Sports
Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson ready for ‘next step’ after throwing session
Dave Roberts is trying to temper his expectations, but that’s hard to do when a veteran reliever who closed for a World Series-winning team just four years ago takes a significant step in his return from knee surgery.
Daniel Hudson is still weeks away from a possible return, and he has endured so many setbacks over the last three months that there is no guarantee he will pitch for the Dodgers this season.
But the right-hander completed a 30-pitch bullpen workout in Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, and if he could return in the second half?
“It would be huge,” Roberts said before Tuesday night’s game against Washington. “He gets lefties out, he gets righties out, he’s made the last pitch in a World Series game. So to have him, to have that veteran presence, that calmness, it’s gonna be a big boost.”
Hudson, who helped the Nationals win the championship in 2019, went 2-3 with a 2.22 ERA and five saves in 25 games for the Dodgers before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last June.
He used his entire pitch mix Tuesday and said he came out of it “feeling like I’m ready to make that next step.” That would be returning to Arizona to resume facing hitters this weekend and hopefully begin a minor league rehabilitation stint later in June.
“I know he wants to get back with us, but he still feels it in his knee,” Roberts said. “He was really good today, and I think he came out of it really well, but when he gets out on rehab and is back pitching in competition, then I’ll really get excited.”
Hudson believed he “turned a corner” when he received a cortisone injection in the knee two weeks ago. He hoped to be ready for the start of the season but had to slow his throwing progression in March because of knee soreness and a right ankle injury. He threw to hitters three times in early April before suffering another setback.
“I felt some pretty bad soreness in there and had to shut it down for a little bit,” Hudson said. “And then, as I was coming back, I felt it again, so that’s when we decided to get a little bit aggressive with the injection. There was some inflammation, some tendinitis, in the patellar area that was bugging me. I tried to push through it and couldn’t get over the hump.”
Hudson, 36, couldn’t put a timetable on his return.
“As soon as possible,” he said. “I’m not really going to say I hope to get back by this date or that date. At this point, I’m just trying to get over the hump. … It’s been extremely frustrating, but I’m hoping we’re on the backside of it.”
If Hudson does return, his effectiveness, durability and availability probably will hinge on how well he can manage the pain in his knee.
“Is it going to be perfectly 100%? I don’t know that,” Roberts said. “I think we’re [resigned] to there being some discomfort, but as long as we know that he can pitch through it and it’s not gonna get worse, I think he’ll be OK.”
Vesia up, Stone down
The Dodgers recalled reliever Alex Vesia from triple A and optioned struggling starter Gavin Stone to Oklahoma City, giving them an extra left-hander in the bullpen until Michael Grove is activated for Saturday’s start against the New York Yankees.
Vesia, 27, went 0-2 with a 7.84 ERA in 13 games for the Dodgers this season, but was dominant in his last nine appearances for Oklahoma City, giving up no earned runs, five hits and striking out 18 in 9⅔ innings.
“I felt like I was fighting my mechanics and trying to get into different positions that I wasn’t able to get into,” Vesia said of his struggles. “One little tweak with my front leg led to the ball coming out of my hand a lot easier and with more life.”
Stone, the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year last year, had a 14.40 ERA in three big-league starts and was roughed up for seven earned runs and 10 hits in two innings of Sunday’s 11-10 loss at Tampa Bay. His other two starts were against the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.
“Given who he faced, very good,” Roberts said of Stone’s confidence level. “I think as a competitor, you never want to get it handed to you. But I do think that with Gavin’s toughness, he’ll take from it and know that he’ll be ready when he gets back.”
Urias update
Julio Urías, who went on the 15-day injured list because of a left hamstring strain on May 20, threw a 15-pitch bullpen workout that Roberts described as a “touch-and-feel” session.
Barring setback, the plan for the left-hander is to throw off the Dodger Stadium mound Saturday, face hitters in Cincinnati next Tuesday, throw a simulated game of three or four innings the following weekend in Philadelphia and return to the rotation in mid-June.
Sports
Stenhouse punches Busch after NASCAR All-Star Race
An angry Ricky Stenhouse Jr. confronted Kyle Busch, then punched him following the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway, setting off a brief fight between teams in the garage.
Stenhouse made an aggressive move on the opening lap of the race and Busch ended up in the wall, which led to Busch intentionally crashing Stenhouse and eliminating him on Lap 2. But North Wilkesboro is an old-school track with no exit tunnel, so Stenhouse had nothing to do but wait for Busch until the race was over.
Sure enough, Stenhouse was standing by Busch’s hauler as the driver of the No. 8 car approached. After a short conversation, Stenhouse swung and set off a fight. Team members then got involved.
Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got into an altercation following the NASCAR All-Star Race 😳
🎥 @Jordan_Bianchi pic.twitter.com/86EA503lCw
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 20, 2024
“You hit the fence yourself,” Stenhouse said, according to footage from The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi. “I didn’t touch you!”
When Busch disputed that, Stenhouse’s eyes widened and he added: “I did not touch you. Not once.”
“We all hit each other,” Busch said.
“No we — you hit the fence and then you hit me,” Stenhouse said.
Busch then said that wasn’t true again, and Stenhouse swung his fist and appeared to hit Busch in the face.
After the initial contact, Stenhouse’s dad — Ricky Stenhouse Sr. — also went after Busch and swung at him.
“Dad! Dad!” Stenhouse Jr. said after being knocked to the ground, then asked a crew member: “Can you get my dad?”
Stenhouse Sr. and Busch angrily tussled and grabbed each other for a few moments before they were pulled apart.
“Bring it! I don’t give a f—,” Busch then yelled at Stenhouse Jr. “I suck just as bad as you! Let’s go!”
