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Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw throws three scoreless innings in rehab start

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Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw throws three scoreless innings in rehab start

Clayton Kershaw took the next step to a return from the 60-day injured list, making his first rehabilitation appearance in triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

The longest-tenured Dodger tossed three scoreless innings in a start against the Tacoma Rainiers in a rare Wednesday morning contest, giving up two hits, striking out two and walking none on 30 pitches (22 for strikes). Kershaw underwent left-knee and left-foot surgery — to repair his left big toe — during the offseason. He missed the 2024 postseason because of his toe injury.

“I think anytime with rehab you want to feel healthy, which I do feel good today,” Kershaw, 37, told reporters after the game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. “Then you want to see your stuff — obviously — play. There’s some things that I need to work on still, but for the first [rehab appearance] overall, it was a good step forward.”

The future Hall of Fame southpaw’s fastball velocity averaged 87.5 mph and topped out at 88.8 mph — more than a full mile per hour down from the 89.9 he averaged in 2024. He threw 12 sliders, 10 fastballs, four curveballs and four change-ups, generating five swings and misses.

Kershaw, entering his 18th season with the Dodgers, has struggled to reach the velocity of his younger days when he’d turn up his fastball to the mid-to-low 90s, turning toward increased slider usage and continuing to toy with a fourth pitch: a change-up.

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that with Kershaw, it’s not about his arm health, but rather how he’s progressing from his toe surgery. The operation to repair a ruptured plantar plate is not a common operation for baseball players, leading to speculation as to how Kershaw’s recovery would advance.

“I think with a guy like Clayton is more of how he feels,” said Roberts, later adding that training staff reports pointed to Kershaw’s toe being in good shape. “I know he’s probably happy with the uptick in velocity, the toe is the last part of it. The body feels good. The arm feels good.”

Pitching coach Mark Prior said Wednesday that Kershaw “turned a page” in the last 10 days, complimenting his performance in Oklahoma City, noting the awkward swings the lefty forced on his offspeed offerings. For Prior, he’s looking forward to seeing a fully healthy Kershaw on the mound.

“[Kershaw’s] like, ‘My arm feels good. My arm feels good,’” Prior said. “We just want to see him be able to go out there and compete on a very consistent basis, every week, every six days, seven days, whatever that is, being able to repeat that and continue to build up.”

With Kershaw trending towards a mid-to-late May activation off the injured list, his return will only further complicate the Dodgers starting rotation.

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Before being optioned to triple-A to make way for Bobby Miller’s start Wednesday, right-hander Landon Knack made two starts, while left-hander Justin Wrobleski tossed a spot start while the team was in Washington.

Blake Snell, the Dodgers’ prized free-agent acquisition, has already made a trip to the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation on April 7. The former two-time Cy Young award winner began a throwing program Monday and has played catch every day since then. Roberts said Wednesday there is no current timeline for Snell’s return.

Right-handers Tony Gonsolin and reliever Evan Phillips are likely the next to return from the injured list. Phillips earned the save for Oklahoma City on Wednesday, tossing a scoreless inning and appearing in a game for the second consecutive day for the first time in his rehab stint.

Gonsolin made his longest rehab start yet Tuesday, giving up three earned runs while fanning five batters across four innings. Roberts said Gonsolin will throw another rehab start — aiming for the five-inning marker — in Oklahoma City next week, and is on track with his tune-up.

If Miller is optioned back to Oklahoma City after his start Wednesday, the Dodgers will need to fill a spot start next week once again.

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Teoscar back in the lineup

Outfielder Teoscar Hernández will return to the lineup against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday after missing the last two games with a stomach bug.

“[I feel] great,” Hernández said pregame Wednesday. “The last two days it’s been a little tough, but I feel better. Just to be able to go on the field, feel good, be with the guys and play the game.”

Hernández will start in right field and hit cleanup. The second-year Dodger has slashed .281/.309/.563 to begin the season, tallying five home runs and 16 RBI so far.

