Sports
Another strong outing by Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Dodgers' victory
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is starting to give the Dodgers that feeling.
The feeling that every time he takes the ball, the team will get a quality start. That whenever he ascends the mound, a string of zeros will follow. That, most importantly, on days he pitches, the Dodgers should be positioned to win.
“You start to have that feeling like, ‘It’s Yamamoto’s day,’” manager Dave Roberts explained with a smile before first pitch. “This is win day.”
Tuesday was indeed another of those days, with Yamamoto dazzling in an eight-inning, two-run start to guide the Dodgers past the Miami Marlins 8-2 at Dodger Stadium.
The game was Yamamoto’s third straight quality start, lowering his ERA to 2.79. It was his longest outing in the majors and made him only the second starter for the Dodgers (25-13) to pitch past the seventh inning.
And when asked for his thoughts on Yamamoto’s performance postgame, Roberts annunciated his one-word answer.
“Fan-tas-tic,” the manager said. “Really great job.”
Staked to a big early lead, Yamamoto went on the attack against the Marlins (10-28), throwing his first 19 pitches for strikes and 73 of 97 overall.
Though he gave up a first-pitch home run to Jazz Chisholm Jr., he was able to “stay calm … and execute my pitches” he said through his interpreter postgame, mixing in his splitter and trademark curveball to effectively limit Miami’s paperweight lineup — the Marlins ranked 20th in the majors in scoring entering the game — to as many hits as strikeouts (five each).
Mookie Betts throws sunflower seeds at Max Muncy after Muncy hit a grand slam in the first inning.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
“He is starting to become that guy,” Roberts said before the game, reiterating Yamamoto’s ever-growing status as a star pitcher and, along with Tyler Glasnow, co-ace of the rotation. “But again, [we want him to] just go out there and keep doing what he’s been doing. Because it’s been really good.”
The start of Yamamoto’s rookie season was decidedly not good, particularly not after the Dodgers signed him to a record-breaking $325-million contract in the offseason.
In his MLB debut in South Korea in late March, he gave up five runs in one inning. While he got better once the team returned state-side, he still had a 4.50 ERA through his first five outings.
In his last three, however, Yamamoto has flashed a tantalizing level of dominance, with back-to-back outings of six scoreless innings preceding Tuesday’s gem.
More consistent fastball command has been key.
“Man, I feel like Will [Smith] just sets up behind the plate, and wherever he sets up, Yama throws it right there,” infielder Gavin Lux said. “He’s been really impressive so far.”
Yamamoto’s increasing comfort level with the major leagues, and his new Dodgers teammates in particular, has been equally important.
“It’s hard to succeed when you feel like, you have to prove yourself to people that don’t believe in you or don’t care about you,” Roberts said. “But when they do, you just feel like you have more latitude, more margin. I think right now, Yoshinobu is in a really comfortable spot, as he has said. And his pitching is mirroring that.”
It helped that again Tuesday, Yamamoto was pitching with a big lead.
After giving up the early home run, Yamamoto was handed a 4-1 lead on Max Muncy’s grand slam in the bottom of the first. The game was all but over by the third, when Lux’s first home run of the season punctuated another four-run rally.
“It felt good,” said Lux, whose last MLB home run came in August 2022, before he sat out last season because of a knee injury. “It was a long recovery road the last year and then you get off to a slow start. Nobody wants to do that. So it felt really good.”
The score was so out of hand against a last-place Marlins team that has already started selling key pieces — they traded last season’s National League batting champion, Luis Arráez, to San Diego last week — that Roberts pulled some key players out of the game early.
Teoscar Hernández, who has yet to have a day off, left the game after four innings. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who also started all 38 games so far, were out by the seventh and eighth, respectively.
All that, however, was made possible by Yamamoto’s performance on the mound — even if the pitcher himself shot down the notion that completing eight innings was any sort of “achievement.”
“The most important thing is to lead the team to the win, the victory,” Yamamoto said. “Today, I kept my rhythm and then also good tempo overall. If I could do this every game, I would like to.”
So, too, would the Dodgers.
Before the game, Roberts acknowledged he was initially “hesitant” to put too much pressure on the 25-year-old Japanese star. He didn’t want to treat Yamamoto’s start days any differently as he was getting “his feet wet” in the big leagues.
But now, Roberts said, “he’s earning that right for us to look at him as such.”
To be looked upon as the ace the Dodgers, when accounting for Yamamoto’s posting fee, spent more than $375 million to sign this winter.
To give his new team that feeling, that they can win every time he takes the mound.
Kershaw progressing
Clayton Kershaw threw his second bullpen session in his return from shoulder surgery, impressing Dodgers personnel — many of whom had gathered to watch him throw — with a 20-pitch effort of mostly fastballs.
“Ticked up with the velocity. Felt good. Free and easy,” Roberts said. “So really encouraging. He’s in a good mood. Had a lot of eyeballs on him. Really good day for us.”
Kershaw, who continues to target a return during the second half of the year, will continue to ramp up his bullpen sessions in the near term, Roberts said, including both an increased pitch count and greater mix of breaking pitches. From there, the team will decide when he can start a rehabilitation assignment.
“Right now, we’re not going on results, we’re going on how he feels and [that] getting better,” Roberts said. “When you feel good, your body feels good, then it puts you in a much better mood. So he’s in a good spot. Just the feeling of being free and easy and letting him throw the ball as hard as he can without having pain.”
