Sports
Teoscar Hernández set for everyday role with Dodgers after slow free-agency process
Two-way star Shohei Ohtani was the biggest name the Dodgers acquired during their spending spree this winter.
Veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernández, however, might have been the team’s best bargain of the offseason, joining the club on a one-year, $23.5-million deal that was christened Tuesday with a video call with reporters.
“I wanted to go to a team that can compete and be in the playoffs and … makes me a better player,” Hernández said. “That’s the biggest reason I signed with the Dodgers.”
Almost from the jump this offseason, Hernández had been on the team’s radar.
Club brass expressed interest in the 31-year-old as far back as November’s general manager meetings. Team evaluators were high on his chances to bounce back from a down — but still above average — performance in 2023, after the long-time Toronto Blue Jays star struggled to adapt to a trade to the Seattle Mariners last offseason.
Even after the Dodgers’ earlier impact acquisitions of Ohtani, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, and fellow veteran outfielder Manuel Margot, the addition of another right-handed hitting outfielder remained a priority for the team.
And all along, Hernández’s name was near the top of their list.
“We’re planning on Teo being an everyday guy,” general manager Brandon Gomes said, confirming that Hernández will get full-time at-bats, as well as playing either of the corner outfield positions. “We feel like his power and ability to really handle left-handed pitching was an exceptional fit for how our lineup is constructed.”
The real surprise, when news of the deal broke last week, was that the 2021 All-Star, who has batted .261 in his career with 159 home runs, 473 RBI and an .802 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, was willing to take a one-year deal to come to Los Angeles.
Many pundits had predicted Hernández would get a multiyear deal, most commonly in the three-to-four season range. Those same projections pegged him to get anywhere from $45 million to $80 million in total guaranteed money.
Like many other top free agents this winter, however, Hernández said he faced a slower-than-expected market. On Tuesday, he joined a growing chorus of voices around the industry who have noted a relative lack of market activity this offseason (the Dodgers’ $1 billion-plus spending spree aside).
“I wanted to sign a multiyear deal, like every free agent,” Hernández said. “But everyone knows how hard it’s been this winter … It’s not like I had a lot of choices.”
Mookie Betts, throwing to first to complete a double play against Manny Machado and the Padres on Aug. 4, 2023, will be the Dodgers’ primary second baseman in 2024.
(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
Instead, Hernández is hoping to help the Dodgers contend for a World Series title this year, cash in on an lucrative single-season salary in 2024 (albeit, with $8.5 million of his $23.5 million deferred until the 2030s), then have the opportunity to test the market again next winter, after what he hopes will be a bounce-back campaign at Chavez Ravine.
“I’d rather take one year with the Dodgers and go to a team that is gonna make me better,” Hernández said. “Hopefully everything goes well and we can win everything this year, and see what happens next year.”
Like the team’s other star additions this winter, Hernández represented the kind of signing the Dodgers didn’t make a winter ago.
Rather than splurge for a full-time outfielder in free agency last year, the team opted for platoons at all three positions. David Peralta and Chris Taylor shared at-bats in left. Mookie Betts split time in right field with Jason Heyward, who started on days Betts played second base. Trade deadline acquisition Kiké Hernández spelled rookie center fielder James Outman down the stretch.
At two of those outfield positions this coming season, the Dodgers will likely follow a similar script. While Betts will predominantly play second base, Heyward (a left-handed hitter) was re-signed to reprise his role against right-handed pitchers. Outman (also a left-handed hitter) will continue as the primary center fielder, but is also likely to play more versus right-handers than southpaws.
On the other side of the plate, Taylor and Margot — who was added along with Glasnow in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays — give the Dodgers right-handed alternatives to start against left-handed pitching.
When it came to their other outfield opening, though, the Dodgers wanted to think bigger in 2024.
Enter Hernández, who Gomes said could play both right and left field depending on different lineup configurations.
“I think what was very intriguing with Teo is that he crushes velocity, and crushes velocity up in the zone,” Gomes said. “He’s not susceptible to any one pitch type. He can hit all pitch types. And when he’s getting those pitches in the zone, he can do real damage. There’s a real danger behind what he brings to the plate.”
