Sports
Jack Dreyer is Dodgers' Rubik's Cube master, and potential big league option in bullpen
PHOENIX — It took some four hours of work, roughly 1,200 Rubik’s Cubes, and years’ worth of knowledge with the six-side, 54-panel puzzle.
Ever since high school, minor-league Dodgers reliever Jack Dreyer has been able to master the Rubik’s cube; getting so good he not only solves them in as little as 20 seconds, but has learned to arrange them on canvasses by the hundreds to create multi-colored murals.
So, when the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to his record-breaking $700 million contract in late 2023, Dreyer decided to commemorate the moment with a unique piece of art, creating a Rubik’s Cube portrait of the two-way star that was displayed at the team’s Camelback Ranch facility last spring.
“I was like, ‘Hey, he’s the face of baseball right now,’” Dreyer recalled Wednesday. “I think it would be kind of cool to have the fans get to see something like that.”
Dreyer is unsure if Ohtani ever saw the piece. And now, he said with a laugh (and hint of sorrow), it no longer exists, having been knocked over and shattered last year.
Will the 26-year-old left-hander build Ohtani a new one?
“I definitely could,” he said, “if that’s something that he would want to see.”
The good news for Dreyer: He wouldn’t have to walk far to find Ohtani and ask.
Unlike last year, when the undrafted University of Iowa product started the season as just another talented but raw prospect in the organization, Dreyer is in big-league camp this spring, sitting just 14 stalls away from Ohtani in the Dodgers’ spring clubhouse.
Dreyer hasn’t discussed his hobby with Ohtani yet, but it has become one of the spring’s more light-hearted subplots, with everyone from Tony Gonsolin to Jackson Ferris to Yoshinobu Yamamoto toying around with the cubes Dreyer has brought into the room.
“He carries a Rubik’s Cube everywhere he goes,” manager Dave Roberts joked. “Some guys carry a golf club. He carries a Rubik’s Cube.”
According to Roberts, Dreyer (and his Rubik’s Cube) almost reached the majors last year, with the Dodgers coming close on several occasions to calling him up for his MLB debut.
“There were a couple times where Jack was going to be the guy,” Roberts said. “It’s a very slow brain, as far as managing situations. A good heartbeat. The fastball really plays. And the slider has really come on.”
Prior to last year, the big leagues were more of a distant dream for Dreyer — whose father, Steve, spent two years pitching for the Texas Rangers in the early ‘90s.
During his first two minor-league seasons in the Dodgers organization, Dreyer flashed his potential by striking out 92 batters in 66 ⅔ innings between rookie ball and high-A, posting a 2.16 ERA along the way. But he also issued 41 walks, struggling to keep his fastball/slider mix in the zone.
Dodgers relief pitcher Jack Dreyer has given up only one run in four appearances this spring, striking out seven and walking one.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
“The Dodgers are super transparent in terms of what they would like to see out of you, and what areas they want you to improve on each offseason,” Dreyer said. “So I had some really good conversations with the front office and the coaching staff, just saying like, ‘Hey, your stuff is good. But if you want to move to the next level, you need to reduce the walks.”
Reduce the walks, Dreyer did.
Entering last season, Dreyer said he focused on making a full “mentality shift.” His delivery didn’t change. He didn’t tweak his arsenal. But he did begin throwing “with conviction on every pitch,” he said, learning to have “the belief in yourself” to more consistently pound the strike zone and attack opposing hitters.
The results were sterling.
In 46 outings between double-A and triple-A, Dreyer again posted a 2.20 ERA, but this time while issuing just 12 walks on the entire season.
“I didn’t make any mechanical changes or anything like that,” he said. “It was purely just a mentality shift.”
While it didn’t yield a big-league call-up, Dreyer’s improvements were enough for the Dodgers to put him on the 40-man roster last November to protect him from going into the Rule 5 draft.
Dreyer said he got the news while playing catch at Camelback Ranch, when Dodgers director of player development Matt McGrath came out to the field to inform him of the decision.
“I tried my best to keep it out of my mind,” Dreyer said. “But it was cool to be able to be here in person and get congratulated by him and some teammates that were here.”
Dreyer has parlayed the opportunity — which also meant a first spring training spent in big-league camp this year — into a strong performance thus far in the Cactus League. In four appearances, he has given up just one run, struck out seven batters and walked only one.
“The biggest thing for me is just to try to be a sponge every day,” Dreyer said. “Obviously, surrounded by All-Stars and future Hall of Famers, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn everything I can and ask questions whenever I can. I’m just learning more about the process and pitch selection and all kinds of things. It’s been very useful.”
Dreyer has been giving lessons of his own with the Rubik’s Cube, too.
He said Gonsolin already knew how to solve the three-dimensional puzzle, but has sought new methods to complete it more quickly. Roberts noted that Dreyer also outdueled Tommy Edman in a challenge earlier this spring.
Has Roberts taken a shot at making every side the same color?
“No,” the manager laughed. “Part of my strength is I know my weaknesses … I don’t have the bandwidth to approach that yet.”
