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Footballers Toby Alderweireld, Robbie Keane, Ashley Young, and former Tottenham manager Thomas Frank will join Match of the Day as pundits and BBC Sport will launch four new YouTube formats for the new men’s football season.

The BBC Football YouTube channel will house the quartet of new shows including FANS², The Truth About Football, Golden Goal and Football Hub.

There will be a focus on fan experience with the addition of the BBC Sport Fan Collective, which will bring together supporters representing all 20 Premier League clubs.

“Football means something different to every fan, and this season BBC Sport is putting those fans even more firmly at the heart of the game,” said BBC director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski.

“We’re bringing together the unrivalled expertise of former players and managers with the passion, personality and perspectives of supporters to create a richer football experience wherever and however audiences follow the game.”

BBC Radio 5 Live will broadcast live commentary of 209 Premier League matches this season, as well as coverage from the Champions League, Scottish Premiership, FA Cup, men’s League Cup and international matches.

As well as Match of the Day’s Premier League coverage, BBC will broadcast two matches from each round of the FA Cup as well as one Bundesliga match every week on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

Highlights and clips will also be available from La Liga, Serie A, the Europa League and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’s international games.

Kelly Somer’s The Football Interview will continue on BBC iPlayer, BBC Football YouTube and the BBC Sport website and app, as well as on BBC One every Saturday from 12:45 BST.

DENVER — The Dodgers are putting closer Edwin Díaz on the injured list for the second time this season, this time with inflammation on the right side of his neck, manager Dave Roberts said before the game against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.

The Dodgers are going to have Dr. Robert Watkins, who specializes in spine injuries, examine at Díaz’s neck in L.A. on Wednesday morning, Roberts said. He’s set to undergo imaging.

“It’s something he felt [Monday] night,” Roberts said before the Dodgers’ 7-6 win against the Rockies on Tuesday. “We don’t know if it’s something that has been there the last, call it, week or whatever but it showed its head last night. So we’re going to address it.”

The move comes after Díaz gave up nine runs and recorded three blown saves in a span of six appearances.

“I know Edwin is — I don’t know if it’s encouraged, but just know that there could be a reason why the stuff is not playing like it has in the past,” Roberts said. “And the neck, obviously, there’s ties with the whole body, the arm, and all that stuff matters. So I’m personally excited to kind of find something that kind of make us understand what’s going on.”

“We’ll know more after seeing Dr. Watkins,” Roberts said, “but given where he’s at, I don’t see a situation where he’d be out for the year.”

Díaz has only made 16 appearances for the Dodgers this season, recording an 11.85 ERA and 6.01 FIP. He spent three months on the IL after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow in late April.

After collecting a save in a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on July 29 in his first appearance back, Díaz was unable to show command in subsequent outings. He blew saves on consecutive days against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 7-8, and then blew a 4-2 lead last Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers — which proved critical for the Dodgers in losing the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Brewers as the division leaders jostle for playoff seeding.

During the Dodgers’ 11-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night, Díaz pitched the ninth inning and gave up three runs and four hits.

With Díaz no longer an option in save situations, left-hander Tanner Scott is set to slide into that role.

“I just wait for the phone to ring, I don’t care when,” Scott said after a four-out save Tuesday. “You get the adrenaline rush when your name’s called and just go out there and pitch.”

On Tuesday, Roberts turned to Scott to get the final out of the eighth inning, with runners on first and second in a two-run game. He induced left-handed pinch hitter Brett Sullivan to ground out to third.

Back out for the ninth he gave up a one-out double to Jake McCarthy’s and a two-out RBI single to Willi Castro. But the run was of no consequence.

“He’s been great,” Roberts said of Scott’s contributions this year, in multiple roles. “Tanner doesn’t complain. He’s always ready, wants to pitch, wants to help his teammates, his team. And certainly, given how last year went, for him to come back and right the ship, he’s been our most consistent reliever by far. I trust him, and I feel like you can use him in any situation.”

The Dodgers also recalled right-hander Emmet Sheehan on Tuesday as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. Sheehan, optioned to triple A at the trade deadline for a reset, made two starts for Oklahoma City.

“I got the hang of it a little bit last year in the playoffs,” Sheehan said of pitching in relief. “I have the routine that I would have for starting, and that I have for coming out of the bullpen. So comfortable doing either one or whatever they want me to do.”

Ohtani may be ready for next step

Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani appeared to throw two simulated innings in his bullpen session on Tuesday, for a total of about 45-50 pitches.

When Roberts asked how it went, he said Ohtani gave him a thumbs up.

Roberts did not rule out the possibility of Ohtani throwing live batting practice back in Los Angeles as his next step.

“I could see that,” Roberts said.

Serving as the designated hitter Tuesday, Ohtani hit a two-run homer in the third inning. It was his third homer in two games and his 30th of the season. He’s reached the 30 home-run mark in six straight seasons.

“You’ve got to be available, you’ve got to be a high-performer,” Roberts said of the feat. “And Shohei this series is back to being who he is. I like the at-bat quality. I like the swing decisions. And obviously he’s hitting homers out with breaking balls, fastballs, a curveball tonight. When he goes, it certainly adds a lot of energy to our offense.”

BOSTON — Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored 18 points and Kennedy Burke had 17 to lead the Connecticut Sun to an 85-77 win over the Sparks at TD Garden on Tuesday night.

Diamond Miller finished with 13 points for the Sun, who played a game in Boston for the third straight year before moving next season to Houston.

Rae Burrell finished with 19 points for the Sparks (12-23). Nneka Ogwumike added 18 and Dearica Hamby scored 15.

Nelson-Ododa also had 11 rebounds and scored 13 points in the first half for the Sun (9-25). Leila Lacan had 10 assists and Saniya Rivers scored 11 points off the bench. Burke was three for four from beyond the arc.

The Sun took a 7-2 lead off a pull-up three-pointer by Miller. Leading 46-40 at halftime, the Sun went on an 8-0 run that started with a driving layup by Nelson-Ododa, who was fouled and completed the three-point play. Burke added a three-pointer and Miller made a layup to force the Sparks to take a timeout.

HOUSTON — Rookie George Klassen gave up one hit in a career-high seven scoreless innings and Josh Lowe homered to lead the Angels to a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

Klassen (2-1), who was making his fifth career start, also set a career mark by striking out seven. He gave up only a first inning single to Jose Altuve.

Cam Smith hit a solo homer off José Fermin with no outs in the eighth to cut the lead to 3-1. But Ben Joyce pitched a scoreless ninth to get his third save and send the AL West leaders to their third straight loss.

Houston starter Cristian Javier (1-4) gave up five hits and two runs in four innings.

The Angels scored all three of their runs with two out for their second win in three games.

The Angels had runners on first and second with two outs in the third when an RBI single by Nolan Schanuel made it 1-0.

Lowe extended the lead to 2-0 with his shot to the seats in left field with two out in the fourth.

The Angels got things going again with two out in the fifth when Schanuel singled to right field. Zach Neto followed with an RBI double that left them up 3-0.

Isaac Paredes walked with two out in the first before Altuve’s single, but Klassen struck out Daulton Varsho to end the inning. The Astros didn’t have another baserunner until Paredes walked to start the fourth. Klassen walked Altuve with none out in the seventh, but retired the next three batters, with two strikeouts, to end his night.

DENVER — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called right fielder Kyle Tucker into the visiting manager’s office at Chase Field a week and a half ago, just to catch up.

Roberts had run into Tucker’s wife Samantha and their 5-month old baby that morning in Arizona. And he saw it as a good time to check in.

