Sports

Dodgers decide to delay Walker Buehler's start to season

Published

2 years ago

February 5, 2024

Dodgers decide to delay Walker Buehler's start to season

As eager as Walker Buehler is to return from his second Tommy John surgery, the erstwhile Dodgers ace will have to wait at least an extra month to make his first regular-season start since June 10, 2022.

The Dodgers — with Buehler’s blessing — have decided to delay the veteran right-hander’s start to the season in order to limit his workload and increase the chances of him being fresh in October.

General manager Brandon Gomes wouldn’t go into specific numbers, but Buehler is expected to be limited to 150-175 innings and 24-27 starts. In his last full regular season, he threw 207 ⅔ innings over 33 starts in 2021.

“I think there’s a little bit of art to it, a little bit of science to it, in terms of how fast I can build up,” Buehler said at Saturday’s fanfest event. “I’m sure I’ll make some rehab starts and hopefully get into the rotation in the early part of the year, and then we’ll kind of go from there.

“We have a lot of depth, a lot of talent. Since I’ve been here, it’s never been a one-man show, and it’s not going to be this year, either, so I don’t feel this crazy burden to throw 220 innings or anything like that. But I want to be really good when I play, and I want to play a good amount.”

The Dodgers have more than enough depth to weather Buehler’s late start and ease the workloads of new starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched once a week in Japan, Tyler Glasnow, who has never thrown more than 120 innings in his eight big league seasons, and James Paxton, who has made only 20 starts in the last three seasons.

Young right-handers Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Michael Grove, Kyle Hurt and Landon Knack and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough will be available to fill out an early-season rotation that will feature Yamamoto, Glasnow, Bobby Miller and Paxton.

“I don’t think anyone has a timeline, but it’s fair to say it’s going to be a late start for the season for Walker,” manager Dave Roberts said. “But the rehab work looks great, and I expect Walker to have a heck of a year.”

Buehler, 29, has clearly been working hard in the weight room. He’s added about 20 pounds of muscle that he hopes will help him better withstand the rigors of the season.

“I put on some good weight,” said Buehler, who had his first major elbow surgery after he was drafted in the first round out of Vanderbilt in 2015. “My elbow keeps snapping, man, so I had to put a little weight around it and try to protect it a little bit.”

Ohtani rehab report

While Shohei Ohtani said he is “very confident” he will be ready to serve as the team’s designated hitter for the March 20-21 season-opening series against San Diego in Seoul, the two-way star has not begun the throwing part of his rehabilitation from a second Tommy John surgery last Sept. 19.

“We haven’t sat down and mapped that out just yet,” Gomes said of the pitching phase of Ohtani’s rehab. “Right now, we’re focused on the hitting portion of it. Obviously, throwing will be a main part of it at some point, but we haven’t spent a ton of time on it yet.”

Shohei Ohtani, right, speaks to the media during the Dodgers’ fanfest event Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

When Ohtani suffered his first major elbow injury with the Angels in 2018, he had surgery in early October and missed the first month of the 2019 season. But once he returned on May 7, his pitching rehab didn’t interfere much with his hitting.

After a slow start in which he hit .250 with a .692 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, three homers and 13 RBIs in 20 May games, Ohtani hit .340 with a 1.091 OPS, nine homers and 22 RBIs in 27 June games. He finished the season with a .286 average, .848 OPS, 18 homers and 62 RBIs in 106 games.

“I’m going to start my throwing program when I get to Arizona and go from there,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “We haven’t scheduled anything like live [batting practices sessions]. We’re going to play it by ear through camp. The main focus will be on hitting, and we’re going to try to ease into the pitching program throughout the year.”

Sour taste remains

A $1.2-billion winter spending spree that netted Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasnow and others and has positioned the Dodgers as World Series favorites didn’t erase the playoff disappointment of last October, when the heavily favored 100-win Dodgers were swept by the 84-win Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game National League division series.

“I mean, it’s still there,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “There’s no way around it. We sucked. We really kind of blew it. I’m not trying to take anything away from the Diamondbacks — they played very well, and hats off to them — but we blew it. When something like that happens, it sticks with you for a while.”

The Dodgers were outscored 19-6 in the series and their three starting pitchers — Clayton Kershaw, Miller and Lance Lynn — were rocked for 13 earned runs and 16 hits, including five homers, in 4 ⅔ innings. A Dodgers offense that ranked second in baseball with 906 runs and a .795 OPS hit .177 (17 for 96) with four extra-base hits.

“I feel like you can have a dartboard and throw a dart and it would land on something that went wrong,” Muncy said. “We didn’t hit. We didn’t score. We didn’t pitch. Everything went wrong.”

Short hops

Top pitching prospect Nick Frasso, who went 4-6 with a 3.77 ERA in 25 starts for double-A Tulsa and triple-A Oklahoma City last season, underwent minor labrum surgery in November, and the 25-year-old right-hander will miss most, if not all, of the 2024 season. “His rehab has gone well,” Gomes said, “but he’s so young and talented, we’re not gonna take any risks in pushing him if he’s not ready.” … The Dodgers signed reliever Dinelson Lamet, who is 17-24 with a 4.66 ERA in parts of six seasons with San Diego, Colorado and Boston, to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.

Sports

Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

Published

8 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

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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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

Sports

Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

Published

8 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

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

Published

20 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

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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