Walk

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

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

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

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

—E-mails I have received:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—And again, where are my Cool-A-Coos?

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

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

—Teoscar Hernández is actually getting worse as a fielder.

—The Dodgers schedule the rest of the season:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s not good

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

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

Forgotten Dodger: Dazzy Vance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vance won 21 games for New Orleans in 1921.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dodgers poll

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

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

Click here to vote in our survey.

Up next

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

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

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

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

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

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

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

And finally

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

Until next time …

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

Locals say overcrowding and soaring property prices have made it a “nightmare” to live in the town

One historic seaside town on the Yorkshire coast, loved for its dramatic coastal views, traditional seaside charm and fascinating history has been hit by a mass of tourism. Research by HeyDiscount previously ranked Whitby among the UK’s most overcrowded tourist spots.

In a town with just 13,000 residents, Whitby has an estimated 3,275 commercial holiday lets, according to research carried out for the town’s Neighbourhood Plan. So it is no wonder that this has had an impact on housing and affordability.

Why is Whitby famous?

The town is perhaps best known for Whitby Abbey, the striking Gothic ruins perched high on the East Cliff overlooking the harbour and coastline.

Visitors can reach the abbey by climbing the famous 199 Steps, one of Whitby’s best-known landmarks and a popular spot for taking in views across the town.

The history of the site stretches back to 657 AD, when the first monastery was founded there. The medieval abbey that later stood on the site was eventually destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century.

Meanwhile, Bram Stoker visited Whitby in 1890 and drew inspiration from the town for his famous novel Dracula. Its Gothic links have since become a major part of Whitby’s identity and appeal.

Alan Cuthbert, a lifelong Whitby resident and fisherman said: “You can’t walk down the street without bumping into someone with a camera or a bag of fish and chips.

“For us locals, it’s a nightmare. Traffic’s worse, parking’s a joke, and the peace we used to have is long gone.”

Tourists and second-home purchasers have driven property prices to new heights, forcing locals to move out.

Mr Cuthbert added: “Houses that used to be for families like mine are now being snatched up as holiday lets or second homes. Prices have gone through the roof. I’ve got friends who’ve had to move out of Whitby altogether because they can’t afford to live here anymore.”

Former Mayor Linda Wild told MailOnline: “Where I live, 90% of the neighbouring houses are holiday lets or second homes. Every Friday night, I can hear the rattle of suitcase wheels on the pavement.”

According to Rightmove figures, the average house property price in Whitby is £239,777.

The majority of properties sold in Whitby during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £227,143. Terraced properties sold for an average of £234,090, with detached properties fetching £336,614.

Tourism

Despite these challenges, tourism undeniably brings benefits to local businesses.

Between one and two million tourists visit Whitby each year, according to the BBC.

Sarah Bennett, a café owner in the town centre, acknowledges that tourism has been crucial to her livelihood. She said: “My café gets more visitors, which helps keep the business going year-round, not just in the summer.”

Yet she is equally candid about the downsides, particularly the strain placed on local services. She added: “Tourism has definitely put pressure on local amenities. It can be harder to get a doctor’s appointment or find a spot in local schools. The challenge is making sure that the benefits of this investment reach everyone, not just the tourists.”

While some residents cash in on the tourism boom, others are left picking up the pieces.

Neil Swannick, a Labour councillor for Whitby Streonshalh ward, summed up this rift, saying last year: “There are certainly people that have done well out of tourism in Whitby, but that benefit hasn’t been evenly spread across the residents of the town.”

North Yorkshire Council has identified parking, transport and housing as some of the key challenges facing Whitby as visitor numbers continue to grow.

The council now plans to limit new holiday lets and has drafted a Neighbourhood Plan which proposes a Principal Residence Policy. This means new open-market homes could be used as permanent residences rather than second homes or holiday lets.

Meanwhile, traffic and parking is another issue. The council says Whitby’s historic streets were not designed to cope with the volume of traffic brought by the town’s popularity, particularly during busy periods. Improving parking is therefore among the priorities outlined in its emerging Town Investment Plan.

There are also plans to make Whitby more pedestrian-friendly, with proposals to routinely pedestrianise the Whitby Swingbridge and surrounding harbourside.

North Yorkshire Council says the changes could improve safety during busy tourist periods, reduce pollution and make it easier for pedestrians to travel between the two sides of the town.

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

Series with Braves is important

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meet the new Dodger

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

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Injury update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Up next

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

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

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

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

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

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

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

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

Swanson: Struggling Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker simply needs to relax

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

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

And finally

MLB Network honors Vin Scully. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

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

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?

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.

Catcher
1. Detroit, 1.9
2. Arizona, 1.5
3. Minnesota, 1.2
4. Miami, 1.1
5. Athletics, 1.0
14. Dodgers, -0.1
30. Chicago White Sox, -2.5

As you can see, the loss of Will Smith has been huge. He is a steadying influence in the lineup and behind the plate.

First base
1. Boston, 2.6
2. Atlanta, 2.5
3. Chicago White Sox, 1.7
3. Athletics, 1.7
5. Dodgers, 1.6
30. Arizona, -1.8

Speaking of steadying influences: Freddie Freeman.

Second base
1. Milwaukee, 3.5
2. St. Louis, 2.6
3. Seattle, 2.1
4. Pittsburgh, 1.7
5. San Francisco, 1.6
11. Dodgers, 0.5
30. NY Mets, -2.1

Third base
1. Tampa Bay, 2.7
2. Dodgers, 2.2
2. Boston, 2.2
4. Chicago Cubs, 2.0
5. Chicago White Sox, 1.6
30. Philadelphia, -2.0

Shortstop
1. Kansas City, 4.2
2. Miami, 3.3
3. Washington, 2.8
4. Houston, 2.3
5. Arizona, 2.2
13. Dodgers, 0.8
30. Colorado, -2.3

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.

Starting pitchers
1. Philadelphia, 9.9
2. Detroit, 7.4
3. NY Yankees, 6.9
4. Milwaukee, 5.6
5. Dodgers, 5.1
30. Chicago Cubs, -4.7

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:

2026
77-51, first place by nine games

2025
73-55, first place by one game

2024
76-52, first place by four games

Dave Roberts on Kyle Tucker

Here is Roberts’ viewpoint on Tucker, after Tuesday’s win over Colorado:

“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.

You can see Wheat’s career stats here.

You can read much more about Wheat in this excellent bio by Eric Enders as part of the SABR bio project.

Up next

Friday: Pittsburgh (Bubba Chandler, 6-8, 4.23 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-7, 2.60 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Pittsburgh (Jared Jones, 2-5, 4.78 ERA) at Dodgers (*Tarik Skubal, 7-7, 2.85 ERA [0-2, 3.18 ERA with Dodgers]), 4:15 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Pittsburgh (TBD) at Dodgers (*Blake Snell, 1-1, 3.60 ERA), 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

The Dodgers are Mark Walter’s crown jewel. Can he hold on to it amid federal probe?

Cox customers can finally watch the Dodgers on SportsNet LA

Dodgers Debate: Never a dull moment with the Dodgers

Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz heads back to injured list because of neck inflammation

And finally

Michael Kay interviews Vin Scully in 2013. 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.

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.

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.

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:

1. Milwaukee, 74-47
2. Atlanta, 73-48
3. Dodgers, 73-48

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)

On-base percentage
Dodgers, .338 (second)
Milwaukee, .336 (third)

Slugging percentage
Dodgers, .428 (second)
Milwaukee, .396 (19th)

Doubles
Milwaukee, 214 (third)
Dodgers, 198 (ninth)

Triples
Milwaukee, 20 (seventh)
Dodgers, 12 (18th)

Home runs
Dodgers, 152 (seventh)
Milwaukee, 110 (30th)

As you can see, the Dodgers have more power than the Brewers, but Milwaukee makes up for it some in the next two categories.

Stolen bases
Milwaukee, 118 (fifth)
Dodgers, 46 (28th)

Sacrifice bunts
Milwaukee, 29 (second)
Dodgers, 12 (22nd)

ERA
Milwaukee, 3.54 (fourth)
Dodgers, 3.72 (seventh)

Rotation ERA
Dodgers, 3.54 (fourth)
Milwaukee, 3.56 (fifth)

Bullpen ERA
Milwaukee, 3.51 (fourth)
Dodgers, 4.02 (16th)

Pitcher strikeouts
Milwaukee, 1,169 (second)
Dodgers, 1,073 (eighth)

Pitcher walks
Dodgers, 373 (10th fewest)
Milwaukee, 376 (11th)

Home runs allowed
Milwaukee, 123 (seventh fewest)
Dodgers, 143 (20th)

Saves
Milwaukee, 38 (third)
Dodgers, 32 (14th)

Blown saves
Dodgers, 16 (T15th)
Milwaukee, 15 (T19th)

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.

Up next

Thursday: Milwaukee (*Shane Drohan, 6-4, 3.87 ERA) at Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 5-5, 4.54 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Friday: Milwaukee (*Robert Gasser, 3-4, 4.57 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 11-7, 2.65 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Milwaukee (Jacob Misiorowski, 11-5, 2.76 ERA) at Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 11-4, 3.44 ERA), 4:15 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Milwaukee (Logan Henderson, 6-2, 2.88 ERA) at Dodgers (*Tarik Skubal, 6-2, 2.93 ERA [0-1, 4.09 ERA with Dodgers]), 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman appears to avoid serious injury in fall down dugout steps

Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing provides promising update on his elbow injury

Shaikin: The Shohei Ohtani Economy: A two-mile ride to Dodger Stadium, for $85

And finally

Highlights from the final game of Vin Scully‘s career. 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.

Fulham’s friendly in Malaga turned sour as the Premier League club walked off ahead of a penalty shootout.

Fulham’s preseason match against Malaga turned out to be not too friendly when the English club walked off and coach Alvaro Arbeloa was red-carded for complaining to the referees.

La Liga host Malaga scored a 90th-minute equaliser to make the score 2-2. Malaga said a penalty shootout was scheduled. Fulham said there wasn’t. Malaga kicked a penalty into an open net and claimed the Costa del Sol trophy on Wednesday.

The scenes were an echo of the Africa Cup of Nations final in January when Senegal walked off the field in protest at the awarding of a penalty to Morocco.

In response to the events on the southern coast of Spain, Fulham said on the social media platform, X: “We can confirm that prior to the match, both teams agreed that there would not be a penalty shootout in the event of a draw.”

Former Real Madrid coach Arbeloa was sent off for arguing with the officiating crew at the end of the match.

Malaga said a penalty shootout was scheduled but “Fulham left the pitch claiming that a shootout had not been included in the contract”.

Senegal’s match against hosts Morocco at the 2025 edition of AFCON, which extended into 2026, did eventually resume with the Atlas Lions missing the penalty that had been awarded to them.

The Lions of Teranga went on to win a penalty shootout to claim the trophy.

The title has since been withdrawn from them by the Confederation of African Football after an appeal by Morocco.

Senegal have taken that case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. It’s too hot. I’m convinced that the Earth has been torn from its orbit and is hurtling toward the sun.

Trade deadline review

The Dodgers made some acquisitions at the deadline, the big one being Tarik Skubal. Let’s take a look:

Acquired Skubal from the Tigers for minor leaguers Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith

Andrew Friedman recently told reporters, “There just aren’t that many star-level players in the game. Any time one is available, we’re always going to participate in those conversations.”

Participate he did, as the Dodgers got the top player available. Skubal won the last two AL Cy Young Awards when he went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 2024 and 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA last season, leading the league in ERA both seasons. He also led in strikeouts in 2024 with 228. Last season he struck out 241. You can see all of his stats here.

Skubal was taken by Detroit out of Seattle University in the ninth round of the 2018 draft. He reached the majors in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, going 1-4 with a 5.63 ERA in eight starts. He has gotten better each season since until this season, where he is 7-6 with an ERA of “only” 2.81.

