered his decision.

Sunday was the deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters to 53 players.

“He and I both had kind of an unspoken understanding, like, ‘All right, once we get the roster down, where are you at with it?’” McVay said. “We wanted to make sure he felt good about doing that.

“When he does something, he does it all-in. And that’s kind of what led to getting it done.”

When he retired, Donald had $30 million left on his contract. Under the new agreement, he can earn $20 million during the regular season on a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $30 million, a person with knowledge of the situation said. The person requested anonymity because the contract had not yet posted.

On Sunday, Donald went through individual drills with defensive linemen, and then headed to the training room. McVay indicated the Rams would handle Donald’s ramp-up conservatively as they prepare for their Sept. 10 opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.

“Whether or not he’s available and whether or not we think it’s best to be able to play him in Australia, I think the best way to do it is to take it one day at a time,” McVay said.

That is how Donald approached it during what he said was a 13-week decision process. He worked out in the gym, did speed and agility workouts on the field and also did sessions of football drills.

Donald recorded every workout. Every movement and every cut, to see how he stacked up against his earlier self, the one who won three NFL defensive player of the year awards.

“In my opinion, I don’t see no difference,” he said. “If not, it looked a little cleaner to me.”

Still, Donald said “it really wasn’t an easy decision.” That it was “on and off for a while.” But after many conversations with his wife, Erica, and others, he said he knew for the last two weeks that he wanted to return.

Aaron Donald reacts after tackling Cleveland running back Jerome Ford during a game at SoFi Stadium in December 2023.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

It initially felt “weird” to arrive at the Rams’ Woodland Hills facility as a player rather than a visitor, he said, but he quickly acclimated after sitting through an 80-minute team meeting, getting to know new teammates and walking onto the field for practice.

Before the Rams went through stretching exercises, Donald sat on a red exercise ball, taking in the scene and focusing his thoughts for the workout ahead.

Though teammates insisted that he go first, he put himself at the back of the lines.

“Whatever my role is, I’m going to earn it,” he said.

Donald, who helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium at the end of the 2021 season, aims to help the Rams win another championship at SoFi Stadium this season.

The Rams piqued his interest when they traded for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and then dealt edge rusher Jared Verse to the Cleveland Browns for Garrett.

Now he is part of a defensive front that also includes linemen Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske and edge rusher Byron Young.

“I already thought it was a stacked D-line with Verse,” Donald said. “Obviously, things transpired and happened, and then you bring in a guy like Myles Garrett, a generational talent, and it’s like, ‘That could be fun.’”

Donald said that before seeing him on Sunday, he had texted several times with Garrett.

“Hopefully,” Donald said, “we can do some special things together.”

BBC Vigil is back and a lot has happened since fans last saw DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre.

BBC Vigil fans have been quick to point out an indication of Amy and Kirsten’s relationship status.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from BBC Vigil season three.

As well as the intense international murder investigations, Vigil fans have loved watching the blossoming romance between DCI Amy Silva (played by Suranne Jones) and DI Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie).

The couple have come a long way since they met in series one of the BBC crime thriller, overcoming both personal and professional struggles.

But it didn’t take long before viewers got the update they were waiting for in the debut episode of BBC’s Vigil, which is now ready to stream on BBC iPlayer.

When Amy and Kirsten first appear onscreen, they are in their bedroom with their young son Fergal, Kirsten folding clothes and Amy lying in bed with him.

They lovingly muck about and in a later scene after Kirsten is told she is flying out to Svalbard, she hugs her adopted daughter Poppy.

Before they part ways, Amy and Kirsten share a long embrace and reciprocate their “I love you”.

Fans flocked to X to share their love for this insight into the couple’s home life, with one person writing: “Seeing our #Silvacre ladies being a family with Poppy & Ferg is super lush.”

Another said: “This mutual I love you and hug were perfect”, as fellow fans commented they are “super cute” and have an “amazing bond”.

But these scenes are particularly eye-opening as eagle-eyed viewers have noticed that Amy and Kirsten are wearing rings, indicating that they got married during the three-year hiatus.

A viewer jokingly shared: “Me everytime their rings came on screen trying to get a closer look.”

Quoting Amy who tells the chief of Svalbard’s police to “look after my officer”, a fan said: “One Amy Silva please. That’s the WIFE.”

As someone else commented: “The worry, Poppy, the rings, the little one, the foundations for future arguments…Silvacre is back.”

But it’s not all good news for the happy family as they are now separated as Kirsten ventures to Svalbard to investigate the murder of a British soldier.

So how will Kirsten fare up on the frontline following her maternity leave and when will Amy join her in Norway?

Vigil is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

“The Conference of Champions” captivated the college football world.

A conference anchored in deep regional ties, historic rivalries and a century of shared traditions.

Since its breakup in 2024, the old Pac-12 has become a distant memory. But fans will get a throwback to the “Pac-12 After Dark” era when UCLA and California open the season Saturday at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.

The battle between two new coaches, with former James Madison coach Bob Chesney leading UCLA against former Oregon defensive coordinator and Cal alum Tosh Lupoi, will mark the first time the sister schools have faced off since 2023; that matchup, coincidentally, was the old Pac-12’s final regular season game.

UCLA players congratulate kicker Mateen Bhaghani (94) after he kicked a 54-yard field goal against Penn State on Oct. 4 at the Rose Bowl.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

While just 13 Bruins remain on the roster since their 33-7 loss three seasons ago, a pair of former Golden Bears who were on the winning side — running back Jaivian Thomas and kicker Mateen Bhaghani — now wear UCLA jerseys.

The Bruins’ roster features three other former Bears — senior wide receiver Mikey Matthews, senior outside linebacker Ryan McCulloch and fifth-year defensive lineman Tyson Ford — along with linebackers coach Vic So’oto and director of player personnel Nic So’oto, both of whom spent last year at Berkeley.

For Thomas, in particular, Saturday represents not only a return to his former school, but also a homecoming for the Oakland native.

“I’m going back home, about 15 minutes away from Berkeley. It’s where I started my college career,” Thomas said. “I want to stamp that game, and once I found out we played them, it was marked on my calendar. I’m excited for that game, and I want to go down there and get this win, start off the year right.”

Thomas, who attended McClymonds High less than five miles from Memorial Stadium, said the stands will be “stacked full” of family members.

And while the return to Cal will not be a homecoming for Bhaghani, a San Diego native, the game is important to him too.

“It’s almost a dream come true to go play at the school that my career started at,” Bhaghani said. “I’m going to enter the game as any other, but it’s a significant game for me, and I definitely want to perform to my level.”

As much as Bhaghani wants to downplay the personal significance of the season opener, he acknowledged he has been counting down the minutes to his return.

And that includes talking with Thomas and Matthews about their excitement.

“I’ll go up to them almost every day and be like, ‘Hey, two weeks, three weeks,’ so they know it’s important for all of us, and with this day and age in college football, it’s important to put a lot of pride into those types of games,” Bhaghani said.

UCLA receiver Mikey Matthews runs with the ball against Washington at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 22.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Bhaghani is not alone in his belief in revitalizing the historic rivalry between UCLA and Cal. In an era when conferences increasingly lack regional ties, the fanfare and excitement of annual battles between old rivals is on the decline.

But Cal general manager Ron Rivera wants to bring back the Bear Bowl — and not just for this season.

“Just the fact that we are playing UCLA again, that’s huge for both universities. They’re one of our natural rivals and we are going to rekindle that and hopefully we can keep that going, kind of like what we do with Stanford,” Rivera told reporters. “It’s one of those natural things you want to see. It’s a big deal for a lot of the L.A. kids that come up here and play, that they’re playing against those guys.”

Both schools’ decision to renew the rivalry already has paid off, with Lupoi and Cal deciding Wednesday to remove the tarps off the seats in the south end zone of Memorial Stadium as a sold-out crowd is expected, potentially the largest in more than a decade.

While adversarial crowds often are a home-field advantage, Matthews understands the challenge that lies ahead but is excited to be back and playing in front of the Cal faithful.

“We definitely have to come out fast. It’s going to be pretty packed over there, so we just got to let them know that we’re going to be on that timing and everything over there,” Matthews said. “But it’s going to be cool going back to see everything, and I like that environment and atmosphere over there because they have great fans over there as well.”

Despite the excitement and anticipation surrounding potentially one of the biggest games of Week 1, not everyone is treating it as such.

Ford, for one, said he’s looking at the opener like any other game on the schedule.

“It’s the most exciting game because it’s the next game,” Ford said. “After that, the next game will be the most exciting. I’m just ready to go, whoever we play, it doesn’t really matter.”

Bhaghani is less reserved in his view of the matchup.

“I wear the blue and gold with a lot of pride and I really do believe UCLA is the best public university in the country,” Bhaghani said. “I really do put a lot on that game, and everybody on our team will, as a season opener, two schools with brand new head coaches. It’s going to be a shootout, and we’ll come out on top.”

For a player who has been so improbable, the Dodgers must now do the impossible.

When it comes to pitching, they must shut Shohei Ohtani down.

Despite suffering a knee ailment and biceps soreness this season, Ohtani is slowly trying to take the mound for the first time in more than two months.

Stop. Just stop.

The Dodgers have no business sticking Ohtani back on the mound. He belongs out there no more than Kiké Hernandez does.

There’s no two ways about it — the Dodgers should not plan on jamming Ohtani back into the starting rotation.

The Dodgers should thank him for his passion, applaud him for his 1.79 ERA in his first 14 starts, promise to return his resin bag next season, and ask him to go to work on that bat.