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‘Demon’ Finn Balor settles score with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 42

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‘Demon’ Finn Balor settles score with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 42

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Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio were once brothers in arms in the Judgment Day. The two helped the faction run “Monday Night Raw” for several years.

As championships and opportunities came and went, the rift between Balor and Mysterio grew. It came to a head when Balor caused Mysterio to lose the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Balor leaving the Judgment Day left Mysterio and Liv Morgan as the leaders with JD McDonagh, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez sticking around.

Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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The latter four chose to ride with Mysterio and attacked Balor on one episode of Raw.

The bitter war led to a match Sunday night at WrestleMania 42. To make matters more interesting, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce made the match a street fight hours before the show was set to begin.

Balor had vowed to bring the “Demon” out and he certainly did.

JACOB FATU PUTS DREW MCINTYRE IN THE ‘REAR VIEW’ IN UNSANCTIONED MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA 42

Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Balor made his way to the ring in his “Demon” gear, dripping with red and black paint. Mysterio was in a mask with other Mysterio supporters.

The two then proceeded to beat the crud out of each other.

Mysterio wrapped Balor’s head in between a chair and hit a 619 on him. He tried to pin Balor, but to no avail. At another point, Mysterio tossed Balor through a table set up in the corner.

As many have learned, it’s hard to keep your demons down. Mysterio learned the hard way.

Balor would not give up. Balor clotheslined Mysterio, hit him with a chair multiple times before wrapping his head in between the chair and drop-kicking him into the corner. Balor put Mysterio onto a table and hit the Coup de Grâce for the win.

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Dominik Mysterio is introduced before his match against Finn Balor during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Balor excised his own demons, while Mysterio is still haunted.

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Ryan Ward has a solid debut, but bullpen blows it again as Dodgers lose to Rockies

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Ryan Ward has a solid debut, but bullpen blows it again as Dodgers lose to Rockies

What do you know? The once-stampeding Dodgers have been caged by the Colorado Rockies.

With a 9-6 loss Sunday at Coors Field, the two-time defending World Series champions lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Dodgers again couldn’t hold a lead, letting the Rockies tee off for 15 hits.

Nor could the Dodgers keep up offensively at the hitter-friendly park — though they put some pressure on in the ninth inning, when Shohei Ohtani led off with a ground-rule double and the Dodgers scored twice to cut the lead to three runs. Then the new guy, Ryan Ward, made the final out in his big league debut, robbed of a hit and a chance to keep chipping away by a diving Troy Johnston in right field.

Before that, the Rockies — who beat the Dodgers twice in 13 meetings all of last season — chased starter Roki Sasaki from the game in the fifth inning and then ruffled the Dodgers’ relievers. That included closer Edwin Díaz, who came on in the eighth and promptly gave up three singles, a walk and two runs before being pulled with the Dodgers trailing 8-4.

Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki gave up three runs on seven hits in 4-2/3 innings Sunday against the Rockies in Denver.

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(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

He and Blake Treinen combined to face eight batters without getting an out.

“They both weren’t sharp,” said manager Dave Roberts, who had theories but not many answers — though he did have real concern, especially about Díaz, who recently had his right knee checked out by the medical staff.

Roberts said the closer wanted to pitch after nine days off, even though it wasn’t a save situation. But his velocity was slightly down (95.4 mph vs. 95.8) and so, “today was a tough evaluation,” the manager said.

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“It really was,” Roberts said. “Because, you know, I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”

And losing for the second time to the Rockies, who are now 9-13? Being in danger of losing their four-game series, after arriving in Denver without having lost to a National League opponent, against a club that hasn’t made the postseason since 2018?

It’s well below the bar the Dodgers have set, and it added a bitter note to Ward’s otherwise sweet debut.

Ward punched a big league clock for the first time wearing No. 67 and cranked his first hit off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning, lining a changeup to right field for a single that scored Andy Pages, made it 3-0 and got the 20-some members of Ward’s party up, jumping in place, hugging and high-fiving.

