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.
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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:
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
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
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.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Secret Service has confirmed it is aware that Iranian state media has aired a video that appears to threaten the life of Barron Trump, President Trump’s youngest son.
“The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees,” Secret Service spokesman Nate Herring said in a statement. “Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence.”
Since the U.S. assassination of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian media have on multiple occasions circulated content threatening the president and family members. The assassination came at the start of the war in Iran that Trump launched alongside Israel.
CNN previously reported that the Secret Service had knowledge of the Barron Trump threat.
Aug. 24 (UPI) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled that President Donald Trump can begin implementing measures from an executive order intended to restrict mail-in voting in many states and Washington, D.C.
However, legal challenges to that order could still cause issues for that plan before the midterm elections in November.
The ruling Monday means that the Department of Homeland Security can begin moving forward with compiling state-specific lists of people it believes are eligible to vote in the states — all led by Democrats – that had challenged the executive order.
Another part of the executive order required the U.S. Postal Service to require states that want to send ballots through the mail to submit lists of eligible voters with information allowing those ballots to be tracked by the government. A lower court had blocked that policy nationwide in a separate case, meaning that more legal action will be needed before the postal service can continue.
The high court’s ruling did not address the overall legality of the executive order.
“If the Postal Service’s final rule harms the states, theymay challenge that rule,” the ruling said.
The postal service entered an unpublished version of that final rule into the Federal Register late Friday despite the court injunctions against it.
Trump has repeatedly and without evidence claimed that mail-in voting is “inherently corrupt” and full of fraud, although voting experts have criticized the order and say such fraud is exceedingly rare. The president himself has voted by mail as recently as this year, NPR reported.
In a dissent, Jackson said the ruling “needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections,” CNN reported.
She noted that, in the past, the Supreme Court has turned away challenges to election law because they were too close to elections. “Today’s revelation is that such claims can also come too early — never mind that an election is looming and related harms are presently occurring.”
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. There are only 34 games left in the regular season for the Dodgers. How is that possible?
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Well, nothing cures a team’s woes more than playing Colorado. But was it a cure or a placebo?
At which positions are the Dodgers excelling or struggling compared with the rest of MLB this season? One way we can tell is by looking at Wins Above Average at each position. WAA measures how many wins a player gives their team compared with an average major league player. A score of zero means the player is average, a positive score means they are better than average, and a negative score means they are below average.
Let’s look at the top five teams at each position, where the Dodgers rank if not in the top five, and at the last-place team. The number includes all players who played at that position this season.
Left field 1. Seattle, 1.9 2. NY Yankees, 0.9 3. Pittsburgh, 0.8 4. Miami, 0.7 5. Milwaukee, 0.6 20. Dodgers, -0.7 30. Arizona, -1.7
This is mostly Teoscar Hernández, with contributions from Alex Call, Tommy Edman and Ryan Ward.
Center field 1. Chicago Cubs, 5.9 2. Dodgers, 3.8 3. Boston, 3.7 4. Atlanta, 2.1 5. Angels, 1.4 30. Detroit, -1.8
If someone had told you after his miserable 2025 postseason that Andy Pages would be the second-best center fielder in baseball this year, would you have believed them? And the Angels make their only appearance here thanks to Mike Trout.
Right field 1. Boston, 3.6 2. Arizona, 2.7 3. St. Louis, 1.7 3. Chicago Cubs, 1.7 5. Washington, 1.3 22. Dodgers, -1.5 30. Cincinnati, -3.1
The corner outfielders are killing the Dodgers.
DH 1. Houston, 3.1 2. Dodgers, 2.2 3. Tampa Bay, 1.2 4. Philadelphia, 1.1 5. Chicago Cubs, 0.6 30. NY Mets, -1.9
Houston’s (no relation) designated hitter is Yordan Alvarez, traded by the Dodgers as a prospect in 2016 for reliever Josh Fields in probably the worst trade of the Andrew Friedman era.
Relief pitchers 1. San Diego, 3.9 2. NY Yankees, 2.6 3. Philadelphia, 1.9 4. Chicago White Sox, 1.6 5. Atlanta, 1.0 5. Toronto, 1.0 23. Dodgers, -2.5 30. Kansas City, -7.9
So, relief pitching and the corner outfielders are the gaping hole in the equation. But keep in mind, because I fall prey to this also: Every team has problems. We tend to focus on the Dodgers and don’t think about it this way. Every team has holes they are trying to solve before the postseason (or next season) begins. Some teams, like the Angels and Rockies, have holes almost everywhere. But even the best team isn’t perfect. And, yes, I will repeat it again, anything can happen in the postseason.
Remember last season? The Dodgers were 29th in relief pitching at -6.4. They were 29th in left field at -2.4. But they pulled it together and won. No reason they can’t do it again this year. And there’s no reason they can’t get swept in the first round.
Dodgers’ record at this point the last three seasons:
“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.”
Tucker dropped a relatively easy fly ball during that game, and Roberts said:
“There’s indecision, and catching a baseball at your ankles kind of speaks to where his head is at right now. 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.”
Forgotten Dodger: Zack Wheat
Dodgers manager Wilbert Robinson, first baseman Jack Fournier and outfielder Zack Wheat in the dugout in 1921.
(Associated Press)
One of the things the Dodgers don’t do very well is celebrate their rich and diverse history, especially if something happened before 1947. With that in mind, this is the first in an occasional series of items looking at Dodgers that often get overlooked.
Zack Wheat played for the Dodgers from 1909 to 1926 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1959. He is still the all-time Dodgers leader in games played (2,322), hits (2,804), doubles (464), triples (171) and total bases (4,003).
He has yet to make the Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame. Of course, there aren’t a lot of people alive who saw Wheat play, probably hurting him in the voting. Many voters tell me that they can’t judge someone they never saw, but I don’t need to have seen Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tris Speaker or Al Simmons to know they were all-time greats.
Wheat’s best season might have been 1918, when he led the league with a .335 batting average. Or it might have been 1916, when he hit 32 doubles and 13 triples and led the league in slugging. Or it might have been 1922, when he hit .335 with 29 doubles, 12 triples, 16 homers and 112 RBIs. Or it might have been any number of other seasons. He finished with a .317 career batting average.
And don’t think he was only a hitting machine. He was a great defensive outfielder.