Skubal was born in Hayward, Calif., on Nov. 20, 1996. He was a freshman All-American for Seattle in 2015, then missed most of the 2016 and all of the 2017 season after having Tommy John surgery. He pitched again in 2018 and was drafted by Detroit.

After winning his second Cy Young last season, he set the arbitration record by getting $32 million for 2026 (the Tigers had countered with $19 million). On May 4 this season, he had surgery to remove loose bodies in his pitching elbow (the same surgery Edwin Díaz had). He came back on June 13 and since then he has gone 4-4 with a 2.88 ERA in 59.1 innings, giving up 43 hits and walking 10 while striking out 77. The Dodgers will be on the hook for about $10 million of his salary this season.

Was this a good trade? Well, for now, yes, as the Dodgers are a better team with Skubal than without him. Long term, it depends on a lot of things. Will he be a key factor if they win the title again? He’s a free agent after this season, will the Dodgers re-sign him? Will the three prospects the Dodgers gave up turn out to be good to great major leaguers?

In 1987, Detroit was battling for the AL East and pulled off a deadline deal, acquiring Doyle Alexander from the Atlanta Braves. Alexander went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA for the Tigers, who won the division thanks in large part to that. So, a great trade, right?

Well, Alexander retired two years later, and the prospect the Tigers sent to the Braves turned out to be pretty good: John Smoltz.

Hope, 21, is an outfielder who has hit at every level of the minor leagues. He is hitting .291/.368/.525 at double-A this season. He is considered by all sources to be one of the top 100 prospects in baseball, ranked 63rd by Baseball America, 27th by MLB and 18th by Baseball Prospectus.

Ryan, who turns 28 this month, pitched for the Dodgers in 2024, with a 1.33 ERA in four starts. He has been hampered by injuries ever since. He had arm surgery in August 2024 that sidelined him for the 2025 season. He made eight starts for triple-A Oklahoma City this season, with a 4.46 ERA. He has great stuff, but his age and injury history indicates he might never get a real chance to show it.

Smith, 21, was drafted in the third round in 2023. He missed the 2024 season because of injuries. He made only nine starts with a 6.00 ERA last season and in 21 starts in Class A ball this season, he was 0-7 with a 4.36 ERA, striking out 113 in 74.1 innings.

Acquired Ben Rortvedt from the New York Mets for Chayce McDermott

Rortvedt is a familiar name to Dodgers fans, as he filled in admirably when needed for Will Smith last season and took the backup catcher job from Dalton Rushing. He hit only .224/.309/.327, but he seemed to always get key hits, or laid down a bunt when needed. And the pitching staff loved him. It was as if he had been a Dodgers catcher for years. Look at the team ERA by catcher last season:

Rortvedt, 2.89 (140.1 innings)
Rushing, 3.87 (325.1)
Smith, 4.00 (865.1)
Chuckie Robinson, 5.14 (seven)
Austin Barnes, 5.16 (103)

Doesn’t it seem like Barnes has been off the team for a few seasons already?

McDermott has a career 12.00 ERA in 15 major league innings.

Acquired Hunter Feduccia and Jacob Kmatz from the Tampa Bay Rays for Jack Suwinski and $250,000 in international bonus pool money

The Dodgers acquired another old friend by getting Feduccia, who is also a catcher. He played in eight games for the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025 before he was traded to Tampa Bay for Rortvedt and pitcher Paul Gervase. Feduccia is one of those Dodger prospects who never panned out, as he is hitting .207/.297/.290 in 104 major league games. But, he knows the Dodger pitching staff and the Dodgers are better with Rortvedt/Feduccia than with Robinson/Eliezer Alfonzo.

The reason the Dodgers acquired two catchers is because of some bad news. Rushing has a torn UCL in his right elbow and more than likely won’t be able to play catcher again this season, though he may be able to serve as a right-handed pinch-hitter. With Rushing out, and Will Smith still sidelined by his neck injury, the Dodgers turned toward defense. Neither Rortvedt nor Feduccia have proven to be starting catchers, but they have been solid backups. The question is, who will get the most playing time the rest of the way? They both bat left-handed.

Acquired pitcher Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals for Carlos Duran

This reminds me of the trade for Danny Duffy at the 2021 deadline. Duffy was a good pitcher who was injured, but the Dodgers hoped he would return in time to help down the stretch during the 2021 season. He didn’t return. They signed him in the offseason hoping he would return from injury to help during the season. He didn’t return. He then retired.

Bubic was on the 60-day IL for the Royals, and is on that IL for the Dodgers. He was an All-Star last season for the Royals, finishing the season 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts (116 innings). He was 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA in nine starts this season before going on the IL because of shoulder soreness. The Dodgers hope he can return before the end of the month.

But let’s not hold our breath awaiting that, OK?

Duran, 25, had a 3.38 ERA in 42.2 innings at triple-A Oklahoma City.

Acquired reliever Seth Halvorsen from the Colorado Rockies for Nick Frasso and Landyn Vidourek

This trade happened on July 20, but we will include it. Halvorsen was, wait for it, on the 15-day IL for the Rockies because of shoulder inflammation. He is currently off the IL and has pitched 5.1 scoreless innings at Oklahoma City. He reaches 100 on the radar gun and has a 4.31 career ERA in 71 innings in the majors.

Frasso, 27, was selected in the fourth round by Toronto in the 2020 draft, was sent to the Dodgers for Mitch White in 2022 and never reached the majors with L.A. He had shoulder surgery before the 2024 season and sat out the season.

Vidourek, 22, an outfielder, was chosen by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2025 draft. He has power but strikes out a lot, fanning 141 times in 317 at-bats in the minors, where he is hitting .205/.357/.369.

So, there you have it. Your new Dodgers. The Dodgers are a better team today than they were before the deadline. It guarantees nothing though. They got Yu Darvish and Max Scherzer in previous years and did not win the title.

The Dodgers rotation, if everyone is healthy:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Skubal
Shohei Ohtani
Blake Snell
Tyler Glasnow

Next in line: Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Eric Lauer, Emmet Sheehan.

Here’s what the other NL contenders did. I won’t comment, because this newsletter is long enough already and there’s still another item after this one, but if you click on each player’s name, you will be taken to their stat page at baseball-reference.com.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Acquired Lars Nootbaar from the St. Louis Cardinals for Daniel Eagen, Sandro Santana and a player to be named later.

Atlanta Braves

Acquired Tyler Uberstine from the Boston Red Sox for Eli White.
Acquired Duncan Davitt from the Chicago White Sox for Joey Bart.
Acquired Brent Suter from the Angels for Nacho Alvarez Jr.
Acquired Tyler Mahle from the San Francisco Giants for Anthony Molina.
Acquired Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter from the Kansas City Royals for Carter Holton and Lucas Braun.

Chicago Cubs

Acquired Kevin Gausman from the the Toronto Blue Jays for Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene.
Acquired Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor from the New York Mets for Jefferson Rojas.
Acquired Ryan Zeferjahn from the Angels for Moises Ballesteros and Mason McGwire.
Acquired Braxton Garrett from the Miami Marlins for Jonathon Long and Jace Beck.
Acquired Aaron Civale and cash from the Athletics for Aiden Moffett.
Acquired David Peterson from the New York Mets for Cole Mathis.

Miami Marlins

Acquired Brandan Bidois, Hyun Seung Lee, and Brian Sanchez from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Lake Bachar.
Acquired Victor Vodnik from the Colorado Rockies for Connor Norby and Aiden May.
Acquired Jonathon Long and Jace Beck from the Chicago Cubs for Braxton Garrett.
Acquired Brayden Taylor, Adrian Santana and Jacob Kisting from the Tampa Bay Rays for Liam Hicks.

Milwaukee Brewers

Acquired Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies for Mark Manfredi and Juan Martinez.
Acquired Dustin May and JoJo Romero from the St. Louis Cardinals for Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale.
Acquired Bo Naylor and Codi Heuer from the Cleveland Guardians for Blake Perkins and Craig Yoho.
Acquired Braden Shewmake from the Houston Astros for cash considerations.

Philadelphia Phillies

Acquired Luis Arraez and Caleb Kilian from the San Francisco Giants for Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair.
Acquired Colby Thomas from the Athletics for Seth Johnson.
Acquired Manuel Colon and cash considerations from the Kansas City Royals for Nolan Hoffman.
Acquired Brooks Raley from the New York Mets for Luke Gabrysh and John Spikerman.

San Diego Padres

Acquired Robbie Ray from Giants for Miguel Mendez and Joniel Hernandez.
Acquired Hunter Stratton from Pirates for Andrew Moore.
Acquired Casey Mize and Gage Workman from Tigers for Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf.

For full reports on all the trades across the majors, I suggest visiting mlbtraderumors.com.

What, me worry?

So, the Dodgers have lost six in a row and were swept in two consecutive series. Time to worry or panic?

To find the last time the Dodgers lost six in a row and were swept in consecutive series, you have to go all the way back to … July 2025. The Dodgers woke up on July 4 leading the NL West by nine games. They then proceeded to get swept twice:

lost to Houston, 18-1
lost to Houston, 6-4
lost to Houston, 5-1
lost to Milwaukee, 9-1
lost to Milwaukee, 3-1
lost to Milwaukee, 3-2

The then lost their first game against the Giants, 8-7. After that, they were in first place by only four games.

Then they won two in a row and lost three more in a row. They went 5-13 over one stretch that month and went 10-14 in July. They lost five in a row to start September. They ended up winning the division by three games, but did not get a first-round bye.

My memory fails me, what happened in the postseason last season?

If the Dodgers get a couple of major injuries and lose like 15 in a row, then we can begin to panic. But they are going to make the postseason, and anything can happen in the postseason. They could be swept in the first round, they could win it all again. It’s all part of the ride.

Up next

Friday: Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 5-5, 4.64 ERA) at Arizona (Merrill Kelly, 8-9, 5.04 ERA), 6:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 11-7, 2.76 ERA) at Arizona (Brandon Pfaadt, 6-1, 3.66 ERA), 5:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 11-3, 3.31 ERA) at Arizona (*Eduardo Rodriguez, 10-4, 2.71 ERA), 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Shohei Ohtani, Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a show as NL MVP talk heats up: ‘He’s a great player’

‘Dodgers do all the right things.’ Tarik Skubal dismisses the ‘ruining baseball’ critics

Two of Rob Reiner’s children pay tribute to their late parents with Dodgers ceremonial first pitches

Dodgers add catchers Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, pitcher Kris Bubic at trade deadline

Dodgers Debate: The Dodgers will stop at nothing to win

Inside the aggressive push Andrew Friedman and Dodgers made to acquire Tarik Skubal

Shaikin: ‘L.A. is America’s team.’ But the Brewers should have been Tarik Skubal’s team

Plaschke: Tarik Skubal trade brings Dodgers hate, envy … and another championship

And finally

Vin Scully is interviewed by Roy Firestone. 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.

Some say it’s ridiculous.

Some say it’s refreshing.

Some say it’s unprofessional.

Some say it’s all in good fun.

One thing is certain — Mets relief pitcher Jefry Yan got everyone’s attention with his high-flying, post-strikeout celebration during his MLB debut on Wednesday in Cleveland against the Guardians.

Called up from triple-A Syracuse a day earlier, the 29-year-old Dominican left-hander took the mound to start the bottom of the sixth inning and faced Guardians pinch-hitter Ángel Martínez. Five pitches into the at-bat, Yan caught the hitter looking on an 88.7-mph slider for a called third strike.

Then came the celebration. Yan jumped up — way up — into the air, contorting his legs into somewhat of a split. He landed in a crouch position and slapped the ground before popping up, standing still with his hands up for a fraction of a second, then walking back up the mound with a bit of a leg slide to commemorate his first Major League strikeout.

“Once I had him with two strikes I said, you know what, I’m going to throw that slider,” Yan said through an interpreter after the Mets’ 6-5 victory in 10 innings. “And if I freeze him, which is exactly what I did, I celebrated accordingly.”