As much as the fans want to see all Ohtani, all of the time, the next couple of months are not about celebrating a novelty, they’re about winning a championship, and Ohtani can best get that done by avoiding another injury to himself on the mound and directing all of his efforts at the plate.

Recently, his hitting needs all the help it can get. After Saturday’s loss in Detroit, it had been a startling nine games since Ohtani homered or collected an RBI. During that span he had more than twice as many strikeouts as hits (13-5).

In this final month he needs to concentrate on getting his swing right and not worry about bullpens or openers or piggy-backs or any of the numerous machinations involved in getting him back on the mound.

Bottom line, the Dodgers need him more at the top of the order than in the middle of the diamond, and for now, he shouldn’t be in two places at once.

Bottom, bottom line, there is a sense that the Dodgers agree.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani follows through on a pitch during a game last month at Dodger Stadium.

(Harry How / Getty Images)

Ohtani threw about 20 pitches in a bullpen session Friday and wasn’t 100%, and that set off alarm bells with the Dodgers’ bosses.

While guessing that Ohtani’s balky left knee would not allow him to be 100% by October, manager Dave Roberts openly wondered Saturday whether a pitching comeback is worth the effort.

“Obviously, where we’re at right now with the pitching, the starting pitching certainly being a strength, his value offensively is hugely important, and so we can’t compromise that in any fashion,” Roberts told reporters in Detroit. “So, if throwing potentially cuts into that, that’s not worth the squeeze. So that’s something for me. Very, very bullish on making sure we don’t compromise the hitting.”

Did you hear that? Not worth the squeeze? Exactly.

Are you listening, Ohtani? He’s always been the ultimate team player, so if the Dodgers asked his permission to shut him down, he would agree, right? Right?

Keeping Ohtani off the mound for the rest of the season is a radical view, certainly — c’mon, you’re paying the dude $700 million to hit and pitch! — but it’s a view backed by common sense.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani prepares to bat during a game earlier this month as Dodger Stadium.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Point One: The Dodgers won a World Series in 2024 with Ohtani strictly hitting, so it can be done.

Point Two: Last postseason, even with his three-homer, 10-strikeout gem in the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Ohtani had a playoff ERA of 4.43.

Playing in the postseason is hard. Pitching and hitting in the postseason is nearly impossible. That magical Brewers clincher was his only shining moment.

Point Three: They recently acquired Tarik Skubal specifically to reduce the need for Ohtani, and they now have a nearly unbeatable rotation without Ohtani.

With Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow having returned strong from injuries, they have four starters who easily can dominate a series.

Check out the current seven-game span of games started by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Skubal, Snell and Tyler Glasnow.

They gave up as many as three runs only twice. They pitched less than six innings only once. Their ERA was 2.38.

Point Four: The struggling Dodgers offense desperately needs Ohtani to get right at the top. Who is going to get the big hit if he doesn’t? Entering the last month, the candidates are few.

Not a slowing Mookie Betts. Not psyched-out Kyle Tucker. Not aging Teoscar Hernández. Maybe Freddie Freeman, but he hasn’t hit a home run since July 4. And maybe Max Muncy, if they pitch to him.

Will Smith will be returning this week after a prolonged absence, and that will help, but not enough.

If anything happens to sideline Ohtani the hitter, the Dodgers are sunk, period.

And if he pitches, lots could happen to him.

The knee. The elbow. Whatever it was that has kept him off the mound since July 3. So much can go wrong if he’s pitching, and any pitching injury could have the double whammy of sidelining him as a hitter.

“I think 100% for me as far as an offensive player, that’s very important,” Roberts said. “As a pitcher, for me, given the strength of our staff, our team, I don’t think that’s as important. I think it’s important for us not to compromise his health in any capacity. But for me, it’s just his presence in the batter’s box is hugely important to him.”

Yes, Ohtani wants to pitch. Yes, the Dodgers promised him he could pitch. But that was before the injuries and the acquisitions and the slump.

Everything is different now. The landscape has changed.

The Dodgers no longer need the arm so badly that they can risk the bat.

Barely 20 bullpen pitches at the end of August? He’s clearly not going to be 100% by October, so shut him down and let him swing.

Shohei Ohtani is 32 and finishing his ninth season. He’s not a kid anymore.

He’s not infallible anymore.

Having him pitch and hit for a second consecutive October indeed would be a great story.

But having him use his bat to lead the Dodgers to a three-peat would be a better one.

Vigil is back on the BBC after a three-year hiatus with another complex case to crack.

BBC’s Vigil season three airs tonight but it’s going to look very different from the first two series.

Since BBC fans last saw DCI Amy Silva (played by Suranne Jones) and DI Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie), they have built a life together, welcoming their young son but it doesn’t take long before a new case lands on their laps.

The second series saw Amy travel to the Middle East following a drone attack but this time around, it’s Kirsten who is investigating a case in far colder temperatures.

After a British officer on an undercover special forces mission is fatally shot abroad, it’s up to Kirsten, as well as Amy back home, to find out what really happened.

As the countdown begins until its debut, here’s all there is to know about the filming locations for Vigil season three.

BBC Vigil season 3 filming locations

BBC Vigil season three is primarily set in Svalbard in the Arctic Circle which is where the series was also filmed.

Svalbard is part of Norway and a remote Arctic archipelago situated between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

Its largest island Spitsbergen is the home of its largest settlement Longyearbyen which has a population of around 2,600.

Describing the experience to the BBC, actress Suranne Jones shared: “Rose [Leslie] and I felt like we were just on top of the world because we went to places that tourists don’t normally visit since we were filming in such remote locations.

“There were reindeer outside the breakfast room every morning, we got to drive the snow buggies, and we really had to layer up.”

While most of the action takes place in Svalbard, this wasn’t BBC Vigil season three’s only filming location.

When Amy and Kirsten aren’t abroad investigating murder cases, they are at home in Scotland where Vigil is also shot.

The cast and crew were also seen filming extensively in and around Glasgow in areas including the West End and West Princes Street.

Vigil season three premieres on Sunday, August 30, at 9pm, on BBC One.

From behind his new desk, on the top floor of USC’s shining, new Bloom Football Performance Center, Lincoln Riley can gaze out upon a stunning view of the downtown L.A. skyline. It’s a nice perk when rounding out a $200-million facility.

And especially welcomed given that three-quarters of USC’s previous football home, the John McKay Center, could be classified as “subterranean.” But as Riley considers how far he’s come these past five years and how far USC has come in the meantime, the metaphor is just as meaningful to USC’s coach as the cityscape.

This view, this office, this program, really — it was all just a hypothetical when Riley accepted the USC job in November 2021. The wunderkind coach knew he was inheriting a football program in a years-long slump. What he couldn’t grasp was how far it actually fell. And what it would take to drag it back. He’d never even been on USC’s campus.

He admits he didn’t understand quite what USC needed then, in the beginning. Not like he does now, on the doorstep of his fifth season as the Trojans coach.

“There’s no other job like this, not in our sport,” Riley said Thursday. “There are some unique things that make this place really special, but also you have to understand how it works and how to harness it and how to use it, and I think that has probably been the biggest thing.”

“I know what direction we’re heading now. I know so much more about this place and how it works, and that’s been more helpful than just starting over at kind of your normal run-of-the-mill job in college football. … This one is just so unique and different. That’s what attracted me to it. And that’s what’s going to help make it great again.”

Riley certainly knows USC well enough now to understand his time to deliver on that promise is running out. The Trojans are 35-18 through four seasons under Riley, precisely the same record they were under his predecessor, Clay Helton, through 53 games. In that time, USC has yet to reach the College Football Playoff and only once played for a conference title, in Riley’s first season. And it hasn’t beat a ranked team in a true road game outside of L.A.

Meanwhile, the school has gone to great lengths to close the gap that existed between USC and its blueblood counterparts, revamping the whole front-office operation, hiring a Hall of Famer in Gary Patterson to coordinate the defense and investing millions in NIL in the nation’s top recruiting class in 2026.

Riley said multiple times this summer that he is now more “well-equipped” to win. And around USC, everyone seems inclined to agree. Meaning any excuse for why the Trojans aren’t breaking through will no longer suffice.

“It’s black and white,” USC general manager Chad Bowden said after last season. “You’re either in the Playoff or you’re not. You either win a championship or you don’t. … I’m sick to my stomach, you know, for people that might be unhappy with winning nine games. They should be unhappy, right?”

Whether nine wins in 2026 would be enough to ensure Riley sees a sixth season at USC in 2027 remains to be seen. Though, just getting back to that mark, with a schedule that includes Oregon and Ohio State at home and Indiana and Penn State on the road, might be more of an uphill climb than it was a season ago.

It would also probably mean falling short of the Playoff. When asked if Riley needed a Playoff berth this season, athletic director Jennifer Cohen told The Times in May she “tries not to think in hypotheticals” but added:

“The expectation has always been the same. I mean, that’s the thing, that’s the reason why I came here, is that the standard is high, that we do expect to make the Playoff. We do expect to have a championship run. We do expect to be competing for championships every single year.

“The expectation, I mean, we haven’t been shy about that. We expect to win, and I feel confident that we’re going to.”

So confident, in fact, that USC pasted its season mantra on billboards across the Southland, each of them not-so-subtly declaring that the “THE TIME IS : NOW”.

The message feels, in many ways, meant for Riley. And he isn’t shying away from it.

“Hell, that’s why I came here,” Riley told The Times this summer. “It’s progressively gotten better and better, I think to a point where everybody should be excited and the expectations should be through the roof.”

