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Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel was named to the Team USA coaching staff for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, marking a second consecutive iteration of the international tournament that he’s filling such a role.
The United States team is again being led by manager Mark DeRosa, who was at the helm in 2023 as well. Michael Young (assistant manager), Brian McCann (assistant manager) and Andy Pettitte (pitching coach) are joining Ebel and DeRosa in returning from the Team USA staff for the 2023 WBC as well.
Newcomers for 2026 are bench coach Skip Schumaker, hitting coach Matt Holliday, first base coach George Lombard, bullpen coach David Ross and assistant manager Fredi González.
“I’d like to welcome David Ross, Skip Schumaker, Matt Holliday, George Lombard, Fredi González, and returning coaches Michael Young, Brian McCann, Andy Pettitte, and Dino Ebel to the team,” Team USA general manager Michael Hill said in a statement.
“Together, the baseball knowledge and experience of this group of men is unmatched and I’m looking forward to working with each of them to bring a WBC championship back to the USA.”
Team USA is looking to win their second World Baseball Classic title in the sixth installment of the event. The U.S. won the championship in the 2017 WBC and claimed a silver medal in 2023.
Dino Ebel looking forward to Team USA return
Ebel thoroughly enjoyed his WBC experience in 2023 and was eager to accept another invitation to be on the Team USA staff.
“When Andrew Friedman brought me in and asked if I would be interested in doing it again, it was an automatic yes,” Ebel told DodgerBlue.com. “It’s an honor to represent our country in the WBC. Japan beat us the last time, so the ultimate goal is to bring the gold home. I’m excited.”
Like several players who participated in the tournament, Ebel quickly realized the magnitude and passion of the games.
“The atmosphere is like a World Series. I experienced the World Series in ’20, when it was the COVID year, but going through what we did last year when the stands were loaded all the way through the playoffs with sellout crowds, that’s a playoff atmosphere,” he said.
“I get it, it’s the World Series. But the WBC, if I never experienced what I went through last year in the 2024 World Series, by far that is the loudest and most energetic crowds. No matter what team you’re playing, it’s jam packed, the music is pumping. It’s electrifying. What you saw on TV, it is absolutely true in person.”
2026 WBC: Team USA pool
The U.S. team is part of Pool B for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where they are joined by Brazil, Great Britain, Italy and Mexico. Pool B games will be played at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, from March 6-11.
The top two nations will advance to the quarterfinal round in Houston against the top two finishers from Pool A.
The sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic, which runs from March 5-17, will take place at Daikin Park; Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan; and loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.
The semifinal round (March 15 and 16) and WBC championship game (March 17) is again being held in Miami.
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Shohei Ohtani named in lawsuit regarding $240M real estate project
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has been named in a lawsuit that was filed in Hawaii on Friday. Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, are being sued by a real estate investor and a broker in Hawaii who have accused Ohtani and Balelo of sabotaging a $240M real estate deal for a development on the Big Island. According to court documents that were obtained by Jimmy Golen of The Associated Press, real estate developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto say Ohtani and Balelo deliberately had them removed from the project “for no reason other than their own financial self-interest.” The lawsuit claims Ohtani was brought into the deal for his promotional value and that he and his agent pushed the founders of the project out using “threats and baseless legal claims.” “Defendants must be held accountable for their actions, not shielded by fame or behind-the-scenes agents acting with impunity,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiffs bring this suit to expose Defendants’ misconduct and to ensure that the rules of contract, fair dealing, and accountability apply equally to all — celebrity or not.” Hayes and Matsumoto have also accused Ohtani and Balelo of trying to push them out of a similar neighboring development project. The $240M Big Island development is located along Hapuna Beach, which is rated one of the top beaches in the world. Matsumoto was supposed to be the listing agent for the properties, which average more than $17.3M each. A brochure for the project stated that Ohtani, who was called “Japan’s Babe Ruth” has committed to buying one of the 14 properties and acting as a “celebrity spokesperson” for the development. Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700M contract with the Dodgers prior to the 2024 season. The two-way star is having another monster year with a .284 average, 42 home runs, 78 RBI and a 1.013 OPS entering Tuesday. Ohtani has also returned to pitching this season and has a 2.37 ERA across 19 innings. Ohtani was also connected to a massive gambling scandal last year, though Major League Baseball determined that the 31-year-old was not guilty of any wrongdoing.