Given Dreyer’s current trajectory, Roberts might get future opportunities. After coming close to the majors last year, the pitcher appears to be near the top of the organization’s relief pitching depth chart, primed to reach the majors with his improved command and renewed mental approach.
“The organization has raved about his make-up, his talent, for a while,” Roberts said. “And now for me to get to know him a little bit more, see him against major league hitters, he’s really impressive.”
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The WNBA season has been in session for about a week, so it is far too early to make assumptions about teams. That doesn’t mean we won’t make them; it’s just too early to really believe it. I lost my first WNBA bet this season, so I’m hoping to avenge that loss here as the Sky take on the Mercury.
The Chicago Sky are one of the most poorly run franchises in basketball. They have had some great names on their team and only one championship to show for it.
Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner shoots over Indiana Fever guard Aerial Powers in the first half at PHX Arena. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)
There really isn’t a clear indication of what is wrong with the franchise, but they’ve never been able to retain their talent. Aside from Kamilla Cardoso, I can’t name a player on this team that they’ve actually drafted. They just seem to get good players and then show them the door.
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Even though they’ve had questionable front office decisions, they seem to have put together a solid team for this season – something I didn’t expect before the season started.
They are 2-0, which is too early to really say they are a good team. I also want to reserve judgment until they face a team with a longer history than last year. The Portland Tempo played their first-ever game against the Sky, and Golden State was good last year, but still is in just their second season of existence.
The Phoenix Mercury are actually considered one of the best franchises in the league. I’m sure there are issues that people have reported, but for the most part, they have good facilities, and people want to play for their team. They made it all the way to the WNBA Finals last season before falling to the Las Vegas Aces. This year, they are looking to restart that journey and see if they can win the last game of the year.
Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper dribbles the ball in the second half at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2025. (Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images)
It will need to come with some better play than they’ve shown through three games this year. They are just 1-2 for the year with a 0-1 home record. The lone win was a blowout victory over the Aces (a clear revenge game if we’ve ever seen one). Then they lost the next two games against Golden State and Minnesota. Losing to the Lynx wouldn’t be a problem, but they didn’t have Napheesa Collier, who still has an ankle injury.
I expect the Mercury to make some adjustments for this game. They haven’t looked very crisp to begin the year, but they’ve been strong on offense, averaging 87 points per game.
The Sky are going to keep relying on their offense to do just enough and their defense to lock in. The Sky do have an edge on the interior, so they can get buckets fairly easily down low. I like the over 166.5 in this game.
Chicago Sky guard Skylar Diggins chases the ball during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on May 13, 2026. (Bob Kupbens/Imagn Images)
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I also think it is worth betting on Kahleah Copper to go over her point total. Copper had two rough games before she broke out in the last game. Now she has the same sight lines and can attack the bigs from the Sky with her athleticism. Since going to Phoenix, she has scored 29, 7, 16, 25 and 28 points in five games against them.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
Tom Harp has been coaching volleyball at Granada Hills High for so long that few remember he won a City Section championship as a co-head football coach with Darryl Stroh in 1987.
In the 1990s, he turned exclusively to coaching boys’ and girls’ volleyball, winning a combined 15 City titles and making 28 finals appearances. The top-seeded Highlanders will try to deliver a seventh Open Division championship on Saturday when they face West Valley League rival Chatsworth in a 4 p.m. final at Birmingham.
The league rivals split their two West Valley matches, with each going five games. Chatsworth knocked off 17-time champion Palisades in the semifinals. MIT-bound Grant Chang is Chatsworth’s 6-foot-6 powerful outside hitter.
All-City volleyball player RJ Francisco of Granada Hills shows off his hitting skills against Chatsworth.
(Craig Weston)
Granada Hills has RJ Francisco, who had 19 kills in a win over Chatsworth.
The Southern Section Division 1 final is Friday night, with Mira Costa taking on Loyola in a 7:30 p.m. match at Cerritos College.
Regional and state playoffs begin next week.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Cedric Alexander becomes new TNA X Division champion, crushing Leon Slater’s history-making attempt
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All eyes were on the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) X Division Championship on Thursday night as Leon Slater looked to retain the title over Cedric Alexander and solidify himself as the longest-reigning X Division champion in the company’s history.
Slater knew a legacy was on the line as he looked to break a record set by Austin Aries. But he needed to pin Alexander twice in one match to retain the title. It was a steep mountain to climb as Alexander had been just as dangerous since he entered the company.
The match started off hot with Slater and Alexander trading blows to begin the match. But a quick-thinking Slater rolled up Alexander quickly for the first fall.
Cedric Alexander in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 23, 2025. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)
Alexander was able to go on offense from there. He hit a nasty German suplex on the outside of the ring. He continued to work on Slater’s tweaked neck. He later hit a Lumbar Check to tie the match at 1-1.
Slater went deep into his bag. He hit an avalanche Styles Clash, which could have kept anyone else down. However, Alexander kicked out. Alexander was able to counter Slater’s high-flying abilities just for a moment and knocked him back out of the ring.
