The Sports Report: Dodgers near deal with Kershaw, don’t pick up Justin Turner’s option

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

From Mike DiGiovanna: Clayton Kershaw is nearing a one-year deal with the Dodgers that is similar to the $17-million contract he signed before last season, according to two people familiar with negotiations but not authorized to speak publicly about them. The deal is expected to be finalized over the next few days.

The Dodgers declined to extend the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner a $19.65-million qualifying offer by Thursday’s 2 p.m. PST deadline, but the left-hander is opting to remain in Los Angeles rather than testing the free-agent market or pitching for his hometown Texas Rangers.

“Things just feel more right in the world when Kershaw is wearing a Dodgers uniform,” Andrew Friedman, the team’s president of baseball operations, said at this week’s general manager meetings in Las Vegas. “That’s just how it lands with us. But we couldn’t respect more him and [wife] Ellen going through this process.”

Kershaw, 34, was sidelined twice by lower-back injuries this past season, but when healthy he remains one of baseball’s best pitchers. The 15-year veteran went 12-3 with a 2.28 ERA in 22 starts in 2022, striking out 137 and walking 23 in 126 1/3 innings. It was his lowest full-season ERA in four years.

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From Jack Harris: If Justin Turner is going to return to the Dodgers for a 10th season next year, his agents and the club’s front office will have to negotiate a new contract for the veteran third baseman.

That became the reality Thursday, after the Dodgers declined Turner’s 2023 club option of $16 million and elected to instead pay a $2-million buyout that will make him a free agent this winter.

The Dodgers are still hopeful of bringing Turner back. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said as much this week at the league’s general manager meetings, indicating the club will attempt to negotiate a new contract for the soon-to-be 38-year-old Turner.

“The priority is that we show up in Glendale [Ariz., for spring training] and for him to be a part of what we’re doing next year,” Friedman said.

With their other qualifying offer decisions, the Dodgers did extend offers to shortstop Trea Turner and pitcher Tyler Anderson prior to Thursday’s deadline.

RAMS

From Gary Klein: It is near midpoint of the Rams’ season — and this one has been a new experience for Sean McVay.

The once-deified sixth-year coach is two games under .500 for the first time. Injuries have decimated the offensive line. Conflict with young running back Cam Akers surfaced. And now star quarterback Matthew Stafford might be sidelined because of a concussion.

The issues the 36-year-old McVay has dealt with this season are more than in all previous seasons combined, he said.

“Man,” he said, “has this stretched you in ways that you’re going to be better for it if you handle it the right way.”

So, the onetime wunderkind preaches about embracing the challenges with “a hard-working mindset.” And approaching them with enthusiasm.

CHARGERS

From Jeff Miller: The Chargers on Thursday waived defensive lineman Jerry Tillery, a first-round pick in 2019.

Tillery had missed practice the last two days for what the team termed a “personal” reason.

“This was not an easy decision but, after careful consideration, it was a necessary one that is in the best interest of both team and player,” general manager Tom Telesco said in a statement. “We wish Jerry all the best moving forward in his career.”

The Chargers selected Tillery with the 28th overall pick out of Notre Dame. His career started slowly but he eventually emerged as a 15-game starter in 2021, finishing with 4½ sacks and 51 tackles.

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USC FOOTBALL

From Ryan Kartje: After four weeks without its top offensive weapon, USC is expecting to get injured wideout Jordan Addison back for Friday’s game against Colorado, coach Lincoln Riley said.

Addison has already missed two games after suffering a leg injury in the second half of USC’s loss to Utah. His return arrives at the ideal time for USC’s offense, with rivals UCLA and Notre Dame looming in the weeks to come.

Whether USC will also return its No. 2 target was still unclear as of Thursday. Riley called Mario Williams a “game-time decision” for Friday.

LAKERS

From Dan Woike: LeBron James won’t play Friday with what the Lakers are calling a “strained left adductor” and while he’s day-to-day, he easily could miss Sunday’s game against Brooklyn as well.

He was originally listed as “doubtful” but downgraded to “out” Thursday evening.

James, who suffered the injury in the fourth quarter Wednesday against the Clippers, underwent an MRI Thursday that revealed no tearing in or near his groin muscle.

“It’s not torn, that’s the biggest thing, that he didn’t tear anything,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “So it was good news. You know, I’m sure it’s painful. Doubtful, day-to-day, whatever – I’m just happy there wasn’t anything torn.”

SOCCER

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Another soccer match felt like the last place Margueritte Aozasa wanted to be. Yet one day after UCLA lost a chance at its third consecutive Pac-12 title with a 2-0 defeat to rival USC, the Bruin head coach was at Banc of California Stadium for LAFC’s MLS Cup win over Philadelphia. The wild 3-3 draw and penalty kicks proved to be an ideal remedy for rivalry blues.

Seeing the tear-stained cheeks of LAFC supporters and employees reminded Aozasa of the emotions of helping Stanford to two national championships as an assistant. Suddenly, Aozasa was ready to get back on the pitch.

