Sports
Dodgers defense ruins strong return by Yoshinobu Yamamoto in loss to Cubs
The Dodgers have gotten almost nothing but bad news on the pitching injury front this year.
On Tuesday, however, the storm clouds hovering over the staff might have finally — or at least partially — begun to clear.
It wasn’t just that Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out eight batters in a dazzling four-inning, one-run return from the injured list. Or that Tyler Glasnow took another step in his recovery from elbow tendinitis, throwing a bullpen session ahead of a scheduled simulated game later this week.
Rather, for the first time in months, the team might actually be able to do more than dream about what a potential postseason rotation could look like.
“I feel much better about the rotation tonight than I did 24 hours ago,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Now only if they could have done something about their sloppy defense.
The Dodgers lost 6-3 to the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, with numerous defensive miscues (including three errors in a decisive five-run eighth inning) contributing to each of the Cubs’ tallies in their series-clinching win.
“We made a lot of mental mistakes tonight,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “We’ve got to eliminate that.”
Indeed, for a team that Roberts hoped would be in “playoff mode” at this point — as they close in on another National League West division title, holding a 4 1/2-game lead at the end of play Tuesday — the maddening mental lapses in the field wasted what was otherwise an encouraging day on the mound.
With Yamamoto at last back, Glasnow looking increasingly likely to come back in time for the playoffs, and top trade deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty continuing to bounce back in a resurgent 2024 season, the Dodgers might wind up with three talented starters to rely on after all.
Less than three weeks out from the start of the postseason, the makings of an actual October rotation are finally coming into focus.
“It’s starting to turn,” Roberts said, “in terms of getting back the rotation that we had envisioned.”
This all, of course, remains no guarantee.
Yamamoto and Glasnow still have many boxes to check before being sure-fire postseason weapons. Flaherty, who dealt with back problems with the Detroit Tigers earlier this season, still needs to get across the finish line healthy. The Dodgers could still benefit from the emergence of a clear No. 4 starter, too, currently evaluating Walker Buehler, Landon Knack, Bobby Miller and Clayton Kershaw (if he returns from his current toe injury) for such a role.
But if things keep trending this way, the Dodgers’ potential playoff pitching plans might not be as patchwork as the team once feared.
Especially if Yamamoto can repeat what he did Tuesday night.
After missing almost three months with a strained rotator cuff in his right pitching shoulder, Yamamoto couldn’t have been more impressive in his long-awaited return.
He commanded his fastball to both sides of the plate, touching 98 mph on multiple occasions. He landed his curveball for strikes, and got six whiffs on 10 swings with his splitter. The only run he gave up came in the second, scoring after Freddie Freeman failed to snag a high-hopper near the first-base line.
“It was a much better return start than I expected,” Yamamoto said after inducing 11 swings-and-misses and flashing an uptick in velocity from earlier this season. “I’m really relieved I was able to return and pitch well.”
The fourth inning was the end of the line for Yamamoto, who hadn’t thrown more than two innings in either of his minor-league rehab starts in recent weeks.
But the Dodgers are hoping it’s the start of a late-season surge from the 26-year-old, $325-million pitcher, who now has a 2.88 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 15starts in his debut campaign.
“He really showed out,” Roberts said. “I didn’t know if there was going to be rust or how he was going to command the baseball, but he passed with flying colors.”
Glasnow, whose October status had been uncertain since going on the injured list with his elbow injury last month, also appears to be turning a corner.
The veteran right-hander and de facto staff ace threw his second bullpen in the last week Tuesday, impressing Roberts and other club executives in an extended session that included his entire pitch mix.
“It was good,” Roberts said. “I didn’t talk to him about it afterwards, but my eyes liked what I saw.”
Glasnow will next throw a two or three inning simulated game Friday during the team’s trip to Atlanta. If that goes well, he could be on track to return before the end of the regular season, an encouraging development for the team’s $136.5-million offseason acquisition, who was 9-6 with a 3.49 ERA before getting hurt.
“To get him in a major league game [before the end of the regular season] is a priority,” Roberts said.