Short hops
Jason Heyward (back) continued to increase his baseball activities, taking batting practice and running the bases. Heyward will take live at-bats during the team’s series in San Diego this weekend, then could go on a rehab assignment of anywhere from two to five games, Roberts said. … Bobby Miller (shoulder) is also nearing a rehab assignment but will still need to throw at least one more bullpen before then, Roberts said. … Emmet Sheehan (forearm) has yet to throw off a mound but is ramping up his long toss work.
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
Thousand-dollar tickets and hundreds of dollars in fees shocked some hopeful Olympic fans this month, but they did not keep LA28 from boasting strong sales in the committee’s first ticket drop.
LA28 announced Thursday that it sold more than 4 million Olympic tickets during the first ticket drop. The private organizing committee will have a second ticket drop in August with “refreshed inventory across all Olympic sports at a range of price points.”
But after the popularity of the first purchasing period, many of the lower-priced tickets have already been scooped up.
LA28 said roughly half of the total 1 million $28 tickets were sold during the locals presale, which was limited to people living near venue cities in Southern California and Oklahoma City.
The average price per Olympic ticket is less than $200, which includes a mandatory 24% service fee, and LA28 said about 75% of all tickets, including final events, will be under $400. The premier seats at high-demand events command more than $1,000 per ticket, but the highest priced categories make up about 5% of the total ticket inventory.
Artistic gymnastics sold out the quickest in Drop 1. Four new Olympic sports — flag football, lacrosse, softball and squash — sold all their available inventory for the first drop. After five days of local presale, global ticket sales opened and drew fans from 85 countries and all 50 states and U.S. territories. The largest international sales came from the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Japan.
For the first female-majority Olympic Games, LA28 reported that women’s Olympic sessions outsold men’s 93% to 88% during the first drop.
“The response to our initial on-sale was nothing short of historic. Fans from near and far have spoken: the world wants to be part of the LA28 Games,” LA28 chief executive officer Reynold Hoover said in a statement. “The success of Drop 1 is about more than momentum — it reflects LA28’s commitment to delivering a fiscally responsible Games that create a lasting legacy for Los Angeles and its communities.”
Drop 2, which will begin in August, will have additional tickets across all Olympic sports, including those that may have sold out during the first purchasing windows. The registration period for Drop 2 opened Thursday and will continue until July 22. Fans who registered for the first drop of tickets but did not receive a time slot and fans who did not buy their maximum 12 general ticket allotment will automatically be entered into the random lottery Drop 2. The new registration period is only required for anybody who did not sign up for the initial drop.
Fans are still limited to 12 Olympic tickets and up to 12 soccer tickets that don’t count toward the general maximum. There is a four ticket per ceremony limit for the opening and closing ceremony that count toward the 12-ticket maximum, which is cumulative across all LA28 presales and ticket drops.
LA28 will have multiple ticket drops with assigned purchasing time slots before ticket sales move to a first-come, first-served format closer to the Games, which open on July 14, 2028. LA28 began its ticketing process earlier than most other Olympic Games with tickets going on sale more than two years in advance of the opening ceremony. The early timeline has created excitement for the first Summer Olympics in the United States since Atlanta 1996, but also prompted concerns about scheduling. Fans clamored for tickets with little information about which teams or athletes would be competing in most sessions.
Tickets are not refundable, but fans can opt for verified resale when LA28 launches its official resale system in 2027. AXS and Eventim is the official secondary ticket marketplace of the LA28 Games and Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets have also signed on as additional verified resale platforms.
LA28 will have 14 million tickets available for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which would eclipse the record of 12 million tickets sold for the Paris Games. Paris 2024 sold an about 9.5 million tickets for the Olympics, but used a different ticket system than LA28. For Paris, 3.5 million tickets were sold during the first phase, during which fans were required to buy tickets to at least three different sports instead of the option for single-event tickets available during LA28’s Drop 1 process.
Tickets for the 2028 Paralympics, which will be the first in L.A.’s history, will go on sale in 2027. Ticket sales and hospitality are expected to cover about $2.5 billion of LA28’s expected $7.1 billion budget for the first Games in L.A. in more than 40 years.
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An envoy for President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup this summer.
The Financial Times reported the plan is an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which soured after the former’s comments against Pope Leo XIV regarding the war with Iran.
United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the idea to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
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President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. (Emilee Chinn/FIFA)
“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament,” Zampolli told the outlet. “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Italy had a chance to be in the World Cup already, but it lost in a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final.
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Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the 4-1 penalty shootout loss earlier this month.
“We still don’t believe it that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters at the time, according to the New York Post.
“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”
While Zampolli told Infantino about his proposed plan, FIFA’s president said Iran “for sure” will play in the World Cup despite the conflict involving the U.S.
Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran March 25, 2025. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
“We hope that, by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”
Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, which is where it has its training camp.
All three of Iran’s group stage games are scheduled to be played in the U.S. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their games be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the U.S.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, and it is insisting Iran play where it’s scheduled — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle. Iran said earlier this month it would only decide on its team’s participation once it heard from FIFA regarding its relocation request.
Iran is scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand June 16 to begin its tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing group play against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle June 26.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly between Mexico and Portugal at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City March 28, 2026. (Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)
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Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as scheduled, though it might not be “appropriate” considering the conflict.
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.
Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the U.S. welcomes Iran’s team to compete.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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