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Dodgers pleased with 'really sharp' Blake Treinen, but team continues to stress caution

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Dodgers pleased with 'really sharp' Blake Treinen, but team continues to stress caution

The lively sinking fastball that averaged 97.4 mph in his last full season has already touched 95-96 mph in Cactus League play, and the nasty slider that hitters rarely made contact with in 2021 has retained much of its bite.

Blake Treinen is 2 ½ years and one major shoulder surgery removed from a 2021 season in which he was one of baseball’s most dominant relievers, but there are early signs this spring that the 35-year-old right-hander could reclaim a prominent role in one of baseball’s deepest bullpens.

“Watching live batting practice from behind the screen, when our hitters don’t want to face you, that’s generally a good thing,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said of Treinen, who has thrown two hitless innings with one strikeout in two exhibition games.

“He’s been really sharp. The movement [on his pitches] is ungodly. His command has been good. He really hasn’t missed a beat as far as putting the entire arsenal together and being able to attack the zone.”

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While Dave Roberts has been impressed with Treinen’s “strike-throwing, the teeth of the sinker, the cut fastball and the slider,” the Dodgers manager is not ready to herald the return of a 2021-model Treinen.

“He’s not there, but nor is anyone at this point of spring training,” Roberts said. “Could he get there? Absolutely. It’s just a constant build-up and facing hitters, but he’s doing a good job of competing.”

Treinen, a nine-year veteran, had his best season for the Oakland Athletics in 2018, going 9-2 with an 0.78 ERA in 68 games, giving up 46 hits, striking out 100 and walking 21 in 80 ⅓ innings. He went 3-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 27 games in pandemic-shortened 2020 to help the Dodgers win the World Series.

Treinen was nearly untouchable as closer Kenley Jansen’s setup man in 2021, when he went 6-5 with a 1.99 ERA in 72 games, allowing 46 hits, striking out 85 and walking 25 in 72 ⅓ innings and holding opposing hitters to a .179 average and a paltry .512 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

His 93-mph cutter was effective enough to hold hitters to a .176 average (12 for 68) in at-bats ending with the pitch, but Treinen’s most lethal weapon was an 86.4-mph slider that had 37 inches of drop and 13 inches of break and held hitters to an .074 average (seven for 95) and 57 strikeouts in at-bats ending with the pitch.

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“Just dominance,” closer Evan Phillips, who joined the Dodgers in August 2021 after he was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay, said when asked what he remembered most about Treinen that season. “Dominance and conviction and confidence on the mound. I think when any bullpen pitcher is at their best, they have full conviction in themselves.”

After a grueling, injury-plagued and rehabilitation-filled two years in which Treinen was limited by shoulder problems to five games in 2022 and missed all of 2023 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff, Treinen is just happy to be in a position to return to the mound in 2024.

“I don’t want my career to end the way that it presumably could have,” Treinen said. “And I want my kids to see [the importance] of hard work and not giving up when things get hard. My whole life has kind of been a testament to that. I’ve worked my tail off, God has opened a lot of doors, and I’m very grateful to have another opportunity.”

Though Treinen had surgery in November 2022 and was expected to miss most, if not all, of 2023, the Dodgers still signed him to a one-year, $8-million contract for 2023 with a 2024 option that could range from $1 million to $7 million based on innings pitched.

Most teams would have cut ties with a 35-year-old reliever who missed most of the previous two seasons because of shoulder problems. The Dodgers exercised Treinen’s 2024 option last November.

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“We’ve developed a really good relationship with Blake over the years,” Gomes said. “The talent, the compete, is obviously there, and we knew once he had the surgery and was rehabbing that his dedication to his craft is as good as anyone.

“We bet on Blake to go out and do everything he can to get back to his previous form, which was one of the best relievers in baseball. That was an easy bet for us.”

Treinen nearly made it back to the Dodgers last September but had to abort a minor league rehabilitation stint after three appearances because of shoulder soreness.

“I was fighting myself mechanically, trying to get into positions where I didn’t feel anything, but that’s not conducive to long-term success,” Treinen said. “Other things started to bark a little bit, so we agreed to let the body heal completely and have a 15-month recovery instead of 12 months. That was probably the biggest blessing of all.”

Treinen still has plenty of boxes to check before he returns to a high-leverage role for the Dodgers, but he appears to be trending in that direction.

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“He looks good, and I think the velocity will start creeping up a little bit the more game action he gets into,” pitching coach Mark Prior said. “With guys in his situation, it’s really about the workload. The stuff’s been great when there’s plenty of rest. Can he maintain that?

