Sports
Analysis: After sweep by Phillies, Dodgers face few easy answers to mounting pitching problems
PHILADELPHIA — For the better part of almost two months, the Dodgers have been a .500 team.
And the biggest problem in that time — a lack of reliable starting pitching from an injury-plagued, rookie-reliant rotation — only seems to get worse with each passing day.
In the offseason, the Dodgers thought they had fixed their starting pitching woes. They traded for Tyler Glasnow. They signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They spent nearly half a billion dollars trying to bolster both the top of their rotation and the depth behind it.
This week, however, in a series sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies that was cemented with a 5-1 loss Thursday, it’s clear the club’s rotation is an area of concern again.
And not with any easy, obvious fixes.
“If you had told us in spring training that we would be where we’re at with the depth of our starting pitching, I would have doubted it,” manager Dave Roberts sighed before Thursday’s game. “But, we are.”
Indeed, the Dodgers pitching staff is facing question marks almost everywhere it looks.
This week, in what was supposed to be a marquee matchup between the National League’s top teams, the Dodgers struggled to piece together production on the mound and at the plate. The pitching problems were magnified by a slumping lineup that scored just five runs in three games at Citizens Bank Park, and an error-prone defense that contributed to several Phillies rallies, including a decisive two-run sixth inning Thursday that started on a fly ball James Outman couldn’t get to in center field.
“They’re clearly a better team than we are right now,” Roberts said.
Added first baseman Freddie Freeman: “We didn’t play very good that series. There’s nothing to spin it any different way.”
In the long term, though, it’s the pitching issues that look toughest to solve.
Philadelphia’s Trea Turner rounds the bases after hitting a home run off Dodgers pitcher Anthony Banda during the first inning Thursday.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
The Dodgers were unable to call on Glasnow, their lone All-Star arm, after he joined Yamamoto on the injured list Tuesday. They decided they no longer could count on second-year right-hander Bobby Miller, demoting him to triple A on Wednesday after a nine-run clunker in the series opener.
And while rookies Gavin Stone and Landon Knack — who gave up three runs in 4⅓ innings of bulk relief Thursday, the best outing by a Dodgers pitcher this week — kept the team in it against the Phillies’ high-scoring lineup, neither was close to spectacular either, a stark reminder of the sudden lack of an established ace amid all the other key absences.
“I try not to fret too much or worry too much about the guys who can’t help us right now,” Roberts said, referencing a group that includes Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Dustin May and several other injured arms. “Hoping that they’ll be back soon.”
Glasnow is expected to return shortly after next week’s All-Star Game. Beyond him, however, the other injured pitchers offer little assurance of front-line success.
Yamamoto still hasn’t started playing catch, suggesting that he remains a month or more from a comeback.
Buehler is working at a private facility in Florida, trying to find any semblance of consistency after eight rough starts in his return from Tommy John surgery.
Kershaw will resume his minor-league rehab assignment this weekend, but as a 36-year-old veteran who’s coming off a major offseason shoulder injury and hasn’t pitched this season, he’s hardly certain to possess the raw stuff required to succeed in October.
And while Miller does possess that natural talent, highlighted by his triple-digit fastball, he is slated to begin the second half of the season in triple A, aiming to clean up the inconsistencies in his delivery that led to an earned-run average of more than 8.00 in seven starts.
Normally, this is where a contending team would look to the trade deadline for answers and target a front-line arm to bolster its postseason pitching plans.
After all, during the Dodgers’ 22-22 stretch over the last 44 games, their starters have a 4.91 ERA, fifth worst in the majors during that span.
This year, though, the trade market is slim on impact pitchers.
The Dodgers have interest in Garrett Crochet, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly, but the Chicago White Sox left-hander already is nearing an innings limit in his return from Tommy John surgery, meaning it’s unlikely he could take regular turns through the rotation between now and October.
Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers is one potential deadline target having a Cy Young-caliber season. But with 21/2 seasons of club control left, it’s unlikely the Tigers would move him — and certainly not for anything less than a massive prospect haul, the kind the Dodgers typically are wary of offering.
There are cheaper yet still productive options — such as the Tigers’ Jack Flaherty, Toronto Blue Jays’ Yusei Kikuchi or White Sox’s Erick Fedde. Depth, however, is not the Dodgers’ biggest need. In the short term, they can rely on young arms such as Stone, Knack and Justin Wrobleski to cover innings and preserve their seven-game NL West lead.
“I just look at it as these guys are getting a good opportunity in a playoff race, in a pennant race,” Roberts said.
The eventual returns of Glasnow, Kershaw, Buehler, Miller and — at some point — Yamamoto should stabilize their depth chart, as well.
Until then, what’s once again missing is a healthy, established, front-of-the-rotation arm — the kind the Dodgers missed sorely against the Phillies and almost certainly will need to key any extended playoff push.
Perhaps Glasnow will return on time and be that pitcher again. Maybe Stone will build off his strong first half and blossom into a postseason weapon. Yamamoto could come back and look like the All-Star-caliber pitcher he was before his injury.
It’s just that none of those outcomes looks inevitable. None of those pitchers can be taken for granted.
Once again, the Dodgers are scrambling to reinforce a rotation they thought they had fixed. And they might have no choice but to cross their fingers, wait on improved health, and hope they have enough talent on the mound to carry them to — and through — October.
This week’s sweep was a reminder that’s no guarantee.
Sports
Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones
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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.
The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.
Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.
Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.
A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.
When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”
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William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.
“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.
Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.
Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.
“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.
He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.
“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”
It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.
Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway
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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.
McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.
A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.
WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.
“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.
No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.
In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)
Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.
McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.
He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”
“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”
Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)
State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.
“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video.
“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.
An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.
The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.
After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”
Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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