Sports
D’Angelo Ortiz, son of Big Papi, returns to Red Sox spring training to forge his own path
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Even by the anonymous standards of minor league baseball, No. 44 in Boston Red Sox camp is not a star. He was a late-round draft pick, didn’t get a big signing bonus and remains unranked — even among Red Sox players — by the usual prospect evaluation outlets. He was not invited to Major League spring training, and there’s no guarantee he’ll ever play in the majors.
But when former Red Sox reliever Koji Uehara arrived in Red Sox camp, he posed for pictures with the young man. Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez hugged him. The kid is one of countless 20-year-olds trying to make it in professional baseball, anonymous except for the name on the back of his jersey: Ortiz. As in, D’Angelo Ortiz. Son of Red Sox legend David Ortiz.
When D’Angelo steps out of the minor league clubhouse at the Red Sox spring training facility and turns right, he jogs past a giant picture of his dad. He stops occasionally to talk to Red Sox executives and former players he’s known since he was a kid, but the conversations are brief. D’Angelo has work to do. More groundballs. More batting practice. Zero requests for special treatment.
“The least that I could do is show how serious I take this,” D’Angelo said. “I just want to show that taking a chance on me is not a thing that is because of the name or anything like that.”
His name helped introduce the sport that he loves. It granted him remarkable access to the game at its highest level. But to expect it to do any more than that?
“He knows,” David Ortiz said, “that’s not going to take him anywhere.”
The Red Sox drafted D’Angelo last summer, taking him in the 19th round out of Miami Dade Community College, a baseball powerhouse. D’Angelo was selected 567th overall and signed for a slot allotment of $150,000, roughly three percent of what the Red Sox gave their first-round selection. Ortiz never got into an official game last season, but when the Red Sox opened their complex for optional workouts in the fall, D’Angelo was there. When they opened again in the weeks ahead of spring training, D’Angelo was back.
His reputation among coaches and executives is not of baseball royalty but of a baseball rat. D’Angelo has been ready to work and eager to learn. He’s open to new techniques and happy to try the latest technology. He shies away from little and dismisses even less.
“Someone who’s really trying to tap into his ability to maximize his talent,” farm director Brian Abraham said about D’Angelo. “He understands that there’s a long way to go to become a successful big leaguer. There’s a long way to go to get to the upper levels. But I don’t think he’s not going to get there due to lack of work or lack of wanting to get there.”
The Red Sox say these things on and off the record. There are no snide remarks on the side while publicly singing his praises. The younger Ortiz has been a constant presence, not for photo ops with Hall of Famers, but for ground balls on the back fields and extra swings in the cage. He’s confident, but also well aware that he’s nowhere close to the big leagues. He knows what the big leagues look like, and this isn’t it, but he’s hellbent on getting there.
D’Angelo said he still remembers riding to Fenway Park with his dad, who at that point had won multiple Silver Sluggers, played in multiple All-Star Games, and owned three World Series rings. Cooperstown was a formality. Still, David would drive the streets of Boston, telling his son that each day was another in which even Big Papi would have to prove himself all over again.
In the Red Sox clubhouse, young D’Angelo certainly admired the superstars, but he also took note of the talented players who came and went, unable to stick in the big leagues, and some of his favorite players were utility infielders — Brock Holt and Deven Marrero among them — who couldn’t take anything for granted, put in work every day and still made time for the 10-year-old kid bouncing around the clubhouse. D’Angelo came to appreciate work ethic and to value teamwork and kindness.
“My passion so happens to be baseball,” D’Angelo said. “But if I grew up wanting to be a doctor, I’m sure I would try everything in my power to be the best doctor I could be.”
There is a burden that comes with this particular last name in this particular organization. For D’Angelo, it is a challenge of familiarity. He now answers to a farm director, Abraham, who was once a Red Sox bullpen catcher protecting young D’Angelo from batting practice line drives. D’Angelo agreed to an interview for this story after being asked by a director of media relations, Abby Murphy, who used to babysit for him. Red Sox manager Alex Cora, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, and coaching staff staple Jason Varitek all played with D’Angelo’s father.
This organization has known D’Angelo as a little boy. Now, he’s reintroducing himself as a baseball player.
“Part of that,” D’Angelo said, “is showing I’m not just a kid anymore who wants to run around and kind of be in the shadow.”
D’Angelo was a regular presence around the Red Sox growing up. (AP Photo / Elise Amendola)
His fellow players notice. D’Angelo’s personality is less bombastic than his father’s, but it’s no less engaging. He talks about a desire to “dominate the training environment,” and people in the organization say he’s already emerged as a leader. His fluency in both Spanish and English makes him a unifier to whom other players gravitate.
One of the Red Sox’s big three prospects, Marcelo Mayer, was in Fort Myers this offseason and met D’Angelo in the lunchroom. The two sat together to eat, and D’Angelo remembers the conversation lasting a half hour. Mayer thinks it might have been three times as long. They talked swings and approach. Mayer, D’Angelo said, offered the kind of insight typical of a 10-year major league veteran. D’Angelo, Mayer said, exuded the passion not of a player who’d seen it all but of one who was eager to learn more.