It’s hard to argue with the positive signs so far. The No. 1 recruiting class is already making a major impression, with five true freshmen earning starting spots and over a dozen appearing on the initial two-deep. With a top returning quarterback in Jayden Maiava, real depth along the offensive line and one of the Big Ten’s best backfield tandems in Waymond Jordan and King Miller, USC should once again have one of the nation’s top offenses.

The questions, as always, are on the other side of the ball. But in Patterson, Riley appears so far to have found someone he considers an equal on defense, the yin to his yang.

“You feel his presence in terms of the mentality of the group and how he pushes and pushes and pushes,” Riley said. “He’s very aggressive, and you never have to wonder about how he’s feeling or where he stands. For a little bit, I think it took our players some getting used to. It was a little different of an approach than what they had out of that position. But I think they’ve come to understand and respect the intensity that he brings every day and the demand for greatness. There’s no question on the practice field that you feel that from him.”

Riley, meanwhile, has not seemed like a head coach who’s feeling the heat heading into a make-or-break season at USC. In fact, with everything hanging on this season, he seems more at ease than ever.

“It’s taken a lot to come from where it was four years ago to now, a lot of people,” Riley said. “And so, I don’t want us to be bashful about it now. We’ve gotta go do it. And that’s the fun part of this. And it’s fun feeling like that you got the opportunity to do anything and everything that you want to do.

“I think this year will be the start of a run where USC football, we’re gonna feel like that for a while. That’s what we came here to do.”

The back-to-back news this week of the deaths of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry — both at age 80 — felt like an unfair and twisted threat to our peace.

Both were extraordinary cultural forces whose screen and stage work lit up and shaped our lives, so its no wonder the emotional whirlpool led to one large group chat on social media, with fans posting favorite performance clips and interview soundbites. I took comfort in many, including Parton singing “Jolene” at the Grand Ole Opry in 1988 and eight minutes of Curry in the frantic “how it was done” climax in “Clue” (1985), which he reportedly performed so intensely he had to be taken to the hospital for high blood pressure.

Our writers captured the depth of the legacy each leaves behind.

Greg Braxton reflected on Curry’s significant contribution to the twisted image of clowns with his terrifying portrayal of Pennywise in “It.” Robert Lloyd took on highlighting the actor’s most memorable roles on TV. And in his appreciation of Curry, Steve Appleford praised how Curry’s roles “turned out wilder and more varied than he might have expected but his seriousness and sense of fun never faded, pushing boundaries and himself. No one was ever bored watching Tim Curry onscreen.” (Appleford spoke with Curry in 2025 for his final interview published in The Times; I encourage you to read it.)

Meanwhile, Mikael Wood waxed on Parton’s storytelling prowess in her music. Lloyd looked at her legacy on the small screen, where she appeared in variety shows (two of her own), specials, TV movies, guest shots, interviews and music videos — contending it’s where “much of America met Dolly.” Mary McNamara explored Parton’s unexpected persona as a feminist icon. And Emily St. Martin reminded us of Parton’s contributions to literacy.

The country music superstar’s performance in 1982’s “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” which earned her a Golden Globe nomination, is one of our streaming recommendations this week. (For those seeking community while celebrating the life of Parton, AMC Theatres announced screenings for the film, as well as “Steel Magnolias,” in select locations through Sept. 2.) Our other streaming suggestion, if you need a life vest to keep afloat through the tears, is a series featuring veteran fashion police partners reuniting again — this time, to dole out critiques of fictional characters.

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, we spoke with actor Kristen Johnston about the Season 2 return of “Leanne.” Best known for her role as Sally Solomon in the hit ’90s sitcom “3rd Rock From the Sun,” Johnston has built a career bringing laughs to comedies like TV Land’s “The Exes” and CBS’ “Mom.” Lately, she’s been bringing her seasoned comedy skills to Netflix’s multi-cam sitcom, which captures the messy (and funny) experiences of women navigating midlife — like dealing with menopause or the horrors of the modern dating scene. Stand-up comedian Leanne Morgan stars as the titular character, while Johnston plays her brutally honest sister, Carol.

“Not every show has to be, you know, medieval dragons,” Johnston says. “There’s room for a couple of silly women in their 50s trying to figure it out.” Read more from Johnston in Guest Spot. In the meantime, I’m off to mix and bake a cuppa flour, a cuppa sugar and a cuppa fruit cocktail with the juice at 350 till it’s gold and bubbly. See you next week. — Yvonne Villarreal

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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Dolly Parton as Miss Mona in the 1982 movie “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”

(Universal Pictures)

“The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (VOD)

Dolly Parton cemented her movie star status with her feature debut “9 to 5” alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. But outside of the irresistible title song, Parton did not sing in the film. She makes up for it with her second film, 1982’s “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Adapted from the Broadway musical, the country superstar dazzles as Miss Mona Stangley, the proprietress of the popular “Chicken Ranch” brothel. With her characteristic down-home charm, she makes her place of business seem as wholesome as apple (“There’s lots of goodwill and maybe one small thrill, but there’s nothing dirty going on,” she sings in the opening number). Parton also contributed two extra songs to the soundtrack alongside the original Broadway score, including her hit “I Will Always Love You.” — Greg Braxton

Clinton Kelly, left, and Stacy London in “Why’d They Wear That?”

(Jordan Petsy / Simple Alien)

“Why’d They Wear That?” (YouTube)

Stacy London and Clinton Kelly are back with a third “Wear” show, after “What Not To Wear” and last year’s “Wear Whatever the F You Want.” This one’s for the Stacy and Clinton fans, as it removes the clients and makeover elements and sits the hosts on a bed together in front of a TV as they critique what characters wear in the movies, viewing film through the lens of clothing, hair and makeup. (It’s very smart.) The films and actors they highlight are meaningful to one or the other — they don’t always agree — which is to say they broadly represent the tastes of people born in 1969. The range of subjects encompasses “Meatballs,” “Poltergeist,” “Best in Show,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “The Empire Strikes Back,” in which episode you will learn that London views Darth Vader as “the Karl Lagerfeld of outer space” (“monochromatic dressing … quiet luxury and he doesn’t change — he invests in his pieces”). One episode is a tribute to Catherine O’Hara. With no one’s feelings to dance around, they can be as critical as they like, but snark isn’t the point so much as celebration and the delight of old friends sharing their own, often self-deprecating stories. Come for the analysis, stay for the laughter, or vice versa. — Robert Lloyd

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Leanne Morgan, left, and Kristen Johnston in Season 2 of “Leanne.”

(Patrick Mcelhenney / Netflix)

In “Leanne,” Kristen Johnston plays the ultimate ride-or-die sister you want in your corner — she turns chaotic moments into fun, tells the hard truths and provides unwavering emotional support. The Netflix sitcom stars comedienne Leanne Morgan as a woman trying to rebuild her life after her husband of 33 years left her for someone else. Helping her navigate the emotional rubble is her family, including her fiercely loyal, unfiltered, twice-divorced sister, Carol (Johnston). As Leanne confronts more change in Season 2, like turning 60 and coming to terms with aging parents that require more care, Carol remains a blunt support system. Over the phone, Johnston discussed her connection to the themes explored in the comedy and the genre of TV that has her hooked these days. — Y.V.

Change continues to be a theme in Season 2. It opens with Leanne resisting the idea of turning 60 and still not ready to be alone with herself. Carol is there to remind her that she’s capable. Tell me about your 50s, Kristen. How are you feeling about this stage of your life and the prospect of turning 60?

Oh my God! Honestly, I never even thought I’d make it to my 50s. So, the fact that I’m still here is a pretty big miracle. My 50s has just continued to be about trying to figure out my place in the world and deepening my friendships with my friends, my family. That’s about it.

Are there things you used to worry about that now you’re like, “I can handle that”?

I used to worry about everything, and now I really couldn’t give a s—. I don’t live for other people’s opinions anymore, and that was probably something I lived for for a long time. When you get fame really early, you just condition yourself to not make anyone upset and not get found out by the tabloids or be stalked. I don’t know. I do enjoy really just trying to live. Other people’s opinions matter to me, but they’re not the reason I do or don’t do anything.

You and Leanne both get a chance to play with the idea of getting older early in the season with a daydream sequence about being in the retirement home. What was that like? It hits at such a big topic that many people come to grips with at some point, which is the idea of caring for aging parents.

That’s a huge topic this season, and it one it matters to me because my mom is still here — thank God. But it’s stuff that really comes up a lot. When it’s time to get them into a home, it’s so hard, and of course, they never want to go. Who would? But literally doing that scene was so great because I’m so into prosthetics and makeup. We had a lot of fun coming up with what each of us would be.

Kristen Johnston, left, and Leanne Morgan in “Leanne.”

(Patrick Mcelhenney / Netflix)

The bond between Leanne and Carol is such an important element of the show. What do you think this show really gets right about sisterhood?

It feels very real. You have one who’s a black sheep and always blamed for everything, then you’ve got one who’s the Goody Two-shoes and got married at the right time and had kids. Carol did none of that. But throughout that, and much more important than the rivalry and being mad at each other or whatever, is just this absolute unending love. And I feel very sisterly towards Leanne. I get really emotional about her because I feel like she’s my sister. They’re pretty easy scenes to act.

You’ve worked in multi-cam sitcoms across broadcast, cable and streaming. Do you feel a difference?

I don’t know if it’s as much that they’re different, but the times sure have been different. I’m from the era where we would have the head of the studio come to every taping and send us cards and thank you or call you to come over to his house for his 60th birthday or whatever. That doesn’t really happen anymore. I’m from this other era, which really felt more personal and felt more one-on-one. Now it really just feels like, “Don’t look at me. I just want thanks for the paycheck.”