During his pregame address with reporters, Roberts still exercised cautious optimism while discussing the state of the Dodgers pitching staff (which is still without Kershaw, who once again played catch Tuesday, and Gavin Stone, who remains shut down with shoulder inflammation).
“There’s, in theory, a hope part of this, but there’s also a realistic part of it,” Roberts said when asked how built-up Yamamoto and Glasnow could be by the time the playoffs begin.
“I think that we’re all comfortable in the sense that, whatever the buildup is, is what it is, and we’ve got to go from there. So obviously I’d love to say that six [innings] and 90 [pitches] would be great. How realistic that is for both those guys, time will tell.”
By the end of the night, the manager had more pressing frustrations with his team’s porous fielding — the main culprit in what was their fourth loss in the last six games.
After taking a 3-1 into the eighth — Tommy Edman hit two early home runs, his first long balls of the season, and Max Muncy went deep in the fifth — the Dodgers capitulated during the Cubs’ five-run rally.
Reliever Alex Vesia issued a leadoff walk. Throwing errors from Austin Barnes (who fired wide of first base on a swinging bunt) and Tommy Edman (who threw a ball from center that neither shortstop Miguel Rojas nor Muncy at third base corralled) led to the two tying runs. Then the go-ahead run scored when second baseman Kiké Hernández lost the ball while trying to tag a baserunner on a potential double play.
“It was very uncharacteristic,” Roberts said. “Just a different team that I didn’t really recognize in that eighth inning.”
Barnes took accountability for his errant throw.
“It was horrible,” he said. “This one’s on me.”
The guilty party on Edman’s error wasn’t as clear in the postgame clubhouse.
Muncy, who let the ball get by him at third base before it dribbled into the Dodgers’ dugout, said he thought Rojas was going to cut the play off at shortstop.
“I mean, it was thrown right at him,” Muncy said. “Yeah, I thought he was going to catch it.”
Roberts, however, said Rojas was trying to deke the runner at first base to prevent him from going to second, putting a glove up as nothing more than a decoy believing Muncy was positioned to get the ball behind him.
“Miggy made the right play as far as trying to keep that runner at first base,” Roberts said. “I don’t know if Max was in the right position to be quite honest, and then the ball got by him. That’s a play that shouldn’t get past the third baseman.”
Those mistakes muted the good vibes that emanated the ballpark after Yamamoto’s impressive start. They served as a reminder of the fine-tuning left to take place in the season’s final stage.
Still, from where the team was just a few days ago, when Flaherty seemed like their only safe bet to anchor a potential postseason rotation, brighter days might finally be on the horizon for the Dodgers’ injury-plagued pitching staff.
It didn’t result in a victory Tuesday. But it could position them for a deep October push that once seemed in doubt.
“Obviously it never feels good to lose a ballgame,” Roberts said. “But I think the big takeaway is that we have [Yamamoto] back.”
Gonsolin starts rehab
In other positive pitching injury news, right-hander Tony Gonsolin began a rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City, pitching two scoreless innings in his first game action since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.
Gonsolin remains unlikely to contribute to the major-league roster this year, Roberts said, barring a “crazy scenario.”
But by getting some rehab starts in before the end of this year, Gonsolin should be set up for a smoother return to the Dodgers rotation in 2025.
Teoscar’s return
The Dodgers lineup is expected to get a boost of its own Wednesday, with Teoscar Hernández scheduled to rejoin the batting order after missing the last four games with a foot contusion.
Hernández was available off the bench Tuesday, with Roberts joking pregame he “couldn’t convince the training staff” to green-light the slugger’s return to the lineup quite yet.
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Earlier this month, Michigan defeated UConn in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game.
Shortly after the Wolverines captured the program’s first title since 1989, Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. announced he would enter the NBA Draft.
Despite declaring for the NBA Draft, Johnson has maintained his NCAA eligibility throughout the process. However, he has until May 27 to withdraw if he plans to return for his junior season.
Johnson played for Illinois during the 2024-25 season before transferring to Michigan last offseason.
Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. walks on the court against UConn at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated)
After joining Michigan, Johnson quickly emerged as a key contributor, averaging the second-most points on the team. He also led the Wolverines in rebounding, averaging 7.3 per game.