“When you start to struggle and you internalize … you find yourself going dark, and that’s a lonely place,” Roberts said Tuesday, before the Dodgers’ 7-6 win against the Rockies. “So I think that for me, trying to proactively pull conversations out of him, talk about life, talk about baseball, it just kind of opens things up, and I think that it’s freeing.

“He’s a cerebral guy by nature, internalizes a lot. But still, for me, he’s with a new ballclub, he’s scuffling, so I want to get that out of him.”

Scuffling is a mild way of describing Tucker’s struggles this season. He described it as the “first time in [his] life” that he’s had a season with so many offensive false starts. After being named an All-Star in each of his previous four seasons, Tucker is on pace for the worst offensive year since his 2018 debut season with the Astros.

On Tuesday, he finally ended his career-high hitless streak at seven games, with a double up the right-field line in the fourth inning (although he grounded out once and struck out twice in his other plate appearances). He’d gone 26 straight at-bats without a hit.

So much about Tucker’s year has been head-scratching.

Take his plate discipline, for example. Traditionally known for his strike-zone control, Tucker’s chase rate has been up this season. But even when he trimmed it to 21.6% in July (not as low as the last two years but even with his 2023 season), his production at the plate didn’t respond accordingly.

One of the biggest mysteries has been his extreme home/road splits. Entering Tuesday, he had a solid .822 OPS on the road and a paltry .558 OPS at Dodger Stadium.

Asked about the contrast earlier this week, he said he didn’t have a theory.

“If I knew, I’d probably have figured it out by now,” he said. “But that’s just kind of how it’s gone.”

Recently, his woes have followed him into the outfield. The day after he failed to reel in a flyball in the right-field corner at Dodger Stadium, he had a far worse drop Monday at Coors Field.

In the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ 11-5 victory against the Rockies, Tucker seemed to camp right under a shallow fly. But as it fell, he twisted and put one knee down before dropping the ball.

“There’s indecision, and catching a baseball at your ankles kind of speaks to where his head is at right now,” Roberts said. “It’s not from lack of effort, or care. It’s just right now, I think he’s kind of fighting. So we’ve got to keep supporting him.”

Tucker isn’t the only player who’s struggling. Mookie Betts has been hot and cold at the plate. Teoscar Hernández hasn’t been slugging the way he’s accustomed to. And before arriving in Colorado, the team was in a collective slump.

Tucker, however, is in the first year of a four-year, $240-million contract. And so far the Dodgers haven’t seen the version of him that elevated the Cubs’ offense in the first half of last year and was a steady part of the Astros’ lineup during a run of sustained success.

“Whether it’s my first year or 10th year with a team, I think it’d be frustrating regardless,” Tucker said. “But it’s not like I’m frustrated just because I’m playing at home or anything. Whether it’s on the road or at home, it would be frustrating, just not helping the team win games.”

He slid into his most recent slump during the Dodgers’ last homestand, but the Colorado altitude didn’t immediately work its magic when the team went back on the road.

During Monday’s SNLA broadcast, analyst Eric Karros suggested sending Tucker to Arizona for a reset.

The less extreme version would be sitting Tucker for several games in a row.

“I’m not at the point where it’s like a three-day, three-game reset situation, something like that,” Roberts said Tuesday afternoon.

He did, however, give Tucker a day off Saturday, saying he saw Tucker’s frustration as he continued to struggle offensively at Dodger Stadium. And Tuesday, he said he hadn’t decided whether to start Tucker against Rockies left-handed starter Kyle Freeland the next day.

“It’s tough because, I mean, I feel like I’ve tried just about everything,” Tucker said. “And every time I feel like I’m turning a corner, I get hit with a roadblock. But, you can’t stop. You just got to keep going, try and at least pick out the positives, and just try and ride with that. Just keep on moving to the next day and hope for something to build.”

Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala says he is being treated for a “neurological dysfunction” after collapsing during a match for the second time in a four-day period.

On Tuesday, Musiala collapsed six minutes after coming off the bench in Bayern’s 4-2 friendly victory at Heidenheim.

The 23-year-old appeared dazed as he received medical treatment and was helped off the pitch.

The incident occurred after he collapsed during Saturday’s 3-1 friendly win over RB Leipzig in Munich.

Musiala later posted a statement on Instagram to ease fears about the situation.

“I’ve been diagnosed with temporary, brief, but easily treatable absence seizures, which are due to a neurological dysfunction,” he explained.

“These can lead to the recent episodes, like the one against Leipzig or now in Heidenheim. I know they seem scary at first glance – but for me, they’re currently just part of my everyday life.

“I’m receiving excellent medical treatment and am very optimistic. FC Bayern and my family and friends are always by my side and supporting me on this journey.”

Following Tuesday’s game, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl had said the player would be speaking about the matter later, adding: “We knew about it and we are aware of the situation.

“Jamal will speak out. He’s in the dressing room, getting changed and taking a shower.”

Musiala missed the first six months of last season after breaking his ankle at the 2025 Club World Cup, but returned in the second half of the campaign and started three of Germany’s four games at the 2026 World Cup.

Police have launched an investigation after a 33-year-old man was found dead at Charlton Athletic’s football ground.

Officers and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service were called to The Valley stadium in south-east London on Tuesday morning following concerns for the welfare of a person.

The Metropolitan Police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from officers.

Detectives are investigating the possibility that the man had fallen from height in the early hours of Monday morning. The death is currently being treated as unexpected as inquiries continue.

In a statement, Charlton Athletic confirmed the club was supporting police with their investigation following the discovery.

A spokesperson for the Championship club said: “Everyone at Charlton Athletic would like to express their deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the individual’s family, friends and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

“The club are continuing to assist the authorities with their inquiries and respectfully ask that the privacy of those affected is respected.”

The club added that there was no suggestion of any wrongdoing on its part and thanked its staff for their professionalism in dealing with a “particularly difficult and distressing situation”.

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Cagliari forward Yael Trepy is out of a medically induced coma and off mechanical ventilation two days after being pulled unconscious from a swimming pool.

Trepy, 20, was airlifted to hospital after the incident at a villa in Sardinia on Sunday afternoon.

His club shared a statement, external on Tuesday evening from the Santissima Annunziata Civil Hospital in Sassari, where Trepy is being treated.

It said his ventilation and sedation was reduced gradually through the day, allowing him to wake from the induced coma.

“Upon awakening, the patient showed a full recovery of consciousness: he is alert and co-operative and, at present, shows no evident neurological deficits,” said Dr Stefania Milia, director of the Emergency and Intensive Care Unit at the hospital.

However, Trepy remains in intensive care and “continues to receive close clinical and respiratory monitoring,” Dr Milia added.

A statement earlier on Tuesday had said Trepy was “fever free” and his “respiratory function” had improved compared with his severe condition when he was admitted, though it added “the prognosis remains guarded”.

BBC Sport has been told the player was in the swimming pool with friends and it is thought he got into difficulty after reaching an area of the pool where he could not touch the bottom.

Cagliari players had the weekend off after they beat Arezzo 1-0 in the Coppa Italia on Friday, in which Trepy played 54 minutes.

Trepy scored once in eight Serie A appearances last season after being a Cagliari youth player.

He joined the club’s academy in 2022, having started his youth career with Parisian side US Creteil-Lusitanos.

She added Dott allegedly touched her over her clothes and lasted “maybe a couple of minutes”.

Prosecutor Lindsey Dalziel then asked if she remembered Dott saying anything.

The witness said she remembered that “it was odd to me”.

“I think he said ‘does that feel nice’ or something. I cannot recall,” she added.