And it seems hard to even gauge how well the shows are doing.

Exactly. Leanne was so nervous about all that at first, and I just said, “Look, all we can do is our our best. Let’s just be funny and have fun, and everything else is above our pay grade.” So she went with that. That’s how we kind of roll.

OK, tell me — how often are you asked about the “Splat!” episode of “Sex and the City”? How often do people come up to you about Lexi?

It’s crazy. It’s all anybody wants to talk about, any podcasters or anything. Really, I would say 80% of the conversations I’ve had in the last few weeks are focused mainly on that.

What does that tell you that a role that was a one-off could have that kind of lasting impact?

It’s the shock of what happens in that scene more than almost anything. There was kind of this angry “I’m gonna live no matter what” vibe to her. So to watch her fall to her death out of her own hubris, it’s just a perfect little encapsulation of a moment in New York City, and I think that’s why people love it. It’s also probably one of the bigger, bigger acting choices I’ve ever made. That was Michael Patrick King. I can’t believe it still matters to people, but obviously, I’m thrilled it does. I did like three takes [of the fall]. And it could have been the stunt woman [who made the cut]. I honestly don’t know who they cut to for what.

Because when people say, “Are you a Carrie? Are you a Charlotte?” A lot of people say, “I’m Lexi.”

They tell me that all the time. I just go, “Oh, babes.” I wouldn’t really want to cling to her as like an inspiration for your character, but I think what they mean is they’re probably bawdy. There are worse things to be in life.

What’s the most recent thing you watched that you’re obsessed with?

I’ve gone down the K-drama rabbit hole. And something I loved is this C-drama called “Pursuit of Jade” on Netflix. It’s so well-done, really good and very thrilling. A period show. Love it. I’ve been sucked into that. Oh, for K-drama — “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty.” That’s pretty much where I’ve been living.

What’s your go-to comfort watch?

I like spooky, weird stuff like “True Detective,” “Broadchurch.” I just did a rewatch. I can’t believe “Broadchurch” is my comfort show. Anything with really good character development, fantastic acting. I love it.

ICYMI

Must-read stories you might have missed

Andy Murray has long been a guiding figure for British tennis, but newly-married Katie Boulter will not be following his lead when it comes to keeping her wedding ring safe.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, who married wife Kim in 2015, famously briefly lost his wedding band after playing with it tied to his shoe laces.

Murray had left his trainers – with the ring still attached – under a car to dry out after a practice session in California in 2021, and after discovering they were missing the next day, was eventually reunited with both after putting out an appeal for their return.

Boulter, who married Australia’s world number seven Alex de Minaur this summer, said she will not be making the same mistake.

“I learned from Andy. I’m not going to do that,” the 30-year-old said. “I don’t wear it. Not during matches.”

Boulter and De Minaur tied the knot at a small, private ceremony in England before holding a bigger celebration in Tuscany, Italy, in July.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Boulter said: “One was in the UK for my nearest and dearest. It was like eight people – very, very small, very much for my grandpa.

“It was a huge contrast to the Italian wedding, which had all of our closest people, all of our friends, and was a little bit more of a party and a lot of fun.”

When it came to De Minaur’s speech, however, Boulter admitted she was “sceptical”.

“I hadn’t seen him do any preparation for the speech at all. And he was like, ‘I’m just going to wing it. It’s fine. How hard can it be?’,” she said.

“He was amazing. He was so, good. I was crying the whole time. I think I permanently cried for like three hours straight during all the speeches.”

Since their wedding, the world number 60 has wasted no time in throwing herself back into tennis before the US Open, which gets under way on Sunday.

“I actually just chose to go straight back into the conditions, go into the deep end and see what we’ve got,” said Boulter, who lost in the first round in Washington and Toronto before suffering a second-round exit in Cincinnati.

“I do think the conditions in the States are very different from the UK. I think you can’t really replicate them.

“So I felt like I’d be a little underprepared coming to the US and just getting used to the conditions again would have been quite difficult.”

Boulter’s US Open begins with a first-round encounter against American wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee, who is ranked 143rd in the world.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell.

As we await the postseason and wonder if the Dodgers will get a first-round bye, here are some random thoughts.

—It was very disappointing to get swept by the Braves. If someone forced me right now to bet on the World Series winner, I’d bet on the Brewers. But none of that means the Dodgers aren’t going to win.

—However, there is no doubt they are playing poorly right now. Defensive miscues that don’t always show up in the box score. Poor situational hitting. A couple of bad games by Tanner Scott.

—E-mails I have received:

“You need to stop going easy on this team. They will not win the World Series this year.”

“This team is a disgrace and plays with no heart.”

“Knowledgeable fans know that this team is going nowhere.”

“They can’t beat the good teams, so what chance do they have in the postseason?”

“There won’t be any World Series dramatics this year. They are toast.”

When did I get these emails? Last season in late August/early September, when they had lost seven of eight to Arizona, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

I got another flurry of them after each of the losses to Atlanta. Some people never learn. What happens in the regular season has no bearing on what happens in the postseason. Two of the Atlanta games were started by a blister-hampered Roki Sasaki and and a first-game-back-in-weeks Tyler Glasnow. That won’t be the case in the postseason. So, yes, be disappointed, but don’t throw in the towel.

—Clayton Kershaw did an excellent job in the broadcast booth with Joe Davis on Tuesday. It would behoove the Dodgers to bring him back as often as he wants. (Editor’s note: Behoove? Was the author of this newsletter born in the 1800s?)

—OK, I’ve said this before, but when you can’t have a conversation with the person you are sitting next to at Dodger Stadium, then the in-game entertainment is too loud.

—You know what the best in-game entertainment is? The actual game. Never has a sport had such a lack of faith in its own product that they feel the need to fill every moment with something so the actual game doesn’t bore you.

—And again, where are my Cool-A-Coos?

—One of the big problems Kyle Tucker has faced with fans this season is that he gives the appearance of not caring. He does care, but he looks like he doesn’t.

—The Dodgers have played 13 one-run games this month. They are 6-7 in those games. They are 26-21 during the season in one-run games.

—Teoscar Hernández is actually getting worse as a fielder.

—The Dodgers schedule the rest of the season:

at Detroit (3)
vs. St. Louis (3)
vs. Washington (3)
vs. Cincinnati (3)
at Miami (3)
at Cincinnati (4)
vs. San Francisco (3)
vs. San Diego (3)
at San Francisco (3)

—The Dodgers are 40-26 at home, 40-28 on the road.

—The Dodgers are 11-13 in August. Last August they were 15-13.

—Hunter Feduccia has become this season’s Ben Rortvedt. He’s hitting .282/.364/.410 since joining the Dodgers and has had a few crucial hits.

—How does ESPN manage to find the worst baseball announcers every season? The network is very good at it. It must be difficult to wade through all the candidates and pick the very worst ones.

—One of the problems with the gondola that one day might take fans to Dodger Stadium: Do you really want to be in a gondola a couple of hundred feet over the sidewalk with a bunch of drunk Dodgers and Giants fans?

—Kiké Hernández was four for four before going on the IL. He is four for 33 since coming back.

—If the season ended today, Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs would win the NL MVP award, with Shohei Ohtani finishing second.

—Does anyone else still cringe a little when Ohtani slides, thinking of his injury in the 2024 World Series? Just me? OK.

—It’s still a shame the Dodgers never put a patch on their uniforms for Davey Lopes.

—With Sasaki going on the IL because of a blister, Eric Lauer goes back into the starting rotation and reliever Seth Halvorsen comes back from the minors.

—Mookie Betts has made only five errors at shortstop this season in 96 games. Hyeseong Kim made four in 24 games. Miguel Rojas has made no errors in 58 games in the infield.

—When Will Smith last played, the Dodgers were 41-23, a winning percentage of .640, on pace to win 104 games. Since then, they have gone 39-31, a winning percentage of .557, which would put them on pace to win 90 games. Coincidence? I think not. Smith stabilizes the lineup and the pitching staff.

—Key Dodgers’ batters with two out and runners in scoring position this season:

Alek Thomas, .667, 2 for 3
Hunter Feduccia, .500, 3 for 6
Kiké Hernández, .333, 1 for 3
Hyeseong Kim, .316, 6 for 19
Dalton Rushing, .304, 7 for 23
Alex Call, .304, 7 for 23
Andy Pages, .294, 15 for 51
Kyle Tucker, .283, 15 for 53
Freddie Freeman, .282, 11 for 39
Shohei Ohtani, .263, 10 for 38
Ben Rortvedt, .250, 1 for 4
Tommy Edman, .250, 6 for 24
Miguel Rojas, .200, 3 for 15
Mookie Betts, .178, 8 for 45
Teoscar Hernández, .171, 7 for 41
Max Muncy, .170, 9 for 53
Will Smith, .118, 2 for 17
Team, .242
MLB average, .230

That’s not good

How the Dodgers have fared against teams with winning and losing records:

.500 or better: 33-36
Below .500: 47-18

Forgotten Dodger: Dazzy Vance

Vance pitched for the Dodgers so long ago (1922-32) that he has been forgotten by many. The best comparison to Vance is Don Drysdale.

Consider where he ranks among starting pitchers in Dodgers history: Second in WAR, eighth in ERA+, fourth in wins, fifth in strikeouts. If you were picking the all-time Dodgers rotation, he would have to be given strong consideration for a spot.