Baseball Magazine in 1918: “What Napoloen Lajoie was to infielders, Zack Wheat is to outfielders, the finest mechanical craftsman of them all. He is the easiest, most graceful of outfielders with no close rivals.”
Wheat got married during the 1912 season and his new wife, Daisy, became his agent. In the same Baseball Magazine story, she said, “I made him hold out each year for seven years and each time he got a raise.”
Other things of note about Wheat:
—He has an OPS+ of 130. Among Dodgers with 5,000 plate appearances (Wheat had almost 10,000), that is third all time, behind Duke Snider and Jackie Robinson.
—He is fourth in career WAR among batters, behind Snider, Robinson and Pee Wee Reese.
—To make money during the offseason, Wheat raised mules and sold them to the Army, which used them as pack animals during World War I. It was because of the money he made doing this that he was able to hold out for a better contract each offseason. The most money he earned in one season as a player was $16,000.
—Wheat recommended the Dodgers sign his longtime friend, Casey Stengel. It’s unlikely any other team would have signed him, so Wheat is basically responsible for Stengel’s career.
—Wheat and manager Wilbert Robinson never got along. Longtime Dodgers owner and team president Charles Ebbets died in 1925 and was replaced as team president by Ed McKeever, who named Wheat the manager of the team, making Robinson a front-office executive. McKeever died two weeks later, and, with no team president, the Dodgers’ board of directors named Robinson manager again.
—No longer needing Wheat and thinking he was getting too old, the Dodgers released him before the 1927 season so he could negotiate with any club he wanted to, instead of trading him to a team he didn’t wish to play for. Wheat signed with the Philadelphia A’s and hit .324 in 88 games.
—Wheat was listed as 5-10, 170 pounds, but many thought he was smaller than that. He wore a size 5 shoe and suffered from ankle problems throughout his career. A bruised heel brought an end to his career.
—Wheat didn’t stay in baseball when he retired. When asked why years later, he said, “Nobody asked me to.”
—Wheat was 10th all-time in hits when he retired, with 2,884.
—Wheat became a farmer after retiring, then became a police officer in Kansas City after the Depression caused him to sell his farm.
—While on a police call in 1936, Wheat crashed his car and suffered a fractured skull, broken wrist and 15 broken ribs. He spent five months in the hospital and retired as a police officer. He moved with his family to a lakeside house in Sunrise Beach, Mo., and opened a 46-acre hunting and fishing resort.
—Wheat was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1957. Unfortunately, he wasn’t eligible to be voted in by the Veterans Committee because he hadn’t been retired long enough. So they elected him again in 1959.
—When told he was finally elected for real, Wheat, 70, said, “That makes me feel mighty proud. I feel a little younger, too.”
—In 1971, Wheat was asked if he had any advice for boys who wanted to become major leaguers. “Yes,” he said. “Tell them to learn to chew tobacco.”
—Wheat was once asked his secret for playing so well for so long. He said: “I smoke as much as I want and chew tobacco a good deal of the time. I don’t pay any attention to the rules for keeping in physical condition. I think they are a lot of bunk. The less you worry about the effect of tea and coffee on the lining of your stomach, the longer you will live and the happier you will be.”
—Wheat died of a heart attack in Missouri on March 11, 1972. He was 83 years old.
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.
EXCLUSIVE Emmerdale’s Joe Tate actor Ned Porteous told the Mirror that the huge wedding week will impact the whole village, and could signal a new era for the ITV soap
20:00, 19 Aug 2026Updated 20:00, 19 Aug 2026
Emmerdale actor Ned Porteous teases ‘new era’ for the soap
Emmerdale’s Joe Tate actor Ned Porteous has teased the big wedding week could be a “new era” for the ITV soap.
With stunts and tragedy teased, the wedding of Joe and his bride Dawn Taylor [Olivia Bromley] is set to end in disaster. With Dawn planning to flee with her ex Billy Fletcher [Jay Kontzle], Ned told the Mirror that Billy may need to watch.
He said: “I’ve always assumed that with a character like Joe, there’s one thing that he holds closest to his heart. The one thing that you can’t buy, and that’s love and family.
“It’s the things that he holds really dear. As a man who is outwardly volatile and dangerous, and unable to regulate his emotions, if you were to take the final thing tethering him to a life of moral good, what could that man then be capable of?”
Ned warned that as the wedding arrives, Joe may have something up his sleeve. He told us: “Well, we don’t know whether Joe already knows about Dawn and Billy.
“He could be formatting some serious revenge, or he could be completely oblivious, but we do know that Joe is capable of anything. So we’ll see.” It’s safe to say the consequences of the big week will be far-reaching.
Ned said: “It’s going to affect everyone in the village.” Ned also told us what fans can expect from the week of episodes, suggesting a new era for the soap was on the way.
He commented: “It’s a higher quality version of Emmerdale. Emmerdale is already fantastic as a show, it’s the best job I’ve ever had, but the amount of work that has been put into these episodes, and on this block and on this unit.
“The episodes that we’ve all been part of, there is a feeling to it, not just in thematic vibe, but also the quality of the cameras that we’ve been using. It is going to look and sound and feel very different, and hopefully, this could be the start of a whole new era for Emmerdale.”
Ned also addressed Joe’s deadly feud with his uncle Caleb Miligan, which is a huge part of the big week. Asked if things would get dangerous, Ned said: “Oh, yeah. Absolutely. I mean, he’s taken his kidney, we’ll see what else he manages to take!”
Asked who may come out on top, Ned coyly revealed: “I wouldn’t mess with either of them, to be honest. But, we’ll see. Ned loves the rivalry between the Tates though.
He said: “I have only ever enjoyed playing scenes with Will Ash where we’re at each other’s throats. The character that he plays, and this power dynamic between us, has been so much fun as an actor to play. So, I’m welcoming as much of that as possible, I’m really enjoying it.”
Ollie Robinson gives England the perfect start on the opening morning of the first Test against Pakistan by trapping Azan Awais lbw with the first ball of the day at Headingley.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
Root, England’s greatest batter and a veteran of 166 Tests, said he hoped his “natural persona” is suited to bringing a sense of calm to the men’s national team.
Off-field issues dominated last winter’s tours, including an incident involving Harry Brook being punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington and the team’s drinking during a mid-Ashes trip to Noosa, culminating in a heavy 4-1 defeat by Australia.