Several batters later, however, Yan commemorated his second major league strikeout similarly. Yan had given up two singles and a walk to load the bases before getting Cleveland designated hitter Chase DeLauter on a 90-mph slider for strike three and the second out of the inning.

Once again, Yan did the whole jumping, landing, ground-slapping thing (no slide this time though). Later in the game, Cleveland’s José Ramírez was seen in the dugout apparently imitating Yan’s airborne style of rejoicing.

While most MLB fans might be seeing Yan’s post-strikeout air show for the first time, the celebrations have actually become a signature move for the player during his long, unconventional journey to the majors.

After initially signing with the Angels organization as a teenage international free agent in 2013, Yan eventually spent several years out of affiliated baseball, playing for semipro and amateur teams while also working odd jobs.

He was signed by the Miami Marlins organization in 2021, followed by the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball and the Colorado Rockies organization before the Mets last August.

Yan has other methods of celebrating during games as well. On Wednesday, after Guardians right fielder Jo Adell — playing his second game for Cleveland after being traded by the Angels earlier in the week — grounded into a fielder’s choice at shortstop to end the inning, Yan did a low slide move and slapped his chest, then smacked his glove emphatically several times and blew a kiss toward the sky while leaving the field.

Cleveland fans expressed their displeasure, but Yan wasn’t bothered.

“If they want to yell at me, if they want to boo me, they can do whatever they want,” Yan said. “I’m in my zone. And yeah, I’m going to enjoy my game any way that I want to.”

Yan gave up two hits and no runs with two strikeouts and one walk in one inning pitched. Five of his pitches, all sliders, reached triple digits on the speed gun.

“It’s real stuff. It’s really impressive,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said. “To get out of a bases-loaded jam, get your first punchout, just excited for him. He deserves that.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Will the person in charge please stop turning up Earth’s thermostat. It’s warm enough now.

There’s a problem in the Dodgers’ offense. Yes, they are near the top in most offensive categories, but, well, let’s see if you can spot it.

Batting average/OB%/SLG% by lineup position

Batting first: .275/.378/.522
Second: .229/.305/.348
Third: .273/.364/.457
Fourth: .262/.340/.445
Fifth: .247/.333/.406
Sixth: .273/.339/.464
Seventh: .264/.344/.447
Eighth: .269/.341/.410
Ninth: .265/.326/.402

One of those lines is not like the other. The No. 2 spot in the lineup has been horrible. And it’s not just one person, it’s anyone they try there. A look at each player who has batted in the No. 2 spot this season:

Santiago Espinal, 1 for 1
Tommy Edman, 2 for 4
Andy Pages, .254/.336/.431, 238 plate appearances
Kyle Tucker, .238/.330/.333, 97
Freddie Freeman, .213/.276/.263, 87
Alex Call, 1 for 5
Miguel Rojas, 1 for 6
Mookie Betts, .149/.196/.234, 51
Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1
Will Smith, 0 for 8

Wow. Everyone who has spent any time in the No. 2 spot is hitting worse than their overall numbers.

Last season, the No. 2 position hit .259/.324/.418, which was mainly Betts.

Let’s break out the four players who have the most appearances in the No. 2 spot this season and see how well they hit in other positions:

Andy Pages
Batting second: .254/.336/.431, 238 plate appearances
Third: .167/.200/.167, 25
Fourth: .200/.292/.350, 24
Fifth: .222/.300/.500, 40
Sixth: .375/.394/.781, 33
Seventh: .271/.329/.414, 79
Eighth: .476/.500/.810, 22

Kyle Tucker
Batting second: .238/.330/.333, 97
First: .222/300/.556. 10
Third: .000/.111/.000, 9
Fourth: .263/.391/.395, 92
Fifth: .226/.329/.387, 73
Sixth: .225/.297/.326, 101
Seventh: .333/.412/.633, 34
Ninth: 0 for 1

So hit Pages sixth and Tucker seventh?

Freddie Freeman

Batting second: .213/.276/.263, 87
Third: .328/.421/.572, 273
Fourth: .288/.342/.452, 79
Fifth: .417/.417/.583, 12

So Freeman should bat third.

Mookie Betts

Batting second: .149/.196/.234, 51
First: .125/.125/.500, 8
Third: .179/.281/.429, 32
Fourth: .261/.326/.436, 181
Fifth: .250/.276/.464, 29

Betts at cleanup? Should the Dodgers lineup be:

Shohei Ohtani
Tommy Edman
Freddie Freeman
Mookie Betts
Max Muncy
Andy Pages
Kyle Tucker
Teoscar Hernández
Dalton Rushing

Of course, here we are talking about making changes to the team that is fourth in the majors in runs scored per game (5.15).

But why does everyone fall apart in the No. 2 spot? Do the pitchers relax a bit after facing Ohtani and pitch better because of it? Do they concentrate more? Is it just the randomness of baseball? We’ll never know. But right now, the No. 2 spot is a weakness.

Editor’s note: Of course, right after I write this, Pages goes five for eight with a double and a homer in the No. 2 spot. The randomness of baseball!

Where doesn’t it hurt?

We knew that Shohei Ohtani‘s left knee was still bothering him, but it turns out his right biceps is bothering him, too.

“My biceps is not 100%,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton while speaking to reporters. “Just [a] similar issue with the knee. Do we consider pushing this? It is still July. So, I think the conversation would be a little different if we’re in August or September.”

And the longer Ohtani sits, the more likely he will have to be built back up as a starter. Don’t expect him to come back and pitch seven innings right away.

“You know, he’s a starting pitcher, and then, when you start missing three, four, five weeks of that build-up,” Dave Roberts said, “then you’ve got to kind of start up again.”

Phil ‘The Vulture’ Regan dies

Phil Regan, who had one great and one good season as a relief pitcher with the Dodgers, died earlier this month at 89.

In 1966 with the Dodgers, Regan pitched in 65 games and went 14-1, with a 1.62 ERA and a league-leading 21 saves. It was that season where he earned his nickname, “The Vulture.”

On Aug. 1, 1966, Sandy Koufax was facing the Pittsburgh Pirates and left after seven innings with the score tied, 1-1. Regan relieved him, and the Dodgers scored four runs to win the game. Afterward, Koufax said to Regan, “You’re getting to be a real scavenger. A vulture, that’s what you are.”

Regan went 6-9 with a 2.99 ERA and six saves with the Dodgers in 1967. He pitched in five games for them in 1968, going 2-0 with 3.52 ERA, before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with Jim Hickman for Jim Ellis and Ted Savage.

Regan last pitched in the majors in 1972 with the Chicago White Sox, who released him in July. His career record was 96-81 with a 3.84 ERA and 92 saves.

He went on to become a longtime pitching coach for several teams and managed the Baltimore Orioles during the 1995 season.

He came out of retirement at 82 in 2019 to become interim pitching coach for the New York Mets, saying, “Well, I love the game and I love what I’m doing. I know I’m 82 years old now, but I still enjoy it. I feel good. I’m going to retire one of these days, or die, I dont know. One or the other.”

Scheduling note

The next newsletter will be delayed until after the trade deadline so we can discuss what happened, or what didn’t happen, and see what moves other postseason contenders made.

Up next

Friday: Boston (*Ranger Suarez, 4-3, 3.02 ERA) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Boston (*Payton Tolle, 6-6, 3.32 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 11-6, 2.72 ERA), 6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Boston (*Jake Bennett, 6-4, 2.74 ERA) at Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 4-7, 4.95 ERA), 4:20 p.m., NBC, Peacock, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman addresses Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury and trade deadline approach

Dodgers Debate: Trade deadline madness

‘Do we consider pushing this?’ Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound remains unclear

Shaikin: The Dodgers’ three-peat chance may never come again. Trade accordingly

Dusty Baker’s peers expect him to become the first Black manager in the Hall of Fame

And finally

Vin Scully calls Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. 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.

LISA Snowdon has been seen without her ring on after sparking fears that she has split from her fiancé.

After 12 years with George Smart and plans to marry, Lisa, 54, has been seen without her engagement ring.

The TV presenter was spotted going to a Pilates class in Essex this week, with her ring was noticeably absent from her left hand.

She was chatting on the phone as she made her way home while rocking gym gear and carrying a tote.

Lisa said recently that she feels like she’s in a “new chapter of her life” at 54.

Lisa has been enjoying solo travelling recently, and has failed to share snaps of George on Instagram.

SPLIT FEARS

Lisa Snowdon sparks fears she’s split from fiance after 12 years together

secret struggle

This Morning’s Lisa Snowdon reveals she’s bedbound after meningitis battle

She last shared a snap of George, 46, on her Instagram back in January.

Meanwhile, his own social media account is currently set to private.

Her fiancé featured regularly on Lisa’s social media before then, but he hasn’t been seen on her socials in more than six months.

When Lisa shared a gallery of pictures of herself with her friends hanging out at Wimbledon last month, George was absent again.

Some fans noticed this and one wrote: “Oh no, no George again.”

George might be taking a break from social media and there might be nothing in it – but it’s sparked concern about their relationship.

Lisa and entrepreneur George briefly dated 20 years ago and reconnected in 2014,  before getting engaged in 2016.

Last year, Lisa said she was in no rush to marry George. 

She told Hello!: ‘A lot of women imagine walking down the aisle.

“They imagine their flowers, their dresses, and I just have never had that vision. It’s just a contract at the end of the day.

“I don’t want everybody looking at me, which is weird because I do television and hosting.

“I’m just really relaxed and so is George. It will happen, but I just don’t know what that looks like.”

But now she seems to be moving on.

In a chat with Prima this week, Lisa said: “I’m 54 now and see this time in my life as a new chapter. It’s important to reframe ageing in a more positive way. 

“It takes time for that readjustment to happen, but now I’m in this powerful place where it’s about, ‘What do I want? What do I need?”

She went on: “I don’t have children, so it’s easier for me than mums juggling teenage children, but it’s a powerful time for us to reconnect with ourselves and make big life changes. It’s the second spring.”

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. The Odyssey; 2. Supergirl; 3. Young Washington; 4. Disclosure Day; 5. Masters of the Universe; 6. The Devil Wears Prada 2

We are less than a week away from the trade deadline (Monday at 3 p.m. PT). The Dodgers have a commanding lead in the NL West and are going to make the postseason. Their current team is good enough to win the World Series, but there’s now a big question mark over Shohei Ohtani, whose knee is preventing him from pitching.

Ohtani’s last start was July 3. And, in the category of things that make you wonder, his batting stats since then: .250/.300/.500, 16 for 64, four doubles, four homers, five walks, 17 strikeouts. Could just be a down couple of weeks, which every batter goes through. But when paired with the sore knee, it makes you think.

The Dodgers are counting on getting Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell back in August. That would give them a postseason rotation (if Ohtani can’t pitch again this year) of:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Snell
Glasnow
Justin Wrobleski

If Ohtani can pitch again, one of those guys drops off. But what if he can’t come back and Snell and/or Glasnow aren’t able to come back? Emmet Sheehan? Roki Sasaki? Bullpen game? Sasaki has pitched well his last couple of starts, but we’ve been down that road before.

Or do the Dodgers add a reliever? Another hitter? Stand pat?

And then add in the fact that getting someone, even someone like Tarik Skubal, guarantees nothing. The Dodgers have made big deals in the past and not won. They have made marginal deals and won it all.

What would you do? Assuming the trade is fair, which would you acquire first, a starting pitcher, reliever, batter or would you stand pat?

Click here to vote in our survey.

Maddie Lee offers her trade deadline take here.

In the meantime, here’s a look at some previous trade deadline deals by the Dodgers.

2017

—Acquired pitcher Yu Darvish from Texas for A.J. Alexy, Willie Calhoun and Brendon Davis.

—Acquired pitcher Tony Cingrani from Cincinnati for Scott Van Slyke and Hendrik Clementina.