Charles Arthur Vance was born March 4, 1891, in Orient, Iowa. His family moved to Pleasant Hill Township, Neb., when Vance was little. When he reached high school, he started pitching for a semipro team in the area and had what was described as a dazzling fastball. That’s where he got his nickname, Dazzy.

Vance started playing professionally in 1912 in the class D Nebraska State League and quickly moved up the ranks, winning 26 games for St. Joseph (Mo.) of the class A Western League in 1914. Near the end of the season, he started four games in six days and hurt his arm. There were no MRIs then to determine his injury, but, because of how he described the way his arm felt, it is believed he suffered a torn UCL. Back then, the solution for these things was to rest your arm for a couple of weeks and try again.

Before the 1915 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates purchased his contract from St. Joseph. It is not known if they knew about his arm injury. Vance started one game for the Pirates and gave up three runs in 2 2/3 innings. The Pirates then traded him to the New York Yankees and he pitched better, with a 3.54 ERA in 28 innings. But he went 0-3, and wins and losses were all that mattered back then, so the Yankees sent him back to St. Joseph.

His arm still was hurting, and he bounced around that decade’s version of the minors for a few years. He returned to the Yankees in 1918 and had a 15.43 ERA. They got rid of him quickly and he ended up pitching in New Orleans.

And that’s when fate stepped in. Vance was playing poker and after winning a hand, he banged his elbow against the edge of the table while celebrating. The result was immediate excruciating pain. He couldn’t straighten his arm and couldn’t stand the pain. The only option was exploratory surgery. What the surgeon did has been lost to the annals of time, but after he was done and Vance recovered, his arm was 100% again. No pain when he threw. “It was an odd thing,” Vance said. “My arm came back just as quickly as it went sore on me in 1915. I awoke one morning and learned I could throw without pain again.”

Vance won 21 games for New Orleans in 1921.

After the 1921 season, the Brooklyn Dodgers were interested in a New Orleans player, but it wasn’t Vance. They wanted catcher Hank DeBerry. The Dodgers sent scout Larry Sutton to attempt to get DeBerry from the Pelicans, who told Sutton they had to take Vance too in order to get DeBerry.

According to the book “The Brooklyn Dodgers: An Informal History” by Frank Graham, this is what happened: “When he found out that the pitcher in question was Vance, Dodgers owner Charles Ebbets rebelled. ‘Oh, no. I could have drafted him long ago if I wanted him. You go back and tell them if we have to take Vance, the deal is off.’ Soon Sutton called his boss back. ‘They say, no Vance, no DeBerry.’ ‘In that case,’ Ebbets replied, ‘tell them they can …’ Sutton interrupted: ‘Wait a minute, Mr. Ebbets. I just talked to DeBerry. He wants to go to Brooklyn, naturally, but he says he don’t want to go without Vance. He says to tell you that if he looks good down here, it’s because Vance makes him look good. And, really, Daz is hot. He’s knocked around a long time and he’s learned how to pitch. And he has a fastball. A real good fastball. He’s the best pitcher in the league.’”

Ebbets acquiesced and agreed to take Vance too. And with that, the Dodgers acquired one of their best pitchers ever, a pitcher who didn’t really star in the majors until he was 31. Starting in 1922, Vance led the NL in strikeouts for seven straight seasons. He led in wins twice and ERA three times. He went 28-6 with a 2.16 ERA and 30 complete games in 34 starts in 1924 and was named NL MVP. If the Cy Young had existed back then, he would have won at least three. With Brooklyn from 1922-32, he completed 213 of 328 starts, with a 190-131 record and a 3.17 ERA. He also had eight saves.

Vance also used a secret weapon: He wore the same sweatshirt for every game and had cut the sleeves into several strips lengthwise, so when he released the ball, the batter often lost sight of it briefly as the tattered sleeves flapped with the pitch. Vance, of course, denied doing this on purpose. When opponents demanded he buy a new shirt, as Graham recounts in his book, Vance responded, “Oh, no! This is my lucky shirt. I’ve had it since I was in New Orleans, and I ain’t even washed it.”

The Dodgers traded Vance to St. Louis before the 1933 season. He was 42 and his best pitching days were behind him. He went 6-2 with a 3.55 ERA but pitched only 99 innings. He was released after the season and signed with Cincinnati, which released him after he had a 7.50 ERA in six games. The Cardinals re-signed him and he finished the season with them. His final season was in 1935, when he returned to Brooklyn, going 4-2 with a 4.41 ERA in 20 games, all in relief. He was 44. He retired after the season.

Before he retired, Vance moved himself and his family (wife Edythe, son Donald and daughter Dorothy) to Homosassa Springs, Fla., where he opened a hunting and fishing camp and a hotel. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955. He learned he was elected when a highway patrolman pulled him over while he was driving near his home. The policeman told him people were waiting at his house to tell him the news.

Vance died of a heart attack on Feb. 16, 1961 and is buried at Stage Stand Cemetery just outside Homosassa Springs.

Dodgers poll

Let’s take the temperature of the readers. How do you think the Dodgers will do in the postseason this year?

They will lose in the wild-card series
They will lose in the NLDS
They will lose in the NLCS
They will lose in the World Series
They will win the World Series
They won’t make the postseason

Click here to vote in our survey.

Up next

Friday: Dodgers (*Tarik Skubal, 8-7, 2.91 ERA [1-2, 3.38 ERA with Dodgers]) at Detroit (Drew Anderson, 4-5, 4.09 ERA), 3:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Dodgers (*Blake Snell, 2-1, 2.57 ERA) at Detroit (Keider Montero, 9-8, 3.30 ERA), 4:15 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 3-0, 3.02 ERA) at Detroit (*Framber Valdez, 8-9, 4.35 ERA), 10:40 a.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Tarik Skubal returns to Detroit to face the Tigers. His focus is on the task at hand

Mark Walter’s company TWG Global defends Dodgers financing and Lakers sale

How two decades of friendship have shaped Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward

And finally

Rare footage of Dazzy Vance, demonstrating his pitches. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

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

Leah Remini is joining the cast of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”

The “King of Queens” star confirmed rumors that she was joining the 16th season of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” with an Instagram post on Wednesday, writing alongside the announcement, “It’s true.”

Remini’s team didn’t comment on whether the Emmy-winning actor would be a full-time cast member on the series. Tracy Tutor, a luxury real estate broker from “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” will also join the all-star cast, which includes Kyle Richards, Erika Girardi, Dorit Kemsley, Bozoma Saint John, Rachel Zoe and Sutton Stracke. Kathy Hilton and actor Jennifer Tilly also will return in a recurring “friend” role.

Amanda Frances of Season 15 will not be returning. She announced the news and a forthcoming memoir via Instagram on Aug. 5, writing, “I am taking the clarity, the lessons, the plot twists, the spiritual warfare, and the occasional deeply unnecessary dinner party drama into all that God has for me next. … And to anyone watching, please know: Your next move does not require anyone’s approval.”

“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” turned 20 this year and has the distinction of most-watched of the franchise, with “Real Housewives of Atlanta” coming in second after carrying the torch for a decade.

Per Variety, “RHOBH” began filming earlier this summer with much of the cast — sans Remini and Tutor — jet-setting off to Ghana for Saint John’s wedding to Keely Watson last week. Remini will begin filming in Los Angeles this week.

Remini and her former husband, Angelo Pagán, announced back in 2024 that they were divorcing after nearly 30 years together. In a joint statement, the exes said they’d both changed, “as people do.”

“This decision came after a lot of thought and care, and as hard as divorce is, we are approaching this with a positive outlook because we know it’s what’s best for us,” they said in the joint statement.

The pair had publicly shared their relationship in TV specials that aired on VH1’s “Inside Out: Leah Remini” and on Remini’s TLC series, “It’s All Relative,” which aired for two seasons.

USC sophomore defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, who was spotted over the weekend sporting crutches and a boot on his injured right foot, is expected to miss the Trojans’ season opener against San Jose State, coach Lincoln Riley said.

Losing Stewart for longer than that would be a bitter pill for USC to swallow at the start of a highly anticipated season. But while reports have suggested that Stewart is likely to miss USC’s entire nonconference slate with the injury, Riley suggested Tuesday that he could debut as soon as the following Friday, when USC takes on Fresno State in its second game of the season.

“What he’s dealing with right now is minor,” Riley said. “The plan is to probably hold him and I think he’ll be able from that point forward. But it’s certainly not long term. A little precautionary right now.”

Stewart played through a stress fracture in his foot throughout his freshman season after suffering the injury in August. He missed the season opener then as well, but elected not to have surgery, in order to keep contributing to the team.

“I could have got surgery, but I wouldn’t have felt comfortable,” Stewart said earlier this month. “I wouldn’t have felt complete as a human, knowing that I still had stuff in the tank that I could have gave to my team.”

Stewart ended up getting surgery on his foot in December. But when Stewart spoke to reporters during camp, he said his foot felt “1,000%”

But the concern now, as Stewart continues to deal with a foot issue, is whether this injury could continue to linger beyond just a game or two of his sophomore season.

Riley was not sounding that alarm Tuesday. But he also didn’t rule out the possibility that USC may be managing the situation throughout this season.

“We just gotta watch it,” Riley said. “Everybody is different in terms of their size, their biomechanics in terms of how they run and especially guys like Jahkeem who are pretty violent in the way they move and transfer energy on the ground — like there’s some force going into the ground. So yeah, I think some of these injuries are freak things that happen from time to time in this game, that’s part of it. And then there are things that as guys go, and as their bodies evolve and get bigger and stronger, you have to make adjustments on and they have to make adjustments on.”