The issues continued into the summer when Stokes broke a team curfew, setting in motion a chaotic six weeks that resulted in a 2-1 series defeat by New Zealand, Stokes’ retirement and the sacking of McCullum.
Fellow New Zealander Stephen Fleming has been appointed as McCullum’s replacement, but batting coach Marcus Trescothick will take interim charge of the Test side for the three-match series against Pakistan.
Root, who has already led England in 65 Tests having held the role between 2017 and 2022, said one of his “big challenges” is “trying not to be Ben Stokes”.
“He is a very unique player with unbelievable qualities that I don’t think are easy to replicate,” Root said. “I don’t think there is any point trying to.
“It is going to have a slightly different look to it but that is OK.
“There has been a lot of good stuff that has happened in the past four years that will serve us really well.
“It is about not ripping it up, just fine tuning and evolving that and taking that to the next level. We have got to find a way of evolving the team without him.”
A fundraiser created by Dudley Council to help residents “rebuild their lives” has surpassed £25,000.
Another by the Heart of England Community Foundation to help families impacted by fires across the West Midlands has hit £50,000.
Stourbridge MP Cat Eccles urged anyone who needed additional support to reach out for help.
“I’m on hand to support however I can, the Town Hall remains open for food, clothes, pet supplies, phone chargers, general inquiries,” she said.
“Counselling is available and being offered by several local professionals free of charge for adults and children.”
The Stourbridge and District branch of the RSPCA has also shared posters, external about several cats who have gone missing from the area since the fire.
In Stoke-on-Trent, four homes were completely destroyed by a fire that started in a park in Sandyford and 13 other homes suffered structural, roof and window damage.
Marie Leese told how her treasured garden went up in flames after fire ripped through properties in Maureen Avenue.
When she was allowed to return home, she discovered she had also lost the summer house her husband built before he died three years ago.
Police have arrested a man and woman on suspicion of arson in connection with the Stoke-on-Trent fire.
Investigators are still working on what caused the blaze in Stourbridge.
Australia introduced measures to reduce gun ownership following a deadly attack on Sydney’s Bondi Beach last year.
Published On 16 Aug 202616 Aug 2026
Australia’s prime minister has said that New South Wales will begin a gun buyback scheme in November as part of a nationwide response to last year’s deadly Sydney beach attack.
The gun buyback scheme will be accompanied by tighter checks for gun licences and a crackdown on hate, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday.
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The measures targeting firearm ownership are a reaction to the December 14, 2025, gun attack at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, New South Wales, that killed 15 people.
The alleged gunmen used powerful firearms that were legally obtained.
Australians owned a record 4.1 million firearms last year, the government has said, with more than 1.1 million of those in New South Wales, the country’s most populous state.
New South Wales’ gun buyback scheme is scheduled to start on November 2, and will see the state offer owners up to 1,000 Australian dollars ($700) per handgun or rifle handed in.
“Australians are quite rightly proud of our gun laws, but the fact is there are more guns in Australia today than there were at the time of dealing with the Port Arthur gun buyback,” Albanese said in televised remarks.
In the 1996 Port Arthur attack, a lone gunman killed 35 people and led to sweeping restrictions on ownership of automatic and semi-automatic firearms in Australia.
Since the Bondi Beach attack, New South Wales state has introduced its own laws limiting gun ownership to four guns per person.
Police say the attack was carried out by a father and son duo and was inspired by ISIL (ISIS). The surviving suspect, Naveed Akram, 24, is yet to enter pleas to several charges, including 15 counts of murder.
A couple appearing on Escape To The Country were forced to leave their dream home after a major setback
The couple got emotional during an appearance on BBC’s Escape to the Country (Image: BBC)
A couple desperate for a fresh start were left facing a heart-breaking wait.
The duo wanted to start a new chapter and move to the countryside following a devastating accident that changed their lives forever. But their plans were put on hold because their current property is yet to sell so they couldn’t put an offer on their dream property.
Sarah and Matt appeared on a previous episode of the Escape to the Country as they searched for a fresh start in the Herefordshire countryside following a devastating cycling accident.
The couple had been happily settled in Berkshire when tragedy struck in 2019. Matt was involved in a horrific cycling accident which left him needing to have his arm amputated. He was airlifted to hospital and spent a month in a coma following the crash.
Years on from the life-changing accident, the couple were hoping a move to the countryside could mark the beginning of a brighter chapter.
With a budget of £650,000, they were looking for a modern or new-build property with at least three bedrooms, bathrooms on more than one floor, room to park their camper van and, importantly, a strong sense of community.
Presenter Sonali Shah joined them in their search — but before the property hunt got under way, Matt opened up about the accident which had turned his world upside down.
He recalled cycling downhill in wet conditions when his bike suddenly lost grip. “I was coming down a hill, but it was raining, then it was dry, then it was raining. The roads were very greasy,” he explained.
Matt said a cyclist behind him later told him that as he went around a bend, his bike “just went straight on”, sending him into an oncoming car.
Incredibly, the car was being driven by a doctor, who was travelling with her daughter and son-in-law, who were also doctors.
Their medical knowledge proved crucial in the immediate aftermath. As Matt tried to describe what happened, he became overcome with emotion.
“And her son-in-law held my head up for an…” he began, before Sarah stepped in. “An hour,” she explained. “So he turned down and Matt had stopped breathing and they knew. So most people would say don’t touch someone, but he turned Matt straight away.”
Matt later said the man had held his head for what could have been “an hour and a half” after realising he had stopped breathing. The couple’s devastating experience made their search for a new home particularly poignant.
And after viewing several properties arranged by Sonali, one house appeared to offer exactly the kind of new beginning they had been hoping for.
The Victorian property had double-aspect sitting rooms, four bedrooms and a garden stretching across half an acre. It also featured an annex extension which could be used for the couple’s business. Priced at £650,000, it was within their budget — and the house appeared to capture their imagination immediately.
For Matt, however, it represented far more than simply another property. Standing in the garden, he reflected on how dramatically his life had changed since the accident. “If I hadn’t had the accident, we wouldn’t be standing here in this garden, looking at this beautiful property,” he said.
Visibly emotional, Matt added: “It’s almost like however negative you feel, there is always a great positive to come and that’s how it feels to me. From a bad, dark place I’ve been in, this is the brightest I’ve felt in a very long time.”
