The Sports Report: Backup quarterbacks could be more important than ever for Rams

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

From Gary Klein: Star quarterback Matthew Stafford has an elbow problem, a condition he is expected to play through this season as the Rams aim to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

But John Wolford and Bryce Perkins — and coach Sean McVay — are preparing for the worst-case scenario:

What if Stafford, a 14th-year pro, was sidelined for a play, a series, a game or more because of complications from tendonitis in his throwing arm or another injury?

With Stafford on a reduced workload for training camp, during full-squad drills Wolford is taking first-team snaps, Perkins second as the Rams prepare for preseason games against the Chargers, Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals before the Sept. 8 opener against the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium.

McVay does not play starters or other key players in preseason games, so for the second year in a row, Wolford will watch from the sideline as Perkins gets work. Camp quarterback Luis Perez also is expected to play in preseason games.

Wolford is attempting to maximize the uncommon, extended opportunity to work with the starters during training camp practices.

“I’ve got to take advantage of all these reps out here,” he said. “Much like the older guys do, right, we’re refining their craft and trying not to get guys hurt. And when I get these reps I’ve got to make the most of them.”

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DODGERS

From Jack Harris: His perspective really hasn’t changed.

After more than a year-long process of rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, however, Dustin May’s patience sure has grown.

“Going through the rehab and everything, you definitely have to have a lot of that,” May said recently. “Because there’s no speeding it up. There’s only slowing it down.”

Finally, though, the 24-year-old Dodgers pitcher is inching toward the finish line — and a long-awaited comeback at the major league level.

Over the last three weeks, May has been with the Dodgers triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City on a rehab assignment. He’s worked his way from two to three to four innings in a trio of promising starts.

While he likely will need two more rehab starts before being activated again, the Dodgers will evaluate his progress after the next one to see where he stands and when he possibly could return.

“I’m just trying to get back and show that I’m healthy,” May said. “Prove that I can get outs and help the team as much as possible.”

ANGELS

José Suarez struck out eight over seven superb innings to outpitch fellow lefty Cole Irvin, and the Angels edged the Oakland Athletics 1-0 on Monday night.

Luis Rengifo homered in the first inning and it held up to provide Suarez with the only run he needed.

Suarez (4-4) gave up two hits while earning his second straight win against the A’s. He hasn’t given up an earned run in his last 18 innings.

CHARGERS

From Jeff Miller: The Chargers staged their most significant training camp practice to date Sunday night in Costa Mesa, the two-hour-plus session built around an intrasquad scrimmage.

The top offense went against the top defense for five possessions and produced three field goals and two touchdowns, both of which came on short Justin Herbert passes.

Though the players were in pads, there was still no tackling to the ground, leaving some gray area in terms of evaluation.

Here are some of the highlights.

SPARKS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: At practices and before games, the Sparks don’t only scout their next opponent. In the thick of a tight playoff race, the team also breaks down its ever-changing playoff hopes.

“We know our chances are somewhere about 1% or 2%,” interim head coach Fred Williams said Sunday before a must-win game at Washington. “But as long as you got a percent there, we’re going to go for it.”

The Sparks’ 79-76 win over the playoff-bound Mystics helped keep their slim postseason chances alive, but they remain on the razor’s edge entering the final homestand of the regular season. With two games left against playoff-bound Connecticut and the regular-season finale againstDallas, the Sparks (13-20) are one game out of the playoff race, yet buried at 11th in the standings and probably need to win out.

Sixth-place Dallas (17-16) clinched its playoff spot on Monday with a three-game lead on Atlanta and Phoenix, which are tied at 14-19. The Mercury suffered a big blow Monday when they announced that Diana Taurasi will miss the remainder of the season with a quadriceps strain. Taurasi missed the last two games with the injury.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1936 — Jesse Owens becomes the first American to win four Olympic gold medals as the United States sets a world record in the 4x100 relay at the Berlin Games. The record time of 39.8 seconds lasts for 20 years.