Michigan head coach Dusty May eventually dubbed Johnson “The Enforcer” and “Junkyard Dog,” a nod to his tenacity on the defensive end. Johnson was named to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team.
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But Johnson’s offensive prowess didn’t take a back seat to his defensive strengths. His shooting from beyond the 3-point line showed improvement as the season progressed.
Morez Johnson Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines cuts down the net after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63 in the 2026 NCAA national championship game in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Many early NBA projections gave Johnson a first-round grade. It’s unclear how much name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation he would command if he returns to Michigan or transfers elsewhere.
Johnson has been active on social media, interacting with teammates as they consider returning to Michigan for another championship push.
Morez Johnson Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates after scoring in the second half against the UConn Huskies during the 2026 NCAA national championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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Michigan added a key piece this week, with Jalen Reed transferring from LSU, On3 reported. Reed was limited during the 2025-26 season by an Achilles injury.
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Quarterback Ty Simpson arrived in Los Angeles on Friday — and the Rams’ first-round draft pick sounded as if he couldn’t wait to start learning from coach Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford.
“The best head coach in the league, the best quarterback in the league, the best … franchise in the league — it’s a perfect situation,” Simpson said during a news conference at the Rams’ draft headquarters in Inglewood.
How the situation plays out — short and long term — remains to be seen.
Stafford, 38, will enter his 18th NFL season as the reigning NFL most valuable player.
With free agent Jimmy Garoppolo mulling retirement, McVay said Thursday night that Simpson would compete with Stetson Bennett to be Stafford’s backup.
The Rams used the 13th pick to select Simpson, 23, who started 15 games for Alabama.
McVay said that he had informed Stafford that the Rams would select Simpson.
“He was great,” McVay said of Stafford’s reaction. “He’s a stud. He’s always first class in every sense of the word.”
But McVay and general manager Les Snead were not their typically ebullient selves when discussing Simpson during their Thursday night news conference. Some observers perceived that as a break in what is regarded as one of the NFL’s best coach-general manager partnerships.
On Friday, Snead said in an interview with ESPN radio that he and McVay work “in lockstep.”
So their muted reactions Thursday might have been out of sensitivity, warranted or not, to not upset Stafford after drafting his heir apparent in the first round. McVay took pains to remind that the Rams are Stafford’s team, seemingly to not offend the Rams’ most important player.
After last year’s draft-day trade with the Atlanta Falcons, the Rams went into the offseason with two first-round picks — their own at No. 29 and the one acquired from the Falcons at 13.
Ty Simpson poses for a photo with his family during a news conference in Inglewood on Friday.
(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)
In March, the Rams used the 29th pick in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, so perhaps the 13th pick was regarded as a luxury.
They spent it on a player who was at Alabama for four seasons, but started only one.
Snead acknowledged that as Simpson pondered whether to remain at Alabama or make himself available for the draft, Snead spoke with Simpson’s father, Jason, who like Snead played college football in the Southeastern Conference and is now the coach at Tennessee Martin. Snead said it was in the role similar to the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, which evaluates prospects and lets them know in what round, if any, that they might be selected. Snead reportedly told Jason Simpson his son was first-round caliber.
“You try to get across it’s not about where you get drafted,” Snead said Thursday night. “It’s more about where you go and what situation you go and what you do with that opportunity after.”
A few months later, the Rams drafted Simpson, who was upbeat as he met with reporters, while his parents and his brother and sister sat nearby.
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The Rams drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
Simpson, who passed for 28 touchdowns, with five interceptions last season, was in Southern California last January when Alabama lost to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide did a walkthrough at SoFi Stadium.
Now he will begin his NFL career there.
“I’m, I guess, like a redneck in Southern California,” he joked. “So we’ll see how that goes. But I’m super excited to be here. This is a great place, with great people and I can’t wait to get started.”
Simpson said that Rams safety Quentin Lake had texted him. He also received a social media message from Stafford’s wife, Kelly, inviting him and his family to reach out if they need anything.
“Can’t wait to talk to Matthew,” said Simpson, who characterized the veteran as “an assassin” on the field. “I’m super excited because I just want to pick his brain about everything.”
