Sports
Mookie Betts homers in return as Dodgers beat the Brewers
Mookie Betts — or, as he’s known around these parts, “Spooky” Betts — returned to the Dodgers’ lineup for the opener of a four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night, refusing to stay with the team at the supposedly haunted Pfister Hotel for the second straight season.
Whether ghosts actually exist in the historic, 131-year-old downtown hotel is open to debate, but Betts wasn’t about to take a chance that they do.
“You don’t want to mess with them,” Betts said. “I’m staying at an [apparition-free] Airbnb again. That part is not gonna change.”
Another thing that hasn’t changed: Betts’ ability to make baseballs disappear.
Playing for the first time in seven weeks, Betts deposited a two-run home run over the left-field wall in the third inning to drive in the first runs of an eventual 5-2 win over the Brewers in American Family Field.
Betts, who prepared for his return by taking live batting practice in Dodger Stadium for three days, also hit a two-out RBI single in the seventh to help push the Dodgers to their fourth straight win.
“It’s probably on one hand, it really is,” manager Dave Roberts said, when asked how many major leaguers could come back after seven weeks, not play any minor league rehab games and have the game Betts had Monday night.
“[Brewers starter] Freddy Peralta is a heck of a pitcher, so to have the night he did against him was huge. And that two-out hit off [Bryan] Hudson to add the insurance run was big. It’s a lot more fun writing his name in the lineup.”
The lineup isn’t quite whole. Third baseman Max Muncy and utility man Tommy Edman, who is expected to play mostly center field, are expected to be activated next week.
But even with the loss of Betts for almost two months, Muncy for three months and injuries that have shelved 10 starting pitchers, the Dodgers (70-49) have the best record in the National League and are tied with Cleveland and Baltimore for the best record in baseball.
“It’s remarkable,” Roberts said. “It’s a credit to those guys in the room, the coaches, and everyone playing their tails off. And I still believe we haven’t played our best baseball in quite some time. The expectation is for us to be even better.”
Shohei Ohtani, who remained in the leadoff spot while Betts moved to the two-hole, followed Kevin Kiermaier’s fifth-inning single with his NL-leading 36th homer, driving a 3-and-0 fastball from Peralta 424 feet to left-center field to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. It was the first time in Ohtani’s career that he homered on a 3-0 pitch.
“He has the green light [on 3-0],” Roberts said. “He can fire whenever he wants to.”
Clayton Kershaw delivered his best start in four games since his late-July return from shoulder surgery, giving up one run and three hits in 5 ⅔ innings, striking out six and walking two for his first win of the season.
“It was a good game for us, all the way around,” said Kershaw, who leaned more heavily on his slow curve. “Personally, it was OK. Decent command all the way through. A couple of big spots I was able to get out of.”
Kershaw departed with a runner aboard and two out in the sixth, only to have his replacement, Joe Kelly, give up a two-run homer to William Contreras that cut the Dodgers’ lead to 4-2. Kelly has been tagged for five earned runs and five hits — three of them homers–in 3 ⅔ innings of his last five games.
The Dodgers got one run back in the seventh when Ohtani walked with two out, stole second — his 33rd stolen base of the season–and scored on Betts’ RBI single to right field for a 5-2 lead.
Dodgers left-hander Alex Vesia struck out the side in the seventh, and right-hander Michael Kopech struck out two of four in a scoreless eighth, Jake Bauers with a 101-mph fastball and Willy Adames with a 98-mph fastball.
Kopech has given up one hit, struck out 10 and walked one in 6 ⅓ innings of six games since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox.
“He’s picked us up big-time,” Roberts said of Kopech. “In any leverage spot at the back end of the game, the strike-throwing is there, the consistent throw of the fastball, being able to mix in the slider, the cutter whenever he needs it, he’s neutral against left and right … those are the pieces I look for in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning.”
Daniel Hudson retired the side in order in the ninth for his ninth save Monday night, but would Roberts consider moving Kopech to closer?
“We’ll see,” Roberts said. “We’ve got time.”
Betts had not played since June 16, the day he suffered a left-hand fracture when he was struck by a 98-mph fastball.
He spent the first 2 ½ months at shortstop, a position he was thrust into because of Gavin Lux’s throwing woes in early March, but both Betts and the Dodgers decided last Friday that the team — and the player — would be better off with Betts in right field, the position Betts has won six Gold Glove Awards at.
Betts looked comfortable and confident in the outfield Monday night, quickly gathering Jackson Chourio’s sixth-inning line drive off the wall and firing back to second to hold the Brewers left fielder to a single.