She went on to speak of another alleged incident after Dott was said to have asked if she wanted to play a “guessing game” at the house.

The witness claimed Dott, who lives in the Dennistoun area of Glasgow, went on to suggest that she take her trousers down. He also lifted her top and started kissing her “belly”.

She also accused him of inappropriately touching her.

The witness claimed the abuse had happened several times.

Asked if she ever told anyone at that time about what was happening, she stated: “No. Graeme told me not to.”

The woman told the court it was few years later that she first confided in a friend, but did not go into any details with her.

She said she also spoke to a teacher before meeting with police in January 2001.

Officers then came to her door in 2024, the court heard.

Dalziel asked: “Had you done anything to instigate the police coming?”

The witness said: “No, I was in complete shock.”

The trial, before Judge Lord Harrower, continues.

Al-Hilal in talks with Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins, Newcastle explore move for Manchester City‘s Nico Gonzalez, Sunderland move for Dayann Methalie in danger of collapsing.

Representatives for England captain Harry Kane, 33, have held talks with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, with the Bayern Munich striker open to a move in the future. (Talksport, external)

Meanwhile Aston Villa and England striker Ollie Watkins, 29, has agreed personal terms with Al-Hilal, though the Saudi side are yet to submit a transfer offer to Villa. (Teamtalk), external

Newcastle have opened exploratory talks with Manchester City over a potential move for Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez, 24. (The Athletic – subscription required), external

Sunderland‘s £25.7m move for Toulouse and France Under-21 defender Dayann Methalie, 20, is in danger of collapsing after concerns were raised over his medical. (Daily Mail), external

Coventry have had an offer worth £8.5m for England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 30, rejected by AC Milan. (Tuttosport – in Italian), external

Real Sociedad have made an approach for West Ham and Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez, 28, with Ajax having cooled their interest. (Sky Sports), external

Ipswich have had a second offer rejected for Bayer Leverkusen and Argentina midfielder Exequiel Palacios, 27. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Tottenham are considering a move for Paris St-Germain and Ukraine defender Illia Zabarnyi, 23, after selling Cristian Romero to Atletico Madrid. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool and England midfielder Curtis Jones, 25, remains a top target for Inter Milan, who believe a bid of 35m euros (£29m) will be successful. (CaughtOffside, external)

Wolves have entered the race for Brighton winger Amario Cozier-Duberry, 21, with the England under-20 international remaining a target for Rangers and former loan club Bolton. (The Argus, external)

Malaga are pursuing English winger Ryan Kent, 29, who has been a free agent since leaving Seattle Sounders in January. (Fichajes – in Spanish, external)

A competitor has died following a crash involving two riders during qualifying for the Manx Grand Prix on the Isle of Man.

The session was red-flagged at about 18:50 BST following the incident at Cruickshanks, in Ramsey, on the opening lap of Tuesday evening’s session.

Organisers said the other competitor involved had suffered minor injuries and was being treated at the island’s main hospital, Noble’s. The riders have not been named.

The road between Ramsey Bus Station and Lheaney Road in Ramsey remained closed for more than three hours after the crash.

In a statement, organisers said: “It’s with profound sadness that the Manx Grand Prix Races confirms that one competitor sustained fatal injuries.

“In accordance with the event’s standard operating procedures, a multi-agency investigative process is now underway.

“Our thoughts are with the competitors, family and friends of those involved, who have asked for privacy at this time.”

Tuesday marked the second day of qualifying for the 2026 Manx Grand Prix (MGP) and Classic TT following the cancellation of Monday’s sessions because of rain showers.

Sunday’s opening session was cut short following a red-flag incident that saw Italian rider Salvatore Sallustro taken to hospital for treatment and a later deterioration of the weather.

Qualifying for the MGP, which runs in parallel with the Classic TT on the 37.7 mile (61km) Mountain Course, is scheduled to take place daily until Saturday, followed by racing in the two events until 28 August.

Betfred Super League

Hull KR (14) 28

Tries: Lewis, Lawton, Hadley, Pangai Jr Goals: Martin, Mourgue 5

Warrington Wolves (10) 34

Tries: Hopoate 2, Bentley, Sipley, Byrne, Williams Goals: Irwin 5

George Williams scored his first try since returning from neck surgery to help Warrington Wolves beat defending Super League champions Hull KR and close the gap on the competition’s top two.

England half-back Williams, who spent almost four months out after sustaining the injury against Catalans Dragons in April, went over for the match-defining try in their rearranged fixture against the Robins – having returned to action just five days earlier against York.

Williams’ score came before Mikey Lewis again found himself in trouble for Hull KR, with the influential half-back – who was making his first appearance after completing a four-game ban – sin-binned for a dangerous attempt to block a kick late on.

Earlier, quickfire Lewis and Karl Lawton tries just before the break put Hull KR 14-10 ahead, after well-worked scores from Albert Hopoate and James Bentley looked to have had Wolves heading into the break with a slender lead.

Toafofoa Sipley scored immediately after the interval to reclaim the advantage for the visitors and, while Arthur Mourgue landed a penalty to level things up, an Ewan Irwin kick, Liam Byrne’s try on his 27th birthday, Williams’ finish and stunning second score from Hopoate proved enough to seal a statement win for Sam Burgess’ side.

Late scores from Dean Hadley and Tevita Pangai Jr did little more than add respectability to the scoreline for the Robins after being outplayed at home.

More to follow.

Hull KR: Mourgue; Davies, Hiku, Broadbent, Burgess; Lewis, May; Sue, Litten, Hadley, Whitbread, Martin, Minchella.

Interchanges: Amone, Luckley, Lawton, Pangai Jr.

Warrington Wolves: J Thewlis; Hopoate, Lindop, King, Ashton; Williams, Irwin; Byrne, Walker, Harrison, Bentley, Stone, Currie.

Interchanges: Tanginoa, Sipley, Wood, Crowther.

Referee: Liam Moore.

The Chargers were bitten by the injury bug Tuesday during a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers in El Segundo.

Center Tyler Biadasz went down hard after 49ers defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez fell on his left leg during an 11-on-11 drill. Biadasz, who was unable to put weight on his left leg, was carted off the field and visibly upset.

“Obviously praying for the best,” Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said. “I don’t know exactly what happened. And I haven’t heard the report back. But hoping for the best for him.”

Biadasz was replaced by rookie offensive lineman Jake Slaughter, who is among the candidates to play left guard.

“Yeah, man, that hurt me,” Slaughter said. “He’s been nothing but a wonderful mentor. He’s been such a good leader in the room, helping me see the big picture better. We’re hoping and praying he’s in a good spot, and it’s nothing serious.”

Outside linebacker Kyle Kennard exited practice with a trainer after limping off the field.

Wide receiver Quentin Johnston limped to the sideline after attempting a leaping catch. It appeared to be a lower-body injury, and trainers worked on him afterward.

The Chargers have consistently endured devastating injuries over the years.

And it seems there’s a good chance they’ll be shorthanded at SoFi Stadium during Week 2 of preseason play against the 49ers.

“I take it as a blessing that I can help the team in any way that I can,” Slaughter said about potentially starting at center if Biadasz is sidelined for an extended period of time.

A wacky day in Lakers land

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: For more than four decades, the Lakers were a family-run business. The sibling rivalries still remain.

Jeanie Buss is fighting back after her siblings reportedly voted to sell the family’s remaining stake in the Lakers on Monday. The team’s governor, Buss sent a letter through her attorney to her brothers’ attorneys stating any votes to sell the family’s remaining 17.8% stake in the team to new majority owners Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner are void because the sale cannot be completed without approval of the other trustees: Jeanie and her younger siblings, Janie and Joey.

