Sports
Yoshinobu Yamamoto bends but doesn't break as Dodgers split series versus Braves
Last week, Yoshinobu Yamamoto looked almost unhittable in his long-awaited return from the injured list.
In Monday night’s encore at Truist Park, the rookie Japanese right-hander had to be unbreakable instead.
In all four of Yamamoto’s innings against the Atlanta Braves, the leadoff man reached base. All four times, they eventually made it to third.
But, in a 9-0 Dodgers’ win that secured a four-game series split, Yamamoto managed to escape each jam, pitching four scoreless innings in another encouraging sign for his October prospects.
“It wasn’t as sharp command-wise as his first one back, but he made pitches when he needed to,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I just love the way he navigated.”
Yamamoto was not as crisp Monday as he was in his return from the injured list last week against the Chicago Cubs, when he struck out eight batters and gave up just a lone unearned run in his first start in three months after battling a strained rotator cuff.
Against the Braves, Yamamoto didn’t replicate his nearly perfect fastball command, contributing to a couple of first-inning walks. He sprayed more off-speed pitches, leaving him routinely behind the count. He also only averaged around 95-96 mph with his heater, a tick down from his adrenaline-fueled return six days previous, while giving up four hits (three of them for extra bases).
Yet, every time his back was against the wall, Yamamoto found a way to respond.
“I focused on one hitter at a time,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter. “And stayed calm.”
With runners on the corners in the first, he induced a weak ground ball to end the inning. After both a leadoff double from Sean Murphy in the second inning and a leadoff triple from Ramon Laureano in the fourth, Yamamoto retired the next three batters in a row.
The only time the $325-million offseason signing needed some help was in the third. Following a leadoff single from Michael Harris II, Jorge Soler hit a double to deep center that had Harris trying to score from first. From second base, however, Kiké Hernández made a perfect tumbling relay throw to the plate, completing half a front flip to gun down Harris in a momentum-shifting sequence.
“The throw was unbelievable,” Roberts said. “That’s a hard throw. That’s a hard play.”
At the plate, the Dodgers were in full factory mode, manufacturing nine runs on just four hits while walking seven times and going three for seven with runners in scoring position.
Miguel Rojas scored off a leadoff walk in the third, after avoiding a double-play at second base, stealing third and then getting a good jump on a wild pitch from Braves starter Max Fried to race home.
Tommy Edman and Rojas both scored in the fifth inning after hitting a double and single, respectively, to lead off the frame.
Then, the Dodgers hung a six-spot against Atlanta’s bullpen in the seventh, playing more small ball until Freddie Freeman broke things open with a three-run homer over the short wall down the left field line.
The win moved the Dodgers (89-61) four games clear of the second-place San Diego Padres (who had yet to finish their game Monday night) in the National League West, lowering their magic number to clinch the division crown to nine.
But more important, it offered another blueprint of how they could potentially win games in October, with a Yamamoto-led template almost certain to be required for the team to make a serious World Series run.
The Dodgers have many injuries to their pitching staff. Will this lead to Shohei Ohtani becoming a pitching hero in the playoffs?
“It’s a shot in the arm,” Roberts said of Yamamoto’s return to the club. “He knows how valuable [he is] and what he means to our ballclub. And he’s delivered. So now these last two starts [he will make in the regular season], I feel good that we’ve got a good foundation. We’re almost there to the point where we can just let him go.”
Yamamoto is not without limitations.
He is still in build-up mode, limited to only 72 pitches Monday as he continues to regain stamina after his time on the IL.
He has also been extremely selective with his use of the slider — a pitch known to give him arm troubles during his time in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league — throwing it only three times Monday while mixing in more cutters instead (though he said Monday that he wasn’t intentionally shying away from it).
Before the game, Roberts also confirmed that Yamamoto will not pitch on regular four days’ rest in any of his remaining regular season starts; continuing the trend of five days off or more between starts that he was accustomed to in Japan. It is unlikely that Yamamoto, who has not pitched on four days’ rest all season, would do so in the playoffs, either.
“It’s kind of where we’re at,” Roberts said. “We’ve got to figure out how best to keep him fresh, sharp, prepared, number one. Then number two, fill in the pieces. Shoot, I’d love to have four guys that can go on short rest or regular rest. But it’s just not feasible.”
Indeed, the Dodgers’ pitching staff is not in the place they hoped it would be at this point of the year.
Tyler Glasnow’s season is over because of a sprained elbow. Gavin Stone is almost certain to remain sidelined himself because of shoulder inflammation, though he still plans to try and start catch play again this week. Clayton Kershaw’s status is also unclear as he continues to battle his toe injury.
But the Dodgers still have Jack Flaherty, their top trade deadline acquisition. They’re optimistic about Walker Buehler, a tested postseason pitcher who has looked better in recent weeks. And most of all, they have Yamamoto, who backed up his big return from injury with an equally auspicious, if not equally dominant, second act.
