Sports
Freddie Freeman returns to action, but will have to manage ankle during first half of season
PHOENIX — He might have only been knocking the rust off. But Freddie Freeman was still less than thrilled.
Facing live pitching for one of the few times all spring this week, Freeman stood at the plate on a nondescript backfield at the Dodgers’ Camelback Ranch facility and took swing after swing against a couple of minor-leaguers.
Less than three months removed from offseason surgery on his right ankle, the session was a grind.
Several times, Freeman grunted as he rolled soft grounders toward first base. On a lazy pop-up to left, he sarcastically quipped that it “went the other way, at least.” After ending another at-bat with a big swing-and-miss, Freeman simply looked down as he trudged out of the box.
As the live batting practice ended minutes later, Freeman saw Dodgers strength and conditioning coach Travis Smith approaching. Smith, he knew, was there to oversee the baserunning drills that were next on Freeman’s agenda. So, he turned to hitting coach Aaron Bates and cracked a joke.
“I blame Trav,” Freeman deadpanned, loud enough for a Smith to hear. “I was thinking about running.”
Coming off his triumphant World Series and celebratory offseason, this moment was a more appropriate snapshot of the reality Freeman has faced this spring.
After Freeman gutted it out through his badly sprained ankle and broken rib cartilage last October — when his storybook postseason culminated with MVP honors in the World Series and a historic walk-off grand slam in Game 1 — the physical toll the 35-year-old endured finally caught up with him this winter.
In early December, with his ankle still aching more than a month into the offseason, Freeman had an MRI exam that revealed the need for a debridement surgery; cleaning up loose bodies and chipped cartilage that had matriculated to his Achilles’ tendon.
As late as January, manager Dave Roberts said, there was doubt over whether he’d be able to start the 2025 season on time.
“He wasn’t moving very well, wasn’t recovering, still was in a lot of pain,” Roberts said. “Opening Day didn’t even seem feasible.”
Fast-forward two months, however, and Freeman is now fully expecting to be in the lineup when the Dodgers open their season on March 18-19 in Japan against the Chicago Cubs.
His ankle isn’t 100%, and probably won’t be for the first half of the season. But he has progressed to an important point in his recovery, making his Cactus League debut Thursday with a one-for-three performance in a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
“I felt pretty good today,” Freeman said afterward. “Saw the pitches well. Felt like I swung at strikes … Just wanted to swing a lot today. That was my goal, to see where the timing was.”
Freeman still has more boxes to check between now and when the Dodgers leave for Japan in less than two weeks.
He has yet to play the field in a game, limited to designated hitting duties on Thursday. He is continuing to work through a running progress to complete his ankle rehab; his post-BP drills with Smith earlier in the week serving as the latest reminder of the hurdles left to clear.
“It’s good enough,” Freeman quipped when asked if his ankle was 100% yet. “I wish it felt like my left one does.”
That might not happen for a while. Freeman said he will probably have to tape his ankle in games until some point around the All-Star break. He will be a familiar presence in the training room, and might even agree to take an occasional off day early in the campaign — something he has been loath to do during his 15-year career.
“Lower-body injuries are hard to rehab, especially the ankle,” Freeman said. “So I do believe it’s gonna be a lot more treatment-wise than I would like.”
The good news for Freeman is that he’s already starting to feel better about his swing.
On Thursday, he recorded his first hit, a line-drive single to right, after battling back from an 0-and-2 count. He’ll get more chances to collect at-bats over the weekend, planning to DH again on Saturday and potentially return to first base on Sunday.
“I thought he was moving really well,” Roberts said. “Better than I would have expected.”
What wasn’t unexpected: The loud reception Freeman received before his first at-bat, and the “Fredd-ie! Fredd-ie!” chants that followed him as he walked up the clubhouse tunnel after leaving the field.
All offseason, Freeman has experienced such attention; his already substantial popularity skyrocketing in the wake of his playoff heroics last October. Even during trips to the grocery store, he said, fans have approached him to simply say thanks.
“It’s very uncomfortable for me,” Freeman joked with a laugh. “But that’s OK. I appreciate it. I really do. It’s not something you set out for, but taking it in stride. You appreciate what you were able to create for people. I don’t take that for granted.”
Looking ahead to this season, Freeman said he is eager to see the kind of welcome the Dodgers (and the three Japanese stars on the roster) get in Japan during their highly anticipated trip next month.
But it’s the team’s domestic home-opener a week later that he is admittedly most looking forward to — thankful that the ankle he hurt helping the Dodgers win the World Series last year won’t keep him off the field the day they receive their championship rings.
“For me, it’s easy to focus on the now,” Freeman said, “but I can still appreciate last year.”
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An envoy for President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup this summer.
The Financial Times reported the plan is an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which soured after the former’s comments against Pope Leo XIV regarding the war with Iran.
United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the idea to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
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President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. (Emilee Chinn/FIFA)
“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament,” Zampolli told the outlet. “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Italy had a chance to be in the World Cup already, but it lost in a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final.
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Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the 4-1 penalty shootout loss earlier this month.
“We still don’t believe it that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters at the time, according to the New York Post.
“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”
While Zampolli told Infantino about his proposed plan, FIFA’s president said Iran “for sure” will play in the World Cup despite the conflict involving the U.S.
Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran March 25, 2025. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
“We hope that, by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”
Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, which is where it has its training camp.
All three of Iran’s group stage games are scheduled to be played in the U.S. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their games be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the U.S.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, and it is insisting Iran play where it’s scheduled — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle. Iran said earlier this month it would only decide on its team’s participation once it heard from FIFA regarding its relocation request.
Iran is scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand June 16 to begin its tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing group play against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle June 26.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly between Mexico and Portugal at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City March 28, 2026. (Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)
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Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as scheduled, though it might not be “appropriate” considering the conflict.