ESPN reported Monday that the six Buss family siblings, who took over team ownership after their father, Jerry Buss, died in 2013, are selling their shares of the Lakers to Iger and Kushner following a family vote. Iger, the longtime Disney chief executive, and Kushner, a venture capitalist and entrepreneur, agreed last week to buy Mark Walter’s controlling stake of the Lakers for a record valuation of $12.5 billion.

The transactions still need to be approved by the NBA board of governors. Jeanie Buss, who was to remain the Lakers governor for at least five years after Walter’s purchase of the team was approved last October, no longer would be eligible to serve on the board if the Buss family sells its shares. Governors are required to own at least a 15% stake.

“The co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain controlling owner,” the letter from Buss’ attorney reads, citing a 2017 court ruling outlining Jeanie Buss’ role. “Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court.”

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Ohtani homers twice, Dodgers win

From Maddie Lee: Shohei Ohtani paused to admire the flight of his no-doubt home run as it sailed to right-center field.

Clearly on a home-run trajectory, it was headed toward the visitor’s bullpen. From among the trees, Dodgers reliever Kyle Hurt’s glove shot up and secured the ball.

As Ohtani circled the bases, the bullpen turned into a mosh pit around Hurt.

In what has been a brutal August for the Dodgers, the vibes were undeniably high.

Maybe all the Dodgers needed was a trip to the Mile High City.

En route to an 11-5 win over the Rockies, Ohtani’s two-run blast in the sixth inning — his second homer of the game — widened the Dodgers’ lead to eight runs, a comfortable lead even at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

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‘Rare accomplishment’: How Max Muncy went from being cast off to longest-tenured Dodger

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Update on NBA probe into Clippers

From Steve Henson: The NBA investigation into whether payments from Clippers team sponsors to star player Kawhi Leonard were a prohibited attempt to circumvent the salary cap has moved to a contentious discussion phase between the team and the league, people with knowledge of the case not authorized to discuss it publicly confirmed to The Times on Monday.

ESPN reported that the probe conducted on behalf of the NBA by high-powered New York law firm Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz has found no evidence establishing that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer funneled money through Aspiration Partners, Daktronics or other team sponsors to pay Leonard millions of dollars in excess of his player contract.

However, the NBA issued a statement that read: “ESPN’s article regarding the LA Clippers investigation — for which the NBA declined to cooperate — contains numerous and significant inaccuracies. The results in this matter will be made clear once the investigation is concluded.”

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MLB approves sale of Padres

Major League Baseball’s team owners unanimously have approved the sale of the San Diego Padres to an investor group led by private equity billionaire José E. Feliciano and his wife and business partner, Kwanza Jones.

The league announced the approval Monday after a vote. Feliciano and Jones reached an agreement in May to buy the Padres from the family of late owner Peter Seidler at an MLB-record valuation of $3.9 billion. The deal is still contingent on the official closing of the transaction in the coming weeks.

“José and Kwanza understand the unique place the Padres hold in San Diego and the powerful bond between the club and its fans,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “We look forward to their leadership of the Padres and to working with them to build on the club’s strong foundation in a market that is so important to Major League Baseball.”

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This day in sports history

1923 — Helen Mills, 17, ends Molla Bjurstedt Mallory’s domination of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Assn. championships and starts her own with a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

1958 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Roy Harris in the 13th round at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles to retain his world heavyweight title.

1964 — The International Olympic Committee bans South Africa from competing in the Summer Olympics because of its apartheid policies.

1994 — South Africa is introduced for the first time in 36 years during the opening ceremonies of the 15th Commonwealth Games held in Victoria, British Columbia. South Africa had been banned from the Games since 1958 because of its apartheid policies.

1995 — Thirteen-year-old Dominique Moceanu becomes the youngest to win the National Gymnastics Championships senior women’s all-around title in New Orleans.

2004 — Paul Hamm wins the men’s gymnastics all-around Olympic gold medal by the closest margin ever in the event. Controversy follows after it was discovered a scoring error that may have cost Yang Tae-young of South Korea the men’s all-around title. Yang, who finished with a bronze, is wrongly docked a tenth of a point on his second-to-last routine, the parallel bars. He finishes third, 0.049 points behind Hamm, who becomes the first American man to win gymnastics’ biggest prize.

2008 — A day after winning an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, Rafael Nadal officially unseats Roger Federer to become the world’s No. 1 tennis player when the ATP rankings are released. Federer had been atop the rankings for 235 weeks.

2013 — For the first time in Solheim Cup history, the Europeans leaves America with the trophy. Caroline Hedwall becomes the first player in the 23-year history of the event to win all five matches. She finishes with a 1-up victory over Michelle Wie and gives Europe the 14 points it needed to retain the cup.

2013 — Usain Bolt is perfect again with three gold medals. The Jamaican great becomes the most successful athlete in the 30-year history of the world championships. The 4×100-meter relay gold erases the memories of the 100 title he missed out on in South Korea two years ago because of a false start. Bolt, who already won the 100 and 200 meters, gets his second such sprint triple at the world championships, matching the two he achieved at the Olympics.

2016 — Jamaica’s Usain Bolt completes an unprecedented third consecutive sweep of the 100 and 200-meter sprints, elevating his status as the most decorated male sprinter in Olympic history. He wins the 200-meter race with a time of 19.78 seconds to defeat Andre de Grasse of Canada. American Ashton Eaton defends his Olympic decathlon title, equaling the games record with a surge on the last lap of the 1,500 meters — the last event in the two-day competition. Helen Maroulis defeats Japan’s Saori Yoshida 4-1 in the 53-kilogram freestyle final to win the first-ever gold medal for a United States women’s wrestler.

2018 — Accelerate cruises to a record 12 1/2-length victory in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, becoming just the third horse to sweep all three of Southern California’s major races for older horses in the same year.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1915 — Boston opened Braves Field with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

1931 — New York’s Lou Gehrig played in his 1,000th consecutive game. Gehrig went hitless in the 5-4 loss to Detroit.

1948 — Brooklyn’s Rex Barney pitched a one-hitter for a 1-0 win over Robin Roberts and the Philadelphia Phillies at Shibe Park.

1956 — The Cincinnati Reds hit eight home runs and the Milwaukee Braves added two to set a National League record for home runs by two clubs in a nine-inning night game. Bob Thurman’s three homers and double led the Reds in the 13-4 rout.

1960 — Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves pitched a no-hitter, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0. Burdette faced the minimum 27 batters.

1965 — Hank Aaron of Milwaukee hit Curt Simmons’ pitch on top of the pavilion roof at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis for an apparent home run. However, umpire Chris Pelekoudas called him out for being out of the batter’s box when he connected. Nevertheless, the Braves won the game 5-3.

1967 — Jack Hamilton of the Angels hit Tony Conigliaro on his left cheekbone with a fastball in the fourth inning of a 3-2 loss to Boston. Conigliaro was carried unconscious from the field and missed the remainder of the 1967 season and the entire 1968 season. The 22-year-old already had more than 100 home runs in his career.

1977 — Don Sutton of the Dodgers pitched his fifth one-hitter to tie the National League record. Sutton gave up a two-out single in the eighth inning to San Francisco’s Marc Hill. The Dodgers won 7-0.

1995 — Tom Henke became the seventh pitcher to reach 300 saves, surviving a rally by the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 4-3 victory.

2000 — Darin Erstad of the Angels made a spectacular, game-saving catch in the 10th inning and followed it with a homer in the 11th as the Angels defeated the New York Yankees 9-8.