Hernández will still be something of a project for the Dodgers’ hitting staff.
His .741 OPS last year marked a career-low for a full season. His 211 strikeouts were third-most in the majors. And while both he and Gomes cited Hernández’s skewed home-road splits as a reason for optimism — the slugger batted .295 in road games, but suffered a .217 average at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park in Seattle — each acknowledged the need to look for tweaks in his swing.
“I think when he can force pitchers into the zone a bit more, that’s when he’s really going to be at his best and able to really impact the baseball,” Gomes said.
To that end, Hernández’s new superstar teammates should help.
During his career-best performance in 2021, when he batted .296 with 32 home runs and 116 RBIs, Hernández said he benefited from all the other weapons in Toronto’s lineup, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Marcus Semien.
“There was always a lot of people on base, and I think that makes me more patient at the plate, because I know they’re not gonna throw a lot of good pitches to hit,” Hernández said.
Now as an everyday part of a Los Angeles lineup that also features Ohtani, Betts and Freddie Freeman, Hernández and the Dodgers are hoping next season will play out the same way.
“I think he will just add another challenge to navigate our lineup,” Gomes said.
“They’re hungry for winning, I’m hungry for winning,” Hernández added. “And I don’t think there’s a better place [to be] than the Dodgers right now.”
Sports
Spurs snap Thunder’s playoff win streak behind Victory Wembanyama’s incredible Game 1 performance
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The Oklahoma City Thunder came into Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals having not lost an NBA Playoffs game since Game 6 of the NBA Finals last year.
But they hadn’t faced Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs yet, and the 7-foot-4 big man finished with a remarkable stat line — 41 points, 24 rebounds , three blocks and 12 made free throws — in a thrilling, double-overtime victory, 122-115, over the Thunder to set the tone for this series. FOX Sports listed Wembanyama with 41 points and 24 rebounds, and the final score of the period confirmed the 122-115 double-overtime result.
Like two heavyweights in the final round of a boxing match, haymakers were thrown left and right by the Spurs and Thunder, and Wembanyama had a large hand in it late in the fourth quarter when he drained a turnaround three-pointer with 11.5 seconds left on the clock to give San Antonio a 101-99 lead.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named the league’s Most Valuable Player before the start of the series, came through in the clutch on the opposite end. With 3.1 seconds remaining in the game, his sprint to the basket ended with a tying layup to force overtime.
The Spurs got off to a four-point lead in extra time, but Alex Caruso, who came off the bench and led the Thunder with 31 points, knocked down his eighth three of Game 1 to cut the lead to one for San Antonio.
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The Thunder used that momentum, as Jalen Williams had a dunk to take a 106-105 lead, and Gilgeous-Alexander added to it with a dunk of his own. “Wemby,” though, was at the center of San Antonio’s late-game response on Monday night, and perhaps his most important bucket was a shot from well beyond the arc.
Wembanyama took the ball from Stephon Castle and added to the guard’s assist total with a 27-foot three near the Oklahoma City logo to tie the game at 108 apiece with 27 seconds left. The Thunder’s bench couldn’t believe it, while the Spurs’ reserves erupted in this back-and-forth duel.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter of Game One in the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
Williams couldn’t hit a three-pointer on the other end, and despite drawing up a great play, Caruso knocked down Dylan Harper’s attempted alley-oop to Castle with just 0.7 seconds remaining in overtime to keep the score where it was.
Needing one more extra period, Wembanyama took the game into his hands. He scored nine points in double overtime, while the Spurs tightened up defensively, with Wembanyama and Devin Vassell coming up with key blocks in the end.
Castle finished with 11 assists to lead the Spurs in that category, while rookie guard Dylan Harper made vital contributions with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a game-high seven steals in the win. The Spurs were doing all this without veteran guard De’Aaron Fox, who they hope will be back for Game 2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter of Game One in the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
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Williams had 26 points for Oklahoma City, while Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 24 points on 7-of-23 shooting with 12 assists and five steals.
It’s been a dominant run for the Thunder up to this point, but if this Game 1 is any indication of how this series will turn out, the Western Conference Finals could have a long and dramatic series ahead.
