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Hernández: Overlooked parts of Dodgers' roster could jeopardize World Series aspirations

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Hernández: Overlooked parts of Dodgers' roster could jeopardize World Series aspirations

Now that federal investigators say they have solved the Mystery of the Missing Millions, Shohei Ohtani can focus entirely on baseball matters.

Such as whether his team can actually win a World Series.

These Dodgers are what they were expected to be — to a degree. Counting Ohtani, they have four of the best hitters in baseball. In Tyler Glasnow, they have a very good pitcher who can be great if he stays healthy.

Those aren’t their concerns. Their problems are in the previously overlooked parts of the roster.

They have an extremely top-heavy lineup. They have an unreliable bullpen. They have a shaky defense.

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These shortcomings are why they have dropped three of their five games against the San Diego Padres, including a 6-3 defeat on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers have played one other National League team that was in playoff contention last year, the Chicago Cubs, and were beaten by them twice in a three-game series earlier this month.

This isn’t to say the Dodgers won’t win their division.

They should.

This isn’t to say the Dodgers won’t win 100 games again.

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They should be back on pace to do so after their three-game series against the overmatched Washington Nationals this week.

This is about October.

The Dodgers have a great roster, which is why they will wear down the other teams in the NL West during a 162-game regular season.

What’s uncertain is whether they are a great team, which is what they will have to be to win the 11 games required to be crowned World Series champions. The first 18 games of the regular season have raised questions.

Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux stands in the dugout before a game against the San Francisco Giants on April 1.

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(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“I would say at this point in time, there’s more that’s gone wrong with our club than has gone right,” manager Dave Roberts said.

The Dodgers were in the middle of one of the more bizarre sports scandals in recent memory, as Ohtani discovered that his former interpreter allegedly stole more than $16 million from him.

The bottom of the lineup has been unproductive, as the team’s No. 6, 7, 8 and 9 hitters entered Sunday with a combined .194 average, which was the fifth-worst in baseball. In the loss to the Padres on Sunday, those places in the lineup were occupied by Teoscar Hernández, James Outman, Kiké Hernández and Gavin Lux. They were a combined 0 for 13 with two walks.

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The bullpen hasn’t been much better, as the combined 4.64 earned-run average of their relievers ranked 22nd in baseball entering the series finale against the Padres.

Reliever Brusdar Graterol landed on the 60-day injured list with shoulder problems. Another prominent reliever, Blake Treinen, broke his ribs after he was struck by a comebacker in an exhibition game. Neither Graterol nor Treinen has pitched this season.

On the bright side, the Dodgers are 11-7.

“I think, to use a tennis analogy, we’re holding serve,” Roberts said.

Roberts pointed to the team’s improved defense, even though the Padres tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning on a throwing error by Betts, the former right fielder and second baseman who is now playing shortstop.

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“To say where we’re at, whether it’s the standings or the win-loss, that’s a good thing,” Roberts said. “That speaks to the guys in that room.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts high-fives Gavin Lux after a win over the Giants on April 1.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Roberts backed the players at the bottom of the order to eventually hit, citing their track records. He’s right. They should. But if their recent playoff disappointments have taught the Dodgers anything, it’s that hitting regular-season pitching isn’t the same as hitting postseason pitching. Will the bottom of their lineup vanish again in October?

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The bullpen’s shortcomings have been magnified by the rotation’s issues. With a 3-0 record and 2.25 earned-run average Glasnow looks like an ace. In his most recent start, he struck out 14 batters over seven scoreless innings. However, the Dodgers are still in the process of figuring out what they have in the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, James Paxton and Bobby Miller, who was placed on the injured list. Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw should rejoin the team at some point, but the two former All-Stars are returning from major operations and the team can’t be certain of what it has in them.

If the Dodgers are forced to rely on their bullpen too much, they can once again find themselves in the position they were in on Sunday: with J.P. Feyereisen on the mound in the seventh inning of a tie game. Feyereisen, who didn’t pitch last year as he recovered from a major shoulder operation, loaded the bases and gave up a three-run triple to Jurickson Profar.

“Certainly not ideal,” Roberts said.

With Evan Phillips and Daniel Hudson unavailable on this night because of their recent workloads, what choice did the manager have?

The Dodgers can take solace in the reality they have a foundation like any other team in baseball. Betts is hitting .375 with six homers. Ohtani is batting .338, Freeman .299 and Smith .371. They have something formidable to build on.

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But the point is they still have to build. They need some players to play better. They need others to return from injuries. They need to find outside reinforcements at the trade deadline. Otherwise, this October will look like previous ones. The elements for that are in place too.

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ESPN star rips iconic college basketball team with $22M roster for disappointing season

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ESPN star rips iconic college basketball team with M roster for disappointing season

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The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team may still make the NCAA Tournament, but Dick Vitale thinks this iconic program should be much better than their 19-12 record this season considering their whopping $22 million roster. 