But despite falling for the property and seeing it as a potential new beginning, the couple faced a frustrating obstacle. Their dream of escaping to the countryside was effectively on hold because they were still waiting to find a buyer for their existing Berkshire home.
You can stream Escape to the Country on BBC iPlayer
Walbert Ureña gave up two hits in six innings, Mike Trout and Denzer Guzman led a 15-hit outburst with three singles and an RBI apiece, and the Angels beat the Texas Rangers 7-0 on Thursday night.
Josh Lowe added two hits and two RBIs, and Adam Frazier had two hits and an RBI for the Angels, who extended their win streak to three and had at least 10 hits in a game for the first time since July 8.
Ureña (8-8) struck out five and walked two while lowering his ERA to 2.67. The rookie right-hander has a 2.43 ERA in 18 games since May 1 and has given up no more than one run in 13 of those starts. José Fermin, Tayler Saucedo and Sammy Peralta each threw a scoreless inning to complete the five-hitter.
Rangers starter Jacob deGrom, who has been battling a left hip and glute injury since the All-Star break, was pulled after two innings because of right triceps fatigue.
The 38-year-old right-hander escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the first but gave up two runs and five hits during a 32-pitch second — the first time deGrom (8-8) gave up five hits in an inning since Sept. 5, 2017, with the New York Mets.
Guzman sparked the Angels’ second-inning rally with a single. He went to third on Lowe’s double and scored on Frazier’s one-out single. Lowe tried to score from second on Frazier’s hit but was thrown out by left fielder Wyatt Langford. Wade Meckler singled and Trout hit an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
The Angels broke open the game with four runs and six hits off Texas left-hander Jordan Montgomery in the fifth.
Singles by Trout, Nolan Schanuel and Vaughn Grissom loaded the bases. Guzman drove in a run with an infield single, Lowe hit a two-run single and Jose Siri’s RBI groundout made it 6-0. Siri added an RBI single in the seventh.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Mark Walter sold the Lakers for $12.5 biillion after owning the franchise for 10 months. If every reader of Dodgers Dugout can chip in $50 million, we might be able to buy the Dodgers.
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Series with Brewers is important
The Dodgers begin a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers tonight at Dodger Stadium. 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. Let’s look at those three teams as of Wednesday night:
The Dodgers are 2-1 against Milwaukee and 1-2 against Atlanta. So, the Dodgers will need to at least split the four games to maintain tiebreaker advantage over the Brewers. Of course, winning three of four or sweeping would be even better. If the Brewers win three of four, or sweep the Dodgers, then they will be in the driver’s seat for best record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
The Dodgers have three games remaining against the Braves, Aug. 25-27 at Atlanta.
Let’s take a look at how the Dodgers and Brewers compare this season, through Tuesday.
Runs per game Dodgers, 5.02 (third in the majors) Milwaukee, 4.91 (fifth)
Batting average Dodgers, .261 (first) Milwaukee, .252 (sixth)
Inherited runners who scored% Dodgers, 35.5%, 49 of 138 (23rd) Milwaukee, 41.9%, 54 of 129 (28th)
The two teams are pretty evenly matched.
The big difference between the two is the Brewers just can’t seem to breakthrough in the postseason. They have made it in seven of the last eight seasons, but reached the NLCS only twice, losing both times to a very familiar team. Let’s look:
2018: Lost in NLCS to Dodgers, 4-3 2019: Lost NL wild-card game to Washington 2020: Lost in NL wild-card series to Dodgers, 2-0 2021: Lost in NLDS to Atlanta, 3-1 2022: Did not make postseason, finished with 86-76 record 2023: Lost in NL wild-card series to Arizona, 2-0 2024: Lost in NL wild-card series to New York, 2-1 2025: Lost in NLCS to Dodgers, 4-0
This is why it was such a surprise they didn’t do more to acquire Tarik Skubal. That would have given them a devastating 1-2 punch in Skubal and NL Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski. Instead, they acquired former Dodger Dustin May.
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.
L.A. radio/TV icon Steve Edwards discusses the team
Steve Edwards, who had done just about everything in the local TV and radio landscape and is probably best remembered as longtime host of “Good Day L.A.,” is a longtime Dodgers fan and newsletter subscriber. He agreed to answer a few questions recently, and we thank him for his time. This was conducted via email.
Q. How long have you been a Dodgers fan, and do you have a favorite Dodgers memory and player?
Edwards: To a certain extent it started before the Stone Age. I was a kid in New York in a glorious time for baseball. We had three teams. We had the famous Willie, Mickey and the Duke playing center field for the three teams. The teams were always going to the World Series every year in some combination and it was an incredible time when baseball was the king of all sports and to be a kid in the middle of all of was nirvana (a word that didn’t exist in the a nine year old’s vocabulary-but sounds good now). As a Bronx Kid I was geographically predisposed to the Yankees.
But I loved the Dodgers, who couldn’t? Jackie Robinson was a heroic figure in my part of the world and you had Pee Wee and Campy and Hodges, Oisk, Skoonj and of course The Duke. Over the years I gradually flipped allegiance — falling more in love with the Dodgers — and falling out of love with The Steinbrenner Yankees, mainly because of Steinbrenner. Moving to L.A. sealed it. When I came to L.A. the teams were playing in The World Series and I realized I was clearly rooting for the Dodgers, a thing that would’ve made my mother, who was from Brooklyn, very happy.
Q. How do you assess this season’s team?
Edwards: Really good and yet disappointing. We are like spoiled children — we get more of everything — and of course want even more. Of course it will come together in time for the playoffs where Kiké will hit .900, Glasnow and Snell will pitch no-hitters and Freddie will hit a couple of walkoffs. Now if Tucker and Díaz can really come around……
Q. A genie grants your wish and says you are the owner of the Dodgers and can make three immediate changes. What changes do you make? It can be to the team, the stadium, whatever you want.
1. Keep Yordan Alvarez.
2. Have Frank McCourt never buy The Dodgers (or at least not hold on to a share of the land and parking lots).
3. I am a BIG BIG fan of Joe Davis and Stephen Nelson. We are so fortunate to have them, but I still wish we could hear Vin’s voice — a voice that was the soundtrack of so many of our lives — not only the best ever, but connected us as a community and help define Los Angeles.