2006 — Alfonso Soriano became the third player in major league history to have at least four seasons of 30 homers and 30 stolen bases, and the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4.

2007 — Micah Owings went 4-for-5, including a pair of mammoth homers, drove in six runs and scored four times while pitching three-hit ball through seven innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 12-6.

2011 — Mike Jacobs became the first player suspended by Major League Baseball for a positive HGH test under the sport’s minor league drug testing procedures. The 30-year-old minor league first baseman, who was in the big leagues from 2005-10, received a 50-game suspension for taking the banned performance-enhancing substance and was subsequently released by the Colorado Rockies.

2017 — Manny Machado capped a three-homer night with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied past the Angels 9-7 in a game that featured 10 home runs.

2018 — New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom pitched his first complete game of the season and lowered his major league-leading ERA to 1.71 with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

2019 — Zack Grenke records the 200th win of his career as the Astros defeat the Athletics 4-1.

2021 — Shohei Ohtani continues to do it all by himself on the field. Today, he becomes the first hitter in the majors to reach 40 homers this season, and also improves his record on the mound to 8-1 as he pitches eight innings for the first time of his career. The Angels defeat the Tigers, 3-1.

2021 — Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman hit for the cycle for the second time in his career as they beat the Miami Marlins 11-9.

Compiled by the Associated Press

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 houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Aston Villa have agreed a deal sign West Ham defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

The DR Congo right-back will join on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy at the end of the season.

Wan-Bissaka has been given permission to travel for a medical in the Midlands but the exact terms are not known, with the Hammers having previously asked interested clubs to pay a £25m fee.

The 28-year-old has missed Championship club West Ham’s first two matches of the season during negotiations.

West Ham have sold Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham for £85m and Crysencio Summerville for £60m this summer, but captain Jarrod Bowen has signed a new contract.

Villa, meanwhile, have also had a busy summer in the transfer market, most notably selling Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117m.

They currently have the lowest net spend in the Premier League, at about £110m after sales are taken into account.

Despite that, Villa have signed midfielders Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes, as well as Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho on a loan deal with an obligation to buy. They have also added highly rated young centre-back Modou Keba Cisse.

Villa begin their Premier League campaign at Brighton on Sunday (14:00 BST) and will also compete in the Champions League after finishing fourth and winning the Europa League under Unai Emery last season.

Venus has fared better in doubles in recent years, reaching the quarter-finals in New York last year alongside Canada’s Leylah Fernandez.

She has not won a singles match at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2021, where she reached the second round.

However, the Williams sisters still draw huge crowds together or separately, with stands packed out in Cincinnati for their recent return.

Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, played what was expected to be the last tournament of her career in New York in 2022.

However, she made her return first in doubles at Queen’s in June before being given the final Wimbledon women’s singles wildcard.

Venus won her first US Open singles title in 2000, two months after earning her maiden major at Wimbledon.

She beat Serena in the final a year later to defend her title – the first of nine major showpieces the sister would contest.

Venus became the oldest US Open singles player in 44 years when she played at the tournament last year.

She lost in three sets to ninth seed Karolina Muchova and gave an emotional news conference afterwards, saying it was “nice to be free”.

In 2011, Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disease with symptoms including pain, numbness and fatigue.

She spoke in 2025 about the impact of painful fibroids – abnormal growths that develop in the uterus – on her daily life.

In the men’s draw, France’s Gael Monfils has been awarded a wildcard in the final Grand Slam of his career.

The 39-year-old, who reached the New York semi-finals in 2016, will retire at the end of the season.

There is also one remaining wildcard for the men’s singles, which could go to 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka.

The Swiss is also calling time on his career at the end of the year.

Dennis Pitta has a little gray on his beard and has slimmed down to a fit 235 pounds from his days as an All-American tight end at Brigham Young and NFL tight end for the Baltimore Ravens.

Living in Ladera Ranch, he’s entering his fourth season as an assistant coach at San Clemente and has started developing tight ends just like his former high school coach at Moorpark, Tim Lins, used to do.

There’s lots of former NFL players coaching high school football as head coaches but even more as assistant coaches, and Pitta is a great sounding board for those who have dreams of playing beyond high school. San Clemente has produced such tight ends as Isaac Rex and Cole Fotheringham. Last year’s tight end, Shane Kiley, is now at San José State.

Pitta looks in such good shape he could probably demonstrate himself how to catch a pass over the middle. The Tritons are fortunate they have someone with his knowledge and expertise.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Following the start of the US-Israel war on Iran,, the first match of the Iranian league was played last week.

Iranian clubs have been confirmed to play at neutral venues against their Qatari and United Arab Emirates opponents following the draw for the group stage of the Asian Champions League Elite.

Matches in the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) premier event, which was drawn on Tuesday, begin on September 14.

Tehran’s Esteghlal and Tabriz-based Tractor will face UAE sides Al Ain, Al Wasl and Shabab Al-Ahli, and Qatari clubs Al Gharafa, Al Sadd and Al Shamal, despite the ongoing conflict in the region.

Esteghlal and Tractor avoided the heavily favoured Saudi Arabian contingent.

Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February, Iran has struck targets in Qatar and the UAE, saying it is retaliating for allowing US bases to be used for strikes.

Iran’s neighbours have implored Tehran to stop firing at them. On Sunday, Iran claimed three of its pilots who went missing in March were being held in Qatar, though Doha denied the charge.

Iran’s domestic league was suspended in February as attacks began but returned last weekend with one match behind closed doors and others under capacity restrictions.

The AFC Elite features two 16-team regional zones. In the west, Saudi Arabia has five representatives, including Jeddah’s Al-Ahli, which is aiming to become the first club to win three straight Champions League titles. Coach Matthias Jaissle left this month to take over English Premier League side Newcastle.

Riyadh rival Al-Hilal is seeking a fifth title, while Cristiano Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr back into the competition after winning the Saudi Pro League in May.

In the east, Japan reached the final in the past two editions, with Kawasaki Frontale and Machida Zelvia losing to Al-Ahli, though neither has qualified this year.

Gamba Osaka won in 2008, and South Korea also supplies two former champions: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, aiming for a third crown, and Pohang Steelers, looking for a fourth.

The top eight from each group advance to the round of 16. From the quarterfinals onward, all matches will be played in Saudi Arabia, with the final set for May 1.

Former Arsenal and France captain Patrick Vieira has been appointed as the new head coach of the Senegal men’s national team.

The 50‑year‑old replaces Pape Thiaw, who was sacked in the wake of the country’s last‑32 exit at the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

Born in Senegal’s capital Dakar, Vieira will now manage the country of his birth, having moved to France aged eight before later winning over 100 caps for Les Bleus and lifting the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000.

Senegal’s football federation (FSF) said the appointment reflects its “desire to strengthen its high-level technical staff” and is “perfectly aligned” with the nation’s sporting ambitions.

Details of Vieria’s contract and his starting date in the role are still being discussed.

His first matches in charge of the Teranga Lions are expected to come next month in qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

Vieira joins the West Africans after he left his role as Genoa head coach by mutual consent last November, with the team bottom of Serie A.

He won eight and drew nine of his 26 games during the 2024-25 season to guide the Italian club to safety and a 13th-place finish.

However, he left the club after managing just two wins in 25-26, with both of those victories coming in the Coppa Italia.

During his playing career, midfielder Vieira won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups at Arsenal, as well as silverware with AC Milan, Inter Milan and Manchester City.

He retired in 2011 and became the manager of New York City in 2016 before returning to Europe with Nice and leading them to seventh in Ligue 1 in his first season.