1950 — Lusty Song, driven by Delvin Miller, wins the Hambletonian Stakes in straight heats over Star’s Pride. Lusty Song wins by a length in the first race and by a neck in the second.

1981 — Larry Nelson beats Fuzzy Zoeller by three strokes to take the PGA Championship.

1984 — Britain’s Daley Thompson wins his second Olympic decathlon with a record 8,797 points and Valerie Brisco-Hooks sets her second Olympic record with a 21.81 time in the 200-meter run.

1987 — Larry Nelson sinks a 6-foot putt in the first hole of a playoff to beat Lanny Wadkins in the PGA Championship.

1992 — The Summer Olympics ends with the Unified Team holding a 112-108 lead in medals over the United States, the closest race since America won 90-86 in 1964 at Tokyo.

1995 — John Godina becomes the first American to win the shot put event at the World Championships with a toss of 70 feet, 5¼ inches.

2007 — Alexis Thompson becomes the youngest quarterfinalist in the 107-year history of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, beating fellow 12-year-old Pearl Jin 5 and 4 in the second round and Lizette Salas 5 and 4 in the third.

2007 — David Beckham makes his long-awaited Major League Soccer debut, entering in the 72nd minute of the Galaxy’s 1-0 loss to D.C. United.

2008 — Mariel Zagunis leads a U.S. sweep of the women’s saber fencing for the first American medals of the Beijing Games. Zagunis, the 2004 gold Olympic champion, beats Sada Jacobson 15-8 for the gold medal. Becca Ward takes the bronze.

2009 — Jennifer Song becomes the second woman to win two U.S. Golf Assn. championships in the same year, beating Jennifer Johnson 3 and 1 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur final at Old Warson. The 19-year-old Song, coming off her freshman year at Southern California, won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links in June. Pearl Sinn is the only other woman to win two USGA titles in a year, taking the 1988 Amateur and Public Links.

2010 — No American player appears in the top 10 for the first time since the men’s tennis computer rankings began in 1973. Andy Roddick drops from No. 9 to No. 11 in the latest ATP rankings.

2012 — Usain Bolt wins the 200 meters in 19.32 seconds, making him the only man with two Olympic titles in that event. He adds it to the 100 gold he won Aug. 5, duplicating the 100-200 double he produced at the Beijing Games four years ago. This time, Bolt leads a Jamaican sweep, with his training partner and pal Yohan Blake getting the silver in 19.44, and Warren Weir taking the bronze in 19.84. The American men take the top two spots in the men’s decathlon (Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee) and triple jump (Christian Taylor and Will Claye), raising the U.S. track and field total with three days to go to 24 medals.

2012 — The U.S. women’s soccer team wins the Olympic gold medal, avenging one of its most painful defeats with a 2-1 victory over Japan. Carli Lloyd scores in the eighth and 54th minutes for the Americans, who lost to the Japanese in penalty kicks at last year’s World Cup final.

2012 — Maggie Steffens scored five times and the U.S. women’s water polo team beat Spain 8-5 to take the Olympic tournament for the first time. U.S. middleweight Claressa Shields caps her swift rise to the top of women’s Olympic boxing with a 19-12 victory over Russia’s Nadezda Torlopova. The 17-year-old Shields dances and slugs her way past her 33-year-old opponent.

2014 — Nick Rimando breaks the MLS record with his 113th shutout in Real Salt Lake’s 3-0 victory over D.C. United. Rimando broke a tie with Kevin Hartman for the record.

2016 — Michael Phelps adds to his Olympic record medal haul twice. He avenges his London 2012 loss to South African rival Chad le Clos with a 200-meter butterfly victory and his 20th career gold. Then, he anchors the 4x200 freestyle relay team for his 21st gold.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

The U.S. women’s soccer team wins gold at the 2012 Olympics. Watch and listen here.