Q. Recently, a website listed their 10 greatest Dodgers. A lot of fans were unhappy that Shohei Ohtani wasn’t among the top 10. Seems way too soon to consider him one of the 10 greatest Dodgers. What do you think?
Edwards: Shohei didn’t become the Face of Baseball until he became a Dodger. All those years, even with everything that he personally accomplished on a team with Mike Trout,didn’t really move the needle that much (that’s a whole other Q&A).
When he arrived with the Dodgers, it wasn’t just the needle moving, it was a seismic shift. He is already one of the most memorable Dodgers (or all of baseball) in history — so to ask if you should be considered top 10 is crazy, maybe some think he needs a few more years but he’s definitely should be considered and — come on —he’s in.
Q. Way back in the ancient times of 1991, I won WrestleMania tickets from you while you were hosting a show on KABC 790 (which may have been the greatest talk station in history). You have been a TV host and have done virtually everything. What was your favorite?
Edwards: That’s like choosing among your children or grandchildren. I’ve been incredibly lucky and grateful for all of it. But I really did love doing Sportstalk…
Q. My two favorite shows of yours were “Two on the Town” with Melody Rogers and “Good Day L.A.” with you, Jillian Barberie and Dorothy Lucey. We recently did a story on the three of you hosting a podcast. What was the genesis of that podcast, and how can readers listen to it?
Edwards: It came around organically, we’ve remained really good friends through the years with all the ups and downs of life. We were approached to do this, and it seemed like a natural thing to do. There were a lot of people who loved that show — there also a lot of people who were annoyed by it. For me it brings back a familiar feeling of trying to finish a sentence. Funny you mention Two on the Town — I’m about to have a FaceTime with Melody Rogers right after this. You can find the podcast on YouTube — “So Unanchored” with Jillian Barberie, Dorothy Lucey and Steve Edwards. It’s a good deal at the price — it’s free. You can find it by clicking here.
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.
First La Liga match: Alaves v Getafe, Saturday 15 August, 18:30 (BST)
Jose Mourinho returning to Real Madrid 13 years after his first spell as manager ended was a reunion nobody saw coming.
Many expected Real to dominate La Liga and the Champions League when they signed Kylian Mbappe in 2024, and while he has impressed, the team as a whole has not gelled.
Last season Real looked like two teams on the same pitch – a group of four superstar attackers, and a fragile defensive unit left vulnerable to counter-attacks.
New signings Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries and Bernardo Silva should help shore things up, while Yan Diomande could provide even more excitement in the final third.
Some suggest a veteran Mourinho has had his day – can he manage the egos of Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius after his previous time in charge at the Bernabeu ended following dressing room disquiet, and does the Special One still possess the tactical acumen to seriously challenge Barcelona?
Hansi Flick’s side were not as formidable last season as in 2024-25, but a squad full of Spanish World Cup winners are still favourites to win a third consecutive league title.
Replacing the goals of Robert Lewandowski will not be easy, but reinforcements have arrived in the shape of Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi.
As usual, Atletico Madrid will look to muscle their way into the top two, with Villarreal and Real Betis heading up the best of the rest.
After fighting their way up from the third tier, Malaga will look to avoid the drop with a budget but tightknit squad – they have been under judicial administration since 2020.
There will be tears in Valencia as Los Che play their final campaign at the iconic Mestalla stadium, but who knows if Uefa Conference League runners-up Rayo Vallecano will be able to play any home games at all.
The regional government of Madrid has stripped the club of its license to host matches at its rented Vallecas stadium due to the dilapidated state of the facilities.
The helicopter sleeps two guests with prices starting from £50 a night, which is just £25 per person per night.
Inside the helicopter you’ll find a double sofa bed, TV, mini fridge and a kettle.
Station Masters House, Scottish Borders
Or stay in an old train station in the Scottish BordersCredit: Sykes Holiday Cottages
Switching from one mode of transport to another, you could stay inside a train station house in the Scottish Borders.
Known as Station Masters House, Saughtree Station used to once be a working train station and to get to the house, you have to head along the original platform and once inside you’ll find a spacious kitchen as well as a lounge with a Smart TV.
There’s then three bedrooms in total – one on the ground floor, and then another double and twin room – while outside there is also a patio area ideal for soaking up the sunshine.
Stays cost from £531 per night, which would work out at £88.50 per person per night.
The Old Chapel, Herefordshire
In Hertfordshire, you could stay in an old chapelCredit: Sykes Holiday Cottages
The Old Chapel is a two bedroom converted chapel, surrounded by countryside.
Inside, you’ll find an open-plan living space with a Smart TV, as well as two bedrooms.
Both rooms have an ensuite as well and there is an outside area with a lawn, patio and furniture.
Stays cost from £146 per night, though there is a minimum stay of four nights.
Tree House near Aberaeron, Ceredigion
If you dreamt of having a tree house as a kid, then you can stay in one near AberaeronCredit: Sykes Holiday Cottages
If you always dreamed of having a tree house when you were a little kid, now is your chance to (sort of) live out that dream.
Tree House near Aberaeron in Ceredigion, Wales, is what it says on the tin – a tree house in the woods, with an open-plan airy living area.
There is one double bed and a sofa bed, ideal if also with kids.
Outside the tree house there is even a small veranda and also a hot tub.
Nant y Garnedd, North Wales & Snowdonia
Lords of the Rings fans should head to Nant y Garnedd in WalesCredit: Sykes Holiday Cottages
If you are a fan of Lord of the Rings, make sure to head to Nant y Garnedd in Wales.
Somewhat resembling a hobbit hut, you can stay in a single storey hut built into the hillside.
The accommodation sleeps up to four people, has its own little kitchen and lounge as well as an outdoor area.
Bookings must be a minimum of three nights, which costs from £689 – working out at £229.67 per night.
Sprat & Winkle, Horsebridge
If a train station wasn’t enough, you can stay in an old train carriage as wellCredit: Booking
Sprat and Winkle is a converted 1922 railway carriage that sleeps up to four guests.
Inside, there are two bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms, a living area and a small kitchen.
Just a short walk away is a pub too, in case you fancy a tipple – if not, you can soak up the sunshine in the garden.
There’s a minimum stay of three nights, which costs from £538, working out at £179.34 per night.