Vieira was sacked in December 2020 and became Crystal Palace manager the following year, guiding the Eagles to 12th in the Premier League and the FA Cup semi-finals in 2021-22.

He was dismissed in March 2023 after a 12-game winless run, before joining RC Strasbourg as their first appointment following a takeover by BlueCo, the company which owns Chelsea. He left Strasbourg by mutual consent in July 2024.

His predecessor Thiaw was at the centre of controversy in January when he ushered his Senegal team off the field when Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty in the 2025 Afcon final.

The players eventually returned after a delay of about 17 minutes before Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved and Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.

However, Morocco were declared the winners of the tournament in March when the a Confederation of African Football appeals board overturned the result of the final following Senegal’s walk-off.

Senegal have lodged an appeal against that decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport – with the case due to be heard on 8 October.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. New ranking of the summer movies I’ve seen this year: 1. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”; 2. “The Odyssey”; 3. “Supergirl”; 4. “Young Washington”; 5. “Disclosure Day”; 6. “Masters of the Universe”; 7. “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” I keep including these just to annoy the one guy who calls me names for not having “Disclosure Day” last. I have to get thrills where I can get them.

So, the Dodgers lost three of four to the Brewers, who now have clinched the tiebreaker over the Dodgers. They always have to do things the hard way. Some random thoughts about the Dodgers

—It’s time for Edwin Díaz to drop the Timmy Trumpet entrance and just come out like any other pitcher. When you have a 10.66 ERA and it’s August, perhaps it’s time to sneak into the game quietly.

—Dave Roberts had this answer when asked Thursday night, after Díaz blew a save, as to why he is still closer: “Give me another option. I have to have other options. And to be quite honest, none of those [other] guys really are throwing the baseball great. So that’s just kind of the way it is.”

—It is surprising to see Roberts throw the whole bullpen under the bus. But since he asked, here’s an option: Tanner Scott, who since the All-Star break has an 0.87 ERA in 12 games and 10.1 innings. He has three saves and has given up nine hits, six walks and has struck out 12. Not exactly Mariano Rivera, but better than the current guy.

—But here’s the other thing to keep in mind: The Dodgers seem to do this every year. They are going to give Díaz every chance to right the ship before the postseason, because having him in the bullpen would be great if he was pitching well. But, if he’s pitching like this when the postseason begins, he won’t get a lot of innings. Remember last season? Scott was terrible. He last pitched Sept. 26. He didn’t pitch at all in the postseason. Instead, they put Roki Sasaki in the bullpen and he was solid, though not the second coming of Éric Gagné as some seem to think.

—The Dodgers will figure out whom they trust near the end of September, and that will be the bullpen for the postseason. It will include starters and a guy who is just there to eat innings during big losses (think Will Klein last season. Yes, he saved the season in Game 3, but there was a reason he was the last guy out of the bullpen). And it will include the five to six relievers they trust the most. This happens every season, so this should not come as a surprise.

—Yes, it can be frustrating during the regular season. We in the media say “Greatest team ever!” “They could win 120 games!” But that’s never going to happen. The Dodgers are interested in one thing only: Winning the World Series. They have a plan as to how to approach it, and while it annoys some fans, they aren’t going to deviate from that plan. And why should they? They won three World Series, and almost another one in *2017.

*-The Astros cheated in that series.

—A look at some numbers:

Kyle Tucker at Dodger Stadium this year: .189/.286/.272
Tucker everywhere except Dodger Stadium this year: .275/.361/.469

That’s pretty incredible. In 239 career at-bats at Dodger Stadium (206 from this season), he is hitting .205/.307/.318.

The road Tucker is whom they signed, the home Tucker hits like a pitcher. Why? Could be any number of things.

The Dodgers are 14-15 since the All-Star break. Let’s see how the main people are hitting and pitching (through Sunday):

Freddie Freeman, .327/.367/.366 (109 plate appearances)
Shohei Ohtani, .278/.336/.509 (119)
Alex Call, .278/.350/.389 (20)
Hunter Feduccia, .273/.304/.455 (23)
Andy Pages, .270/.336/.398 (111)
Teoscar Hernández, .267/.298/.422 (94)
Miguel Rojas, .258/.314/.355 (35)
Dalton Rushing, .250/.325/.472 (40)
Mookie Betts, .238/.287/.386 (108)
Max Muncy, .214/.298/.512 (94)
Tommy Edman, .211/.272/.347 (103)
Kyle Tucker, .188/.286/.353 (98)
Ben Rortvedt, .182/.182/.182 (11)
Kiké Hernández, .087/.125/.087 (24)

Team after the break: .248/.306/.403
Before the break: .262/.343/.434

Runs per game before the break: 5.22
Runs per game after the break: 3.93

They have lost their patience at the plate and their power. Not a good combination for winning games. These numbers will go up slightly though because of Monday’s 11-5 win over the Rockies.

Here are the pitching numbers, through Monday:

Jonathan Hernández, 0.00 ERA (7.2 IP)
Tanner Scott, 0.87 (10.1)
Blake Snell, 1.50 (12)
Brock Stewart, 1.80 (5)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1.82 (34.2)
Roki Sasaki, 2.10 (30)
Kyle Hurt, 2.16 (8.1)
Jack Dreyer, 3.09 (11.2)
Tarik Skubal, 3.18 (17)
Eric Lauer, 4.15 (21.2)
Evan Phillips, 4.50 (10)
Alex Vesia, 4.63 (10.2)
Edgardo Henriquez, 6.52 (9.2)
Justin Wrobleski, 6.92 (26)
Edwin Díaz, 12.92 (7.2)
Will Klein, 14.54 (4.1)

Wrobleski, Stewart and Klein are on the IL, as is Blake Treinen.

Dodgers ERA after the break: 4.12
Before: 3.55

For those who think Roberts doesn’t notice these things, here’s what he had to say after Sunday’s loss:

“This has been cumulative. It’s been a long time since we’ve been consistent offensively. … I just don’t see the consistent plan of attack, one through nine. The results are hard, hitting’s hard, but I do think that fighting and winning pitches, spoiling pitches — that’s care, hunger. 
And that’s a reason why [when] you look at four and a half months of the season, the Brewers have outscored us. … A team that’s young and hungry. It’s certainly not talent.

“We just haven’t played clean baseball for quite some time, and that speaks to the defense and not converting an out … it’s just not winning baseball. Our pedigree [and] what we typically do is control the zone, grind it, grind at-bats [and] create stress. We’re not doing that.”

Tommy John dies

Former Dodger Tommy John, who had an arm surgery named after him, died Sunday at 83. He took part in this newsletter’s “Ask….” series last year and here are a couple of highlights:

Bud Layne of Parkersburg, W.V., asked: First, I would just like to join the crowd and say that Tommy John belongs in Cooperstown. Hope it is soon, as my time on this earth is growing short at 82 years old, and I am hopeful that the event takes place in my lifetime. My question: Do you think falling short of 300 career victories is the main hindrance of you not being able to join the immortals in Cooperstown? And, if not, what do you think is the reason?

John: I too will be 82 in May of this year. There is no rhyme or reason why I’m not in the Hall of Fame. I have no idea. I had 288 wins. I lost a season and a half which would’ve brought me to more than likely the 300 mark. I had 188 no decisions. I don’t know if it’s because my name is mentioned almost every day or that it is their jealousy that I have a surgery named after me. I have no idea. All I know is I am very proud of my career and the teams that I played for.

Drew Taylor of Huntington Beach asked: What was going through your mind after having your surgery and being told the odds were 100-1 against you returning to pitch, what drove you to defy those odds?