Simpson met with McVay on Friday.
“He’s got the juice, man,” Simpson said, “like that dude … he’s a fireball.”
Simpson said he benefited from the years he spent at Alabama before he got his opportunity to play last season.
“The years that I sat were … probably more important,” he said, “because I had to learn how to practice. I had to learn how to study when I wasn’t playing because I didn’t know when that time was going to come.
“And so whenever that time did come — it was this year — I made the most of it.”
Now he is ready for the next phase of his career.
He said his faith was his foundation, and that he aspires to be “not only be the best football player I can be,” but also a better teammate and person.
“I want people to come into the locker room and smile, knowing that ‘Hey, Ty’s here,’” he said. “I want to lead, influence people and I think at the quarterback position that’s what you need to do.”
His immediate goal is modest.
“My plan is just to get better each and every day,” he said, “so, eventually, I have a long career like Matthew.”
Sports
Olympic legend Kaillie Humphries signs with activist sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics amid political rise
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The most accomplished Olympic women’s bobsledder in history is now an official brand ambassador in the movement to “save women’s sports”.
Olympic bobsled legend Kaillie Humphries has signed with the activist sportswear company XX-XY Athletics, becoming the latest medal-winning Olympian to represent the brand.
“Being able to partner with a brand that believes in the same things I do, that’s willing to stand up and actively work on protecting the women’s space and women’s sports is huge,” Humphries told Fox News Digital.
Humphries first spoke out about her support for protecting women’s sports from biological male trans athletes in a Fox News Interview that went viral after the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
Humphries had just returned after winning bronze in women’s bobsled, marking her sixth career Olympic medal. She later revealed that she received backlash for coming out as a Republican with other conservative stances in that interview, but didn’t back down.
Humphries went on to be honored at a White House Women’s History Month event by President Donald Trump in March, and gave her Order of Ikkos medal to Trump, citing his actions to protect women’s sports.
“Being able to come back to the USA after the Olympics and then be able to make connections and meet some people, I was able to, when I went to the White House, I was able to meet people that were connected obviously in working with XX-XY and that’s how the conversation started,” Humphries said.
Humphries, who is originally from Canada and competed in her first three Olympics for Canada, moved to the U.S. in 2016 and then competed for Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
FEMALE ATHLETES ANXIOUSLY AWAIT SUPREME COURT DECISION TO TAKE UP TRANSGENDER PARTICIPATION IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
Kaillie Humphries, U.S. Olympic bronze medalist bobsled athlete, presents the Order of Ikkos to President Donald Trump during a Women’s History Month event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 12, 2026. (Al Drago/Bloomberg)
Just months after that, America was rocked by the news that male transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was winning championships for UPenn’s women’s swim team.
Humphries, who was following the story in the news, found it startling.
Now, as a California resident and the mother of a newborn son, she is energized to help combat the wave of trans athletes in girls’ sports in the state, as California has become the nation’s biggest hotbed for the issue.
XX-XY Athletics co-founder and former U.S. gymnast Jennifer previously told Fox News Digital one of her biggest goals for the brand was to land high-profile superstar women’s athletes as brand ambassadors, especially Olympic medalists.
Now, with Humphries, the brand has a three-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time Olympic podium finisher across her stints for Canada and the U.S.
Humphries joins Olympic silver medalist gymnast MyKayla Skinner and gold medal swimmer Nancy Hogshead on XX-XY Athletics’ growing roster of Olympians.
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USA’s Kaillie Humphries holds a USA flag after winning bronze in the bobsleigh women’s monobob heat 4 at Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 16, 2026. (Marco Bertorello/AFP)
“Kaillie is the GOAT of her sport. She is the only Olympian to win gold for two different countries. She is an elite athlete and a courageous, fierce woman who has fought for female athletes to have equal opportunities in sport.” Sey told Fox News Digital.
“The women’s monobob event exists because of Kaillie’s leadership, and she has gold-medal proof that women have the skill, strength, and speed to compete at the highest level. She has driven meaningful change and expanded opportunities for women at the Olympic level — more female athletes represent Team USA because of Kaillie. And that’s exactly why we’re leading with her as we grow in how we support female athletes.”
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