Fingal Hotel, Edinburgh
In Edinburgh, you can stay in a permanently docked shipCredit: Booking
Fingal Hotel in the Scottish capital isn’t your regular hotel – instead you will be sleeping on a boat.
Complete with a sun terrace, restaurant and bar onboard, you’d be staying on a former Northern Lighthouse Board ship that is permanently docked in the Port of Leith.
There are 23 custom designed cabins onboard as well as Art Deco styling throughout.
A one-night stay for two adults costs from £279.
Cley Windmill, Holt
You could even stay in a windmill in HoltCredit: Booking
If none of the above tickle your fancy, you could stay inside a windmill.
Cley Windmill in Holt is both historic and pretty, with its own terrace and garden.
Inside, you will find rooms with their own bathrooms, as well as a restaurant and bar.
Rooms cost from £150 per night for two adults (£75pp), with breakfast included.
Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel, York
Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel in York is great for fans of all things magicCredit: Booking
Love all things witchy? Check in to the Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel in York.
Found inside a historic building in the city centre, the hotel has a range of rooms including family options.
You can expect quirky details, stone walls, historic paintings and four poster beds.
It wasn’t quite Babe Ruth pointing from the batter’s box. The moment won’t make its way into any movie. But Snell did tell manager Dave Roberts over text message that he was going to throw six innings in his first start back from the injured list after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow.
Then, en route to a 5-4 walk-off Dodgers victory in 10 innings against the Royals, Snell did just that.
“I knew that’s what the plan was coming in, and I really wanted to execute that plan,” Snell said after limiting the Royals to one run and three hits.
Despite Snell’s resume, the two-time Cy Young winner wasn’t guaranteed a smooth return. It had been three months since he’d last started a major-league game. And it was only his second start of the season, after a late buildup in spring training due to shoulder fatigue, a May season debut against the Braves, and surgery shortly after.
Eventually getting back this version of him, however, was key to the Dodgers’ postseason aspirations.
“I think the biggest thing was just being aggressive,” Snell said. “Be in the zone, attack. I know how good my stuff is, so I didn’t want to just be nibbling and then complaining like, ‘Oh that’s a strike.’ I didn’t want to do any of that again like I did versus Atlanta.”
That was a short and not so sweet season debut. He exited after three innings, having put his team in a five-run (four earned runs) hole.
The difference Tuesday was “stark,” as Roberts put it.
To clear room on the roster to activate Snell, the Dodgers (72-48) optioned left-handed pitcher Charlie Barnes to triple-A and transferred right-handed reliever Blake Treinen (right elbow inflammation) from the 15-day IL to the 60-day. Though he has not yet begun a minor-league rehab assignment, manager Dave Roberts said Treinen has not had a setback.
Snell, who had 10 strikeouts Tuesday, kept the Royals off balance all night leaning on a fastball that had a little extra life to it, a curveball that generated a 63% whiff rate, and a changeup that was especially effective against right-handed hitters.
Max Muncy and teammates celebrate after his walk-off single Tuesday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
“I was more calm than I thought I was going to be, so that was good,” Snell said. “But the curveball’s finally coming back to how I remember it being. It was always a pitch that was a wipeout, I could throw it, but now I’m finally releasing it where I need to release it. And I’m kind of releasing everything in the same slot out in front.”
Counterintuitively, Snell pointed to his last rehab start, in high-altitude Salt Lake City, as another factor that helped lock him in for Tuesday. It’s a notoriously difficult place to pitch, with the thin mountain air affecting the way the ball moves.
“To have that start and be that frustrated pitching knowing that I can’t throw anything that I want with any shape,” Snell said, “to be able to come here and just pitch and know I can throw a curveball where I want, whenever I want, and a fastball, that felt way better.
“But Salt Lake was so difficult. Oh my God. If I played in Salt Lake growing up, I don’t know if I’d be here today.”
Roberts set expectations low in his pregame availability, saying the hope was to get Snell through five innings. Snell had other plans.
He struck out the side in the first inning and retired the first 10 hitters he faced.
When he finally gave up back-to-back singles to the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone, neither was particularly well struck — a soft line drive and a grounder that found a hole on the right side of the infield.
With runners on the corners and one out, Snell gave up the only run of his start, on a sacrifice fly by Salvador Perez.
The next inning, Snell worked around a leadoff hit — a blooper into shallow right field that speedy Tyler Tolbert stretched into a double — and a stolen base, to strand Tolbert at third.
Back out for the sixth, Snell retired the side in order. He finished his outing by getting Perez to chase a changeup below the zone and pop it up behind second base.
“He was fantastic tonight,” Roberts said. “And you know we pushed him a little bit into the six and through the six, but just because he was so efficient, certainly that extra inning was huge for us.”
It was especially important once the back and forth in late innings pushed the game into extras.
Hard-throwing right-hander Seth Halvorsen tossed a scoreless tenth inning in his Dodgers debut, setting up Max Muncy for a walk-off single in the bottom half of the inning.
“That’s the Snell that we’re used to seeing,” Muncy said. “And hopefully we have him for the next two, three months — for the long run.”
Ulster captain Iain Henderson will miss “several months” of the new season after hip surgery during the summer.
The 34-year-old, who won the last of his 86 Ireland caps against New Zealand in November, missed the end of the northern province’s season through suspension.
A red card against the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship [URC] resulted in a three-game ban that included the Challenge Cup final defeat by Montpellier in Bilbao.
The second row made his Ulster debut in April 2012 and first appeared for Ireland against South Africa in November of the same year.
A two-time tourist with the British and Irish Lions, he was named captain of his province following the retirement of Rory Best in 2019.
Ulster start their URC season at home to Edinburgh on 25 September and Henderson is not head coach Richie Murphy’s sole injury concern.
Bryn Ward (shoulder), Juarno Augustus (ankle), and Jude Postlethwaite (knee) have all also underwent surgeries during the off-season and, according to the province, “are currently undergoing a period of rehabilitation”.
As the winners of the Champions League and Europa League face off, here is everything to know on the venue, history, quotes from the coaches and more.
The UEFA Super Cup is the annual game between the winners of European football’s top two competitions – the Champions League and the Europa League – and is seen as a curtain-raiser to the new season in Europe.
This year the French champions and Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will take on English Premier League side Aston Villa, who are Europa League champions.
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Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
When is the game being held?
The match kicks off at 19:00 GMT on Wednesday, August 12.