John: All my life starting as a child all I wanted to do was pitch. When I was given the odds, I figured 1% was better than nothing and I had just become a new dad for the first time. I told Dr. [Frank] Jobe if you do your job I will do more than mine. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right doctor and team.

Tony Smith of Los Angeles asked: You played for two of the most emotional managers in history in Tommy Lasorda and Billy Martin. How would you compare the two and did you have a favorite manager in your career?

John: I loved playing for Tommy Lasorda. He loved all the players. Tommy just made the game fun. Billy was a good manager, but he was very high strung. Tommy just enjoyed the game, his team and all the celebrities who came out to celebrate the Dodgers.

—OK, back to your humble host here. Let’s face it: John should be in the Hall of Fame. He won 288 games, pitched in 26 seasons. That alone would be enough. But if you add in the fact that he underwent what was basically experimental surgery, a surgery that saved his career and went on to save the careers of hundreds of pitchers, then he should be in.

Imagine you were in the hospital for something and the surgeon can fix it, but he says, “I have to try a surgery that has never been done before.” I mean, what thoughts went through John’s head? Maybe he’d lose the use of his arm altogether. It couldn’t have been an easy decision. And sure, someone later would have said yes if he said no. But being the first counts for something. We remember Neil Armstrong more than the other brave men who landed on the moon for a reason. He (and Buzz Aldrin) were the first.

John was pitching on July 17, 1974, when he hurt his arm. “Right at the point where my arm is back and bent, something happened,” he told The Times. “It was as if I had left my arm someplace else. It was as if my left arm had just flown off my body, away from the rest of me.” He said he felt no pain, but after blooping two pitches up to the mound, he signaled for Dodgers manager Walter Alston to take him out. He eventually saw Dr. Jobe , and the rest is history. Jobe took a tendon from John’s right arm, threaded it through holes he had drilled in John’s left elbow and hoped it all would work. And it did, with John returning to the mound on April 16, 1976.

John before the surgery: 124-106, 2.97 ERA, 116 ERA+
After the surgery: 164-125, 3.66 ERA, 107 ERA+

On a personal note, I got John’s autograph at the Carson Mall in 1977. I was a big Dodger fan and knew who he was, but was too young to understand the history. There were a bunch of kids in line, and many dads or older brothers who were interested in seeing him (autographs were for 12 and under only). As I got closer to the front of the line, I noticed that John always took an extra moment to ask the kid about himself. He made each child feel important. It’s something I never forgot. And, when I asked him to do the Q&A, he and his wife, Cheryl, could not have been more pleasant. Sincere condolences to his entire family. He will always be a Hall of Famer in my mind, and I hope he is for real at some point.

The postseason

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

Division leaders
1. Milwaukee, 77-48
3. Dodgers, 75-51, 2.5 GB
2. Atlanta, 74-51, 3 GB

Wild-card standings
1. Chicago, 73-53
2. Philadelphia, 68-58
3. San Diego, 67-59

4. Arizona, 66-60, 1 GB
5. Miami, 64-62, 3 GB
6. St. Louis, 64-62, 3 GB
7. Pittsburgh, 61-66, 6.5 GB
8. Cincinnati, 60-65, 6.5 GB
9. Washington, 60-66, 7 GB

In case you missed it

Swanson: Tarik Skubal’s gritty starts would pay off if slumping Dodgers would wake up

‘Rare accomplishment’: How Max Muncy went from being cast off to longest-tenured Dodger

Tommy John, Dodgers pitcher and medical pioneer, dies at 83

MLB approves sale of Padres to José E. Feliciano, Kwanza Jones

Shaikin: For Dodgers’ Charley Steiner, a complete game three years in the making

Swanson: The Dodgers need Mookie to be Mookie

Shohei Ohtani takes important step in his push to return to Dodgers’ rotation

Swanson: Dave Roberts and Dodgers need to stop using Edwin Díaz in high-leverage moments

And finally

Ross Porter interviews Tommy John in 2021. 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.

Welcome back to this week’s Lakers newsletter, where we’ve apparently never heard of an offseason.

During an allegedly sleepy period on the NBA schedule, the Lakers shook everyone awake with a blaring alarm. Twice.

Mark Walter, 14 months after agreeing to buy the NBA’s premier franchise, is selling his controlling stake in the Lakers to Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger at a staggering $12.5 billion valuation that would be the highest in sports history. When Kushner and Iger seemed poised to cash in even more after a reported Buss family vote to sell remaining shares of the team, team governor Jeanie Buss said emphatically, “Not today.”

Buss is contesting her family’s reported plan to sell its remaining 17.8% of the team to Iger and Kushner. Her lawyers issued a scathing letter saying her younger brothers are “doing harm to the Los Angeles Lakers,” and that she should remain the controlling governor of the Lakers, as described in the family trust.

One 47-year reign in the NBA hangs in the balance this week. Quietly, another 18-year run has already concluded.

‘Just a kid from inner city L.A.’

Russell Westbrook with the Clippers in 2023.

(Matt York / Associated Press)

Reggie Morris Jr. won’t just remember the way Russell Westbrook changed basketball. Even after Westbrook’s retirement, his former high school coach chooses to see the way the former Lawndale Leuzinger star is changing the city that raised him. That’s even more important than the NBA record 209 triple-doubles.

“I believe that his impact on this community,” Morris said, “is far greater than his basketball impact.”

Westbrook was once just a short kid with size 14 shoes and an even bigger chip on his shoulder. He grew into an electrifying guard at UCLA, where he went to two Final Fours. He blossomed into one of the most productive, yet polarizing, players in NBA history. Through it all, he remained dedicated to the community that would later fail to fully embrace his no-holds-barred playing style.

The L.A. native was named NBA most valuable player in 2017. The same season, when Morris was coaching at Loyola Marymount, Westbrook reached out about starting an Elite Youth Basketball League team for young players.

Westbrook set the NBA record for triple-doubles and averaged a season-long triple-double four times. Between the stat-stuffing performances, he launched Why Not Premier, an EYBL girls team with the same resources and investment as the boys.

The 2012 Olympic gold medalist was named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team in 2021 after snarling, dunking and driving with full force every play, every night. On the way, he regularly returned to his hometown.

“Before he was a walking headline,” actor Michael B. Jordan said in a video Westbrook posted on social media last Wednesday for his retirement announcement, “he was just a kid from inner city L.A. who could jump higher than anybody had a right to.”

The video shows Westbrook walking through a museum of his basketball career then into an unfinished wing that represents “the mentorship, the foundation, the kids who are going to grow up wanting to move just like he did … [that] hasn’t been built yet either.”

Tributes to Westbrook flooded in. Fifteen-year-old highlight reels showing baggy shorts, jaw-dropping athleticism and a crossover that nearly shook defenders out of their shoes popped up on social media again. Even his own high school coach had forgotten just how dynamic Westbrook was in his prime.

“He didn’t back down from anybody,” said Morris, now the director of Westbrook’s Team Why Not EYBL team and the boys’ basketball head coach at Redondo Union. “He was fearless. He was relentless. There’s never really been a player quite like him. I would say he kind of has, like, a Charles Barkley, a young Charles Barkley spirit, where he was just passionate and fiery. He wasn’t PC. He wore his emotions on his sleeves, and he didn’t really apologize to anyone for how he felt or what he was there to do.”

Westbrook’s unapologetic attitude became a defining characteristic of his game. He was defiant. He was dynamic. He was exciting and explosive, but exhausting.

