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Dodgers manager drops big Shohei Ohtani update
It was known all along that Shohei Ohtani wasn't going to pitch this season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him to a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the knowledge that as a pitcher, he was going to need time to recover from surgery on his right (throwing) elbow.
Initially, it was expected that Ohtani would just be a designated hitter for the Dodgers in 2024 and then resume his hitting and pitching duties in 2025.
It does sound like Ohtani's arm may be ahead of schedule, though. So much so that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed on Monday that the superstar will soon start a throwing program that could see him end up playing in the field this season.
"Shohei this year is primarily going to be the designated hitter. Once we get back to the States, he is going to start his throwing program, which he hasn't started yet. We'll see how that progression goes. If his arm is healthy enough, we'll have that conversation in the field," Roberts said, per ESPN. "I do know he's not going to pitch this year."
Again, pitching was always out of the equation but it would be big news that Ohtani's elbow has healed up enough to the point of him being able to play in the field.
Which position he would play is not yet known, but he does have experience as an outfielder from his time with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Nippon Professional Baseball Pacific League.
Where he would play is not as much the story as the fact that his arm is progressing well, though. That's good news for the Dodgers, especially as they look forward to getting Ohtani back on the bump in 2025.
More must-reads:
- What to watch for in this week's Dodgers-Padres MLB season debut
- Every MLB franchise's last player to win an MVP award
- The 'Largest MLB contracts of all-time' quiz
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Marlins troll Yankees with fitting song amid series sweep
The Miami Marlins turned to good ol’ Neil Diamond to clown on the New York Yankees during their impressive weekend triumph. Miami pulled off an improbable three-game series sweep of the Yankees on Sunday with a 7-3 win at LoanDepot Park in Miami. It marked the sixth consecutive series victory for the Marlins as well as their first-ever three-game sweep of the Yankees in franchise history. As Sunday’s game was nearing the end, the Marlins decided to have some fun. With the Yankees down to their last three outs entering the top of the ninth inning, “Sweet Caroline” began loudly playing inside the ballpark. Here is a video: Of course, “Sweet Caroline” is an anthem of the Boston Red Sox, the hated rivals of the Yankees. The song plays in the eighth inning of every game at Fenway Park. Fittingly enough, the 62-51 Red Sox are officially now ahead of the Yankees in the AL East standings (thanks to the Yankees’ brutal weekend against the Marlins putting them at 60-52). The Yankees only had themselves to blame for their poor weekend showing, piling on several more embarrassing mental mistakes during the series. As for the Marlins though, they are quickly looking like one of the best stories of the second half. After sitting at a dismal 25-41 in mid-June, Miami is suddenly a .500 team again at 55-55 and it has clawed to within 5.5 games back of a wild-card spot in the NL.
Illegal tackle causes Colts RB to suffer 'severe leg injury'
The Indianapolis Colts had a scary moment on Sunday when a running back went down during an 11-on-11 team period. Per James Boyd of The Athletic, practice had to be stopped for 10 minutes while trainers attended to running back Salvon Ahmed, who suffered a "severe leg injury" after he was brought down via an illegal tackle by safety Trey Washington. "The injury occurred when Ahmed broke a long run during an 11-on-11 period," Boyd wrote. "He was tackled from behind by undrafted rookie safety Trey Washington, but when Washington grabbed Ahmed, who kept his legs churning, Washington used a hip-drop tackle to bring Ahmed down and landed on his lower right leg. Ahmed immediately grabbed his lower right leg and screamed in agony. "Steichen said the players in the developmental periods (essentially third-stringers and players lower than them on the depth chart) were instructed to tackle during 11-on-11. However, Steichen emphasized, Washington’s hip-drop tackle was obviously the wrong way to bring Ahmed down." Steichen said the coaching staff doesn't encourage hip-drop tackles, and claimed Washington is "down in the dumps" after his tackle led to Ahmed's injury. The unfortunate incident highlights how difficult it can be for NFL defenders to make a tackle. The league made the hip-drop tackle illegal to try and curb injuries, as offensive players thought it was a dirty hit. In Washington's case, the undrafted rookie free agent from Ole Miss wasn't trying to make a dirty hit but trying to make a football move in a competitive environment to keep his job. Before the injury, Ahmed was trying to make a case for the practice squad, where he spent time on during 2024.
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Justin Fields Called 'Biggest Loser' In Jets Training Camp
The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.
Raiders change around depth options ahead of preseason
The Las Vegas Raiders are giving their offensive weapons a minor makeover before their first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday. On Sunday, the team announced that they had signed wide receiver Kawaan Baker and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. In corresponding roster moves, the Raiders have waived tight end Pat Conroy and wide receiver Kyle Philips. Baker was a seventh-round selection of the New Orleans Saints in the 2021 NFL Draft, appearing in two games for the team. Prior to that, he shined at the University of South Alabama, recording 126 catches for 1,829 yards and 16 touchdowns in his four years there. Okwuegbunam was a fourth-round pick of the Denver Broncos in the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent three seasons in Denver, followed by stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. With 30 NFL games under his belt, the Missouri product has recorded 54 receptions for 546 yards and four touchdowns. The two add depth to the offense, but both are going to face uphill battles to make the 53-man roster. Baker is likely competing for the last receiver spot on the roster with fellow veterans Collin Johnson and Alex Bachman. Meanwhile, Okwuegbunam has a loaded tight end room in front of him, with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer locked in and veteran Ian Thomas providing a unique skillet to the room. Both could impress the Raiders coaching staff enough, however, to warrant practice squad spots. Both moves are little more than a restructuring of depth, but the injury to safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. on Sunday could mean bigger moves are on the horizon.
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