Where is the UEFA Super Cup being played?
Salzburg’s Red Bull Arena in Austria will host the final.
The 30,000-capacity stadium, which is referred to as Stadion Salzburg during UEFA matches, is usually home to Austrian Bundesliga team RB Salzburg.
General view inside Stadion Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria [File: Jasmin Walter/Getty Images]
How did PSG reach the UEFA Super Cup?
Paris Saint-Germain held their nerve in a cagey Champions League final in May to retain the title by beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties as a tense showdown ended 1-1 after extra time, cementing the French side’s status among Europe’s modern greats.
Arsenal defender Gabriel blasted his spot kick over the bar at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, his miss confirming PSG as the first club to retain the trophy since Real Madrid completed their three-year reign from 2016 to 2018.
How did Aston Villa reach the UEFA Super Cup?
Aston Villa ended their 30-year trophy drought in style as spectacular goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia inspired a 3-0 win over Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul in May.
Unai Emery’s side took the lead late in the first half through Tielemans’ thunderous volley, before Buendia increased Villa’s advantage with a sublime curler seconds from the half-time whistle.
Morgan Rogers’ second-half goal finished off the outclassed Germans, sealing Villa’s first silverware since the 1996 League Cup and their first major European prize for 44 years.
Buendia celebrates after Rogers scores Villa’s third goal in the Europa League final [Umit Bektas/Reuters]
Who is predicted to win the match?
According to Polymarket, PSG are the clear favourites with a 55-percent chance of winning in regulation time, with the likelihood of a draw at full time estimated at 25 percent and an Aston Villa win at 22 percent.
What is the history of the UEFA Super Cup?
It was officially introduced in 1973, with the European Cup/Champions League winners playing the Cup Winners Cup champions.
After the Cup Winners Cup was abolished in 1999, the winners of the UEFA Cup (subsequently rebranded as the Europa League) played the Champions League winners.
Who are the previous winners of the UEFA Super Cup?
Real Madrid are the most successful side in the fixture, having won six Super Cups. Barcelona and AC Milan have won five, while Liverpool have won four.
PSG are the reigning Super Cup holders after they beat Tottenham 4-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in last season’s tie.
Last 10 winners:
2025 – Paris St-Germain
2024 – Real Madrid
2023 – Manchester City
2022 – Real Madrid
2021 – Chelsea
2020 – Bayern Munich
2019 – Liverpool
2018 – Atletico Madrid
2017 – Real Madrid
2016 – Real Madrid
How to watch the UEFA Super Cup?
In the United Kingdom, the game will be broadcast live on TNT Sports.
In the United States, the game will be shown on CBC Sports.
The full list of global broadcasters can be found here.
What happens if the game ends in a draw?
If the scores are level after regulation time, the match will go straight to a penalty shootout with no extra time to be played.
Who is the referee?
Somali referee Omar Artan, who was controversially denied entry to the US for the FIFA World Cup, will officiate the Super Cup.
PSG vs Aston Villa: Head-to-head
The two clubs have met twice in recent years, both in the 2024-25 Champions League quarterfinals.
PSG won the first leg 3-1 at Parc des Princes on April 9, 2025, while Aston Villa won the second leg 3-2 at home a week later – with PSG progressing 5-4 on aggregate.
What have the coaches said about the Super Cup?
PSG coach Luis Enrique:
“There are no doubts in my mind that it’s [the Super Cup] a really important trophy and Villa will be really competitive. If we look at the Premier League, there are five or maybe six Spanish coaches at the best teams.
“I think that Spanish football is at the top of world football in every regard, be it players, coaches or directors. Our game stands for a fun way of playing football, in that we seek out the ball, having it is our priority, and we adapt through possession to being solid defensively. I think it’s a great moment for Spanish football in a worldwide context and we should be proud of that.”
Aston Villa coach Unai Emery:
“We’re trying to be successful through, firstly, [building] a winning team, and then aiming for the positive consequences after it: winning trophies.
“To play the UEFA Super Cup is another opportunity to be there, the opportunity to win a trophy, to play against Paris Saint-Germain – the [best] team in the world now and another team we can compare [ourselves] with.”
PHOENIX — It’s no secret that the Dodgers haven’t played their best baseball over the last nine days. But during their 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, they exacerbated the trend.
Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski remained in a rut, giving up four runs (three earned) in 3⅓ innings. The two-run homer he surrendered to Diamondbacks switch hitter Ketel Marte in the first inning was the ninth home run he has given up in three starts.
Before his recent struggles, Wrobleski hadn’t surrendered more than three homers in a three-game span this season.
He left a fastball belt-high to Marte, who entered Sunday with a .913 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Marte lined it into the Diamondbacks’ bullpen in the left-field corner.
After Wrobleski’s last start, manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers (70-48) would look into whether the left-hander might be tipping pitches, but he said before the game Sunday that those suspicions seemed “unfounded.”
“I’m just not good enough right now,” Wrobleski said. “It’s kind of what it comes down to. It’s really frustrating. Execution just hasn’t been as good. I feel like [Sunday] just wasn’t good enough. And, again, I’ve got to be better. … I’m not the type to give up. So I’m ready to bear down. This is kind of where you can go two ways, and I’m excited to keep working, and I’m excited for my next one.”
While Wrobleski clearly wasn’t at his best, giving up six hits and three walks, mistakes on defense didn’t help his cause.
Wrobleski could have gotten out of the first before giving up a home run, but baserunner Geraldo Perdomo successfully broke up a potential double play, crossing in front of shortstop Mookie Betts’ sight line as he tried to throw around him.
Kiké Hernández reacts after striking out in the first inning Sunday against the Diamondbacks.
(Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
“Very weird play, but it’s not obstruction,” Roberts said. “But next time, I think we’ve just got to throw through because it wasn’t impeding, but it sort of was intentional.”
The next inning, Wrobleski fielded a sacrifice bunt from Ryan Waldschmidt, but his throw to first was high and wide, allowing a run to score and putting Waldschmidt into scoring position.
“That’s a play that he’s got to make,” Roberts said.
Later in the inning, though the run would have likely scored anyway, the usually strong relay combination of center fielder Andy Pages and Betts ended with Betts throwing over catcher Ben Rortvedt.
The Dodgers’ offense, in the meantime, went down in order in the first two innings. Betts made the best contact, but his opposite-field fly to the warning track found leather.