“When I was on first base, I got to see them all jumping around up there,” Ward said. “That was a pretty special moment.”

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He also singled in the sixth and swung on the first pitch in his first at-bat, a fly out in the third inning.

The Dodgers gave Sasaki a 2-0 lead in the third. Alex Freeland drove in Hyeseong Kim, and Shohei Ohtani doubled in Freeland — and extended his career-best on-base streak to 51 games, moving past Willie Keeler into third place in Dodgers history.

Sasaki went 4-2/3 innings, threw 78 pitches and gave up three runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking two. His ERA after his fourth start: 6.11, worst in the six-man rotation.

The Dodgers fell behind 6-5 in the seventh when Treinen — who was cleared Friday after he was struck in the head by a batted ball during batting practice — gave up four consecutive hits, including a two-run home run by Mickey Moniak.

The result likely will be a minor detail when Ward tells the story years from now about getting the call after first baseman Freddie Freeman was placed on the paternity list.

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The Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect and reigning Pacific Coast League MVP spent the last seven years in the minors. Last season, he hit 36 home runs and drove in 122 runs with a .937 on-base-plus-slugging percentage for triple-A Oklahoma City, and he has a 1.020 OPS and four homers this year.

Ward made it a point to improve his chase rate, draw more walks and get on base more frequently, everything the Dodgers asked of him. He also passed the broadest patience test.

“The plate discipline, being a better hitter … he’s done all that,” Roberts said. “He’s improved his defense. But honestly, for me, just not to let his lack of opportunity in the big leagues deter him. That’s easy when you get frustrated and let it affect performance, and he hasn’t done that.”

If anything, Ward said, the waiting made him better.

“I used it to keep going. ‘OK, if I’m not there yet, what do I have to do to get there?’” he said. “‘What part of my game do I need to work on to keep getting better?’

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“I used it as fire to keep working.”

That will be the Dodgers’ assignment too.

In the finale of the four-game series Monday, the Dodgers are expected to start left-hander Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) against Colorado left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63).

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ESPN’s Stephen A Smith hears boos from WrestleMania 42 crowd

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ESPN’s Stephen A Smith hears boos from WrestleMania 42 crowd

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Danhausen’s curse may be real after all – just ask Stephen A. Smith and the New York Mets.

While the latter dropped their 10th game in a row, Smith got his share of the curse on Saturday night during Night 1 of WrestleMania 42. Smith was in attendance for WWE’s premier event of the year and heard massive boos from the crowd.

Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)

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Smith was sitting ringside to watch the action. The ESPN star appeared on the videoboard above the ring at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. He appeared to embrace the reaction and smiled through it.

The boos came after Danhausen appeared on “First Take” on Friday – much to the chagrin of the sports pundit. Smith appeared perplexed by Danhausen’s appearance. Smith said he heard about Danhausen and called him a “bad luck charm.”

Danhausen said Smith had been “rude” to him and put the dreaded “curse” on the commentator.

WWE STAR DANHAUSEN SAYS METS ‘CURSE’ ISN’T EXACTLY LIFTED AS TEAM DROPS NINTH STRAIGHT GAME

Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)

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Smith is far from the only one dealing with the effects of the “curse.”

Danhausen agreed to “un-curse” the Mets during their losing streak. However, he told Fox News Digital earlier this week that there was a reason why the curse’s removal didn’t take full effect.

“I did un-curse the Mets. But it didn’t work because, I believe it was Brian Gewirtz who did not pay Danhausen. He did not send me my money so it did not take full effect,” Danhausen said. “Once I have the money, perhaps it will actually work because right now it’s probably about a half of an un-cursing. It’s like a layaway situation.”

Danhausen enters the arena before his match against Kit Wilson during SmackDown at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

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On “Friday Night SmackDown,” WWE stars like The Miz and Kit Wilson were also targets of Danhausen’s curse.

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