“To muscle through four innings and get out of massive jams probably boosted his confidence, and ours,” Freeman said. “It’s a good end to the series and a big confidence boost for everyone in here.”
Austin Barnes on injured list
As expected, backup catcher Austin Barnes was placed on the injured list Monday after suffering a broken left big toe the previous night. It’s the second time in the last two months that Barnes has suffered a fracture to the toe, but the Dodgers are hopeful he will be able to return before the end of the regular season.
Triple-A catcher Hunter Feduccia was called up in Barnes’ place Monday.
“I hope it’s one of those things, given his role, that if we can calm it down, keep it at bay we can get him back in 16 days,” Roberts said. “Hopefully it’s not the end of the season for him.”
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A handful of Olympic participants will be competing where giants once roamed.
A wildlife photographer in Italy happened to come upon one of the oldest and largest known collection of dinosaur footprints at a national park near the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics venue of Bormio, officials said Tuesday. The entrance to the park, where the prints were discovered, is located about a mile from where the Men’s Alpine skiing will be held.
In this photograph taken in September 2025 and released Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, by Stelvio National Park, Late Triassic prosauropod footprints are seen on the slopes of the Fraeel Valley in northern Italy. (Elio Della Ferrera/Stelvio National Park via AP)
The estimated 20,000 footprints are believed to date back about 210 million years to the Triassic Period and made by long-necked bipedal herbivores that were 33 feet long, weighing up to four tons, similar to a Plateosaurus, Milan Natural History Museum paleontologist Cristiano Dal Sasso said.
“This time reality really surpasses fantasy,” Dal Sasso added.
Wildlife photographer Elio Della Ferrera made the discovery at Stelvio National Park near the Swiss border in September. The spot is considered to be a prehistoric coastal area that has never previously yielded dinosaur tracks, according to experts.
AMERICAN FIGURE SKATING STAR ALYSA LIU WINS GOLD AT GRAND PRIX FINAL
This photograph, taken in September 2025 and released Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, by Stelvio National Park, shows a Late Triassic prosauropod footprint discovered in the Fraele Valley in northern Italy. (Elio Della Ferrara/Stelvio National Park via AP)
The location is about 7,900-9,200 feet above sea level on a north-facing wall that is mostly in the shade. Dal Sasso said, adding that the footprints were a bit hard to spot without a very strong lens.
“The huge surprise was not so much in discovering the footprints, but in discovering such a huge quantity,’’ Della Ferrera said. “There are really tens of thousands of prints up there, more or less well-preserved.’’
Though there are no plans as of now to make the footprints accessible to the public, Lombardy regional governor Attilio Fontana hailed the discovery as a “gift for the Olympics.”
Lombardy region governor Attilio Fontana attends a press conference in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, on a discovery of thousands of dinosaur tracks in Lombardy region. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
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The Winter Olympics are set to take place Feb. 6-22.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
CITY SECTION
Downtown Magnets 103, Aspire Ollin 12
Sotomayor 67, Maywood CES 28
Stern 35, Rise Kohyang 33
Triumph Charter 68, LA Wilson 51
University Prep Value 66, Animo Venice 52
WISH Academy 79, Alliance Ted Tajima 16
SOUTHERN SECTION
AGBU 63, Newbury Park 51
Arcadia 82, Glendale 34
Baldwin Park 57, Pomona 23
Banning 90, Bethel Christian 26
Big Bear 89, University Prep 45
Calvary Baptist 58, Diamond Bar 57
Chino Hills 78, CSDR 31
Citrus Hill 76, San Gorgonio 30
Corona 58, Granite Hills 17
Crescenta Valley 73, Burbank Burroughs 43
Desert Chapel 69, Weaver 34
Desert Christian Academy 56, Nuview Bridge 19
Eastvale Roosevelt 53, Hesperia 52
Eisenhower 67, Bloomington 52
El Rancho 55, Sierra Vista 52
Elsinore 72, Tahquitz 36
Estancia 68, Lynwood 30
Entrepreneur 72, Crossroads Christian 41
Harvard-Westlake 86, Punahou 42
Hesperia Christian 59, AAE 39
La Palma Kennedy 41, Norwalk 34
Loara 67, Katella 41
Long Beach Cabrillo 74, Lakewood 55
Long Beach Wilson 75, Compton 64
NSLA 52, Cornerstone Christian 33
Oxford Academy 66, CAMS 42
Public Safety 54, Grove School 41
Rancho Alamitos 58, Century 28
Redlands 52, Sultana 51
Rio Hondo Prep 68, United Christian Academy 24
Riverside Notre Dame 55, Kaiser 50
San Bernardino 94, Norco 80
Shadow Hills 60, Yucaipa 52
Summit Leadership Academy 71, PAL Academy 9
Temecula Prep 77, San Jacinto Leadership Academy 43
Temescal Canyon 68, West Valley 52
Tesoro 57, Aliso Niguel 53
Valley Christian Academy 57, San Luis Obispo Classical 27