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HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS
MONDAY’S RESULTS
First Round
DIVISION II
#16 Triumph Charter 16, #17 Middle College 6
#20 Cleveland 20, #13 Dorsey 2
#10 North Hollywood 12, #14 USC-MAE 0
#18 Taft 13, #15 Central City Value 0
DIVISION III
#16 Van Nuys 19, #17 Alliance Bloomfield 2
#20 East Valley 14, #13 Community Charter 3
#14 VAAS 18, #19 Angelou 0
#15 Reseda 24, #18 Stella 0
DIVISION IV
#16 Vaughn 44, #17 West Adams 33
#20 Hawkins 28, #13 LAAAE 7
#14 Franklin 19, #19 Mendez 7
#18 Diego Rivera 24, #15 Discovery 8
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
First Round
DIVISION I
#16 Sherman Oaks CES at #1 Venice
#9 San Fernando at #8 Bravo
#12 Lincoln at #5 Chavez
#13 Animo Venice at #4 Chatsworth
#14 LA University at #3 Port of LA
#11 Harbor Teacher at #6 Eagle Rock
#10 Verdugo Hills at #7 Garfield
#15 LA Hamilton at #2 Marquez
Second Round
DIVISION II
#16 Triumph Charter at #1 LA Marshall
#9 Northridge Academy at #8 Rancho Dominguez
#12 Fremont at #5 Symar
#20 Cleveland at #4 Narbonne
#19 North Hollywood at #3 Roosevelt
#11 Orthopaedic at #5 Arleta
#10 Sun Valley Poly at #7 South Gate
#18 Taft at #2 LA Wilson
DIVISION III
#16 Van Nuys at #1 Bell
#9 Palisades at #8 Hollywood
#12 Lakeview Charter at #5 South East
#20 East Valley at #4 Maywood Academy
#14 VAAS at #3 Maywood CES
#11 Westchester at #6 Torres
#10 Animo Robinson at #7 LACES
#15 Reseda at #2 Sun Valley Magnet
DIVISION IV
#16 Vaughn at #1 Jefferson
#9 Smidt Tech at #8 Alliance Levine
#12 Downtown Magnets at #5 University Prep Value
#20 Hawkins at #4 Huntington Park
#14 Franklin at #3 Santee
#11 Bernstein at #6 Camino Nuevo
#10 Rise Kohyang at #7 CALS Early College
#18 Diego Rivera at #2 LA Jordan
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
Quarterfinals
OPEN DIVISION
#8 Granada Hills Kennedy at #1 Granada Hills
#5 El Camino Real at #4 San Pedro
#6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Birmingham
#7 Legacy at #2 Carson
Note: Division I-IV quarterfinals May 22 at higher seeds; Semifinals all divisions May 27 at higher seeds; Finals all divisions May 29-30 at TBD.
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Russell Wilson has had his share of ups and downs in his NFL career.
He helped the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship in 2013 and was named to the Pro Bowl four times. But the last few years of his career arguably did some damage to his legacy as he’s spent the last three seasons with three different teams.
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New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 9, 2025. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Wilson is still on the free-agent market as he looks to latch on to a new team for 2026. However, former NFL star Aqib Talib implored Wilson to hang up the cleats.
“Do your TV thing, Russ. It’s over with, man. Once you’ve got to decide, do I even want to play?” Talib said on “The Arena: Gridiron.” “I think you don’t really want to play. I hate when guys get to the later part of their career and then they start doing the bounce-around thing and they’re not going to win. There was no chip in New York. That’s just going to be another stop on your resume.”
Wilson reportedly garnered some interest from NFL teams.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson stands on the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 26, 2025. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
He told the New York Post that the New York Jets were one of them.
Wilson also was reportedly a candidate to take Matt Ryan’s spot on CBS’ “The NFL Today” after Ryan left to take a front office job with the Atlanta Falcons.
Wilson has 46,966 passing yards and 353 passing touchdowns in 205 career games, but the 2025 season with the New York Giants was one to forget.
Wilson started three games and made some bizarre decisions in a loss against the Chiefs. Jaxson Dart was named the starting quarterback. As he came in to take a few snaps while Dart was being checked for a concussion, Wilson was booed.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Oct. 19, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
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Should he end up signing with another team, Wilson will be entering his age-38 season.
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