USC was especially cautious with Stewart’s injury during the week last season, which led Stewart to sit out a significant number of practices. He still played in 11 games, missing the opener and the bowl game. But on average, Stewart played just 21 snaps per game as a freshman.

He was still named a freshman All-American, in spite of the difficult circumstances. All signs pointed toward him taking a major leap as a sophomore.

This latest injury could throw a wrench in that. But Riley expressed confidence in the depth of USC’s defensive interior, which was not something he could’ve said even this time last year.

“We’ve had some young guys emerge in that room, especially who are going to command some looks and some opportunities to play and go prove themselves on Saturdays here right away, and then you combine it with the experience we have in that room,” Riley said.

“We’ll have a good healthy rotation and be able to withstand any dings along the way.”

St Helens legend Jonny Lomax has announced he is to retire at the end of the Super League season.

The 35-year-old, who has not featured since fracturing his jaw in the defeat by Warrington Wolves in June, has made 388 appearances for Saints, winning five Grand Finals, one Challenge Cup and a World Club Challenge.

He won four caps for Great Britain and 11 for England, including a World Cup final appearance against Australia in 2017.

“Over the last 20 years, I have been able to live out a boyhood dream. Achieving far more than I could ever have imagined. Representing and captaining my hometown club and, of course, the pinnacle, representing England and Great Britain,” he told the club website., external

“I have been fortunate enough to meet some incredible people along the way, experiencing some incredible highs with them. As well as some testing times too.”

He added: “I will retire at the age of 36, grateful for the life the game has given me, knowing I have given it everything I could, with the scars to prove it (19 operations, including 12 knee operations by the age of 26). Despite this, I still feel lucky.

“For those that have supported me throughout it all… I hope I have been able to do you proud.”

Saints chairman Eamonn McManus called Lomax, who made his debut in March 2009 aged 18, “the bravest of brave in the bravest of sports”.

St Helens are seventh in Super League with three games of the campaign to go.

They are two points behind reigning champions Hull KR, who they play in the final game of the regular season, as they look to secure a place in the top six and avoid missing out on the Super League play-offs for the first time.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. How hot is it? It’s no longer microwave popcorn, it’s just popcorn.

Series with Braves is important

Just like the recent series with the Brewers was important as far as postseason positioning goes, so is this series with the Atlanta Braves. Remember, the three division winners automatically qualify for the postseason, but the division winner with the worst record will have to play in the first round, while the other two skip the first round. And, if teams are tied, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record. The Brewers hold the tiebreaker over the Dodgers after beating them in four of the seven games this season.

Let’s look at those three teams as of Monday night:

1. Milwaukee, 81-50
2. Dodgers, 80-51
3. Atlanta, 76-55

The Braves are struggling right now, having lost seven of 10, but this time last week the Dodgers were struggling before they reeled off six straight wins. Baseball.

The Dodgers are 1-2 against Atlanta. So, they will need to win at least two of three games to go to the second tiebreaker, which is intradivision record (yes, even for teams in different divisions.) As of Monday night, the Dodgers are 26-17 against the NL West and the Braves are 27-13 against the NL East. The Braves have a 2 1/2-game lead there, but there are plenty of intradivision games left to play. It would be great if the Dodgers swept the Braves and didn’t have to worry about that.

Let’s take a look at how the Dodgers and Braves compare this season, through Sunday.

Runs per game
Dodgers, 4.98 (third in the majors)
Atlanta, 4.69 (eighth)
League average, 4.47

Batting average
Dodgers, .258 (second)
Atlanta, .246 (11th)
League average, .244

On-base percentage
Dodgers, .335 (third)
League average, .318
Atlanta, .311 (23rd)

Slugging percentage
Dodgers, .426 (second)
Atlanta, .411 (fifth)
League average, .400

Doubles
Dodgers, 213 (ninth)
Atlanta, 209 (12th)
League average, 202

Triples
League average: 18
Dodgers, 14 (T18th)
Atlanta, 9 (29th)

Home runs
Atlanta, 168 (seventh)
Dodgers, 167 (eighth)
League average, 150

Stolen bases
League average, 88
Atlanta, 65 (T24th)
Dodgers, 52 (28th)

Sacrifice bunts
League average, 18
Dodgers, 12 (22nd)
Atlanta, 7 (T26th)

ERA
Atlanta, 3.60 (fourth)
Dodgers, 3.67 (sixth)
League average, 4.16

Rotation ERA
Dodgers, 3.48 (third)
Atlanta, 3.72 (seventh)
League average 4.22

Bullpen ERA
Atlanta, 3.44 (fourth)
Dodgers, 3.98 (13th)
League average, 4.11

Pitcher strikeouts
Dodgers, 1,193 (fifth)
Atlanta, 1,112 (T12th)
League average, 1,095

Pitcher walks
Dodgers, 409 (10th fewest)
League average, 442
Atlanta, 445 (17th)

Home runs allowed
Atlanta, 146 (15th fewest)
Dodgers, 148 (16th)
League average, 150

Saves
Atlanta, 40 (fourth)
Dodgers, 37 (T9th)
League average, 34

Blown saves
Dodgers, 19 (15th)
League average, 19
Atlanta, 17 (T18th)

Inherited runners who scored%
Atlanta, 22.5%, 32 of 142 (third)
League average, 31.8%, 57 of 179
Dodgers, 35.3%, 53 of 150 (21st)

Keep in mind, it is not imperative to finish in the top two. The Dodgers had to play in the first round last season and that worked out OK. In fact, this season is looking amazingly like last season, with the shaky bullpen and strong starting pitching.

Meet the new Dodger

Alek Thomas gestures toward the dugout after reaching second base on Saturday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

With Andy Pages sidelined by a broken hand, the Dodgers turned to their minor-league system for his replacement: former Arizona Diamondback Alek Thomas.

You may be asking, “Why not James Tibbs III, who is hitting .303/.422/.566 with triple-A Oklahoma City?” Well, Tibbs has not played center in the minors or in college, so that would be a big ask to play center for the first time in the majors in the middle of a postseason run.

Also, teams are not in a rush to get the major league service time running for players. That way they can keep them under team control longer.

Thomas was drafted by Arizona out of Mount Carmel High in Chicago in the second round in 2018. He made the majors in 2022 and hit .231/.275/.344 in 113 games. He hit about the same in 2023 (.230/.273/.374) but hit a key pinch-hit home run in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series against Philadelphia. He missed most of 2024 because of a torn hamstring and hit .249/.289/.370 in 2025, when Arizona began to sour on him.

He doesn’t draw many walks, but plays a good center field. This season, he hit .181 for the Diamondbacks when they designated him for assignment, and the Dodgers sent Arizona minor league outfielder Jose Requena for Thomas. He has been with Oklahoma City since then, where he hit .296/.362/.493 in 55 games.

Thomas played for Mexico in this year’s World Baseball Classic. After his first game as a Dodger, he said, “It’s funny, because they always hated me whenever I came out there in center field. I was, like, ‘Come on, guys, I’m Mexican too. You don’t have to yell at me; like, we’re on the same side here.’

“But, obviously … it doesn’t matter where you’re from. ‘If you’re not a Dodgers guy, you’re not my guy.’”

Thomas is wearing No. 9 with the Dodgers, last worn last season by Eddie Rosario. Gavin Lux wore it before that. It has also been worn by, among others, Yasmani Grandal, Mickey Hatcher, Greg Brock, Wally Moon, Gino Cimoli and Babe Phelps.

Injury update

Edwin Díaz, P, neck: An MRI exam of his neck showed no damage, so he could come off the IL as soon as he is eligible in the first week of September. When he comes back, he won’t be closing and will be used in low-leverage situations until he shows he is 100%.

Tyler Glasnow, P, back: He is ready to go and should start tonight against Atlanta.

Will Klein, P, elbow: He has resumed playing catch, but there’s not much time left in the season for him to come back.

Bobby Miller, P, shoulder: He is on rehab assignment with Oklahoma City.

Shohei Ohtani, P, knee: He pitched a live batting practice session Saturday. He will probably have to throw another session before returning to the rotation.

Andy Pages, CF, broken hand: Had a screw inserted into the bottom bone in the pinkie of his left hand. The Dodgers expect him back for the postseason, but we’ve heard that before. It all depends on how quickly he heals.

Dalton Rushing, C, UCL tear: Could begin a rehab assignment next week, but it’s still unlikely he catches again this season, making his postseason chances very small.

Will Smith, C, neck: He is set to go on a rehab assignment with Oklahoma City on Tuesday. He could be back next week.

Gavin Stone, P, shoulder: Pitched three perfect innings in his most recent rehab start.

Blake Treinen, P, elbow: He is currently on rehab assignment with Oklahoma City and pitched a scoreless inning Sunday for the Comets.

Justin Wrobleski, P, forearm: He could be back in early September, but when he does return, it will be to the bullpen because there is no room in the rotation anymore.

The problem for guys such as Stone and Miller is that there’s not much time left this season, and it seems they have little possibility to have meaningful contributions because they haven’t pitched in so long. Same goes for Ben Casparius, who is injured, and Brusdar Graterol, who hasn’t pitched at all this season.

Up next

Tuesday: Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 3-0, 2.72 ERA) at Atlanta (Bryce Elder, 8-7, 3.92 ERA), 4:15 p.m., SportsNet LA, TBS, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 5-5, 4.42 ERA) at Atlanta (AJ Smith-Shawver, 0-0, 6.23 ERA), 4:15 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-7, 2.61 ERA) at Atlanta (*Chris Sale, 12-9, 2.20 ERA), 4:15 p.m., FS1, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Plaschke: Beneath the Dodgers’ latest sweep, the scary rumblings of a team sale persist

Shaikin: Amid Dodgers’ uncertainty, Padres’ new owners promise to ‘win it all!’