Viewpoint 74, Firebaugh 39
Villa Park 60, Brea Olinda 49
Webb 64, Santa Ana Valley 36
Western 61, El Modena 34
Westminster La Quinta 53, Santa Ana 39
YULA 61, San Diego Jewish Academy 26
INTERSECTIONAL
Brawley 66, Indio 46
Cathedral 60, Bravo 49
Los Alamitos 73, Torrey Pines 53
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 53, Huntington Park 30
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 65, LA Marshall 59
USC Hybrid 63, Legacy College Prep 13
GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Aspire Ollin 57, Downtown Magnets 12
Lakeview Charter 70, Valor Academy 10
Stern 34, Rise Kohyang 6
Washington 34, Crenshaw 33
SOUTHERN SECTION
Bolsa Grande 21, Capistrano Valley 26
Buena 62, Santa Barbara 20
California Military Institute 29, Santa Rosa Academy 12
Carter 65, Sultana 39
Cate 43, Laguna Blanca 29
Coastal Christian 45, Santa Maria 32
Colton 41, Arroyo Valley 26
Crescenta Valley 55, Burbank Burroughs 47
CSDR 45, Norte Vista 21
Desert Christian Academy 89, Nuview Bridge 23
El Dorado 63, Placentia Valencia 20
El Rancho 40, Diamond Ranch 33
Elsinore 34, Tahquitz 20
Foothill Tech 37, Thacher 22
Garden Grove 46, Orange 32
Grove School 30, Public Safety 14
Harvard-Westlake 48, Campbell Hall 37
Hesperia Christian 51, AAE 21
Hillcrest 53, La Sierra 8
Kaiser 52, Pomona 0
Laguna Beach 52, Dana Hills 33
Long Beach Wilson 70, Compton 32
Lucerne Valley 44, Lakeview Leadership Academy 7
Marlborough 65, Alemany 43
Mayfair 34, Chadwick 32
Monrovia 36, Mayfield 20
North Torrance 59, Palos Verdes 57
Oak Hills 58, Beaumont 32
OCCA 31, Liberty Christian 16
Oxford Academy 50, Western 34
Oxnard 46, San Marcos 30
Redlands 61, Jurupa Hills 39
Rialto 86, Apple Valley 27
Ridgecrest Burroughs 68, Barstow 38
Santa Ana Valley 64, Glenn 6
Shadow Hills 55, Palm Springs 14
Silver Valley 45, Riverside Prep 22
Temecula Prep 45, San Jacinto Leadership Academy 43
Temescal Canyon 85, West Valley 17
University Prep 47, Big Bear 31
Viewpoint 60, Agoura 45
Vistamar 33, Wildwood 14
YULA 51, Milken 50
INTERSECTIONAL
Birmingham 55, Heritage Christian 44
Desert Mirage 46, Borrego Springs 19
SEED: LA 44, Animo Leadership 7
Sun Valley Poly 65, Westridge 9
USC Hybrid 45, Legacy College Prep 4
Whittier 52, Garfield 46
Sports
Trump support drove wedge between former Mets star teammates, says sports radio star Mike Francesa
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New York sports radio icon Mike Francesa claims differing views on President Donald Trump created a divide within the Mets clubhouse.
Francesa said on his podcast Tuesday that a feud between shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who was recently traded to the Texas Rangers, was ignited by politics. Francesa did not disclose which player supported Trump and which didn’t.
“The Nimmo-Lindor thing, my understanding, was political, had to do with Trump,” Francesa said. “One side liked Trump, one side didn’t like Trump.”
New York Mets’ Francisco Lindor (12) gestures to teammates after hitting an RBI single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in New York City. (Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)
Francesa added, “So, Trump splitting up between Nimmo and Lindor. That’s my understanding. It started over Trump… As crazy as that sounds, crazier things have happened.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Mets for a response.
DODGERS LAND ALL-STAR CLOSER IN RECORD-BREAKING DEAL AFTER BACK-TO-BACK WORLD SERIES WINS: REPORTS
New York Mets’ Francisco Lindor (12) and Brandon Nimmo (9) celebrate after a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 27, 2023, in New York City. The Mets won 7-2. (Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)
Nimmo was traded to the Rangers on Nov. 23 after waiving the no-trade clause in his 8-year, $162 million contract earlier that month.
The trade of Nimmo has been just one domino in a turbulent offseason for the Mets, which has also seen the departure of two other fan-favorites, first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz.
All three players had been staples in the Mets’ last two playoff teams in 2022 and 2024, playing together as the team’s core dating back to 2020.
Brandon Nimmo #9 of the New York Mets celebrates an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning in Game One of the Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on Oct. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Heather Barry/Getty Images)
In return for Nimmo, the Rangers sent second baseman Marcus Semien to the Mets. Nimmo is 32 years old and is coming off a year that saw him hit a career-high in home runs with 25, while Semien is 35 and hit just 15 homers in 2025.
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Many of the MLB’s high-profile free agents have already signed this offseason. The remaining players available include Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette and Framber Valdez.
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