After 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the Thunder went to the playoffs nine times with one NBA Finals appearance, Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets. When he got to the Lakers in 2021, it was his fourth team in as many seasons.

Russell Westbrook brings the ball upcourt for the Lakers.

(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)

Westbrook’s two-year run with the Lakers was “bittersweet” for Westbrook, Morris said. Returning to the community that raised him was expected to be a triumphant homecoming. But the team struggled, his efficiency waned and fans turned on him. He became a punch line and a negative example of LeBron James’ potential influence after the superstar lobbied for the trade that brought Westbrook to L.A. He sparred with reporters.

The public feuds started to overshadow what those close to Westbrook know him to be in private: a maniacal hard worker with a competitive streak that demands respect.

“A lot of people looked at the emotions on the court and thought Russ was loud,” Durant wrote in a poignant note on X. “Nah to me, he was quiet and methodical. He [led] by example and once the lights were bright, he let everything out and experienced pure freedom. It was inspiring as his teammate and everywhere I went, I seen it inspire people from all walks of life.”

Westbrook will now inspire away from the court. When Nike reached out to Westbrook about starting an EYBL team, he knew where to go with the idea. He hadn’t been part of the regular travel ball circuit growing up and instead stuck closely with his local coaches, including Morris. He wanted that same loyal experience for his youth team.

Westbrook’s Team Why Not expanded to include a girls program Why Not Premier in 2022. His wife, Nina, also played basketball at UCLA, and the couple has been a strong supporter of the UCLA women’s basketball program.

Westbrook, who often trained at UCLA’s basketball facility that the men’s and women’s programs share, would readily share knowledge with UCLA’s women’s players, UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close said. He welcomed them in workouts, showed them what food he had packed in Tupperware containers to stay on a healthy diet and encouraged them to train for long, productive careers.

“There’s so much bad press about, ‘Oh, college athletes or pro athletes are just a bunch of takers, they all are about money first,” Close said, “and the Westbrooks, and specifically Russ and Nina, they’re about giving back and they’re about making a difference.”

Even during the season, Westbrook made himself available to players on his EYBL teams as often as possible, visiting between playoff runs or at least supporting them through social media.

“They feel his presence when he’s there, and he’s hands-on in the situation,” Morris said. “He’s not just giving money; he’s trying to help the kids, give them a different aspect or a different take on what he knows and give it back to them.”

Jared McCain is one of Team Why Not’s most prominent alumni. The 22-year-old Oklahoma City guard posted a picture from his EYBL days to his Instagram story last week showing Westbrook with his arm wrapped around McCain’s waist.

“Legend!!” wrote McCain, who graduated from Corona Centennial. “Thank you for everything.”

Morris and Westbrook had talked about the end more often lately. They knew if not this year, it would have probably been next year. Morris could never have envisioned the career was going to be this decorated, but the longtime coach knew it was going to be successful. If he hadn’t become a future Hall of Famer, Westbrook would have easily become a president of a successful company, Morris said.

Don’t rule it out for his second act.

“When you have a work ethic like his, it’s just part of who he is,” Morris said. “It’s not gonna go anywhere.”

Best thing I ate this week

Signature beef udon at Azuki in Seattle.

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

This technically isn’t the best thing from this week, but I needed to share this extra food gem from my hometown. Azuki’s unassuming storefront in Seattle’s Capital Hill neighborhood is easy to miss but the homemade udon noodles should not be overlooked. The signature beef udon noodles had a simple, light broth that leaves the perfect amount of salty coating on your tongue. The thin slices of beef are perfect with the chewy udon noodles. The only way the meal would have been better was if it was on a cold winter day.

In case you missed it

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Inside Lakers mega-deal: Mark Walter made a shocking decision. Bob Iger, Joshua Kushner jumped at the chance

Lakers again have most nationally televised games on their schedule

Shaikin: Some questions (and answers) about Mark Walter selling the Lakers

Swanson: Bob Iger could be the Imagineer to lead the Lakers back to glory

$12.5 billion deal: Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner agree to buy Lakers

New Lakers co-owner Joshua Kushner is a lifelong Democrat with deep interest in sports

Plaschke: Too many questions, not enough answers. Lakers sale doesn’t pass smell test

LeBron James set to return to L.A. on Christmas Day for Lakers-76ers matchup

Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

Eighth in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Wesley Ace, Gardena Serra defensive back.

Wesley Ace has no complaints when people underestimate his football ability.

“A couple coaches just walk by,” he said of recruiters showing up at practices and bypassing him.

At 5 feet 9 and 180 pounds, the Gardena Serra High cornerback is used to the skepticism because of his size.

“It’s all good,” he said. “My film speaks for itself. If you’re a baller, you’re a baller.”

And Ace is a fast baller, having run the 100 meters last spring in 10.51 seconds at the school that produced state 100-meter champion Rodrick Pleasant. Ace also has video of him running down the speedy Deshonne Redeaux last season to prevent a touchdown against Oaks Christian. Redeaux is a freshman at USC this season.

Playing the nickel position in Serra’s 4-2-5 defensive alignment, Ace contributed 52 tackles. He’s an aggressive tackler. He’s far stronger than people think, bench-pressing 275 pounds.

He’s been playing tackle football only since eighth grade.

“My whole life, I’ve been playing baseball,” he said.

Then he got bored and switched to football.

“I had to get stronger, faster and learn the rules of the game,” he said.

His first position was defensive end. The coach must have wanted someone to be a pest going after quarterbacks with his lack of size.

“I was so fast, big guys that age couldn’t keep in front of me,” he said.

Ace learned to play defensive back and was most effective last season covering slot receivers. This season he’ll get a chance to show what he can do against taller players as a cornerback. He’s confident his speed and strength will make it a smooth adjustment.

“As a defensive back, you’re going to mess up eventually,” he said. “Speed allows you to recover and get back.”

His father, Wesley Sr., was a standout defensive back at Westchester and San Diego State who never encouraged his son to play football because of head injury concerns. He’s been training him while serving as an assistant principal in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

“My dad always says be everything but big,” Ace said.

Don’t be surprised to see Serra taking advantage of Ace’s speed by letting him return kickoffs and make some plays on offense. Regardless, he finds a way to contribute on defense with his quickness, instincts and fearless attitude. He committed to San José State during the summer.

“For sure, I play with a chip on my shoulder,” he said.

Wednesday: Gabriel Goroyan, Westlake kicker.

Defensive backs to watch

Isala Aisa Wily-Ava, St. John Bosco, 6-2, 195, Sr.: Washington commit has been starting so long he might have grey hair

Wesley Ace, Gardena Serra, 5-9, 180, Sr.: San José State commit ran 10.51 seconds for 100 meters

Myles Baker, Sierra Canyon, 6-2, 205, Sr.: UCLA commit is built like the Rock of Gibraltar

Jordan Hicks, Mission Viejo, 6-1, 180, Jr.: Ambitious, confident and decisive on any field

Jaden Walk-Green, Corona Centennial, 6-0, 195 Sr.: Washington commit had 10 interceptions last season

JuJu Johnson, Long Beach Poly, 5-11, 175, Sr.: UCLA commit is most improved player anywhere

Danny Lang, Mater Dei, 6-1, 165, Sr.: USC commit thrives on hand-to-hand combat with receivers

Jaxson Rex, San Clemente, 6-1, 190, Sr.: Put him anywhere on the field and BYU commit would excel

Gavin Williams, Damien, 6-1, 185, Sr.: USC commit will set highest standard at safety this season

Donte Wright, Long Beach Poly, 6-2, 180, Sr.: Miami commit is physical cornerback with speed