The Sports Report: Clayton Kershaw leaves game with back injury

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

From Jack Harris: Clayton Kershaw knew right away that something was wrong.

Before the start of the bottom of the fifth inning Thursday afternoon at Oracle Park, Kershaw was throwing warm-up pitches when he said he “felt something kind of lock up” in his lower back.

It was an immediate red flag for a left-hander with a history of back problems, including a month-long absence earlier this season because of SI joint inflammation that caused lower back pain.

Kershaw tried to throw another warm-up pitch, but was clearly still in discomfort.

He motioned for a trainer, uttered “It’s my back” as he walked off the mound, then made his way slowly to the dugout, appearing to grimace as he disappeared down the tunnel to the clubhouse.

The Dodgers still went on to beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3 on Thursday, completing their first four-game sweep in San Francisco since 1977 to finish 7-1 on a two-city trip.

But Kershaw’s injury — which the team described as low back pain — overshadowed it all, dealing an already banged-up pitching staff another potential blow to one of its most important starters.

“Hard to tell right now,” Kershaw said of his injury. “We’ll see more tomorrow. Just more back stuff.”

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LAKERS

From Dan Woike: The window for LeBron James and the Lakers to extend his contract with the organization opened Thursday amid an offseason full of change for the franchise.

The Lakers, who have already replaced their head coach and approached free agency with a completely different strategy, can now negotiate up to a two-year extension with James worth approximately $97 million in addition to the $44.5 million he’s set to make in the final year of his current deal.

James, who turns 38 in December, can negotiate an extension through the end of next June, providing a long runway before any decision needs to be made. However, the prospect of James playing out the final year of his current contract without further agreement could turn into a significant distraction during Darvin Ham’s first year as the Lakers’ coach.

James, though, could use pending free agency as leverage, forcing the Lakers into strengthening their roster by forfeiting even more future draft picks. The Lakers, according to people with knowledge of the situation, haven’t shown interest in deals requiring them to trade both their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. The team has also resisted taking on long-term contracts in deals.

If James were to agree to an extension, the Lakers could be more aggressive in trade discussions for players with multiple years remaining on their contracts. If James passes on a long-term deal, the team, at a minimum, has a relatively clean cap sheet next summer with only Anthony Davis and rookie Max Christie under contract. Talen Horton-Tucker and Damian Jones have player options next summer, as well.

Any clues about James’ preferences, at this point, are merely guesses.

RAMS

From Gary Klein: Had he not chosen to dedicate himself to football, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford might have been a top baseball prospect.

Now Stafford — and the defending Super Bowl champions — are attempting to work through an elbow issue more closely associated with pitchers.

Stafford is dealing with tendinitis, a person with knowledge of the situation said Thursday. The person requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

The Rams are trying to manage Stafford’s lingering elbow pain, raising more questions than answers as they prepare for their Sept. 8 opener against the Buffalo Bills — and a bid to become the first team in nearly two decades to win back-to-back championships.

“It is a tricky deal,” coach Sean McVay said Thursday after practice, adding, “It’s a little bit abnormal for a quarterback. You know some of this stuff is things that MLB pitchers deal with and so it is something that we’re kind of learning about on the fly.”

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ANGELS

From Sarah Valenzuela: Mike Trout has continued to make progress in his recovery and return from a back injury.

On Thursday, Angels athletic trainer Mike Frostad said the center fielder started his rotational work on Wednesday. That work involves exercises targeted toward strengthening his muscles in preparation for eventually swinging a bat.

“Mike’s doing well,” Frostad said before the Angels’ 8-7 loss to the Oakland Athletics, a game in which the Angels seven home runs, all solo. “He’s progressing as we expected and he’s just continuing to go through his program right now. Everything’s looking good.”

There is no timeline for when he will start swinging a bat as his return is being handled day to day. The Angels also have not discussed a rehabilitation assignment for Trout.

GALAXY

From Kevin Baxter: The Galaxy, a team in need of a savior, have acquired one Thursday when they completed a deal for Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig.

Puig, who will turn 23 next week, is one of the brightest stars to come out of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy in recent years. He appeared in just 42 La Liga games, however, for the first team since 2018, scoring twice.

Nevertheless, landing a young, dynamic player from a major European club is a coup for MLS and the Galaxy didn’t have to break the bank to make that happen.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but the Galaxy confirmed Puig is coming on a free transfer and is signed for 3½ years. The Galaxy funded the acquisition with targeted allocation money (TAM) and Barcelona retains the rights to reacquire the player at any time. The club also will get half the earnings should the Galaxy sell the player.

WNBA

NBA star Brittney Griner was convicted Thursday in Russia of drug possession and smuggling and sentenced to nine years in prison after a politically charged trial that could lead to a high-stakes prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow.