“It was kind of the perfect precursor to our own playoff run,” she said.

Like the Supporters’ Shield-winning MLS Cup champions, the Bruins hope to turn a successful regular season into a championship. The team that was ranked first in the country for nine weeks and earned a No. 1 seed despite its regular-season finale loss opens the NCAA tournament against Northern Arizona at 6 p.m. PST on Friday at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.

No. 4 seed USC hosts Big West champions UC Irvine at 1 p.m. Saturday at McAlister Field.

USC BASKETBALL

Drew Peterson scored 21 points to lead five players in double figures and USC cruised to a 96-58 victory over Alabama State on Thursday night.

Peterson sank 7 of 9 shots with three 3-pointers for USC (1-1). He added six rebounds and six assists.

Boogie Ellis hit a pair of 3s and scored 15 for the Trojans, adding four assists and seven steals. Reese Dixon-Waters totaled 13 points. Joshua Morgan scored 11, while Thomas Malik had 10 points off the bench. Reserve Tre White had 12 rebounds to go with six points.

UCLA BASKETBALL

The UCLA women’s team improved to 2-0 behind strong performances from senior Charisma Osborne and redshirt sophomore Emily Bessoir in a 64-43 win over UC Riverside (0-2) Thursday afternoon.

Osborne recorded her first double-double of the season, the ninth of her UCLA career, scoring 12 points and pulling down a career-best 13 rebound. Bessoir scored a career-high 16 points to lead the Bruins in scoring.

KINGS

Kevin Fiala scored with 1.4 seconds left in overtime, Jonathan Quick made 31 saves and the Kings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Thursday night.

Fiala scored into an open net off a no-look pass from Phillip Danault to give the Kings their third straight win.

Danault had a goal and an assist for Los Angeles, which has won four straight on home ice.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1911 — Carlisle Indian School of Carlisle, Pa., led by Jim Thorpe, beats nationally ranked Harvard 18-15 before 25,000 in Cambridge, Mass. Thorpe scores all the points for Carlisle, a touchdown, extra point and four field goals.

1939 — Texas Tech and Centenary (La.) play to a 0-0 tie in a torrential downpour in Shreveport, La. There are an NCAA-record 77 punts in the game (39 by Tech and 38 by Centenary).

1944 — The New York Rangers beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 to end their NHL record of 25 straight games without a win (0-21-4) over two seasons.

1978 — Eddie Lee Ivery rushes for 356 yards to lead Georgia Tech to a 42-21 victory over Air Force.

1981 — The Minnesota North Stars score eight goals in the second period of a 15-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

1995 — Eddie George rushes for a school-record 314 yards in 36 carries and scores three TDs as Ohio State routs Illinois 41-3.

2001 — In his sixth career start, Shaun Alexander has 266 yards rushing in 35 carries and an 88-yard touchdown run as Seattle beats AFC West-leading Oakland 34-27.

2002 — The Oakland Raiders, behind record-setting performances, beat the Denver Broncos 34-10. Rich Gannon completes 21 straight passes and Jerry Rice becomes the first player to score 200 career touchdowns.

2004 — Earl Boykins, at 5-foot-5, becomes the smallest player in NBA history to reach 30 points, scoring a career-high 32 in Denver’s 117-109 victory over Detroit.

2006 — Wake Forest beats Florida State 30-0 to become the first team to shutout the Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium in Bobby Bowden’s 31 seasons as coach.

2007 — Brett Favre joins Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks to throw for 60,000 yards in a career during the second quarter of Green Bay’s 34-0 win over Minnesota.

2008 — Jockey Julien Leparoux has a record-tying day at Churchill Downs. The 25-year-old Frenchman ties Hall of Famer Pat Day’s track record with seven wins. Day set the record on June 20, 1984.

2011 — Faulkner defeats Union (Ky.) 95-89 in triple overtime to set an NAIA football record. The 184 combined points, smashes the previous mark of 141 set in 1994 when Southwestern (Kan.) defeated Sterling (Kan.) 79-62.

2012 — Antron Brown becomes the first black champion in any NHRA pro series when he wins the Top Fuel title at the season-ending event.

2012 — Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez catches the 100th TD pass of his career, a 2-yarder from Matt Ryan in the Falcons 31-27 loss at New Orleans. He adds another score on a 6-yard pass and becomes the first tight end with 100 TD receptions.

2017 — Lamar Jackson accounts for four touchdowns and 342 yards while establishing an NCAA milestone in beating Virginia 38-21. Jackson, the Heisman Trophy winner, becomes the first player in NCAA history to post two seasons with 1,000 yards rushing and 3,000 yards passing.

2017 — Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski becomes the first men’s Division I basketball coach to win 1,000 games at one school, when his top-ranked Blue Devils beat Utah Valley 99-69.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

A look at Jim Thorpe’s football career. Watch and listen here.