‘I haven’t done my job.’ Edwin Díaz accepts low-leverage role with Dodgers — for now

Shohei Ohtani takes ‘really positive’ step in push to return to Dodgers’ rotation

Swanson: Struggling Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker simply needs to relax

Dodgers president Stan Kasten reiterates ‘Dodgers are not being sold’

If Dodgers are put up for sale, previous runner-up Patrick Soon-Shiong is interested

And finally

MLB Network honors Vin Scully. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

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

Receiver Allen Robinson II spent one season with the Rams. It didn’t go the way L.A. fans had hoped when the former Pro Bowl receiver signed a three-year, $46.5 million deal with the then-reigning Super Bowl champions.

Still, Robinson had some positive takeaways from that portion of his career to share during a video he posted to Instagram on Monday announcing his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons.

“I learned a lot about football from Coach [Sean] McVay and Cooper Kupp and the guys I was around to be able to then use for the rest of my career,” Robinson said.

The video, titled “No More Sundays,” was posted on Robinson’s 33rd birthday. It shows Robinson watching film from every stop during his football career — from his days as “a kid in Detroit trying to be like Randy Moss” to his final NFL season with his hometown Lions in 2024. It and ends with him turning off the projector and literally hanging up his cleats.

Robinson played three seasons at Penn State and led the Big Ten Conference in receptions and receiving yards in 2012 and 2013 and receiving touchdowns in 2012. The 6-foot-3 player was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2014 draft and made the Pro Bowl in his second season.

During the first game of his fourth year with Jacksonville, Robinson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and missed the rest of the season. He signed with the Chicago Bears before the 2018 season and had four productive years there, which led to his contract with the Rams.

Robinson was expected to be an upgrade over veteran receiver Robert Woods, who was subsequently traded to the Tennessee Titans soon after the Robinson deal, but wasn’t able to achieve his previous levels of success. He wasn’t able to establish a rapport with veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, who did not throw passes during offseason workouts or part of training camp because of a right elbow condition.

A foot injury caused Robinson to miss the final seven games of the season. He finished the year with 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns. During the offseason, the Rams traded Robinson and a seventh-round draft pick (No. 251 overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers for that team’s seventh-round pick (No. 234 overall). The Rams were on the hook for about $10 million of Robinson’s salary.

“I did get injured, so I didn’t have a full season in L.A.,” Robinson said. “But I think I learned a lot about myself, being able to just kind of persevere, go through adversity and being able to mentally grow up. I can say that my career wouldn’t be what it was if I didn’t have a lot of those learning moments.”

Robinson finishes his career with 565 receptions for 7,058 yards and 43 touchdowns. He and former NFL cornerback Prince Amukamara started the “Press Release” football podcast last year. In addition, Robinson has hosted several youth football programs over the years.

“Football gave me more than I ever could’ve imagined,” Robinson wrote on Instagram. “It challenged me, shaped me, humbled me, and rewarded me in ways I’ll carry for the rest of my life. I came, I saw, I conquered and I leave with nothing but gratitude.

“The memories, the relationships, the victories, the lessons, they’ll stay with me forever! Thank you for every moment, every cheer, every lesson, and every opportunity.”

Chargers running back Omarion Hampton is a serious breakout candidate entering his second season in Los Angeles.

“I would say he has, from the first day that we’ve gotten on the field … had as much, if not the most, growth as any player,” offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said earlier in training camp. “And that’s because … this guy’s completely obsessed and focused. His tracks and the urgency in which we’re trying to get him to start the play has been phenomenal.

“Nobody wants to tackle that guy. That is a massive human moving very fast. The less we can get him to stop his feet and do what we call ‘slash’ and pick edges of defenders and shoulder-punch them, the better. I’m very confident, and it’s very exciting, what he’s doing each and every day.”

Hampton, the No. 22 overall pick in the 2025 draft, flashed his skills as a rookie. The 6-foot, 220-pound North Carolina product gained 737 yards from scrimmage and had five touchdowns in 156 touches — 124 rushes and 32 receptions.

Hampton would’ve done more if not for deflating injuries that limited him to 10 games. He fractured his left ankle in a Week 5 loss to the Washington Commanders and injured his other ankle in a Week 17 loss to the Houston Texans.

The past is the past, though.

“Looking forward to next season, putting everything I can into treatment, everything I can to get back to 110%,” Hampton said of his offseason regimen. “I feel like I did that well. Couldn’t be more excited for next season.”

Entering the final week of preseason play, Hampton has looked better than ever.

His speed and agility remain electric despite the ankle injuries. The hands are still reliable. And, maybe most importantly, picking up the playbook hasn’t been a problem.

“All the running backs, really, I feel like it’s going to benefit us a lot,” Hampton said of the offense. “We know [McDaniel] loves to run the ball, so we couldn’t be more excited.”

Chargers running back Omarion Hampton gained 737 yards from scrimmage last season and scored five touchdowns in 10 games, missing seven because of injuries to both ankles.

(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)

Added head coach Jim Harbaugh: “Man of few words. [Hampton’s] got places to be and things to do. When I do have a conversation with him, I see a smile. And when I watch the tape, I smile. I think [McDaniel’s offense] fits him great. … Big year for Omarion.”

Where Hampton has really stood out, though, is with his ability — in the words of the iconic Marshawn Lynch — to run through faces.

“[McDaniel’s] just saying, if I run full speed, it’s going to be hard for [defenders] to tackle me,” Hampton said.

Although Hampton, a certified starter, only played in the Chargers’ opening series in Thursday’s preseason loss to San Francisco, he made waves in the two teams’ joint practice on Tuesday by bulldozing several 49ers defenders.

Hampton arguably made the play of the day when putting 49ers safety Ji’Ayir Brown on his back during a big run.

“He’s incredibly tough,” Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said of Hampton after that joint practice. “He leads by example. He doesn’t say much, but what he does on the field is so loud, and guys respect him.

“It’s so cool to hand him the ball and see what he’s able to do because he’s an incredible athlete and an incredible competitor. I’m glad he’s on my side of the ball.”

The Chargers’ running back corps, led by Hampton, also features trustworthy options in veterans Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal.

Although McDaniel’s offenses usually feature eye-popping aerial attacks, he also loves to run the ball. The trio of running backs should see plenty of carries, particularly with opportunities for big-chunk gains.

“Top to bottom, guys are legit,” Vidal said. “Everyone’s here for a reason. … Everyone knows about Omarion and Keaton. I think all guys can contribute at some point during the season.”

McDaniel teased reporters when asked about Hampton’s expected usage, apologizing to fantasy owners for his inability to declare the running back the bell cow because of their other options he has to work with.

Make no mistake, though, Hampton’s the guy.

He’ll be a critical part of the Chargers’ offense and a major factor in determining whether the franchise can get over the playoff hump.

“There’s a lot of small things that go into it,” Hampton said. “But I feel like the more you do it, the more you get comfortable with it. I feel like now, I’m at a more comfortable place with it.”

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where I am thrilled to announce that the start of the USC football season is here. And a week before the rest of college football, no less!

We’ve reminded you enough by now that this is a make-or-break season for USC and for its head coach, Lincoln Riley. With a new defensive coordinator who’s in the College Football Hall of Fame, a new, state-of-the-art football facility and the nation’s top recruiting class in tow, USC has given Riley everything he needs to succeed.

So what if … he actually does?

Last week, we walked you through the worst-case scenario for USC’s 2026 slate. So this week, let’s put on our cardinal-and-gold colored glasses and consider what this season might look like if everything actually goes right. Because there’s certainly a world in which USC earns a place in the College Football Playoff. Maybe even wins a game or two (or three?).

That picture-perfect scenario, however, hinges in my mind on how fast USC’s stellar freshman class rounds into form.

Imagine for a minute a Trojans defense with Luke Wafle, the nation’s top prospect in 2026, screaming off the edge a la the Bosa Bros at Ohio State. Or what about “Boobie” Feaster, the Trojans’ 17-year-old stud wideout, taking a tunnel screen to the house through the teeth of Oregon’s defense?

USC hasn’t had this much talent on the roster since I started covering the team in 2019. And while it’s fair to be hesitant about relying on so many freshmen, what if, when push comes to shove, they’re just the best players on the team?

It’s not hard to envision that being the case at wide receiver, at tight end and even along the defensive line. Freshmen could even be starting, at some point, on the offensive line, at linebacker and in the defensive backfield. (OK, this might not sound like a best-case yet, but bear with me here …)

USC has the first three weeks of its season to let the freshmen figure it out, followed by a trip across the country to Rutgers, and with no redshirts to worry about, I’d venture to say we’ll see the full breadth of freshmen Trojan talent over those four games. If USC can emerge from that stretch with the confidence of its young players soaring, then it should have a shot when Oregon comes to town.

If there’s one game that could decide the direction of USC’s season, it’s this one. It’s a critical moment for quarterback Jayden Maiava, who had his worst game of the year a season ago in Eugene. Any world in which USC makes a playoff run must include a major leap from Maiava. This is his time to prove that he’s taken that last step in his game, the one that could truly separate him as a first-round NFL draft pick. He has the talent, and in this case, he’ll have to show every bit of it.

Meanwhile, USC’s defense could cast some doubt on the potential of the Ducks’ own quarterback with a promising performance here. Dante Moore has yet to face a ranked team in a true road environment as Oregon’s starter. And the Coliseum is going to be rocking that night. I could see him slipping up on the road.