“You know what? It just kind of happened, I didn’t even think about it,” Betts said. “Those are the intricacies of playing right field that I got to learn over 10 years. I didn’t get a chance to learn it [at shortstop] in two months.”
The Dodgers went 44-29, averaged 4.90 runs a game and hit .255 with a .770 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in their first 73 games with Betts. They went 25-20, averaged 4.98 runs a game and hit .248 with a .757 OPS in 46 games without Betts.
“Having Mookie back is awesome,” Kershaw said. “That ball off the wall in the sixth inning, to keep it to a single — stuff that not a lot of people can make look that easy–not to mention the homer and stuff. The lineup is starting to look like it should. It’s really cool.”
Unless you’re Amed Rosario and Jason Heyward. Betts’ return and position switch had a domino effect on the roster and lineup, with Rosario, a utility man, and Heyward, a right fielder, bearing the brunt of the move.
Rosario, who was batting .305 in 81 games, was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Betts just two weeks after he was acquired from Tampa Bay, the Dodgers choosing to keep the right-handed bats of utility man Kiké Hernández and shortstop Nick Ahmed over Rosario.
“You’re cutting ties with a really good ballplayer who is versatile, but it shows the talent we have in the room now and that’s potentially coming,” Roberts said. “I really like Amed a lot. It’s a tough decision. But with our lineup construction, I just didn’t see a lot of runway for him.”
The left-handed-hitting Heyward has started 48 games in right field, batting .204 with five homers and 24 RBIs, but with Gold Glove-caliber defender Kiermaier and Andy Pages platooning in center field and Teoscar Hernández entrenched in left field, Heyward will be reduced to a pinch-hitter with an occasional spot start.
“It’s awesome to get Mookie back in our lineup — he’s a tough guy to miss, so it will be fun to have him back,” said Heyward, a 15-year veteran. “The name of the game is helping the team win, and I’ll be ready for that.”
Sports
Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa open to fresh start elsewhere after disappointing season: ‘That would be dope’
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Tua Tagovailoa appears to be ready to move on from the Miami Dolphins – a feeling that seems mutual between the two sides.
Tagovailoa was benched for the final three games of the season due to poor performance. A day after the Dolphins’ season ended with a 38-10 loss to division rival New England, the sixth-year signal-caller appeared open to the idea of a “fresh start.”
Mike McDaniel speaks with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) in the fourth quarter of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 25, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
“That would be dope. I would be good with it,” Tagovailoa said Monday, according to The Palm Beach Post, when asked specifically if he was “hoping for a fresh start.”
When asked by another reporter if he understood “fresh start” as playing “elsewhere,” Tagovailoa reportedly confirmed it.
The remarks came the same day that head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that the team would be approaching the 2025-2026 season with a competitive mindset for the position.
“In 2026, I think there will be competition for our starting quarterback. What that is and how that looks, there’s a lot that remains to be seen. It’s the most important position on the football field, and you have to make sure you do everything possible to get the best person out there on the field.”
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa runs off the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
DOLPHINS TURNING TO HALL OF FAME QUARTERBACK TO HELP FIND NEXT GENERAL MANAGER: REPORT
“Who that is – whether they’re in-house or somewhere else, that’s something that we’ll be extremely diligent on,” he continued. “But I know there will be competition for those reins. That much I do know.”
Tagovailoa threw for 2,660 yards with 20 touchdowns this season, but he struggled with accuracy and mobility, throwing a career-high of 15 interceptions. His poor performance comes just one season after signing a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension in July 2024.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa speaks during a press conference after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
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The Dolphins face a serious decision regarding Tagovailoa, as releasing him next year would result in a $99 million dead cap charge. If the move is designated as a post-June 1 release, those charges would be split over two years, with $67.4 million allocated to the 2026 cap and $31.8 million in 2027.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
Snoop Dogg hilariously keeps pace with furious Steve Kerr’s ejection-producing rant
In a warm-up for his role in the upcoming Winter Olympics, Snoop Dogg was given a microphone during the second half of the NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers on Monday night at the Intuit Dome.
Can’t wait for those Olympics! Snoop hilariously sizzled when Warriors coach Steve Kerr stormed the court in the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ 103-102 victory.
“The Arizona Wildcat done came out of him. Look at him!” Snoop said, alluding to Kerr’s college team. “Aw, Rawwwr, rawwwr, rawwwr!”
Kerr was hit with two technical fouls in less than a minute. He nearly got one with 8:44 to play when Warriors guard Stephen Curry made a shot that appeared to be a continuation after a foul, but the officials nullified the basket.
