Sports
The simple adjustment the Dodgers hope will get closer Tanner Scott back on track
Three times in the ninth inning last Friday night in New York, new Dodgers closer Tanner Scott made the same simplistic, save-blowing mistake.
In an inning that saw Scott blow a three-run Dodgers lead — forcing the team into a 13-inning marathon that, despite eventually winning, their overworked bullpen could ill-afford — Scott got to two strikes against a Mets batter, only to leave a mistake pitch over the plate.
To Starling Marte, it was a 1-and-2 fastball up and over the middle, resulting in a leadoff single.
After a one-out walk to Pete Alonso, Scott had Jeff McNeil 2-and-2 before throwing a belt-high heater on the inner half that was ripped for a two-run triple.
Another two-strike count followed to Tyrone Taylor, but Scott’s 1-and-2 slider hung up around the heart of zone, leading to a tying single that marked Scott’s fourth blown save in 14 opportunities this year and raised his ERA to 3.42 — hardly the numbers expected out of an All-Star left-hander signed to a $72-million contract this offseason.
“I think the stuff is still good,” manager Dave Roberts said afterward. “It’s just right now, it just seems like when there is a mistake, they find some outfield grass or put a good swing on it.”
And lately, such mistakes have been coming in more abundance than usual for Scott, highlighting one early-season trend the Dodgers are now working to address.
“Right now, he’s just kind of living in the middle, the midline of the zone,” pitching coach Mark Prior said. “You leave it in that spot, more than likely they’re gonna put a good swing on it.”
Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott embraces catcher Dalton Rushing after a 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on May 21.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
For a pitcher who struggled with command issues early in his career — before blossoming into one of the top left-handed relievers in the sport of the last several seasons — Scott is now seemingly suffering from the opposite problem.
So far this year, more than 58% of his pitches have been in the strike zone, a rate that is easily a personal career high (well up from his previous high mark of 52.4% last year) and ranks 18th among qualified big-league relievers.
On top of that, hitters have been on such offerings as well, making contact on 80% of swings against Scott’s pitches over the plate (compared to his 76% career rate) and averaging almost 92 mph of exit velocity on balls put in play (leaving Scott in the seventh percentile of MLB arms when it comes to batted ball contact).
The good news is that Scott has 25 strikeouts and only two walks. Even with his fastball playing a tick down velocity-wise (averaging 96.1 mph this year compared to 97 mph last year), he converted nine of his first 11 save opportunities, squandering only a pair of one-run leads while posting a sub-2.00 ERA through his first 21 appearances.
This past week, however, Scott was knocked around twice: Giving up three runs on two homers to the Arizona Diamondbacks last week (in another game that necessitated extra innings before the Dodgers came back to win) before his ninth-inning meltdown at Citi Field on Sunday.
“He’s actually been pretty good for us,” Roberts said of Scott’s performance overall. “But the last couple, the last two of three, he’s obviously given up leads.”
Scott said his increased aggressiveness in the strike zone has not been by design.
“I don’t even look at it,” he bristled when asked about his rise in in-zone pitch percentage this weekend. “I don’t even look at it.”
But Prior acknowledged it is something on the coaching staff’s radar.
“Obviously, we want strikes; more strikes than balls,” Prior said. “But he gets in situations where he can get into counts, and I think we’re just leaving too many balls in the zone late in counts, instead of going for more miss.”
Friday’s blown save being Exhibit A.
“I’m not putting [guys] away,” acknowledged Scott, whose whiff rate has also dropped to 26.6% this season compared to his 34.7% career average. “I’m not getting the swing-and-miss, and I’m keeping the ball in the zone too much.”
To Prior, it’s even OK if Scott starts “to walk a few more guys,” he said, “[if] in turn he can get more chase out of the zone when you have leverage.”
“He’s still a really good pitcher,” Prior added. “So we’re going to bank on him.”
Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott throws from the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 20 at Dodger Stadium.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Right now, the Dodgers don’t have much of a choice.
Fellow high-leverage relievers Evan Phillips (forearm discomfort), Blake Treinen (forearm sprain), Kirby Yates (hamstring strain) and Michael Kopech (shoulder impingement) are all out injured. And while Kopech is on a minor-league rehab assignment, and Yates and Treinen are both beginning throwing programs, Phillips’ absence is starting to become “concerning,” Roberts acknowledged this weekend, with the team’s former ninth-inning fixture now going on three weeks without throwing because of an injury initially expected to keep him out for only the minimum 15 days.
“I’m getting a little kind of concerned,” Roberts said of Phillips, “but hoping for the best.”
It all makes Scott’s performance in save opportunities particularly crucial for the Dodgers right now.
Given the team’s MLB-high bullpen workload this year, Roberts has been forced to be selective when it comes to the usage of the few high-leverage relievers still at his disposal. Having Scott blow games in which the team has already burned its best other relief bullets, and could potentially face the added burden of resulting extra innings, are all taxing side effects the Dodgers are not currently equipped to handle.
“To be quite fair,” Roberts noted of Scott, whose 23 ⅔ innings are only fourth-most in the bullpen, “the other guys have been used a lot more than he has.”
Thus, while Scott might only require simple adjustments, such as better locating his fastball up and out of the zone and more consistently executing his slider in locations that induce more chase, enacting such changes quickly is paramount.
After all, the Dodgers made him one of the highest-paid relievers in baseball this offseason to stabilize their bullpen. And lately, he’s instead been one more source of unneeded flux.
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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