“He’s been throwing the ball really well. Now it’s about building up that tolerance to be able to pitch every third day, two out of three, and obviously in back-to-back games. I don’t think that will be forced anytime soon.”

The Dodgers don’t necessarily need Treinen to regain his 2021 form, but if he can come anywhere close to that, it would add another power arm from the right side in a bullpen that already features high-octane right-handers Phillips, Ryan Brasier, Brusdar Graterol and Joe Kelly.

“His stuff is in a great place right now, and there are a lot of outcomes where he’s an elite pitcher, whether it’s the 2021 form or not,” Gomes said. “He’s been so good in many different ways over his career.

“So our messaging and our conversation with Blake is, ‘OK, whatever comes out of this, which right now is exceptional stuff and command, don’t be pushing for more. If more comes, cool; if not, you’re still one of the best relievers in the game.’”

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Ex-NFL star implores Russell Wilson to hang it up: ‘Do your TV thing’

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Ex-NFL star implores Russell Wilson to hang it up: ‘Do your TV thing’

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Russell Wilson has had his share of ups and downs in his NFL career.

He helped the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship in 2013 and was named to the Pro Bowl four times. But the last few years of his career arguably did some damage to his legacy as he’s spent the last three seasons with three different teams.

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New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 9, 2025. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

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Wilson is still on the free-agent market as he looks to latch on to a new team for 2026. However, former NFL star Aqib Talib implored Wilson to hang up the cleats.

“Do your TV thing, Russ. It’s over with, man. Once you’ve got to decide, do I even want to play?” Talib said on “The Arena: Gridiron.” “I think you don’t really want to play. I hate when guys get to the later part of their career and then they start doing the bounce-around thing and they’re not going to win. There was no chip in New York. That’s just going to be another stop on your resume.”

Wilson reportedly garnered some interest from NFL teams.

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson stands on the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 26, 2025. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)

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He told the New York Post that the New York Jets were one of them.

Wilson also was reportedly a candidate to take Matt Ryan’s spot on CBS’ “The NFL Today” after Ryan left to take a front office job with the Atlanta Falcons.

Wilson has 46,966 passing yards and 353 passing touchdowns in 205 career games, but the 2025 season with the New York Giants was one to forget.

Wilson started three games and made some bizarre decisions in a loss against the Chiefs. Jaxson Dart was named the starting quarterback. As he came in to take a few snaps while Dart was being checked for a concussion, Wilson was booed.

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Oct. 19, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

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Should he end up signing with another team, Wilson will be entering his age-38 season.

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Artists, community come together to welcome World Cup to Inglewood with murals and more

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Artists, community come together to welcome World Cup to Inglewood with murals and more

A lot has changed since Jacori Perry attended Morningside High School.

Perry is now a renowned artist who goes by the names Mr. Ace and AiseBorn.

The school is now known as Inglewood High School United.

And the lecture hall on that campus now features a large, ornate mural of a soccer ball being grasped by the hands of two people — freshly painted by the 2004 Morningside graduate as the city of Inglewood prepares to host eight World Cup games at SoFi Stadium starting next month.

Local artist Mr. Ace works on his mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11. The artists, whose real name is Jacori Perry, attended the school when it was known as Morningside High more than two decades ago.

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(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

“If you told me that I would be back here painting one of the walls on this campus when I was in high school, I don’t think that I necessarily would have foreseen it,” Mr. Ace said as he was putting the finishing touches on his mural last week. “So I’m a little in amazement about just the way life works in that sense.”

He was one of several Los Angeles-based artists to participate in a Road to World Cup Community Day last month at Inglewood High United. Many of the artists — including Juan Pablo Reyes (“JP murals”), Michelle Ruby Guerrero (“Mr. B Baby”) and Angel Acordagoitia — sketched designs on portable panels (12-feet by 8-feet) and picnic tables for community members to paint.

The picnic tables will remain at the high school in front of Mr. Ace’s mural. The mobile murals will be placed throughout LAX to welcome visitors arriving for the World Cup.

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Kathryn Schloessman, CEO of the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee, said in a news release that the event was “just one example of how the energy of the World Cup can be felt in neighborhoods across our region.”

“Students, artists, and volunteers came together to create a work of art that will live on well beyond the end of the tournament,” Schloessman said. “It’s a reflection of the creativity, diversity, and community pride that makes our region so special as we prepare to host the world for FIFA World Cup 2026.”

Community members were encouraged to take part in the painting process, no matter their skill level.