Less than a minute later, Kerr found a new level of vehemence after the Clippers’ John Collins wasn’t called for goaltending on a shot by Gary Payton II. The four-time NBA championship coach flew into a rage, aggressively gesturing at officials and screaming.
Kerr picked up the two technicals — his first in nearly four seasons — and was held back by Payton and assistant coaches before exiting to the locker room.
Snoop Dogg, who had joined regular Peacock/NBC announcers Reggie Miller and Terry Gannon for the second half, rose to the occasion, his commentary keeping pace with Kerr’s antics.
“Oh, Steve gonna get thrown out! Get him out of there. Get him out of there! Back him up!” Snoop barked.
All Miller and Gannon could do was laugh as Snoop continued, referencing the location of the Intuit Dome and Kerr’s Southern California ties: “Steve back in Inglewood right now. Inglewooood!!! Get him, Steve! You in Inglewood, Steve!”
Snoop will join NBC Olympics host Mike Tirico in Italy in February, riffing on stories that unfold at the Winter Games the way he did at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. The NBA game was an indication he’ll again be up to the task.
“We are excited to have Snoop bring his unique energy and passion to our NBA coverage,” NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood said in a statement. “It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch Snoop, Reggie and Terry talk hoops with a side order of fun.”
Snoop said in the release that his debut as an NBA game broadcaster “is a dream come true for me. I can’t wait to bring a fresh vibe to the analysis.”
For the record, official Brian Forte acknowledged after the game that goaltending should have been called against Collins. Curry told reporters that he appreciated his coach’s passion.
“Two crazy calls in a row that you feel like can dictate the momentum of the game, it doesn’t mean a win or a loss, it just dictates the momentum,” Curry said. “I love that fired up Steve, for sure. Somebody had to do it.”
Visiting Los Angeles has been emotional for Kerr since the Pacific Palisades wildfire a year ago destroyed his childhood home, which his family bought in 1969. His mother, 90-year-old Ann Kerr, still lived in the house, located near Rivas Canyon, and was evacuated safely.
Sports
Russell Wilson not thinking about retirement, plans to play in 2026: ‘I know what I’m capable of’
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Russell Wilson went from starting quarterback of the New York Giants to third string just a few weeks into the 2025 season, leaving many to question if the 10-time Pro Bowler decides to play next season.
Wilson, 37, doesn’t sound like he’s mulling over his decision. He wants to play in 2026.
“I’m not blinking,” Wilson said, per SNY. “I know [what] I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas, and I want to be able to do that again, you know, and just be ready to rock and roll, and be as healthy as possible and be ready to play ball.”
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New York Giants’ Russell Wilson attempts to escape a sack by Dallas Cowboys defensive end James Houston (53) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)
Wilson signed a one-year, veteran minimum deal with the Giants this past offseason worth $10.5 million, which had tons of incentives if he were to play the entire season.
That same offseason, the Giants traded back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss, and he proved during training camp to have NFL-ready chops under center.
GIANTS STICK WITH GM JOE SCHOEN DESPITE ANOTHER LOSING SEASON, CITING NEED FOR ‘CONTINUITY AND STABILITY’
Still, then-head coach Brian Daboll was steadfast in his decision to start Wilson despite Dart’s success. But, after just three games, where the Giants went 0-3, a change was made.
Daboll went with Dart in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers at home, and the rookie defeated Justin Herbert and company to not only get his first career win, but cement himself as the team’s starter moving forward.
Even then, Wilson remained positive, saying in interviews after practice that he understands the direction of the team and wanted to help Dart develop and grow in his new role.
New York Giants’ Russell Wilson, left, and Jaxson Dart, right, talk on the bench in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)
In his three starts for the Giants, Wilson threw for 831 yards with three touchdowns to three interceptions, though all of those touchdowns came in a Week 2 overtime heartbreaker for New York. Over half of Wilson’s passing yards also came in that game, throwing for 450 in the 40-37 loss.
Wilson also said that he tore his hamstring during that game against the Cowboys.
“I played that game, you know, I tore my hamstring on Friday in practice – the last play of practice. And I had a Grade 2 (tear). I couldn’t tell anybody. I had to go and play on it just because I knew the circumstance, I had to play on it, no matter what,” Wilson explained.
“I actually ended up going to the Dallas Mavericks’ facility, training. And you know, just kept it quiet, just trying to get treatment on it and just knowing that I probably couldn’t run from the goal line to the 10-yard line if I wanted to, but I feel like… I got to play this game.”
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scans the field at the line against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. (Rich Barnes/Imagn Images)
It will be interesting to see if Wilson will land anywhere, and better yet, if a team is willing to try him out as a starter again.
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