“He’s one of the most humble, hard-working kids that I’ve been around,” Mayer said. “You would have no clue that his dad is David Ortiz.”
That’s kind of the point, and kind of not. D’Angelo is proud of his dad. He does not shy away from that legacy. Being back at JetBlue Park, he said, is “nostalgic.” He doesn’t wear his father’s No. 34 and wouldn’t have wanted it, but he also wouldn’t have cared if he’d been assigned it. It’s a part of a wonderful history, and D’Angelo appreciates that, but his focus is on the future.
“I did my thing. He’s got to do his,” David said. “He knows the hardest working guy in the room is the one that gets closer and closer and closer to the promised land. There is no shortcut.”
Asked about his father’s own rise from obscurity — David was famously traded and then released before becoming one of the great hitters of his generation — D’Angelo dismissed the comparison, just as he politely dismissed a question about having to exceed expectations as such a late-round pick. None of it is going to matter, he said, if — and when — he performs on the field.
And besides, the way D’Angelo sees it, he can already do things his father could never do. D’Angelo bats and throws right-handed. His primary position is third base. David was a lefty who played exclusively at DH and first base. David couldn’t play the hot corner, even in the low minors. His son is doing that every day. He’s got some speed, range and athleticism.
Point is, the father found one path to the big leagues. The son is forging another. That’s the way it has to be.
“What I will always idolize from him is that in his specific craft, which was hitting, he was able to get the most out of it and become the best player he was able to become,” D’Angelo said. “And whether I’m playing infield or outfield or DH, I want to be able to make the most out of whatever I am.”
There is some ambiguity there — “Whatever I am” — and D’Angelo and the Red Sox are in the process of figuring that out. After all the car rides to the ballpark, all the afternoons in the clubhouse, and all the conversations at home, a passion has been lit and the life lessons have been learned. It’s time for D’Angelo Ortiz to find out what kind of ballplayer he can be.
“I don’t have to stay much to him now,” David said. “Everything he’s doing, he’s doing on his own. I just watch.”
(Top photo: John Shishmanian / USA Today via Imagn Images)
Sports
James Harden arrested in Houston on misdemeanor weapons charge after NBA playoff exit: report
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Two weeks after being eliminated from the NBA playoffs, James Harden was reportedly arrested in Houston, where he used to play, early Saturday morning.
The California Post, citing court records, said the 11-time All-Star was placed in custody on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of weapons.
Harden allegedly “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly” had a handgun in his vehicle, the records said, according to the outlet.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during the second half of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference finals in Cleveland on May 24, 2027. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
The firearm “was in plain view” and “not carried in a holster.”
The outlet reported that Harden was at a local hookah lounge with friends before his arrest.
Harden’s Cleveland Cavaliers were recently swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks are one win away from their first NBA title since 1973.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers are aware of the arrest of James Harden this morning and are in the process of gathering additional information,” the Cavs said in a statement. “We are in contact with James and his representation and will continue to monitor developments as they become available. At this time, we will have no further comment.”
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden disputes a call during the second half of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks in Cleveland on May 24, 2027. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
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The Cavs acquired Harden in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers to boost their playoff push, and they earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Harden averaged 20.5 points per game after the trade, understandably taking a back seat to Donovan Mitchell. He averaged 25.4 points per game in L.A., but the Clippers failed to make the playoffs, as they scored the sixth-fewest points per game in the NBA.
The Post said Harden is due back in court on June 22 for arraignment.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden reacts to a call during the first half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks in Cleveland on May 25, 2026. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
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Harden played for the Houston Rockets from 2012 until 2021, when he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He was named the MVP of the 2017-18 season and led the NBA in scoring each season from that year through 2019-20. In that span, he averaged nearly 34 points per contest.
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The U.S. men’s soccer team chose an incredible day to have an incredible day.
Crucially, the United States aced its only chance to make a first impression, kicking off this colossal World Cup it’s co-hosting with Mexico and Canada with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay.
Consider it a save for the tournament, three points for soccer in America and maybe even a win for uniting the States.
The Americans on the pitch did all that, including making sure a sellout crowd of 70,492 fans got their money’s worth for their exorbitantly high-priced seats to watch football under Friday Night Lights at SoFi Stadium.
U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, right, celebrates with Sergino Dest and Chris Richards after scoring during a World Cup win over Paraguay on Friday at SoFi Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
It was not a clean sheet. And it wasn’t an elixir for all the issues — visas, tickets, transportation — that ailed the tournament in its buildup.
But the opening statement by the United States confirmed what we thought might be true. Only one thing could save this soccer tournament: soccer.
The U.S. delivered a performance to change the conversation — for the next few weeks and maybe longer.
Making history to alter history.
The United States scored multiple goals in a World Cup first half for the first time since 2002.
It got two of them from Folarin Balogun, the Brooklyn-born, England-raised forward of Nigerian descent who became just the second USMNT player to score two goals in a World Cup game and the first since 1930.