“We made it easy enough for people that have zero experience to a proficient level of experience, for them to all be involved,” said Reyes, who designed and helped paint two mural panels and three tables. “We did the sketch, and then I tried to dab a little bit of color — whatever color is supposed to be there, I dabbed a little bit of color right there, so they would have a guide. …

People stand on a scaffold and on the ground while painting a mural on a large panel.

Students and community members help paint a mural panel during a Road to World Cup Community Day event May 2 at Inglewood High School.

(Dawn M. Burkes / Los Angeles Times)

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“I was right there, kind of supervising, making sure that everything went as planned. And if anybody has questions, they’re more than welcome to let me know about them. But, yeah, it’s pretty easy for them to kind of be involved and feel that sense of ownership and have a sense of pride that, ‘Yeah, I was part of that mural-creation process.’ It’s a rich experience for them.”

Acordagoitia sketched several table-top designs for the public to paint at the event.

“They did great,” he said of the community members. “They helped a lot. They were asking questions. They got all the other colors correct. So, yeah, they were excited. A lot of kids were excited to see the live painting, because now kids are used to being on their phones. So that was a great experience for them.”

Acordagoitia also opted to paint a mural panel on his own because “it was a little more technical,” involving portraits of his 8-year-old son, a nephew and a friend.

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“I wanted to focus more on the youth because that’s really our future,” he said. “So that’s, that’s the main thing about the mural, just about the kids, soccer, culture, community. It’s exciting for me, because I grew up playing soccer and to include soccer with art, it’s just a dream come true.”

Guerrero said “the community was a big help in filling in all the background colors that I need in order to build the detail and layers” on the two mural panels she designed.

“My whole style is based on culture. And I think that there’s a connection there with the World Cup and how I feel like it brings together all the culture and just, like, celebration,” Guerrero said. “It kind of goes hand in hand with the type of work I do, because my stuff is really festive, celebrating culture. And just as an L.A.-based artist, I think the collaboration made sense.”

The four artists also took part in another Road to World Cup Community Day in downtown L.A. at Gloria Molina Grand Park on March 14. At that event, the artists sketched designs on large sculptures shaped like soccer balls and an oversized picnic table, also for community members to paint.

While Mr. Ace opted to paint his permanent mural at Inglewood High School United on his own, he was sure to include the community theme into his work.

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“The idea was really centered around just creating something that was community-based — something that represented the World Cup but also represented some sense of community,” he said. “And so what I did was try to create something that was symbolic, very direct in terms of its relationship to soccer and figuring out through that how to create something simple that [brings] into that a sense of community. And that’s how I landed on the two hands holding the soccer ball.”

A man stands in a lift and paints on a wall with blue paint as part of a mural with an ornate design.

Local artist Mr. Ace works on his World Cup-themed mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Back when he was a student on that campus, Mr. Ace said he was always involved in art and knew he wanted a career as an artist. He struggled to come up with the right words to describe how it felt being back there creating a work of art to be shared with the students, all of the community and everyone who happens to see it on the way to a World Cup match.

“I guess there’s no words to really describe it,” he said. “I think if any artist gets the opportunity to paint at their own high school — especially if they’ve been doing large-scale works around the city, the country or the world — I think that is a little touching. When it’s attached to something like the World Cup … you know, a large part of my childhood was spent in Inglewood, so coming from my circumstances and life, I think it’s even more intriguing.”

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Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History

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Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History

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The best Indianapolis 500 finish could be subjective, depending on which driver a fan was rooting for to win.

It certainly is in the eye of the beholder.

So take this list for what it’s worth. One view of the 10 best finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Of course, it skews to more recent decades when the runs have come a little faster and the finishes have had a tendency to be a little closer.

We’ll add one each day to this list of fantastic finishes ahead of the 110th running of the Indy 500 on May 24 (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

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10. Ericsson outduels O’Ward (2022)

After a red flag, Marcus Ericsson held off Pato O’Ward in a two-lap shootout. The shootout didn’t last two laps, though, as there was a crash on the final lap behind them. Ericsson had a comfortable lead when the red flag came out for a crash with four laps to go, a situation where in past Indianapolis 500 races, they likely would have ended the race under caution with Ericsson as the winner.

9. Foyt survives chaos (1967)

How does a driver who wins by two laps end up on this list? It’s because the win nearly didn’t happen on the last lap. A big crash with cars and debris littering the frontstretch just ahead of Foyt as he came to the checkered flag forced him to navigate through the wreckage for the win.

8. Sato can’t catch Franchitti (2012)

This was one of those finishes where the leader holds on for the win, but boy did the leader have to hold on. Takuma Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti early on the final lap but to no avail and Franchitti sped off for the victory. This was one of those Indy 500s that made you hold your breath all the way to the checkered flag.

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