The legendary ESPN college basketball analyst didn’t hold back his feelings about the Wildcats as they played Florida during Saturday’s prime SEC matchup. After the Gators hit some free throws to extend their first-half lead to 26-19, Vitale started to lay into the Wildcats.

Head coach Mark Pope of the Kentucky Wildcats in a game between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats on March 7, 2026, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. (Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire)

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“I’m going to say this right here, I’ve done several Kentucky games, win or lose, $22 million this team [which has been reported] in terms of the NIL for their players,” he said, per Awful Announcing. “I think in $22 million, they could have put together a better roster than they did. I really do.”

The Wildcats ended up losing by a score of 84-77, and Vitale continued about Kentucky near the end of their 12th loss of the season. 

“I’ll tell you one thing, you don’t want to walk out of here thinking you got a moral victory,” Vitale said, referencing a hard-fought game against the No. 5-ranked Florida team. “Moral victories don’t count at this level of basketball. And you hear some of the people, ‘We played them close. We played them tough.’ 

“The bottom line is you’re Kentucky. You’re Kentucky. And you’ve got to leave here with a win, especially at home. There are no moral victories. Come on. I don’t want to hear that.”

Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate in the first half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp Arena on Jan. 24, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

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The Wildcats were once the top program in the country under former Coach John Calipari, who left for Arkansas after being unable to make a long March Madness run in recent seasons, including a shocking first round upset to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. 

The Wildcats have been coached by Mark Pope since, and they made the Sweet 16 in last year’s tournament before losing to Tennessee. 

Kentucky Jasper Johnson in action vs Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on Nov. 18, 2025. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated )

But this year, Kentucky is 10-8 in SEC play, and now face the No. 9 seed in the upcoming tournament this week. The winner of each conference earns a tournament berth, but the Wildcats know good seeding in the NCAA Tournament requires a strong run heading into Selection Sunday this upcoming weekend. 

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The Wildcats will start their SEC Tournament play on Wednesday against No. 16 LSU. 

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Chargers agree to deal with former Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold

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Chargers agree to deal with former Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold

The Chargers bolstered their efforts to protect quarterback Justin Herbert all while diversifying their offense by agreeing to a multiyear deal with veteran fullback Alec Ingold on Sunday, the team announced.

Ingold’s deal with the Chargers reportedly is for two years and $7.5 million.

Ingold will be no stranger to the Chargers’ plans on offense. He played the past four seasons in Miami under coach Mike McDaniel, the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator. Last year he caught eight passes for 52 yards and ran the ball twice in 17 games.

Ingold caught 47 passes for 372 yards and rushed for 34 yards in 20 carries in four seasons with the Dolphins. He also had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.

Before his time in Miami, Ingold played three seasons with the Raiders.

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The deal comes two days after the Chargers signed veteran center Tyler Biadasz to take over for the retiring Bradley Bozeman. They agreed to terms on a one-year deal with edge rusher Khalil Mack on Saturday.

With the free agency negotiation period set to begin Monday at 9 a.m. PDT, the Chargers remain in strong position to be significant players in the free-agent market. They rank among the top-five teams in salary cap space, per Overthecap.com.

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Cowboys star, fiancée end relationship month before wedding: report

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Cowboys star, fiancée end relationship month before wedding: report

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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his fiancée, Sarah Jane Ramos, reportedly broke up with their wedding around the corner.

Prescott and Ramos’ relationship had been “rocky” in the weeks leading up to the breakup and things exploded between the two at their joint bachelor and bachelorette parties, TMZ Sports reported on Saturday.

Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos attend the Farrah Fawcett Foundation Tex-Mex Fiesta on Oct. 30, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Omar Vega/Getty Images for Farrah Fawcett Foundation)

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Ramos shared pictures of her trip with her friends on Instagram on Friday.

“I truly believe you can get through anything in life as long as you have really great friends. I love these girls so much,” Ramos captioned the collage of snaps.

Prescott was not pictured in any of the 16 photos and videos posted to her social media account.

Sarah Jane Ramos and Dak Prescott pose for a photo before Dak Prescott’s Faith Fight Finish Foundation Gala on May 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images for Faith Fight Finish Foundation)

Ramos also posted photos of her bridal shower back on Feb. 23. There were no photos of Prescott in the carousel either.

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“The most intimate and beautiful bridal shower of my dreams,” she added on Instagram. “So grateful for my aunts who hosted it and my girlfriends and family that came to celebrate. I love you all so much and can’t wait to marry the love of my life with all of you by my side.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Prescott’s representative for comment.

Prescott posted a series of photos on his Instagram of Ramos and his family on July 20, 2025. There’s only a September advertisement posted on his account since.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos pose on the NFL Honors Red Carpet before Super Bowl LX at Palace of Fine Arts on Feb. 5, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

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The NFL star and Ramos announced they were engaged on Oct. 18, 2024. The couple have two children together.

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