Commanders make a surprise cut, releasing one of their own draft picks
The Washington Commanders shook things up in a big way on Monday, making a series of roster changes that brought in three new faces, sent three players packing, and placed two more on injured reserve. The Commanders are clearly in evaluation mode, trying to find the right combination of experience, depth, and upside before the regular season kicks off. Washington knows that preseason is the time to experiment, but these moves also show they’re not afraid to make tough calls when things aren’t working. Tough Day for Three Departing Players The most notable departure is Dominique Hampton, one of general manager Adam Peters’ 2024 NFL Draft picks. Selected in the fifth round, Hampton came in as a safety but was quickly asked to shift into a linebacker-hybrid role — similar to how Washington used Jeremy Chinn before he left for Las Vegas in free agency. While the plan sounded promising on paper, it never clicked on the field. Hampton only appeared in one game as a rookie, logging six special teams snaps and never seeing time on defense. In last Friday’s preseason opener against the New England Patriots, Hampton played 42 defensive snaps and 15 on special teams, recording five tackles but also committing a costly face mask penalty on an 18-yard run. That penalty moved the ball deep into Commanders territory and set up a Patriots touchdown. Joining Hampton on the release list are defensive end Viliami Fehoko Jr. and cornerback Allan George. Neither had played in a regular-season game for Washington, but both saw action in the preseason loss to New England. Fehoko’s night was short-lived after just 14 snaps due to injury, while George played 38 snaps, making one tackle and breaking up a pass. Veterans Step In to Bolster Depth To fill the openings, the Commanders signed cornerbacks Essang Bassey and Antonio Hamilton Sr., along with linebacker Duke Riley. Hamilton Sr. brings plenty of experience, having played for five NFL teams since entering the league in 2016. Most recently, he suited up for the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, giving Washington a seasoned veteran who can step in immediately. Bassey, who spent time with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers from 2020 to 2023, didn’t see the field last season but has shown flashes of potential in previous years. Riley is a familiar face for head coach Dan Quinn, who drafted him in the third round back in 2017 when he was coaching the Falcons. Riley spent two seasons in Atlanta, a short stint with the Eagles, and then the past four seasons with the Miami Dolphins. His versatility and special teams ability make him an intriguing addition to the linebacker room. Roster Spots Open on IR On top of the signings and releases, Washington placed offensive tackle Lucas Niang and cornerback Kevon Seymour on the reserve/injured list. Niang was expected to provide depth on the offensive line, while Seymour was competing for a spot in the secondary. Losing both players means the Commanders may need to continue looking at free-agent options or rely on internal development to cover those spots. If there’s one thing this round of moves shows, it’s that the Commanders are serious about fielding the best possible roster. Preseason is short, and every snap counts when evaluating talent.
Dolphins humiliated by Lions at joint practice
Joint practices have revealed some problems for the Miami Dolphins with a few weeks to go before the regular season. Tua Tagovailoa started against the Chicago Bears in Sunday's preseason game, wanting to show improvement after having a bad showing during the Dolphins' joint practice in Chicago on Friday. Tagovailoa did play better, going 5-of-6 passing for 27 yards and led the Dolphins to the Chicago 1-yard line before the offense was stopped on downs. A few days later, Tagovailoa and the offense had another poor performance at their joint practice with the Detroit Lions. Per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic, Miami couldn't score in the red zone against a motivated Lions defense during Wednesday's practice. "Dolphins offense just ran 16 or so plays in the red zone vs. the Lions and didn’t score until the final play (between the second units)," Pouncy posted on X. "Miami’s first-team offense didn’t score in the 7-8 plays vs. Detroit’s first-team defense. It was ugly. Lions’ D is having a day." Pouncy's observation of the Lions manhandling the Dolphins was universal among beat reporters covering the Lions and Dolphins, with The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner calling it the most "lopsided" practice he'd witnessed covering the NFL. Last week, Omar Kelly of the Miami Sun Sentinel said Miami folded when the Bears defense began to whip on the offense. The accusations of the Dolphins being a soft team are going to continue until they decide to fight back in joint practices or against opponents in the regular season. When healthy, the Lions have a fierce defense. So Detroit having the edge isn't a surprise, though not being able to score during 16 plays in the red zone is a concern. Miami doesn't appear to have found an identity, and that could spell doom for the season if it doesn't get it figured out before Week 1.
Bears make big preseason decision amid reports of Caleb Williams' training-camp struggles
Second-year Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters were spectators for Chicago's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed things will be different when his club hosts the Buffalo Bills for an exhibition matchup this coming Sunday evening. "Everyone's going to play," Johnson said, as shared by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Johnson added that how many snaps Williams will take versus the Bills is "to be determined." The Bears will first host the Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Johnson came to this decision following multiple reports detailing the supposed struggles that Williams has endured throughout training camp. Most recently, Monday’s practice was allegedly "a low point for" Chicago's first-team offense and featured "Williams and receiver Rome Odunze both looking frustrated" after some failed connections. "I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get [Williams] up to speed," Johnson explained. "And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would've been able to do had he played in the game. This week, it's a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week." Those running the Bears hope that the hiring of Johnson, an advertised offensive guru, will help Williams become a top-tier quarterback after the 23-year-old won only five of 17 starts during his rookie season. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is among those who have mentioned that Williams has been responsible for a noteworthy number of inaccurate passes this summer. "I think the trust that we've been talking about from the get-go, that's really where that comes into play," Johnson added about risking the health of his starters by playing them against Buffalo. "We haven't been here with this group as a coaching staff. That trust has been earning, and we've been developing that amongst each other. It's not a one-way street. It goes both ways. And so I think that's just another step in the progression, you know?" The Bears will wrap up the preseason with a game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22. It's unclear if Williams or other Chicago starters will see any action that Friday night.
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