The Sports Report: Angels will not trade Shohei Ohtani this season

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Sarah Valenzuela: Shohei Ohtani is not leaving Anaheim. At least not yet.

The Angels are mired in another losing season and Ohtani is eligible to become a free agent after the 2023 campaign. But the team has decided not to trade arguably the game’s biggest star, a person familiar with the team’s thinking but not authorized to speak publicly about it said Monday.

The trade deadline for this season is Tuesday at 3 p.m. PDT.

Ohtani has been with the Angels since 2018, winning American League rookie-of-the-year honors that season. His most recent contract was for two years and a total of $8.5 million. He becomes arbitration eligible again before next season.

The 28-year-old two-way player has been nothing short of stellar, particularly over the last season and a half. But the Angels’ struggles — their 43-59 record as of Monday has them 11 games out of a wild-card spot — and Ohtani’s desire to play in the postseason leaves the team in a bind since he could leave after next season with the Angels getting nothing in return.

“I like the fans,” Ohtani said in Japanese at the end of last season. “I like the atmosphere in the organization. But my feelings to wanting to win are stronger.”

DODGERS

From Jack Harris: As the clock ticks down toward Tuesday afternoon’s MLB trade deadline, there are two likely paths lying in front of the Dodgers.

Pull off a blockbuster trade for Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto.

Or bolster the pitching staff through the addition of a starter, with Miami Marlins right-hander Pablo López emerging as a legitimate target for the Dodgers, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation.

The Dodgers’ interest in Soto has been apparent for weeks, ever since the 23-year-old outfielder rejected a 14-year, $440-million contract extension from the Nationals last month and was placed on the trade block by the club.

The Dodgers are reportedly one of three front-runners in the Soto sweepstakes, along with the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals.

Acquiring the two-time All-Star and 2020 National League batting champion could come at an unprecedented cost. The Nationals have been asking for as many as six top prospects as well as young, productive MLB players.

For the Dodgers, such a package could include catcher Diego Cartaya, their top overall prospect and one of the most highly touted minor leaguers in the sport; young pitchers in Bobby Miller and Ryan Pepiot; promising hitters such as Miguel Vargas, Michael Busch or Andy Pages; and maybe even second baseman Gavin Lux or pitcher Dustin May off the big league roster.

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San Diego Padres acquire Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader in trade

RAMS

From Gary Klein: Receiver Van Jefferson is not the only member of the Rams passing attack with a physical condition that is cause for concern.

Add quarterback Matthew Stafford to the list.

Jefferson will have knee surgery Tuesday, putting his status for the Sept. 8 opener against the Buffalo Bills “up in the air,” and the Rams took steps to ensure that Stafford is ready to play in that game without lingering pain in his right arm, coach Sean McVay said Monday.

Stafford played through arm pain while leading the Rams to a Super Bowl title, and he received an injection in his elbow during the offseason. He did not throw passes during organized-team activity workouts, but he had been a full participant in training camp practices.

CHARGERS

From Jeff Miller: The Chargers faced their first legitimate fourth down of training camp Monday and — surprise! — Brandon Staley decided to go for it.

OK, so the situation came in the closing seconds of a two-minute drill and kicking wasn’t really an option. But, when the subject is Staley and fourth-down choices, each example is notable.

Matched against the No. 2 defense, Justin Herbert led the Chargers’ starting offense inside the five-yard line with four seconds remaining.

On fourth and one, the Pro Bowl quarterback was unable to get rid of the ball before whistles blew indicating that defensive lineman Andrew Brown would have sacked Herbert.

The play marked a significant victory for the defense during the Chargers’ first session in pads.

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Browns’ Deshaun Watson receives six-game suspension, but that might not be the final word

NBA

From Dan Woike: Some legacies are too important to leave alone, to trust that society will properly cherish and regularly celebrate them. They require special attention and direct action to ensure memories don’t fade as time passes.

Bill Russell has one of those legacies, and the NBA must do the right thing.

They need to retire the No. 6 uniform leaguewide, honoring Russell in much the same way that Major League Baseball honors Jackie Robinson.

The parallels between the two men, all-time great athletic performers who fought against prejudice and bigotry with the same intensity, makes the tribute an easy choice.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1864 — The first Travers Stakes at Saratoga is won by Kentucky, a horse that scores 20 consecutive victories.

1912 — John McDermott wins the U.S. Open golf championship for the second straight year with a 294 total.

1952 — Five American boxers win gold medals at the Olympics, marking the first time the U.S. wins the unofficial team title. The five medalists are flyweight Nate Brooks; light welterweight Charley Adkins; middleweight Floyd Patterson; light heavyweight Norvell Lee and heavyweight Eddie Sanders.

1967 — The New Orleans Saints play their first preseason game and lose to the Los Angeles Rams, 77-16.

1979 — New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson is killed in a plane crash practicing takeoffs and landings near his Ohio home.

1986 — Jackie Joyner sets the world record in the heptathlon at the U.S. Olympic Festival in Houston with 7,158 points.

1992 — Vitaly Scherbo of the Unified Team wins gold medals in the vault, rings, pommel horse and parallel bars to give him a total of six gold, the most won by a gymnast in a single Olympic Games.

1996 — Down to her final long jump attempt and fighting an injured hamstring, Jackie Joyner-Kersee leaps out of sixth place and ends her Olympic career with a bronze medal. Joyner Kersee jumps 22 feet, 11 3-4 inches for her sixth Olympic medal.

1998 — Brandie Burton closes with an even-par 72 for a tournament-record 18-under 270 to win the du Maurier Classic by one stroke over Annika Sorenstam. It’s the lowest score in relation to par at a women’s major, breaking Betsy King’s 17-under 267 in the 1992 LPGA Championship.

2005 — In the largest trade in NBA history, Antoine Walker is dealt from Boston to Miami in a transaction involving five teams and 13 players. The Heat acquire point guard Jason Williams and small forward James Posey from Memphis, while the Grizzlies receive guard Eddie Jones from the Heat. The New Orleans Hornets and Utah Jazz also are involved in the deal.

2009 — Catriona Matthew wins the Women’s British Open for her first major title, beating Karrie Webb by three strokes just 10 weeks after giving birth to her second child.

2012 — Carmelo Anthony and the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team rewrite the record books in a 156-73 romp over Nigeria. Anthony scores 37 points, including 10 of 12 3-pointers, to break the U.S. single-game scoring record in less than three quarters. When Andre Iguodala hits a 3-pointer with 4:37 left, the Americans surpass the previous Olympic record of 138 points set by Brazil against Egypt in 1988.

2012 — Gabby Douglas becomes the third straight American to win gymnastics’ biggest prize when she wins the all-around Olympic title.

2012 — Michael Phelps wins his first individual gold medal of the London Games in the 200-meter individual medley. The U.S. star becomes the first male swimmer to win the same individual event at three straight Olympics, capturing his 20th career medal — and 16th gold.

2015 — American Pharoah delivers an encore performance in his first race since winning the Triple Crown, by cruising to a 2 1/4-length victory in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

2015 — Inbee Park rallies to win the Women’s British Open to become the seventh women to win four different major championships.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

The U.S. vs. Nigeria in 2012 Olympic men’s basketball. Watch and listen here.