—Acquired pitcher Tony Watson from Pittsburgh for Angel German and Oneil Cruz.

—Acquired outfielder Curtis Granderson from the New York Mets for Jacob Rhame.

Dodgers record before deadline: 74-31, .705

Record after deadline: 30-27, .526

2018

—Acquired shortstop Manny Machado from Baltimore for Rylan Bannon, Yusniel Diaz, Dean Kremer, Zach Pop and Breyvic Valera. (This trade was made July 18, but we will count it.)

—Acquired pitcher John Axford from Toronto for Corey Copping.

—Acquired second baseman Brian Dozier from Minnesota for Logan Forsythe, Luke Raley and Devin Smeltzer.

—Acquired infielder David Freese from Pittsburgh for Jesus Valdez.

Record before deadline: 59-49, .506

Record after deadline: 33-22, .600

2019

—Acquired pitcher Adam Kolarek from Tampa Bay for Niko Hulsizer.

—Acquired infielder Jedd Gyorko from St. Louis for Jeffry Abreu and Tony Cingrani.

Record before deadline: 71-39, .645

Record after deadline: 35-17, .673

2020

Nothing significant. This was the 60-game COVID season.

2021

—Acquired pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner from Washington for Gerardo Carrillo, Donovan Casey, Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz.

—Acquired outfielder Billy McKinney from the New York Mets for Carlos Rincón.

—Acquired pitcher Danny Duffy from Kansas City for Zach Willeman.

Record before deadline: 63-43, .594

Record after deadline: 43-13, .768

2022

—Acquired pitcher Chris Martin from the Chicago Cubs for infielder-outfielder Zach McKinstry.

—Acquired left fielder Joey Gallo from the New York Yankees for Clayton Beeter.

Record before deadline: 68-33, .673

Record after deadline: 43-18, .705

2023

—Acquired Kiké Hernández from Boston for Justin Hagenman and Nick Robertson.

—Acquired pitchers Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn from the Chicago White Sox for Jordan Leasure, Nick Nastrini and Trayce Thompson.

—Acquired infielder Amed Rosario from Cleveland for Noah Syndergaard.

—Acquired pitcher Ryan Yarbrough from Kansas City for Derlin Figueroa and Devin Mann.

Record before deadline: 59-45, .567

Record after deadline: 41-17, .707

2024

—Acquired pitcher Jack Flaherty from Detroit for Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney.

—As part of a three-team deal, acquired infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman from St. Louis and pitcher Michael Kopech from the Chicago White Sox for Alexander Albertus, Jeral Perez and Miguel Vargas.

—Traded pitcher Ryan Yarbrough to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Kevin Kiermaier.

Record before deadline: 63-46, .578

Record after deadline: 35-18, .660

2025

Traded pitcher Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox. Received Zach Ehrhard and James Tibbs III.

Traded pitchers Paul Liñan and Eriq Swan to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Alex Call.

Traded catcher Hunter Feduccia to the Tampa Bay Rays for pitchers Adam Serwinowski and Paul Gervase and catcher Ben Rortvedt.

Traded outfielder James Outman to the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Brock Stewart.

Record before deadline: 63-46, .578

Record after deadline: 30-23, .566

See, last year, the most important acquisition was getting Rortvedt, and no one was exactly extolling his virtues when they got him. I remember when the Dodgers acquired Darvish, it seemed to guarantee the World Series title. And when they got Scherzer, that seemed like a slam dunk for the title. But you never know what’s going to happen.

And are there any trades up there that make you say, “Wow, that was a terrible deal?” No. Andrew Friedman has a great track record on trades, so, it will be interesting to see what the Dodgers do.

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. Dodgers, 67-39
2. Milwaukee, 66-40, 1 GB
3. Atlanta, 62-44, 5 GB

Wild-card standings
1. Chicago, 60-46
2. Philadelphia, 57-50
3. Pittsburgh, 55-52

4. Arizona, 55-52
5. Washington, 54-53, 1 GB
6. St. Louis, 53-53, 1.5 GB
7. San Diego, 53-53, 1.5 GB
8. Miami, 53-54, 2 GB
9. Cincinnati, 49-55, 4.5 GB

These names seem familiar

How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams (through Sunday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:

Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.46 ERA, 2 saves, 34.1 IP, 31 hits, 15 walks, 33 K’s, 97 ERA+, out for the season

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .259/.350/.420, 434 PA’s, 21 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 53 RBIs, 113 OPS+, on the IL

Walker Buehler, Padres: 6-5, 5.12 ERA, 100 IP, 99 hits, 42 walks, 91 K’s, 80 ERA+

Mike Busch, Cubs: .247/.368/.405, 468 PA’s, 18 doubles, 2 triples, 13 homers, 56 RBIs, 117 OPS+

Michael Conforto, Cubs: .237/.326/.481, 178 PA’s, 11 doubles, 9 homers, 24 RBIs, 122 OPS+

Justin Dean, Cubs: .286/.444/.571, 9 PA’s, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 1829 OPS+

Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 1-0, 3.86 ERA, 1 save, 21 IP, 23 hits, 10 walks, 20 K’s, 115 ERA+

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 3-8, 4.59 ERA, 86.1 IP, 80 hits, 42 walks, 102 K’s, 93 ERA+, on the IL

Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 2-4, 3.90 ERA, 12 saves, 27.2 IP, 17 hits, 17 walks, 31 K’s, 111 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 4.35 ERA, 31 IP, 26 hits, 12 walks, 29 K’s, 99 ERA+

Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL

Dustin May, Cardinals: 5-7, 4.59 ERA, 104 IP, 104 hits, 33 walks, 103 K’s, 87 ERA+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .200/.277/.298, 277 PA’s, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 20 RBIs, 61 OPS+

James Outman, Tigers: .161/.219/.295, 160 PA’s, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 16 RBIs, 42 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers: .251/.341/.491, 318 PA’s, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 17 homers, 36 RBIs, 140 OPS+

Luke Raley, Mariners: .230/.284/.447, 280 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 15 homers, 39 RBIs, 107 OPS+

Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors

Corey Seager, Rangers: .182/.292/.374, 219 PA’s, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 25 RBIs, 94 OPS+, on the IL

Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .292/.394/.472, 254 PA’s, 21 doubles, 6 homers, 28 RBIs

Trea Turner, Phillies: .244/.295/.391, 455 PA’s, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 41 RBIs, 82 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .242/.348/.484, 449 PA’s, 24 doubles, 1 triple, 22 homers, 63 RBIs, 131 OPS+

Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-5, 3.65 ERA, 3 saves, 24.2 IP, 16 hits, 11 walks, 30 K’s, 114 ERA+

Up next

Tuesday: Seattle (Luis Castillo, 3-9, 4.85 ERA) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Seattle (Emerson Hancock, 6-4, 3.16 ERA) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Seattle (Bryce Miller, 4-5, 2.75) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Tarik Skubal blockbuster deal likely isn’t part of Dodgers’ trade-deadline plans

Swanson: Hall of Famer Joe Torre passionate about going to bat for kids at risk of family violence

Huntington Beach’s Jeff Kent credits his parents for helping fuel his Hall of Fame career

Shohei Ohtani suffers setback in his plans to return to Dodgers’ rotation

Jeff Kent starting to feel like a Hall of Famer this weekend

Miguel Rojas on decision to visit Capitol Hill, White House: ‘I’m representing the Dodgers’

Dodgers Debate: The White House and the trade deadline

Lopez: 5 reasons the Dodgers should not go back to the White House again next year

And finally

Vin Scully narrates a wacky play at Candlestick Park. 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.

US accused France of “condescending” rhetoric over its human rights stances

United States diplomats walked out of a United Nations Security Council meeting on Russia’s war against Ukraine as France’s delegation took the floor.

The walkout on Monday came two days after an online exchange between US and French officials over Washington voting against renewing the four-year term of UN human rights chief Volker Turk.

France’s UN Mission in Geneva wrote on Saturday that the US was no longer a “beacon of human rights” and stood isolated alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali and Russia.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz replied on X that France had voted for a rights chief who “has been lecturing free, sovereign democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel, while cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors”.

After the walkout, Dan Negrea, an alternate US representative, told the council that his delegation would keep walking out until France renounced its “condescending and disrespectful rhetoric”.

France’s ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, did not mention the walkout when he spoke, saying France was working to preserve the UN’s independence and its capacity to act.

Turk, who has criticised violations of international law by Israel and the US in Palestine and Iran, was reappointed by a UN General Assembly vote of 144 in favour, 10 against and 13 abstentions.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has cut funding to UN agencies and withdrawn from dozens of UN entities since 2025. It had also threatened to reassess its engagement over Turk’s mandate.

Washington and Paris have also clashed over NATO spending, trade policy and Trump’s threats to occupy Greenland, a territory of NATO member Denmark.

France, along with other European states, has also drawn Trump’s ire for refusing direct participation in the US-Israel war on Iran.

HOLIDAYMAKERS have revealed the one thing a staycation must have – a pub nearby.

A poll of 2,000 adults who have holidayed in the UK found 61 per cent consider a drinking establishment to be essential for the perfect break upon these shores.

Ideally it should offer traditional pub grub (67 per cent), a cosy interior (60 per cent) and a beer garden with scenic views (60 per cent).

Local ales (37 per cent), a roaring fire (36 per cent) and live music or entertainment (30 per cent) are also desirable – as is being dog friendly (26 per cent).

And 42 per cent prefer a ‘proper local’ over a more touristy option.

The research was commissioned by cottages.com, which has partnered with broadcaster and countryside champion Clare Balding to launch its Pub Walk Collection.

It includes a hand-picked selection of pub walks, including some beautiful lesser-known routes, helping Brits to find their sense of exploration.

Clare said: “A proper pub walk is a much-loved British tradition. For me, the perfect route is four to six miles with dramatic scenery, ending at a great local pub.

“It’s fantastic to see that our appetite for adventure has grown and we want to help people discover the lesser-known corners of the UK that make a staycation truly special.

“Some of the most memorable parts of a break can come from taking a different turn, chatting to locals and discovering places which aren’t on every itinerary.”

The study also found 46 per cent think people’s sense of adventure has increased significantly over the past 10 years, while 51 per cent would rather discover lesser-known destinations than visit famous tourist hotspots.

Further to this, 32 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds prefer hidden gems over famous destinations, compared to 69 per cent of over-55s.

Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) would actively seek out places which haven’t become overrun with tourists, while an additional 46 per cent would look for hidden gems when planning where to holiday in the UK.

When asked about the top holiday priorities, value for money ranked highest with 49 per cent, followed by good weather (34 per cent), being easy to get to (31 per cent), great local walks (28 per cent) and peaceful, crowd-free surroundings (28 per cent).

As many as 70 per cent said peace and relaxation matter more than how a destination looks on social media when choosing where to go.

However, 34 per cent had visited a restaurant, beach or landmark specifically because they saw it on social media, according to OnePoll.com figures.

A spokesperson for cottages.com, which has a collection to help travellers discover some of Britain’s best pub walk routes, including trying out some lesser-known trails, added: “Britain’s best holidays aren’t always about travelling further, they’re about discovering more.

“Whether it’s finding a beautiful new walking route, stumbling across a fantastic village pub or exploring somewhere you’ve never visited before, those moments are often what people remember most.

“Our research shows people are looking for experiences that feel authentic and help them connect with the places they’re visiting.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Went to the movies to see “The Odyssey” on Friday. Just got out Sunday in time to write this newsletter.

We are two weeks away from the trade deadline of Monday, Aug. 3, at 3 p.m. PT. The Dodgers usually make a deal or two around that time, sometimes major, sometimes minor. Who are the big names the Dodgers might have interest in this season? Let’s take a look.

Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers, 6-5, 2.83 ERA

It seems every year Skubal, who won the last two AL Cy Young Awards, is the top name available at the deadline, and this might finally be the year that it happens. Sure, the Tigers are on the fringe of the wild-card race, but can they really afford to let their most valuable trade piece walk away without getting anything for him? Skubal is a free agent after this season. Then again, what will the new bargaining agreement look like? Will Skubal be able to demand as much on the open market once the new agreement is in place? And do the Dodgers really need him? Bill Plaschke says they do. But, they have the best record in baseball without him. They have won two straight World Series without him. They don’t need him. The question is, do they want him? They certainly have the pieces to get him, and the resources to sign him to a long-term deal. Plus, he missed part of this season because of elbow surgery and they love to get formerly injured pitchers.

Joe Ryan, SP, Minnesota Twins, 6-5, 2.85 ERA

The Twins are very much in the wild-card race, so it seems unlikely they trade Ryan unless someone offers them something too good to turn down. He won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season. The same can be said of Sonny Gray of Boston. The Red Sox have won 13 in a row, so it seems unlikely they are trading anyone unless they lose their next 13.

The problem with the trade deadline since the postseason was expanded to 12 teams is that so many teams have a chance at the postseason. In the AL, 12 teams have a chance at making the postseason. Detroit is 46-53 and only 4.5 games out of a wild-card spot. Minnesota is only two games out. In the NL, 11 teams have a chance. It’s hard to trade one of your best players when you have a chance at the postseason.

Casey Mize, SP, Detroit Tigers, 4-6, 2.79 ERA

Mize will also be a free agent at the end of the season and is having his best season by far. He missed almost two seasons of his career because of Tommy John surgery.

Luis Arraez, 2B, San Francisco Giants, .326/.366/.455, 133 OPS+

Quite a few Dodgers fans would like to see the team acquire Arraez to play second. However, with Tommy Edman back and playing well, and Kiké Hernández back soon, they don’t really need a second baseman right now, especially one who is a poor fielder.

Reid Detmers, 3-6, 4.16 ERA, and José Soriano, 8-6, 3.49 ERA, SP, Angels

The Angels have the worst record in baseball, so much of their roster will be available. Unless the Dodgers believe that Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow or Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch the rest of the season, it’s hard to see how these players fit in.

Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins, .288/.401/.540, 160 OPS+

Jeffers is the only top-line catcher rumored to be available this season. And it seems the only way the Dodgers acquire him is if they are convinced Will Smith isn’t coming back. Otherwise, perhaps a reunion with Ben Rortvedt, who is stuck in the minors with the Mets.

Those are just a few of the players available (I recommend you visit mlbtraderumors.com to see a complete picture of what every team wants or could offer). Next time, we will look back at trade deadline deals after Andrew Friedman took over.

What will happen this season? Well, Friedman will pull off a deal or two involving players who aren’t on everyone’s list. The Dodgers can win the World Series with the team they have right now, but it never hurts to add more pitching.

Injury Report

Edwin Díaz: Has made a couple of appearances with Class A Ontario, pitching two innings, striking out four. He will need to pitch in consecutive games before he is activated.

Tyler Glasnow: His back has been an issue all season. He is throwing only fastballs at the moment.

Kiké Hernández: Is on assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City and could return when the Dodgers return home from their current trip.

Shohei Ohtani: Has been shut down from pitching because of swelling in his left knee. Timetable for his return as a pitcher remains murky, but he can still hit.

Will Smith: Out until at least mid-August. His return is pivotal for the Dodgers, because they don’t want to go into the postseason with just Dalton Rushing to count on behind the plate.

Blake Snell: Began a rehab assignment in triple A on Saturday and will probably need to make at least three more starts there before he is ready.

Blake Treinen: On the IL since June 20 because of a sore elbow, he is slowly working his way back.

As for the other guys on the IL, Ben Casparius, Brusdar Graterol, Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, it would be miraculous to get meaningful contributions from them this season.

These names seem familiar

How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams (through Sunday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:

Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.46 ERA, 2 saves, 34.1 IP, 31 hits, 15 walks, 33 K’s, 97 ERA+, out for the season

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .255/.345/.417, 414 PA’s, 19 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 52 RBIs, 113 OPS+

Walker Buehler, Padres: 5-5, 5.36 ERA, 89 IP, 93 hits, 35 walks, 81 K’s, 77 ERA+

Mike Busch, Cubs: .244/.370/.403, 438 PA’s, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 12 homers, 52 RBIs, 117 OPS+

Michael Conforto, Cubs: .241/.327/.476, 160 PA’s, 10 doubles, 8 homers, 22 RBIs, 122 OPS+

Justin Dean, Cubs: .400/.571/.800, 7 PA’s, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 279 OPS+

Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 1-0, 3.20 ERA, 1 save, 19.2 IP, 20 hits, 8 walks, 19 K’s, 139 ERA+

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 3-8, 4.48 ERA, 82.1 IP, 76 hits, 40 walks, 98 K’s, 97 ERA+

Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 1-4, 4.38 ERA, 11 saves, 24.2 IP, 16 hits, 14 walks, 27 K’s, 100 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 4.50 ERA, 30 IP, 26 hits, 12 walks, 29 K’s, 96 ERA+

Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL

Dustin May, Cardinals: 5-7, 4.78 ERA, 98 IP, 97 hits, 32 walks, 95 K’s, 84 ERA+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .196/.277/.298, 256 PA’s, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 19 RBIs, 60 OPS+

James Outman, Tigers: .159/.224/.288, 143 PA’s, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 13 RBIs, 42 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers: .243/.339/.479, 302 PA’s, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 16 homers, 35 RBIs, 136 OPS+

Luke Raley, Mariners: .230/.287/.459, 267 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 15 homers, 37 RBIs, 111 OPS+

Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors

Corey Seager, Rangers: .182/.292/.374, 219 PA’s, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 25 RBIs, 94 OPS+, on the IL

Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .280/.386/.466, 228 PA’s, 18 doubles, 6 homers, 28 RBIs

Trea Turner, Phillies: .242/.292/.375, 428 PA’s, 17 doubles, 12 homers, 35 RBIs, 78 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .242/.352/.485, 422 PA’s, 21 doubles, 1 triple, 21 homers, 59 RBIs, 132 OPS+

Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-5, 3.74 ERA, 3 saves, 21.2 IP, 15 hits, 8 walks, 28 K’s, 113 ERA+

Up next

Monday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 4-6, 4.81 ERA) at Philadelphia (*Cristopher Sánchez, 11-4, 2.62 ERA), 4:10 p.m., ESPN, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Tuesday: Dodgers (*Eric Lauer, 4-5, 4.81 ERA [3-0, 3.12 ERA with Dodgers]) at Philadelphia (Zack Wheeler, 10-1, 2.13 ERA), 3:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 10-2, 2.69 ERA) at Philadelphia (Aaron Nola, 3-7, 5.68 ERA), 3:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Shaikin: Shohei Ohtani’s knee troubles creating a major pitching dilemma for Dodgers

Shaikin: With Will Smith out indefinitely, Dodgers need to trade for a catcher

Hall of Famers Jeff Kent and Andruw Jones played one forgettable Dodgers season together

Dodgers Debate: What the Dodgers need right now

And finally

The Dodgers honor Vin Scully on opening day in 2016. 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.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Here we are at the All-Star break. How did that happen so fast? And how crazy is baseball? Arizona is 49-47, 11½ games out of first. The Angels are tied for the worst record in baseball (38-59) and are also 11½ games out of first.

The Dodgers begin the second half of the season with a 61-36 record, leading the NL West by 11½ games over Arizona. Yes, they lost their last three games going into the break, but those things happen. The first few games after the break (at Yankees, at Philadelphia, at Mets) won’t be easy, so we will see where things stand after that.

How does their record compare to years past at the break?

2026
61-36, .629
lead NL West by 11½ games
Record after break: ?

2025
58-39, .598
led NL West by 5½ games
Record after break: 35-30, .538
won NL West by 3 games

2024
56-41, .577
led NL West by 7 games
Record after break: 42-23, .646
won NL West by 5 games

2023
51-38, .573
second in NL West, a half-game behind Arizona
Record after break: 49-24, .671
won NL West by 16 games

2022
60-30, .667
led NL West by 9½ games
Record after break: 51-21, .708
won NL West by 22 games

2021
56-35, .615
second in NL West, two games behind San Francisco
Record after break: 50-21, .704
second in NL West, one game behind Giants

2020
Covid-shortened season

Now let’s look at the main players on the team. We will include their slash numbers (AVG/OB%/SLG%) and their career slash numbers.

We will list them in order of OPS+.

Shohei Ohtani
2026: .293/.403/.549, 162 OPS+
Career: .282/.377/.580, 160 OPS+

The discussion of whether pitching is hurting his hitting has mostly come to a halt. But maybe it is hurting his knee? That’s a huge thing to keep an eye on in the second half.

Tommy Edman
2026: .343/.421/.478, 150 OPS+
Career: .261/.314/.407, 99 OPS+

It’s highly unlikely that Edman hits this well the rest of the season (he’s had only 78 plate appearances), but the Dodgers are certainly better with him on the roster.

Freddie Freeman
2026: .290/.375/.487, 138 OPS+
Career: .299/.386/.510, 142 OPS+

He is still as steady as ever. When was the last time you said “Wow, that was a bad at-bat by Freeman?” It never seems to happen.

Max Muncy
2026: .259/.354/.488, 132 OPS+
Career: .232/.354/.475, 125 OPS+

Unsung star of the first half, even if he did make the All-Star team. He’s quite the steal at only $10 million. And his defense has gotten better too.

Dalton Rushing
2026: .254/.337/.475, 123 OPS+
Career: .232/.303/.409, 97 OPS+

Has has filled in quite well for Will Smith.

Andy Pages
2026: .270/.336/.471, 122 OPS+
Career: .264/.317/.448, 112 OPS+

Remember the Pages who seemed to break wrong on every fly ball his rookie year? That Pages no longer exists.

Miguel Rojas
2026: .290/.335/.420, 109 OPS+
Career: .261/.314/.364, 87 OPS+

He is not playing like a guy who is retiring at the end of the season. You could make a case for this being his best year ever.

Will Smith
2026: .249/.338/.382, 100 OPS+
Career: .263/.357/.470, 126 OPS+

Looking at his numbers, you have to wonder if he had any other nagging injuries before he went on the IL because of a neck problem. Playing catcher is hard, folks.

Kyle Tucker
2026: .244/.341/.375, 100 OPS+
Career: .270/.356/.493, 135 OPS+

You have to figure the Dodgers were hoping for more than a league average hitter for $60 million a season. I always wonder if deep down, a guy such as Rojas says to himself, “That guy is making $60 million and I’m making $6 million?”

Teoscar Hernández
2026: .243/.319/.387, 96 OPS+
Career: .260/.316/.479, 118 OPS+

The consistency just isn’t there anymore. The last two seasons he has been decidedly average as a player.

Mookie Betts
2026: .235/.293/.416, 95 OPS+
Career: .288/.366/.509, 134 OPS+

He may never be the hitter he once was. Then again, he’s hitting .288/.335/.475 since June 9.

Alex Call
2026: .250/.358/.321, 92 OPS+
Career: .243/.343/.365, 100 OPS+

A perfect example of a fourth outfielder.

Hyeseong Kim
2026: .259/.323/.328, 82 OPS+
Career: .271/.318/.361, 90 OPS+

Many fans are still enamored with him, but until he develops a better eye at the plate and a more consistent swing, he’s going to spend a lot of time in the minors.

Alex Freeland
2026: .234/.313/.318, 77 OPS+
Career: .221/.307/.315, 75 OPS+

Another Dodgers top prospect who hasn’t panned out … yet. Remember Miguel Vargas, who looked about as bad as Freeland with the Dodgers and was on the AL All-Star team this year? Perhaps they can use that as a factor at the trade deadline.

Starting rotation

Shohei Ohtani
2026: 8-2, 1.79 ERA, 234 ERA+
Career: 47-22, 2.83 ERA, 151 ERA+

Strangely, the Dodgers have a hitter with the same name. I wonder if they ever get them mixed up.