Busch was referring to his disappointing season so far and a 10th-place finish on Sunday night. Stenhouse is also having struggles this year after winning the Daytona 500 last season.
Required reading
(Photo: Sean Gardner / Getty Images)
Sports
Former Red Sox pitcher Austin Maddox arrested as part of underage sex sting operation
Austin Maddox, a former Boston Red Sox pitcher, was arrested in Florida on Monday as part of an underage sex sting.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Maddox was one of 27 people who were arrested as part of an operation that spanned across multiple agencies.
Maddox and the others arrested are being accused of soliciting sex over the internet from those believed to be children, according to officials.
Maddox, 33, intends to fight the allegations, according to his defense attorney James Hill. He will be entering a not guilty plea should formal charges be filed against him.
Maddox is being charged with four felony counts, which include traveling to meet after using a computer to solicit a child. Bail has been set at $300,000 for Maddox, who is being held in jail.
BLUE JAYS FAN REVEALS NASTY BUMP, BLACK EYE AFTER GETTING HIT WITH BO BICHETTE’S 110MPH FOUL BALL
The sex sting operation saw Maddox communicating with an undercover agent who pretended to be an underage girl on April 28. According to the arrest report, Maddox said he wanted to have sex with the girl (the undercover agent), though it was made known to him that she was 14.
After agreeing to a pre-determined location, authorities met Maddox to arrest him.
Maddox, who was born in Jacksonville, played just 13 games in MLB in 2017. He threw 17.1 innings, giving up 13 hits but allowing just one earned run over that span for a 0.52 ERA.
But Maddox didn’t last long in the bigs, as shoulder injuries derailed his stay.
He was a standout at the University of Florida during his college days, as he would end up being drafted by Boston in the third round of the 2012 MLB Draft. However, things didn’t pan out professionally, as he spent most of his time in the minors.
He last pitched in 2018 for three different teams, including Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket.
Maddox was released by the team in 2019.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
No joke: Chargers' Jim Harbaugh reminds Denzel Perryman of Will Ferrell
The expanding list of first impressions made by Jim Harbaugh on the Chargers grew by one Monday — a rather hilarious one.
“I don’t want to get in trouble for this, but he reminds me of Will Ferrell,” linebacker Denzel Perryman said. “The way that he talks, his analogies and everything. They really remind me of Will Ferrell.
“It’s funny to me. I know that he means well and everything’s coming from the heart, but I feel like you gotta have a sense of humor to understand some of his lines and gimmicks.”
Perryman had no history with Harbaugh before returning to the team that signed him in March as a free agent. About eight weeks earlier, the Chargers had hired Harbaugh as head coach.
Now the two are trying to rally the team back from a 5-12 finish, Perryman one of options to man the middle of a defense being revamped in the image of what Harbaugh ran at Michigan.
“I love him as a coach,” Perryman said. “I love the direction that he’s got us going in. He played the game. He played here. He understands.”
As the Chargers continued their offseason program in Costa Mesa, their defense looked as complete as it has since the middle of 2023. That’s because edge rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa both were present.
The two multiple-Pro Bowlers joined their teammates on the field for the first time this offseason during the portion of practices open to the media. Both restructured their deals in March to remain with the team.
Now, Perryman is back, too, after spending two seasons with Las Vegas and one with Houston. The Chargers drafted Perryman in the second round in 2015, and he emerged as a hard hitter during his first six NFL seasons.
“Feels good to be back, back where it all started,” Perryman said. “Feels like I’m back home.”
He is the learned presence at a position where the Chargers also feature a pair of risers in second-year pro Daiyan Henley and rookie Junior Colson, along with veterans Nick Niemann and Troy Dye.
Perryman and Henley took the first snaps during 11-on-11 drills Monday, after Colson left the workout early — walking off the field with trainers — and did not return.
Having played for Harbaugh in college, Colson is familiar with the scheme being implemented by first-year coordinator Jesse Minter, who also came from Michigan.
That experience, plus Colson’s sideline-to-sideline play-making and overall on-field command, have boosted his projections since the Chargers drafted him in the third round last month.
“We’re in meetings, and he’s answering every single question,” linebacker coach NaVorro Bowman said. “He’s there to settle them [fellow linebackers] down and really just say, ‘Hey, coach is talking fast, but it’s just this.’ ”
As for Colson’s development, Bowman said he “just needs to learn how to be a pro. I think that’s where I come in.”
An eight-year veteran, Bowman began his career with San Francisco, where he played for Harbaugh from 2011-14. He was named a first-team All-Pro four times and led the NFL in tackles in 2015.
Bowman said his tutelage of Colson will include everything from when to take chances on the field to how to care for his body off it. In watching Colson play at Michigan, Bowman said he “saw a leader.”
He also said Perryman will provide an example for the Chargers’ young linebackers.
“He’s a 10-year vet,” Bowman said. “He’s doing the things that a lot of 10-year guys I played with wouldn’t do. He’s approaching it the right way.”
One change for Perryman in his Chargers return will be his jersey number. He will wear No. 6, which he had last season with the Texans. During his first stint with the Chargers, Perryman was No. 52. That now belongs to Mack.
“Honestly, I wasn’t paying Khalil Mack millions of dollars for No. 52,” Perryman said, laughing. “I was like, ‘Yeah, he can have it.’ Six was available, so I just started rocking with it again.”
Known for his light and engaging personality, Perryman was in midseason form during his first session with reporters, the highlight being his comparison of Harbaugh to a comedian known for his often goofy characters.
Perryman was asked if he’s mentioned the Will Ferrell observation to his new head coach.
“Not yet,” he said. “But I’m pretty sure he’ll hear this and talk to me about it tomorrow.”
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