If Maiava can play to his potential and the defense can rise to the occasion, USC can beat Oregon for the first time in a decade. And if it does, a world of possibilities open up for USC.

With the confidence of its fabulous freshmen soaring, USC rolls through Washington at home. A trip to Penn State, during what’s sure to be a White Out game, marks the second moment in which the Trojans’ young stars could be seriously tested. But who’s to say that the Nittany Lions, under Matt Campbell, have anywhere close to the talent the Trojans will bring to State College. And without its usual pass rush, I could see Maiava picking Penn State apart.

Wins over Maryland and on the road at Wisconsin are locks in this scenario, as is a stomping of crosstown rival UCLA and new coach Bob Chesney.

So what about Ohio State and Indiana, our last two national title winners? The more winnable of those two, in my opinion, is the Halloween home game with Ohio State, considering the questions on the Buckeyes’ defense. But Ohio State is still the deeper, more talented team, and by that point in the season, injuries will have surely affected USC’s roster.

As for Indiana, well, not only have the Hoosiers not lost at home under Curt Cignetti, but they’ve allowed just 10 points per game over Cignetti’s 15 home games as coach. USC has to slip up somewhere in the schedule, and my bet would be Bloomington.

Ten wins would surely secure USC its first-ever Playoff spot, delivering the statement that Riley so desperately needed in his fifth season. And if by this point, its fleet of freshmen just happen to be peaking, then there’s no telling how far this team could go from there.

Thanos down

Jahkeem Stewart (4) reacts against the Michigan State Spartans last season.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

In a brutal twist of fate for USC, just ahead of its Week 0 opener, defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart is now likely to miss the nonconference slate with a foot injury.

It’s terrible news for the sophomore standout and for USC, which needs all the talent it can get along the defensive line. Stewart’s participation throughout camp had been a bit inconsistent already, presumably in an effort to keep him fresh for the season.

The fact that he’s likely to miss the first three games isn’t so much the main concern here. It’s that foot injuries are notoriously tricky. We don’t have much information on whether this was a aggravation or an entirely new problem, but a source downplayed the current injury’s severity. Still, it’s not a great sign for a player that was expected, at least by me, to be all-conference caliber this season.

Does Riley have any interest in adding old Trojans to the roster?

A court ruling bafflingly cleared the way last week for players who have already signed with NFL teams to gain some added college eligibility. And while no one has been added to the mix yet, USC’s coach said this week he wasn’t against adding under the right circumstances.

“Addition doesn’t always mean necessarily making you better, right?” Riley said. “And we feel very strongly about the group that we’ve put together, we feel very strongly about the kind of culture and attitude and vibe of this team right now, and so first and foremost, we’re going to protect that.”

Other than at linebacker, where USC would have to add someone new from the transfer portal midseason, or because of injuries, I don’t see a scenario in which it would really make sense. Anthony Lucas or Lake McRee just don’t move the needle at this point.

Class of ‘26 power rankings: Week 0

USC signed the top-ranked class last recruiting cycle, so as they finally hit the field, the Times of Troy will keep tabs on their progress by doing what we do best: Ranking their performance! In this case, we’ll rank them based on the freshmen we most expect to make a difference when USC kicks off against San José State.

Trent Mosley at USC spring football practice.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

1. Luke Wafle, DE … the No. 1 overall prospect in 2026 should get plenty of run coming off the edge in these first few games. I wouldn’t be surprised if, over that stretch, he makes it impossible to keep him on the bench.

2. Trent Mosley, WR. Seemingly locked into a starting job since the spring, Mosley is 20 years old and much further along than most freshmen when it comes to football IQ. He could lead the team in targets if all breaks right.

3. Mark Bowman, TE. Bowman was in and out of practice through camp, which might be the only thing keeping him from the No. 1 spot on this list. Don’t be surprised if the breakout doesn’t come right away as he gets into the swing of things.

4. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, WR. A standout of camp with Tanook Hines sidelined, Dixon-Wyatt should be thrust into a big role right away. He’s a big play waiting to happen, and of all the freshmen position players, he’s the one I’d expect to wow us first.

5. Elbert “Rock” Hill, CB. Another standout of camp, Hill is behind two surefire starters in Jontez Williams and Chasen Johnson. But from what we’ve seen and heard, the freshman cornerback is way ahead of schedule.

6. Boobie Feaster, WR. Feaster is so young — just turned 17 — but his talent is undeniable. He has the potential to be the No. 1 guy on this list by season’s end.

7. Tomuhini “Tom Tom” Topui, DT. Stewart’s injury could open the door for more young guys on the interior, including Topui, who really impressed me in the scrimmage and has been receiving rave reviews from teammates.

8. Talanoa Ili, LB. In a linebacker room with shallow depth, don’t be surprised if Ili emerges early. I like what I’ve seen.

9. Madden Riordan, S. One of the bigger surprises in the class, Riordan added critical weight and now should play a part in the defensive back rotation. Being 20 already helps.

10. Breck Kolojay, OG. Kolojay was a major standout of spring, then cooled in camp while dealing with injuries. He’s likely a next-man-up option on the offensive interior.

11. Tron Baker, WR. Baker has a lot of other freshman wideouts ahead of him on this list, but we’ve heard his name a lot listed among young players who impressed.

12. Deshonne Redeaux, RB/KR. I really like Redeaux’s smooth, effortless running style, and while he’s down the depth chart at running back, he could right away be the kick returner.

Poll results

We asked, “What is the fewest number of wins you’d accept from Riley and USC without calling for a change?”
After 1,507 votes, the results:

Nine wins, 35.6%
10 wins/playoff appearance, 27.9%
Eight wins, 24.6%
Seven wins, 8.8%
Six wins, 3.1%

Olympic sports spotlight

Jane Alukonis was named the Big Ten women’s soccer coach of the year in 2024, but the Trojans trudged their way to a 7-7-3 finish in 2025 and have a lot to prove as their 2026 season begins.

Lucky for Alukonis, she brings in the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the nation according to Prep Soccer, a class highlighted by forward Jordan Hill, the No. 3 overall prospect, and defender Rhiannon Mahon, the No. 5 overall prospect.

But the Trojans were still picked in the preseason to finish seventh in the Big Ten. And with losses to Duke and Brigham Young already, USC is already facing an uphill climb to start the season.

What I’m Watching This Week

Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

(Macall Polay / 20th Century Studios)

No one told me before I watched “The Devil Wears Prada 2” on a plane last weekend that it was a journalism movie! But even aside from commiserating about the state of journalism through the screen with Anne Hathaway, I enjoyed this second go-round.

So what if it was a blatant cash grab? Put Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci in a room, and I’d probably watch whatever they come up. Tucci, in particular, was a standout for me in this sequel.

In case you missed it

How Boobie Feaster became one of the USC playmakers to watch at age 17

Ohio State and Oregon lead AP top 25 preseason college football poll; USC also ranked

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The Gentlemen’s future “felt inevitable”, according to director Guy Ritchie.

Netflix is finally bringing back The Gentlemen and teasing an even darker side of Eddie Halstead.

More than two years ago, The Gentlemen on Netflix became a global phenomenon, attracting more than 100 million views worldwide and reaching the number one spot in 75 countries.

Now, once again back for eight more action-packed episodes, The Gentlemen season two is set to premiere on Thursday, September 3, on Netflix.

And just to give a little taste of what’s to come, the streamer has released the official trailer and this time, Eddie Halstead (played by Theo James) is biting back.

It begins with him telling Geoff Seacombe (Vinnie Jones): “Four hundred years ago, this estate spread out as far as the eye can see. I want it all back.”

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It doesn’t take long for the The Gentlemen season two teaser to welcome newcomer Hugh Bonneville into the fold as Eddie asks for his help to “decriminalise marijuana”.

Elsewhere, Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario) shares her concerns that “The Duke” is evolving into “something volatile”, with a follow-up clip showing Eddie strangling someone.

But the trailer really escalates when, after Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone) calls him a “snake”, Eddie unexpectedly screams in his face: “Don’t you f*****g talk to me like that!”, leaving everyone stunned.

Clearly excited to see what’s to come, one YouTuber user commented: “When the world needed The Gentlemen most, they returned.”

Someone else exclaimed: “Guy Ritchie masterpiece”, as another added: “I know this is going to be epic”, a third pleaded: “Please give us four more plus seasons. Guy Ritchie is the goat.”

Thankfully, the viewers have got their wish as on top of releasing the new series two trailer, Netflix has confirmed that The Gentlemen has already been renewed for season three.

Addressing the good news, Ritchie remarked: “The ambition of The Gentlemen has accelerated, the world has expanded and the consequences carry weight. A third season felt inevitable, and I’m looking forward to pushing the boundaries of it further.”

As of yet, no further details of The Gentlemen season three have been released but given that series two hasn’t even dropped yet, it is still very early days.

Nevertheless, a teaser for what’s coming up has been confirmed by its official synopsis: “It’s been one year since Eddie and Susie joined forces to work together in Bobby’s criminal empire overseas.

“As they drive to expand their enterprise, the decisions Bobby is making seem to be increasingly unsound. Now Eddie and Susie must decide whether to take action or risk losing it all, but unfettered ambition never ends well…”

On top of Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville joining the cast, The Gentlemen season two will welcome Dune’s Benjamin Clementine, The Housemaid star Michele Morrone and Love Island icon Maya Jama.

The Gentlemen season two premieres on Thursday, September 3, on Netflix.