Justin Wrobleski
2026: 10-2, 2.69 ERA, 155 ERA+
Career: 16-9. 3.76 ERA, 110 ERA+

Get this: He has pitched this well and might not even be in the postseason rotation if Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell return.

Tyler Glasnow
2026: 3-0, 2.72 ERA, 154 ERA+
Career: 46-36, 3.69 ERA, 112 ERA+

Glasnow has been in the majors for 11 seasons and pitched more than 100 innings only three times, and in one of those seasons, he pitched over half of those innings in relief.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto
2026: 9-6, 2.85 ERA, 147 ERA+
Career: 28-16, 2.72 ERA, 151 ERA+

It has been a quiet season from him so far, but a very good season. Considering all the arm injuries in baseball, it’s amazing his arm didn’t fall off this year after his usage in the postseason.

Eric Lauer
2026: 3-0, 3.12 ERA, 134 ERA+
Career: 49-44, 4.20 ERA, 99 ERA+

Once again, the Dodgers find a pitcher on the scrap heap, make an adjustment, and he becomes a solid pitcher.

Emmet Sheehan
2026: 4-6, 4.81 ERA, 87 ERA+
Career: 14-10, 4.17 ERA, 101 ERA+

A big disappointment so far. If any of the 12 million starting pitchers on the IL for the Dodgers was healthy, you have to figure they might get a shot.

Roki Sasaki
2026: 3-5, 5.33 ERA, 78 ERA+
Career: 4-6, 5.06 ERA, 82 ERA+

He starred briefly while in the bullpen last postseason, but overall, you have to wonder why the Dodgers don’t let him figure things out in the minors.

Blake Snell
2026: 0-1, 12.00 ERA, 39 ERA+
Career: 81-63, 3.17 ERA, 129 ERA+

Snell is like Bigfoot. You think he might exist, but he’s seen only rarely and pictures of him are blurry. The search continues.

Bullpen

Alex Vesia
2026: 1-1, 2.27 ERA, 3 saves, 185 ERA+
Career: 20-14, 2.85 ERA, 16 saves, 145 ERA+

This is Vesia’s sixth season in the Dodger bullpen, and he has had only one mediocre season, in 2023. He comes in, get the job done, gets the team pumped up and leaves. Every team needs a Vesia.

Edgardo Henriquez
2026: 4-1, 2.29 ERA, 1 save, 183 ERA+
Career: 6-2, 2.34 ERA, 3 saves, 180 ERA+

No one gets too excited when Henriquez comes into a game, but he sure has been effective.

Will Klein
2026: 3-4, 2.41 ERA, 2 saves, 174 ERA+
Career: 5-5, 3.45 ERA, 2 saves, 123 ERA+

Career ERA before joining Dodgers: 11.05. ERA with the Dodgers: 2.39. At the beginning of the season, we mentioned something like what Klein did in Game 3 of last year’s World Series could catapult him into a long, solid major league career. So far, so good.

Tanner Scott
2026: 1-3, 2.56 ERA, 13 saves, 164 ERA+
Career: 33-31, 3.62 ERA, 91 saves, 121 ERA+

Yes, he has had a rough game or two this season, but overall he has been a dependable closer.

Brock Stewart
2026: 0-0, 2.79 ERA, 155 ERA+
Career: 10-5, 4.40 ERA, 2 saves, 97 ERA+

It is hard to draw any conclusions on Stewart since he has pitched only 13.1 innings for the team since it acquired him at last year’s trade deadline for James Outman.

Jack Dreyer
2026: 3-1, 3.03 ERA, 139 ERA+
Career: 6-3, 2.97 ERA, 4 saves, 139 ERA+

Henriquez, Klein, Dreyer. Three guys who draw little notice but have been stalwarts in the bullpen this season.

Blake Treinen
2026: 4-1, 3.52 ERA, 1 save, 120 ERA+
Career: 49-42, 2.93 ERA, 83 saves, 142 ERA+

He had three great seasons with the Dodgers, but it has been hit and miss since then.

Kyle Hurt
2026: 3-1, 4.88 ERA, 1 save, 86 ERA+
Career: 3-2, 4.05 ERA, 1 save, 105 ERA+

On the IL again, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering his name. Kyle hurt? Yes.

Evan Phillips
2026: 0-0. 6.00 ERA, 78 ERA+
Career: 16-12, 3.39 ERA, 46 saves, 126 ERA+

He has pitched only three innings since his return from the IL, so it’s too soon to draw any conclusions on how well he has recovered. He was really, really good before the injury.

And finally …
Of course, this doesn’t include players such as Kiké Hernández and Edwin Díaz, who played very little this season but are expected back after the All-Star break.

Overall, a solid team. There’s no one where you can say “That guy is terrible.” There may be a player or two who is overpaid for their production, but even those guys aren’t terrible. And that’s how you end up with the best record in baseball at the All-Star break.

Leaders

Remember sitting down with the Sunday newspaper and turning to the page that listed all of the hitters and pitchers and their stats? The Times and almost every other paper stopped running that years ago. Let’s do a little of it now by listing the top five in key categories in the NL and where the top Dodger is at the break. Remember, to qualify for rate stats, you have to have 3.1 plate appearances or one inning pitched for each game your team has played.

Batting average
1. Otto Lopez, Miami, .334
2. Luis Arráez, San Francisco, .330
3. Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh, .308
4. Xavier Edwards, Miami, .303
5. Jung Hoo Lee, San Francisco, .302
12. Shohei Ohtani, .293

On-base%
1. Juan Soto, New York, .412
2. James Wood, Washington, .410
3. Shohei Ohtani, .403
4. Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh, .400
5. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago, .386
10. Freddie Freeman, .375

Slugging %
1. James Wood, Washington, .575
2. Juan Soto, New York, .562
3. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia, .559
4. Luis Garcia Jr., Washington, .554
5. Shohei Ohtani, .549

Runs
1. James Wood, Washington, 89
2. Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh, 68
3. Brice Turang, Milwaukee, 66
4. Shohei Ohtani, 65
5. Matt Olson, Atlanta, 64

Doubles
1. Otto Lopez, Miami, 26
2. Rafael Devers, San Francisco, 25
3. Matt Olson, Atlanta, 24
t4. Six tied with 23, including Freddie Freeman

Home runs
1. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia, 32
2. James Wood, Washington, 28
3. Hunter Goodman, Colorado, 27
4. Matt Olson, Atlanta, 25
t5. Shohei Ohtani, 22
t5. Jordan Walker, St. Louis, 22

RBIs
1. Jordan Walker, St. Louis, 74
2. Luis Garcia Jr., Washington, 68
3. CJ Abrams, Washington, 67
3. Alec Burleson, St. Louis, 67
5. Andy Pages, 66

ERA
1. Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee, 1.62
2. Chris Sale, Atlanta, 2.20
3. Eduardo Rodriguez, Arizona, 2.29
4. Chase Burns, Cincinnati, 2.54
5. Max Meyer, Miami, 2.58
7. Justin Wrobleski, 2.69
9. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2.85

Strikeouts
1. Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee, 167
2. Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia, 144
3. Jesus Luzardo, Philadelphia, 136
4. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh, 130
5. Braxton Ashcraft, Pittsburgh, 128
13. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 106

Saves
1. Mason Miller, San Diego, 25
t2. Jhoan Duran, Philadelphia, 24
t2. Riley O’Brien, St. Louis, 24
4. Paul Sewald, Arizona, 22
5. Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta, 19
t7. Tanner Scott, 13

Up next

Friday: Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 3-5, 5.33 ERA) at New York Yankees (Gerrit Cole, 3-4, 4.04 ERA), 4:05 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 4-6, 4.81 ERA) at New York Yankees (*Ryan Weathers, 3-7, 4.15 ERA), 5:08 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 9-6, 2.85 ERA) at New York Yankees (Cam Schlittler, 9-5, 2.05 ERA), 4:20 p.m., NBC, Peacock, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Plaschke: Who says they don’t need him? Dodgers need to trade for Tarik Skubal

Most pressing question for Dodgers in the second half: Can Shohei Ohtani stay healthy?

Shohei Ohtani wins two ESPYs … and Mike Tyson learns the Dodgers superstar is a guy

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts has six Gold Gloves. And now a baseball glove company

Shaikin: To seize 2028 Olympics spotlight, does MLB really need draconian participation rules?

And finally

Kevin Costner on the legacy of Vin Scully. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

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

PHILADELPHIA — Dylan Cease struck out the side in the first inning, combining with 10 relievers on a three-hitter in a show of pitching dominance that led the American League to a 4-0 win over the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.

All-Star most valuable player Cody Bellinger hit a two-run single and Ben Rice followed with an RBI single in the first against Cristopher Sánchez of the host Philadelphia Phillies.

Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox added an eighth-inning home run off the Dodgers’ Justin Wrobleski, who was pitching on his 26th birthday, for the game’s only extra-base hit. Wrobleski struck out five in two innings.

The AL won for the 18th time in 23 games and holds a 49-45-2 advantage overall.

Singles by Juan Soto in the fourth, Pete Crow-Armstrong in the eighth and Otto Lopez in the ninth were the only hits by the NL, which failed to advance a runner past first.

Pitchers combined for 27 strikeouts, 15 by AL hurlers.

Cease struck out Kyle Schwarber, Soto and CJ Abrams around a walk in the first inning. He became just the seventh pitcher to strike out three in an All-Star opening inning after Carl Hubbell (1934), Warren Spahn (1949), Jim Palmer (1977), Dave Stieb (1983), Pedro Martinez (1999) and Brad Penny (2006) — four of them Hall of Famers.

Chicago White Sox’s Miguel Vargas is greeted by Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle after homering.

(Matt Rourke / AP)

Parker Messick, Michael Wacha, Joe Ryan, Nick Martinez, Cade Smith, Drew Rasmussen, Jacob Latz, Louis Varland, Aroldis Chapman and Bryan Baker finished the first All-Star shutout since the AL’s 2-0 win in 2013 at New York’s Citi Field.

Some starting star power was missing, with Jacob Misoriowski, Paul Skenes and Shohei Ohtani all unavailable. Just six pitches reached 100 mph, the fewest in an All-Star Game since 2021.

Bellinger and Rice singled on up sinkers from Sánchez, who struggled through a 34-pitch inning that included three hits and two walks.

“It just took me a little time to soak it all in and enjoy it,” Sánchez said through an interpreter.

Some of the festivities before Tuesday’s All-Star game.

(Matt Rourke / AP)

Mike Trout, a 12-time All-Star who hadn’t played in the game since 2019 because of injuries and was the Angels’ only representative, went 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

For the Dodgers, Max Muncy and Andy Pages each went 0 for 2, Freddie Freeman went 0 for 1 with a walk, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto did not pitch.

Early exit

Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero was hit on the outside of his left hand by a 97.6-mph sinker from St. Louis closer Riley O’Brien in the third inning and immediately left the game. The 23-year-old, fourth in the major leagues with 28 home runs, stayed down for a few moments before he popped up and ran straight into the clubhouse. X-rays were negative.

Documenting the day

Managers and starters entered through replica Liberty Bells in front of each dugout, walked to home plate and used a feathered quill to sign an oversized lineup card, as if they were Founding Fathers affixing names to the Declaration of Independence. The dirt was surrounded by 13 stars, one for each of the Colonies.

Mike Trout of the Angels and AL manager John Schneider of Toronto embrace after coming out of a faux Liberty Bell.

(Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)

Fireworks were set off after the fourth inning to a video of Ray Charles singing “America the Beautiful” at Game 2 of the 2001 World Series.

Philadelphia was awarded this year’s All-Star Game in 2019, an unusually long lead time to coincide with the U.S. 250th anniversary. The Phillies hosted the 1976 and ’96 games at Veterans Stadium and the Athletics in 1943 and ’52 at Shibe Park.