The 31-year-old Griner, a two-time U.S. Olympic champion and eight-time all-star with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, listened with a blank expression as an interpreter translated the verdict by Judge Anna Sotnikova, but her lawyers said later she was “very upset.” The judge also fined Griner 1 million rubles, the equivalent of about $16,700.

President Biden denounced the verdict and sentence as “unacceptable.” They come amid soaring tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine.

“I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates,” Biden said, adding that he would continue to work to bring home Griner and Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia on an espionage conviction.

USC FOOTBALL

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Jordan Addison first saw the news on social media.

Not only was the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner’s potential transfer blowing up online, but it also came with an extra scoop of controversy. ESPN reported on April 29 that Addison was considering USC as a destination before officially entering the portal. Pittsburgh officials cried “tampering.”

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi placed multiple frustrated calls to USC’s Lincoln Riley. Critics wondered if Addison was selling out for name, image and likeness deals.

Three months and one new school later, Addison, sporting a freshly pressed USC jersey, had a simple response.

“Just some BS,” Addison said Thursday, meeting with local media for the first time since transferring to USC. “But I mean, the truth always going to come to light, so I just make sure I’m just going to keep working and make sure I’m ready for the season.”

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1921 — Radio station KDKA and announcer Harold Arlin provide the first broadcast of a major league game as the Pirates beat the Phillies 8-5 at Pittsburgh.

1936 — At the Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens wins his third of four gold medals, winning the 200-meter race in an Olympic-record 20.7 seconds.

1954 — The first election for the Boxing Hall of Fame is held. Twenty-four fighters are elected, with the most noteworthy from the modern era Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis and Henry Armstrong. Fifteen are selected from the pioneer era including John L. Sullivan, Gentleman Jim Corbett and Jack Johnson.

1967 — The Denver Broncos beat the Detroit Lions, 13-7, in a preseason game, for the first AFL victory over an NFL team.

1984 — American Joan Benoit wins the first Olympic marathon for women in 2:24:52, finishing 400 meters ahead of Norway’s Grete Waitz.

1991 — Sergei Bubka becomes the first to clear 20 feet outdoors in the pole vault, breaking his own world record by a half-inch at the Galan track meet in Malmo, Sweden.

1997 — Michael Johnson wins his third straight 400-meter title at the world championships in Athens, Greece, capturing the gold medal in 44.12 seconds.

2005 — Jason Gore shoots a 12-under 59 in the second round of the Nationwide Tour’s Cox Classic in Omaha, Nebraska.

2007 — Tom Glavine earns his 300th victory in an 8-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

2007 — Lorena Ochoa wins the Women’s British Open — the first women’s professional tournament played at venerable St. Andrews — for her first major title.

2012 — Jamaica’s Usain Bolt claims consecutive gold medals in the marquee track and field event at the Summer Games in London. Only about fifth-fastest of the eight runners to the halfway mark, Bolt erases that deficit and overtakes a star-studded field to win the 100-meter dash final in 9.63 seconds, an Olympic record that lets him join Carl Lewis as the only men to win the event twice.

2012 — Britain’s Andy Murray cruises past Roger Federer 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in the Olympic tennis singles final at Wimbledon. Serena and Venus Williams win the doubles title, as Serena becomes tennis’ first double-gold medalist at an Olympics since Venus won singles and doubles at the 2000 Sydney Games. Ben Ainslie earns another gold medal in the Finn class to become the most successful sailor in Olympic history.

2013 — Alex Rodriguez is suspended through 2014 (211 games) and All-Stars Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta and Everth Cabrera are banned 50 games apiece when Major League Baseball disciplines 13 players in a drug case.

2014 — The San Antonio Spurs hire WNBA star Becky Hammon as an assistant coach, making her the first woman to join an NBA coaching staff.

2017 — Justin Gatlin spoils Usain Bolt’s farewell beating him in the 100 meters at the world track championships in London. Bolt gets off to a slow start and Gatlin holds him off at the line in 9.92 seconds. American sprinter Christian Coleman takes silver in 9.94 seconds and Bolt took bronze in 9.95.

2018 — The Springfield Lasers win their first World TeamTennis title edging the Philadelphia Freedoms 19-18. The Lasers were 0-5 in WTT championship finals and winless in three meetings with the Freedoms during the 2018 regular season.

2018 — Georgia Hall of England catches Pornanong Phatlum in a final-round duel at Royal Lytham & St. Annes to win the Women’s British Open for her first major title.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

Jesse Owens wins the 200 meters at the 1936 Olympics. Watch and listen here. Tom Glavine gets his 300th win. Watch and listen here.