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.
Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the U.S. welcomes Iran’s team to compete.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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DENVER — Before Anze Kopitar left the ice after the final regular-season home game of his NHL career, he told the fans he was saying good-bye, not farewell.
He would return, he promised, in the playoffs.
He’ll make good on that pledge Thursday when his Kings and the Colorado Avalanche face off in Game 3 of their first-round series at Crypto.com Arena. But it could prove to be a short encore because after losing the first two games of the best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoff in Denver, the Kings need a win Thursday or in Game 4 on Sunday to extend both their season and Kopitar’s Hall of Fame career.
The Kings’ — and Kopitar’s — last six playoff appearances have all ended after just one round. And they’re halfway to another first-round loss this year, though they probably deserve better after giving the league’s best team everything it could handle, only to lose twice by a goal, including a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 2 on Tuesday.
“To a man we’re playing hard,” interim Kings coach D.J. Smith said. “We hoped to split here, but regardless we’re gonna have to win at home. We’ve got to find a way to win a game.
“Clearly good isn’t enough.”
Kopitar announced his retirement before the start of this season, the 20th in his Hall of Fame career. And while many of his teammates talked of their desire to see their captain hoist the Stanley Cup one more time, just making the playoffs appeared beyond the Kings’ reach until the final two weeks of the regular season.
Colorado, meanwhile, led the league in everything, winning the most games, collecting the most points, scoring the most goals and allowing the fewest. The Kings? Not so much. They gave up 22 more goals than they scored, worst among playoff teams, and needed points in 11 of their last 13 games just to squeak into the postseason as the final wild-card team.
Colorado left wing Joel Kiviranta skates under pressure from Kings center Scott Laughton and goaltender Anton Forsberg during Game 2 of their first-round NHL playoff series Tuesday in Denver.
(Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)
Yet two games into this series, it’s been hard to tell the teams apart on the ice. The Kings have outhustled, outhit and outskated the Avalanche for long stretches. But those moral victories have been their only wins.
Asked if he can take solace for the way the team has played, goalie Anton Forsberg, who was outstanding in his first two career playoff games, stared straight ahead.
“No,” he said. “We wanted to go to home [with] a win.”
Forward Trevor Moore was a little more forgiving.
“We would have liked to steal one,” he said. “But you can’t look back. You have to look forward. Confidence-wise, we hung in there with them for two games and we’ve been competitive. I think we could have won either night.”
They won neither night, however, which leaves little margin for error in the next two games.
If the Kings lacked wins in Denver, they didn’t lack chances. On Tuesday they had a man advantage for nearly a quarter of the first 25 minutes and had five power plays and a penalty shot on the night.
When Quinton Byfield’s second-period penalty shot was stuffed by Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood, a group of Avalanche fans celebrated by pounding on the protective plexiglass behind the Kings’ bench with such force it shattered, raining shards down on the team’s coaches
“Whoever the guy [was] just kept pushing and pushing and pushing,” Smith said. “I looked back because it hit me a bunch of times, then it broke.”
The Kings couldn’t score on the power play either until Artemi Panarin finally found the back of the net with less than seven minutes left in regulation, giving the team its first lead of the series.
“We had every opportunity,” Smith said. “You’ve got to be able to close it out.”
They couldn’t. So when Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog evened the score 3 ½ minutes later, the teams headed to a fourth period.
The overtime was the 34th in 84 games for the Kings this season, an NHL record by some distance. But it ended in the team’s 21st overtime loss when Nicolas Roy banged home a rebound 7:44 into the extra period.
“We had some good looks. I thought we really had the momentum in overtime,” Smith said. “Maybe a bad bounce or a turnover, whatever, it ends up in your net. But to a man this team is playing hard and we’ve got to find a way to win.
“I expect that we’ll be better at home.”
If they aren’t, the Kings face another long summer and Kopitar’s retirement will start earlier than he had hoped.
Sports
Austin Reaves nearing return for Lakers as Luka Doncic remains out indefinitely with hamstring strain: report
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In early April, with just five games remaining in the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers announced that star guard Luka Doncic would be sidelined at least until the NBA playoffs.
Doncic’s setback was a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, an MRI confirmed. The reigning NBA scoring champion sustained the injury during an April 2 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers also entered the playoffs without another key member of their backcourt, Austin Reaves.
The shorthanded Lakers upset the Houston Rockets in the opening game of their first-round Western Conference series Saturday. Ahead of Game 2 on Tuesday, the Lakers reportedly received a clearer update on the health of at least one of their injured stars.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves brings the ball up court against the Washington Wizards in Los Angeles on March 30, 2026. (Ryan Sun/AP)
Reaves, who was diagnosed with an oblique strain, appears to be progressing toward a return later in the first-round series if it extends to six or seven games. If the Lakers advance sooner, he could be on track to return for the Western Conference semifinals.
According to ESPN, Reaves recently returned to the practice court for 1-on-1 drills. The 27-year-old will still need to progress to 2-on-3 and then 5-on-5 work before he can be cleared for playoff action, but he appears significantly further along than Doncic, who remains out indefinitely.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center on March 21, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
Doncic is unlikely to play in the first round, regardless of the series length. ESPN footage showed him on the practice court on Tuesday, though the six-time All-Star was not doing high-intensity work.
2025-26 NBA PLAYOFF ODDS: SPREADS, LINES FOR FIRST-ROUND SERIES
The Rockets, despite being widely favored in the opening round playoffs series, also contended with key injuries. Kevin Durant missed Game 1 with a knee contusion. He was cleared to play in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. shoots the ball against the Lakers during Game 1 in the NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on April 18, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
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LeBron James scored 19 points, while Luke Kennard led Los Angeles with 27 in Saturday’s win.
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