Next year’s game is scheduled for the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field for the first time since 1990.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Ranking the summer movies I’ve seen this year: 1. Supergirl. 2. Young Washington. 3. Disclosure Day. 4. Masters of the Universe. 5. The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Here we go again

Before you go any further, if you don’t like politics in your Dodgers newsletter, which is a perfectly respectable opinion, THEN SKIP TO THE NEXT ITEM!

OK. The Dodgers are visiting President Trump and the White House on July 23 to celebrate their 2025 World Series title. This has caused quite a controversy, again, just like when they visited last year to celebrate the 2024 World Series title. Should the Dodgers visit the White House?

Here are some things I know:

1. The Dodgers have the largest Latino fan base of any team in baseball. Many of them despise Trump because of what ICE has done to their communities, which includes rounding up and detaining people who are here in the country legally, many of whom were born here.

2. Many Latinos who were born in L.A. and lived here their whole lives have been stopped and asked to provide identification merely because they are Latino. That’s not how this country is supposed to work.

3. Even if you somehow have no problem with the above, on a business level the Dodgers risk turning those fans into non-fans by visiting this White House.

4. There are players and members of the organization who are supporters of President Trump and would like to visit this White House.

5. This is the organization of Jackie Robinson and Fernando Valenzuela. Do I have to say more?

So, here’s what I would do if I owned the Dodgers. “The Dodgers thank President Trump for his invitation to visit him at the White House. As a policy, the Dodgers as an organization no longer accept political invitations of any kind. However, any member the the organization, be it player or front office personnel, is more than welcome to accept the invitation on their own behalf and visit.”

And, according to Dave Roberts, no one is being forced to go. “I’m sure a lot of guys are going to participate and be there, and this is an individual choice,” Roberts said. “But I do expect a lot of our guys to be there.”

It will be interesting to see who isn’t there.

No matter who is in office, the trip to the White House is a photo op to show how the president is a person of the people, especially a person of the people of the city that team represents. It’s all for show.

What I do find interesting is Roberts. In 2020, he said this when George Floyd was killed: “It’s disappointing to see my generation and the generation prior failing the younger generation. And that’s what’s really sad. You always hope for progress, but that just, unfortunately, isn’t the case.

“For me, the leaders of our country, unfortunately, aren’t good listeners and that’s how you impose change. People of color want to be heard. And when you have leaders that are put in positions to make change and don’t want to have those uncomfortable conversations, then change isn’t going to happen. There’s a difference between being educated and being ignorant. You have to understand that these situations happen every single day to people of color.”

And this is Roberts this year: “For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager. That’s my job.

“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country. For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. . . . For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”

From making a giant political statement in 2020 to “not try to make political statements” in 2026 is quite a shift.

And Kiké Hernández will not be there, because he is going to be on a rehab assignment: “It’s going to be hard to be in two cities at the same time,” Hernández said. “If I was active, I probably wouldn’t have gone anyways.” And then he said why:

“I’d rather take a day off than do team activities.”

Which didn’t stop him from going last year. However, during the height of the ICE raids in L.A., he wrote this on Instagram: “This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.”

So, that’s a summation of something that used to be a fun day. And that ends the political discourse for this newsletter.

For another viewpoint on this, please read Bill Plaschke’s column.

Do the Dodgers’ first draft picks pan out?

The draft was last weekend, and with their first pick (40th overall) the Dodgers selected shortstop Bo Lowrance of Christ Church Episcopal High in Greenville, S.C. Lowrance was expected to be chosen well before 40, so the Dodgers were pleased. Why was the Dodgers’ first pick at 40? Because they were penalized 10 spots in the draft for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax.

Lowrance told reporters he has modeled himself after Freddie Freeman. “He’s obviously a first baseman, and I’m on the left side, so defensively a little different,” Lowrance said. “But he’s still unbelievably athletic, and a big thing that I’ve watched for years is his approach and how he uses the whole field. … [Freeman is] somebody that I’m always trying to emulate.”

Pretty good guy to emulate. But how well does the first pick by the Dodgers do? Let’s take a look.

2010
Zach Lee, pitcher
Pitched only 12.2 innings in the majors with an 8.53 ERA. Was traded for Chris Taylor though, so there’s that.

2011
Chris Reed, pitcher
Was traded four years later to Miami for pitcher Grant Dayton. Reed pitched four innings for Miami and was released in 2018.

2012
Corey Seager, shortstop
Perhaps you’ve heard of him. World Series MVP in 2020, now with the Texas Rangers.

2013
Chris Anderson, pitcher
Was released four years later, signed by the Minnesota Twins and released by them. Never pitched in the majors.

2014
Grant Holmes, pitcher
Was part of the 2016 trade that brought Rich Hill to the Dodgers. Ended up with the Braves, made the majors in 2024 and is in Atlanta’s starting rotation.

2015 (Andrew Friedman’s first draft with the Dodgers)
Walker Buehler, pitcher
Perhaps you’ve heard of him too. Got the last out of the 2024 World Series. Now with the San Diego Padres.

2016
Gavin Lux, shortstop
Snakebit by injuries. Has been on the IL with Tampa Bay all season.

2017
Jeren Kendall, outfielder
Hit .209 in five minor league seasons before retiring.

2018
J.T. Ginn, pitcher
Did not sign and went to Mississippi State. Was selected by the New York Mets in the second round of the 2020 draft and signed. Currently pitches for the Athletics.

2019
Kody Hoese, third baseman
Spent six seasons in the minors, hitting .255/.323/.395 in 514 games. Became a minor league free agent after last season and remains unsigned.

2020
Bobby Miller, pitcher
Had a great 2023 season with the Dodgers but hasn’t pitched well since then. Currently on the 60-day injured list.

2021
Maddux Bruns, pitcher
On the IL for double-A Tulsa, where he had a 14.94 ERA in 15.2 innings. In six minor league seasons, he is 4-20 with a 5.71 ERA.

2022
Dalton Rushing, catcher
Much like this season, the Dodgers did not have a first-round pick in 2022, but had the 40th overall pick and drafted the player who has become their backup catcher.

2023
Kendall George, outfielder
Ranked as the No. 13 prospect for the Dodgers, he is hitting .342/.428/.409 at double-A Tulsa. He is only 21.

2024
Kellon Lindsey, shortstop
The No. 15 prospect for the Dodgers, Lindsey is 20 and hitt slashing .341/.421/.476 for class-A Ontario.

2025
Zach Root, pitcher
Also selected with the No. 40 pick, Root, 22, is 3-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 49.1 innings for class-A Great Lakes.

As you can see, it’s quite the crapshoot when you pick players in the draft, which is a main reason the MLB draft doesn’t draw the same attention as the NBA or NFL drafts.

All-Star news

Shohei Ohtani will not play in the All-Star Game as he deals with a troublesome knee. After Sunday’s loss to Arizona he was scheduled to have his left knee drained and likely will receive an injection. That sounds like a lot of fun. He is not expected to miss any time after the All-Star break.

In the good news department, Justin Wrobleski has been added to the All-Star roster. He is 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA and is a worthy addition.

All-Star numbers

By popular demand, a look at Dodgers All-Star game career leaders:

At-bats
Steve Garvey, 22 (9 for 22)
Roy Campanella, 20 (2 for 20)
Jackie Robinson, 18 (6 for 18)
Pee Wee Reese, 17 (2 for 17)
Maury Wills, 14 (5 for 14)

Hits
Steve Garvey, 9 (22 at-bats)
Jackie Robinson, 6 (18)
Maury Wills, 5 (14)
Mike Piazza, 4 (12)
Gil Hodges, 4 (12)
Billy Herman, 4 (9)

Runs
Jackie Robinson, 7
Steve Garvey, 6
Gil Hodges, 3
Duke Snider, 3

Doubles
Jackie Robinson, 2
Steve Garvey, 2
8 players tied with 1

Triples
Steve Garvey, 2
No other Dodger has tripled

Home runs
Steve Garvey, 2
Mike Piazza, 2
Jackie Robinson, 1
Gil Hodges, 1
Jim Wynn, 1
Shohei Ohtani, 1
Willie Davis, 1
John Roseboro, 1
Mickey Owen, 1
Jim Gilliam, 1

RBI’s
Steve Garvey, 6
Mike Piazza, 4
Jackie Robinson, 4
Shohei Ohtani, 3

Stolen bases
Steve Sax, 2
Maury Wills, 1
Will Smith, 1
Shawn Green, 1
Orlando Hudson, 1

Walks
Pee Wee Reese, 3
Roy Campanella, 3
Wally Moon, 3
Steve Garvey, 2
Jackie Robinson, 2
Ron Cey, 2
Augie Galan, 2
Duke Snider, 2

Strikeouts
Roy Campanella, 5
John Roseboro, 4
Pee Wee Reese, 3
Steve Garvey, 3
Cody Bellinger, 3
Yasiel Puig, 3

Batting average (Min. 6 at-bats)
Billy Herman, .444
Steve Garvey, .409
Maury Wills, ,357
Jackie Robinson, .333
Gil Hodges, .333
Mike Piazza, .333
Duke Snider, .300

Innings pitched
Don Drysdale, 19.1
Don Newcombe, 8.2
Don Sutton 8
Fernando Valenzuela, 7.2
Clayton Kershaw, 7.2
Sandy Koufax, 6
Claude Osteen, 5

ERA (minimum 5 IP)
Claude Osteen, 0.00
Don Sutton, 0.00
Fernando Valenzuela, 0.00
Don Drysdale, 1.40
Sandy Koufax, 1.50
Clayton Kershaw, 3.52
Don Newcombe, 4.15

Strikeouts
Don Drysdale, 19
Fernando Valenzuela, 9
Don Sutton, 7
Zack Greinke, 6
Clayton Kershaw, 6
Don Newcombe, 5

Saves
Don Drysdale, 1
Jonathan Broxton, 1
Jim Brewer, 1

Current Dodgers in the All-Star game
Numbers with Dodgers only

Shohei Ohtani, .400 batting average, 2 for 4, 1 homer, 3 RBIs
Mookie Betts, .333, 1 for 3, 1 RBI
Will Smith, .200, 1 for 5, 1 double, 1 steal
Freddie Freeman, .000, 0 for 4
Teoscar Hernández, .000, 0 for 2
Max Muncy, .000, 0 for 4

These names seem familiar

How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams (through Sunday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:

Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.46 ERA, 2 saves, 34.1 IP, 31 hits, 15 walks, 33 K’s, 97 ERA+, out for the season

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .254/.345/.421, 403 PA’s, 19 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 51 RBIs, 114 OPS+

Walker Buehler, Padres: 5-5, 5.36 ERA, 89 IP, 93 hits, 35 walks, 81 K’s, 77 ERA+

Mike Busch, Cubs: .239/.368/.395, 424 PA’s, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, 49 RBIs, 115 OPS+

Michael Conforto, Cubs: .243/.331/.486, 160 PA’s, 10 doubles, 8 homers, 22 RBIs, 126 OPS+

Justin Dean, Cubs: .400/.500/.800, 6 PA’s, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 259 OPS+

Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 1-0, 2.41 ERA, 1 save, 18.2 IP, 19 hits, 7 walks, 17 K’s, 185 ERA+

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 3-8, 4.48 ERA, 82.1 IP, 76 hits, 40 walks, 98 K’s, 96 ERA+

Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 1-4, 4.56 ERA, 11 saves, 23.2 IP, 16 hits, 13 walks, 25 K’s, 95 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 4.82 ERA, 28 IP, 26 hits, 11 walks, 26 K’s, 90 ERA+

Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL

Dustin May, Cardinals: 5-6, 4.55 ERA, 93 IP, 89 hits, 28 walks, 89 K’s, 89 ERA+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .197/.278/.298, 248 PA’s, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 19 RBIs, 60 OPS+

James Outman, Tigers: .152/.221/.288, 136 PA’s, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 13 RBIs, 40 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers: .235/.334/.462, 294 PA’s, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 15 homers, 34 RBIs, 130 OPS+

Luke Raley, Mariners: .229/.288/.453, 259 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 36 RBIs, 109 OPS+

Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors

Corey Seager, Rangers: .182/.292/.374, 219 PA’s, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 25 RBIs, 94 OPS+, on the IL

Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .282/.394/.475, 216 PA’s, 17 doubles, 6 homers, 28 RBIs

Trea Turner, Phillies: .236/.284/.355, 415 PA’s, 16 doubles, 10 homers, 33 RBIs, 71 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .245/.355/.493, 409 PA’s, 20 doubles, 1 triple, 21 homers, 59 RBIs, 135 OPS+

Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-4, 3.00 ERA, 3 saves, 21 IP, 14 hits, 7 walks, 28 K’s, 141 ERA+

In case you missed it

Shaikin: Love it or hate it: Would the Dodgers’ NL West rivals call a Tarik Skubal trade overkill?