Alexander sent Slater into the steel steps, leaving him busted open. Alexander declared that he would be the “greatest” X Division champion. One brainbuster later, Alexander tried to pin Slater, but couldn’t get him down.
Alexander hit a Lumbar Check again, but Slater kicked out. Slater mustered up the last ounce of energy. A tilt-a-whirl slam set Alexander up for a swanton 450. Slater missed and Alexander hit another Lumbar Check, and then again.
Leon Slater enters the arena during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 6, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
Alexander pinned Slater for the win, completely shocking the fans in Sacramento, California. It will be the first reign for Alexander and his first title of any kind in TNA.
Alexander is a reminder, at least for TNA, that “The System always wins.”
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Fabian Aichner appears
Fabian Aichner, formerly known as Giovanni Vinci, makes his way to the ring during WWE SmackDown at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2024. (WWE/Getty Images)
Moments before TNA went off the air, the lights went out in the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Emerging from the darkness was Fabian Aichner.
Aichner stared down Alexander and appeared to name himself the next challenger for the X Division Championship. Aichner, known as Giovanni Vinci for much of his run in WWE, hadn’t really been seen or heard from in months since his departure from WWE.
Aichner wrestled under his real name for a stint in WWE before he came back as Vinci in June 22. He was with WWE until 2025. He was a two-time NXT tag team champion and an Evolve champion before it became a WWE brand.
Eric Young earns future shot at TNA World Championship
Eric Young outlasted nine other men in an over-the-top battle royal and earned a shot at Mike Santana’s TNA World Championship to start the show.
The match came down to him and Elijah after the latter was able to toss members of The System out of the ring while also avoiding Frankie Kazarian trying to get back into the match following his own elimination.
Young and Elijah came to blows on the apron, knowing that as soon as their feet touch the ground, they would be eliminated. Young grabbed onto Elijah’s hair to try to hang onto the moment. Elijah broke away with Young’s back turned to him. Elijah, however, didn’t account for his wide stance.
The TNA original kicked Elijah in the groin and pushed him down to the ground. Young won the match and received a shot to win the TNA World Championship in the future.
He also made clear that Santana was next on his list of people to wipe out as he did to Joe Hendry, EC3 and Ricky Sosa in weeks past.
“Mike Santana, you’re gone next,” he declared.
Mike Santana learns his next opponent
Mike Santana stands in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 30, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)
Mike Santana came out to address the crowd and praised Young for his efforts to help build TNA from the ground up.
“You better be coming with something different because while you may be someone who helped build this place, when it comes to the new era of TNA on AMC, I’m the guy. I’m the man. I’m the one who holds down the fort week after week as your TNA world champion.”
While Young might have earned a title shot, Daria Rae came out and revealed to the crowd that Steve Maclin was cleared to return to action following an injury at the hands of Santana.
Maclin will get a shot at Santana’s TNA World Championship next week on “Impact.”
Santino Marella also came out during the segment after he was “suspended.” He revealed that Indi Harwell re-signed with TNA.
Lei Ying Lee, Xia Brookside rivalry heats up
Xia Brookside attends the “Freelance” screening at Regal Waterford Lakes in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 24, 2023. (Jose Devillegas/Getty Images)
Lei Ying Lee brought the TNA Knockouts Championship back home last week with a win over Arianna Grace. She addressed the crowd before being interrupted by her former best friend, Xia Brookside.
In all black, Brookside claimed she was already in Lei’s head.
“You’re such a fraud. I’ve destroyed you mentally, I’ve destroyed you emotionally, I’ve destroyed you physically, and that title will be around my waist.”
Both competitors tossed expletives at each other before the segment was over. But Brookside made clear that she had her eyes on the title.
AJ Francis prevails over KC Navarro
A.J. Francis told Fox News Digital before the SacTown Street Fight on “Impact” that he was going to bring the pain to Navarro.
While wearing “Show Stealer” across his back, Francis did just that. Francis took some punishment from Navarro – a few shots from a baseball bat and a drop kick with a trash can.
Francis was able to turn the tide for a few moments, using the baseball bat to his advantage. But Navarro dug deep. He aligned six chairs in the ring, hoping to splash Francis through it. Instead, Francis countered and attempted an avalanche Down Payment. Somehow, Navarro countered with a cutter as both men crashed through the sea of chairs.
It looked like it could’ve been it. Navarro went for the pin, but only got a two count.
Francis turned on the heat from there. He got ahold of Navarro and hit a Down Payment through tables lined up on the outside of the ring.
He rolled Navarro back into the ring and picked up the pinfall victory.
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“Impact” match results
- Eric Young wins the 10-man battle royal to earn a shot at the TNA World Championship.
- A.J. Francis def. KC Navarro in a SacTown Street Fight.
- Rosemary and Allie def. Veronica Crawford and Mila Moore
- Cedric Alexander def. Leon Slater to win the X Division Championship.
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