The rest of the way, the Dodgers tightened up their defense, and their bullpen shut down the Diamondbacks (63-56). The Dodgers’ lineup strung together hits to score on Pages’ third-inning double and Kyle Tucker‘s sixth-inning triple. But they still lost for the eighth time in nine games.
“This series it was very clear that we weren’t hitting the fastball and we were exposing ourselves to the changeup with the secondary, specifically,” Roberts said before the Dodgers left for L.A., where they’ll open a seven-game homestand against the Kansas City Royals. “Are the Royals going to exploit the fastball that we’re not hitting and the changeup below? I don’t know. But we have to make adjustments. I think for me that’s sort of what I see as a group — we’re just not making adjustments.”
Here are three other takeaways from the Dodgers’ 1-5 road trip:
Hitting into double plays
The Dodgers have grounded into an MLB-leading 99 double plays, including one in the eighth inning Sunday.
Part of that has to do with how often the Dodgers get on base. Entering Sunday, they led the majors in on-base percentage (.339). But hitting into double plays has been a major culprit behind the Dodgers’ recent offensive struggles.
“It’s not age,” Roberts said. “It’s not about putting guys in motion, because you start doing things just to do things. And when a guy swings and misses and gets thrown out by 10 feet, that’s a bad process.
“You have to layer it on who the hitter is, the contact ability; who the pitcher is, the swing-and-miss rate; who the runner is. So there’s a lot of people that can look at the rate that we hit into double plays and have thoughts, but they’re not thought through.”
Roberts pointed instead to the batter’s approach at the plate.
“My thought is our guys need to do a better job at understanding what the pitcher is trying to do,” Roberts said.
Back end of the bullpen
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz delivers in the ninth inning against the Diamondbacks on Saturday.
(Mike Christy / Getty Images)
Setup man Tanner Scott and closer Edwin Díaz were not available out of the bullpen after pitching Friday and Saturday.
Scott’s velocity has fluctuated over the past week, but Roberts said the Dodgers haven’t yet found an explanation for the trend.
Díaz recorded blown saves in each game. Still, Roberts noted his intensity Saturday, after Díaz gave up the lead with back-to-back triples.
“I don’t know if it’s just, you want to be perfect, you’re trying to get your feet under you, you’ve been in rehab mode a lot,” Roberts said. “But this is something I think can be a springboard for outings to come.”
For the Dodgers’ bullpen to function effectively, they need Díaz to turn around his injury-disrupted season (10.80 ERA in 12 appearances).
Home sweet home
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal delivers against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 4.
(Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
For the first time, the Dodgers are set to roll out their new one-two punch of two-time Cy Young winners. Tarik Skubal is scheduled to make his home debut at Dodger Stadium on Monday against the Royals, followed by Blake Snell’s return from the injured list Tuesday.
“On one side of it, you feel it as the home team because you feel the confidence of who you’re running out there,” Roberts said. “But on the other side, it seems daunting when you look at the probables and you see these Cy Young guys back to back. It’s a lot to take in as an offense. So it feels really good to have those two guys on our side.”
Along with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the top of the rotation, the trio has the potential to be even more impactful in the postseason.
“I think you have to win with starting pitching,” Roberts said of the playoffs. “You really do. I know in ‘24 we did it a different way, but starting pitching is kind of your backbone.”
After their Europa League qualifying loss in Poland, McInnes called on his side to “be far more stingy with our work, defend the goal with our lives, don’t give our opponent opportunities” and criticised the squad for showing the same worrying characteristics that were the club’s ruin last season.
His side showed little sign of turning this around in the short space of time since their European trip.
Against Hibs on Sunday afternoon, his third different back four of the season struggled to hold their shape and summer signing Vanja Dragojevic soon grappled Josh Kerr to the ground for a penalty as the errors continued.
These faults, coupled with a lack of consistency in playing partners, is compounding the misery.
Their draw with Dundee United started with a back-line comprising of Ben Godfrey, Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez and Tuur Rommens.
Away in Poland, it was Ross McCrorie, Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez and Rommens.
When David Gray’s team came to town it was Dragojevic, Olwethu Makhanya, Fernandez and Rommens.
These issues need to be ironed out quickly by the coaching staff as their Europa League qualification hangs in the balance prior to Thursday’s second leg against Jagiellonia Bialystok.
McInnes thought the defeat by Hibs was “really harsh on us” as “we were the better team” and “deserved far better than we got” in a game in which Hibs took the lead through a penalty he disputed.
“It’s damaging in the sense that we came here to win and we expect to win,” he said.
“What we’ve got to do now is just dust ourselves down because that was a blow for us.
“The response of the team in the latter part of the game was terrific.”
Their selection inconsistency is mirrored in their form on the park too.
Allan added: “Performing consistently is what [brings] results and winning silverware, and I know its very early on, but there is no consistency in how Rangers were playing today.”
There has been little time to waste following a period of dramatic change at the club.
Former head coach Eddie Howe has moved on and key players Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have all left in the last year.
Gallows humour gripped some supporters who made the trip after they adapted a chant which once featured the names of Guimaraes and Isak, who are now with Arsenal and Liverpool.
“We’ve got someone in the middle,” they sang. “He knows exactly what we need. [Sven] Botman at the back, someone in attack, Newcastle are going to win the Premier League.”
But it is not hard to imagine those blanks being filled in as a new generation steps up.
The average age of the squad has been dramatically lowered and 28-year-old forward Harvey Barnes was Newcastle‘s oldest starter against Valencia.
It felt like a potential sign of things to come on a night goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek, 24, midfielder Aladji Bamba, 20 and forward Toure, 20, made their debuts and 18-year-old Steur impressed from the bench.
Jaissle has a history of developing young players at RB Salzburg, which was a big draw for Newcastle, and he knows better than most what they need.
“Time is the key,” Jaissle said. “They’re young lads. It’s never going to be easy in football, especially at the highest level, but we’re here to do that.”
Malick Thiaw was among the elder statesmen as he led Newcastle out as captain on his 25th birthday and this side will certainly need youthful vigour to play Jaissle’s intense brand of football.
Jaissle was a vocal presence throughout on Saturday, urging the visitors up the field, and rarely stood within the markings of his technical area.
He was even running down the touchline in tandem with his players as they advanced on goal at times.