How Dodgers’ Justin Wrobleski went from demotion to All-Star in less than two years

Shaikin: Inside the Shohei Ohtani Economy driving a wild auction for his worn cleats

Dodgers’ top MLB draft pick Bo Lowrance eager to emulate Freddie Freeman, Corey Seager

Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski added to National League roster for All-Star Game

Kiké Hernández on why he’ll miss Dodgers’ White House visit

Shohei Ohtani scratched from pitching start, won’t play in MLB All-Star Game

Why 2026 MLB draft will be special for Dodgers coach Dino Ebel’s family

Plaschke: Are the Dodgers tone deaf? White House visit is an insult to their fans

Dodgers scheduled to visit White House in late July to celebrate 2025 World Series win

Dodgers’ collab with KAWS will put acclaimed artist’s unique ‘XX’ spin on jerseys, trading cards, more

And finally

Vin Scully discusses getting Babe Ruth‘s autograph. 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.

MINNEAPOLIS — Trevor Larnach homered and drove in two runs, Ryan Jeffers added a two-run double, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Angels 4-2 on Sunday and head into the All-Star break with eight wins in their last nine games.

Larnach’s single in the third inning scored Luke Keaschall, tying the score at 1. Jeffers followed with a double that knocked in Ryan Kreidler and Larnach for a 3-1 lead.

Larnach added a 405-foot homer to right in the eighth inning, his seventh of the season, as the Twins (48-49) won their fifth straight series.

Minnesota starter Taj Bradley (9-3) worked seven innings, giving up six hits and two earned runs with six strikeouts and a pair of walks. Andrew Morris struck out two over the last two innings and earned his third save.

Josh Lowe and Denzer Guzman hit solo home runs for the Angels (38-59), who dropped their fourth straight series. Lowe’s eighth of the season came in the second inning, and Guzman added his fourth in the seventh inning.

José Soriano (8-6) gave up five hits, three earned runs and two walks in five innings.

Up next for Angels: Host the Detroit Tigers for a three-game series starting Friday.

The East Sussex walk has been ranked among the world’s most beautiful hiking trails according to a new eye-tracking study – but be warned, it’s a strenuous 12-mile route that’ll take up to seven hours to complete

New research has revealed one of the world’s most breathtaking hikes can be found right here on our doorstep in the UK, rewarding walkers with unrivalled coastal views.

An eye-tracking study has identified the most stunning hiking trails across the globe, with running shoe retailer SportsShoes.com employing cutting-edge technology to monitor the eye movements of participants as they were shown some of the most iconic routes from around the world.

The findings assigned each location an ‘eye-catching’ score, establishing which trails were the most visually striking. As a result, the UK’s very own Seven Sisters Cliff Walk, nestled along the English coastline in East Sussex, made it into the top rankings.

It will come as little surprise to those who live nearby or have tackled the trail that it would be regarded as a top 10 hike, with its tranquil sands and azure waters framed by the most stunningly white cliff tops imaginable.

The Seven Sisters are so magnificent they have featured in some of Britain’s most beloved blockbuster films, including Atonement and Harry Potter. The iconic cliffs form a demanding route that can take anywhere between four to seven hours to complete, yet tourists appear to agree it is worth every single step.

The hike

Most walkers opt to begin the challenging trek in Seaford and finish in Eastbourne, allowing them to soak up the celebrated views of the Seven Sisters as they reach the summit. Across the 12-mile route, hikers can expect to conquer seven hills, some considerably steeper than others.

The ideal vantage point for capturing all seven cliffs in a single shot is at Hope Gap, though for the finest views from the clifftop, you’ll want to hold on until you reach the iconic Belle Tout and Beachy Head lighthouses.

Fortunately for walkers, there’s a charming little pit stop along the way where you can take a breather and enjoy a range of food and drinks at the Bearling Gap Cafe. Here you’ll also find a handy centre complete with toilet facilities, so you needn’t worry about being caught short during the journey.

Having tackled the walk themselves, one visitor wrote on Tripadvisor : “The cliffs are breathtaking from a distance, and the view from the edge, facing the open sea, is unforgettable. Heading down to the pebble beach gives you a completely different, striking perspective.”

According to the full findings, topping the list as the ultimate hike boasting the most jaw-dropping scenery is France’s Calanques de Marseille. Tucked within the Calanques National Park, nestled between Marseille and Cassis, the route is truly spectacular, featuring a stunning backdrop of white limestone cliffs plunging into turquoise coves, with a variety of trails to suit different timeframes and fitness levels.

The Top 10 list includes:

1. Calanques de Marseille, Marseille, France
2. Plitvice Lakes Trail, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
3. Lauterbrunnen Valley, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
4. Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru
5. Bastei Rock Formation, Saxon Switzerland National Park, Germany
6. The Narrows, Zion National Park, USA
7. Étretat Cliff Walk, Étretat, France
8. The Loop, Kalbarri, Australia
9. Seven Sisters Cliffs Walk, East Sussex, England
10. Causeway Coast Way, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

ARLINGTON, Tex. — Alejandro Osuna hit a three-run homer during a five-run eighth inning and the Texas Rangers pulled away for an 8-3 win over the Angels on Tuesday night.

Osuna’s first homer of the season followed RBI singles by Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue in the six-hit inning off Sam Bachman (1-2). Foscue also hit a pinch-hit home run in the seventh, tying the score 3-3.

Peyton Gray (4-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win for the Rangers, who pulled within one-half game of first-place Seattle in the AL West.

The last-place Angels have lost seven consecutive games, tying their longest losing streak of the season.

Rangers starter Jacob deGrom left after throwing 80 pitches in five innings because of an issue with his left hip and leg. DeGrom said he’s often felt tightness there between starts, but it usually goes away before he pitches again. This time it remained, preventing him from throwing changeups, and tightened in the fifth inning. He expects to make his next start.

DeGrom suffered first-inning struggles before settling in, his pattern this season. He gave up a pair of two-out runs in the first on Jorge Soler’s double that one-hopped the left-field wall and Josh Lowe’s single to shallow left after a wild pitch.

DeGrom didn’t give up another run, giving up five hits and two walks. In 18 starts this season, deGrom has a 9.50 ERA in the first inning and 2.29 afterward.

Texas tied the score 2-2 in the second on Nicky Lopez’s two-out, opposite-field single to left after two walks by José Soriano, who leads the AL with 51. Soriano didn’t walk another batter and gave up only two hits in six innings.

Rookie Wade Meckler’s RBI single off Chris Martin in the seventh gave the Angels a 3-2 lead before Foscue homered off Tayler Saucedo.

The Angels won the first three games against the Rangers this season.

While uncertainty lingers over improvements and timetables at LAX, the county’s second-busiest airport is on the brink of big changes.

The Hollywood Burbank Airport is due to replace its two terminals with a larger new terminal on Oct. 13. The $1.3-billion project will include 14 gates — the same number the airport has now. But the new structure will be a single terminal that’s about 50% larger than the airport’s current two-terminal layout.

In moving to a 355,000-square-foot terminal, officials say, the airport can give passengers more room and better technology while meeting safety and accessibility standards.

A rendering shows how Hollywood Burbank Airport is designed to look when its new terminal opens in October.

(Hollywood Burbank Airport)

The airport, built in 1930 and run by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, is favored by many local travelers as a simpler, faster alternative to Los Angeles International Airport. The Burbank airport’s site in the San Fernando Valley, however, has often put its leaders at odds with residents of surrounding suburban neighborhoods.

As it stands, the aged Burbank facility doesn’t meet current state seismic standards or Federal Aviation Administration design standards — which has prompted repeated safety warnings. Its nine resident airlines fly to about 30 nonstop destinations. The airport reported about 6.2 million arriving and departing passengers in 2025.

Airport officials say the new design increases the distance between the terminal and the nearest runway, currently as little as 257 feet, soon to be about 880 feet, bringing the airport into compliance with FAA standards.

Meanwhile at LAX, which reported 73.7 million passengers in 2025, the opening of a long-awaited SkyLink automated people mover (an electric train linking terminals to rail service and rental cars) has been delayed by technical and legal issues. In a June 15 report, the SkyLink contractor estimated that its public opening would need to wait until Oct. 6 or later. Asked for a revised timetable, an LAX spokesperson gave no dates, saying only that the airport is focused on “exhaustive testing of all tracks, signaling systems, and vehicles” to ensure safety and dependability.

A rendering shows how Hollywood Burbank Airport is expected to look after a new terminal opens in October.

(Hollywood Burbank Airport)

In Burbank, voters approved the airport terminal replacement project in 2016. Construction began in 2024. At the entrance, travelers will encounter a pair of 16-foot-tall sculptures, “The Two Electras,” by Cliff Garten; inside, a ceiling grid artwork by Glenn Kaino.

The new space is just north of the existing terminal, which is to be demolished. The new entrance will be at Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way. Airport officials say the change will not affect the number of flights or the airport’s operating hours, which are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

In the new terminal, airport officials say, the walk from the entrance to the farthest gate will be 1,285 feet, down from 1,600 feet now, with wider corridors and sidewalks and access to power plugs for devices from every seat. Baggage claim carousels will move from outdoors to indoors.

A July 7 photo shows work in progress at Hollywood Burbank Airport, where a new terminal is scheduled to open in October.

(Hollywood Burbank Airport)

The airport project, known as Elevate BUR, has been overseen by the project management company Jacobs. The Design-Build portion of the project is led by Holder, Pankow, TEC, Joint Venture. Corgan provided architectural services in association with CannonDesign.

As it does now, the airport will supply shuttle bus service between the new terminal and Burbank Airport-South Train Station (which connects with Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner) and the Burbank Airport-North Station at San Fernando Road and Hollywood Way.

Another thing that won’t change: Passengers will continue to walk across the tarmac from terminal to stairs to planes, rather than using the enclosed jetways common in other airports, especially larger ones. It’s something travelers say they appreciate about the airport.

“The second I step onto the tarmac at Burbank, I start acting like I’m boarding a private jet,” wrote one Threads user. “And you’ll never convince me otherwise.”

Some other changes travelers can expect in Burbank:

• The new terminal’s 14 food service units are tentatively set to include a Flavor Town, Spring Chicken, Farm Table Bistro, Jones Coffee, Perry’s Joint, Poquito Mas, West Coast Smash Burger, Diane’s Pizzeria, Massis Kebab, Starbucks, Border Grill, Jet Tila’s Asian Table, Santa Canela bakery and a bar with picture-window views of the runways and Verdugo mountains.

The Grand Hall of the soon-to-open terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport awaits finishing touches on July 7.

(Hollywood Burbank Airport)

• A new parking structure next to the new terminal will hold 2,007 parking spots, including 400 valet spots. (The airport’s total number of parking spaces will remain the same at 6,637.)
• The distance between the new terminal and the airport’s existing rental car facility and bus stop (Regional Intermodal Transit Center) will be slightly less than a mile by shuttle bus.