Got a perfect match from Chris Richards, the afro-rocking defender with the long, loping strides, who was 83 for 83 on his passes. That’s better than any player at a World Cup since 1966.
And if possession is nine-tenths of the law of attraction, know that the Americans possessed the ball 71% of the first half, most in the first half of a World Cup game in the modern era.
Landon Donovan, star of the 2002 team that reached the World Cup quarterfinals — a record that still stands — posted on X: “From start to finish, that was the most enjoyable day of soccer I’ve ever experienced.”
That’s the stuff that will get the American people going. Get us invested, get us behind them. That could convert even devout casuals.
Americans love a good underdog story. We also want the best, the finest, the biggest — and this, with its expanded field of 48, is the biggest version of the biggest and best tournament in the world.
And the only thing we love more than winning is dominating. The United States did that Friday against a Paraguayan team that had allowed only 10 goals in 18 World Cup qualifying matches, and whom the United States beat 2-1 in a tense match in November.
Fans cheer during the U.S. win over Paraguay in their World Cup opener Saturday at SoFi Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
That was Mauricio Pochettino and his players helping us help them.
“The fans, amazing,” said Pochettino, the team’s accomplished Argentine coach. “On behalf of the whole team, a massive thank you to the fans. Because the energy that they [gave] to the team was amazing. We can do amazing things if the fans are in this as well.”
Friday was so good for soccer in America.
And so good for America. The kind of butt-kicking that’s chicken soup for a nation’s soul.
Maybe it’s idealistic and naive, or apple-pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking, but I believe that they can win. (And by win, I mean make the quarterfinals again.)
There’s no removing politics from this World Cup, but wouldn’t it be fun to all rally behind a team together? Can’t you see the country coalescing behind the right wingers and left wingers on the pitch? Picture people celebrating the freedom inherent in Pochettino’s system? Cheering the all-for-one and one-for-all of this team of dual nationals and Americans raised abroad — or in Alabama?
Postmatch, Pochettino refused to single out any one player, instead giving reporters a recitation of his roster: “[Christian Pulisic] was amazing [setting up two goals]. Balogun was amazing, of course. Tim Ream was amazing, of course. Chris Richards was amazing, yes. Weston McKennie, he was amazing, amazing. Antonee Robinson, Alex Freeman, amazing. Sergiño Dest, amazing …”
Like they put it on the @USMNT Instagram account: “Together as Won.”
U.S. soccer, amazing.
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The wait is over. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to 16 different cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States this summer, and you’ll be able to catch all the action with FOX Sports, America’s English-language home for the 48-team soccer bonanza.
Here is the full broadcast schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and how you can watch every game:
How to Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.
JUMP TO: Group Stage | Knockout Rounds | World Cup Final
2026 World Cup Group Stage Schedule:
June 11, 2026
June 12
June 13
June 14
June 15
June 16
June 17
June 18
June 19
June 20
June 21
June 22
June 23
June 24
- Group B: Watch Switzerland vs Canada — BC Place Vancouver (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group B: Watch Bosnia vs Qatar — Seattle Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group C: Watch Brazil vs Scotland — Miami Stadium (6 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group C: Watch Morocco vs Haiti — Atlanta Stadium (6 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group A: Watch Mexico vs Czechia — Mexico City Stadium (9 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group A: Watch South Korea vs South Africa — Monterrey Stadium (9 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
June 25
- Group E: Watch Ecuador vs Germany — New York New Jersey Stadium (4 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group E: Watch Curaçao vs Ivory Coastt — Philadelphia Stadium (4 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group F: Watch Tunisia vs Netherlands — Kansas City Stadium (7 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group F: Watch Japan vs Sweden— Dallas Stadium (7 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group D: USA vs Türkiye – Los Angeles Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group D: Watch Paraguay vs Australia — San Francisco Bay Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
June 26
- Group I: Watch Norway vs France — Boston Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group I: Watch Senegal vs Iraq — Toronto Stadium (3 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group H: Watch Uruguay vs Spain — Guadalajara Stadium (8 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group H: Watch Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia — Houston Stadium (8 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group G: Watch New Zealand vs Belgium — BC Place Vancouver (11 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group G: Watch Egypt vs Iran — Seattle Stadium (11 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
June 27
- Group L: Watch Panama vs England —New York New Jersey Stadium (5 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group L: Watch Croatia vs Ghana — Philadelphia Stadium (5 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group K: Watch Colombia vs Portugal — Miami Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group K: Watch DR Congo vs Uzbekistan — Atlanta Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
- Group J: Watch Argentina vs Jordan — Dallas Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One)
- Group J: Watch Algeria vs Austria — Kansas City Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX One)
2026 World Cup Schedule: Knockout Round
Round of 32
June 28
June 29
June 30
July 1
July 2
July 3
Round of 16
July 4
July 5
July 6
July 7
Quarterfinals
July 9
July 10
July 11
Semifinals
July 14
July 15
World Cup Final
July 19
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The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.
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