The Sports Report: Shohei Ohtani has a torn UCL
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From Sarah Valenzuela: The Angels’ season seems to have come crashing down all at once.
General manager Perry Minasian announced two-way star Shohei Ohtani will not pitch again this season due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Fellow star Mike Trout also will be heading back to the injured list.
Ohtani was removed early in the first game, for what the team initially called arm fatigue. After testing and scans were completed and evaluated, Ohtani was diagnosed with a right UCL tear. The Angels did not disclose how significant his tear in his elbow was.
Ohtani, who usually speaks to the media only on days he pitches, was not made available after the game — the first of a doubleheader with the Reds — because he was still being evaluated. He was in the starting lineup batting second as the designated hitter in the nightcap. The Angels lost both games.
Minasian said the Angels and Ohtani were aware of the tear before the second game and he wanted to stay in the lineup.
The team is seeking a second opinion as it evaluates his injury. The Angels have not determined whether he will need surgery.
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AL WEST STANDINGS
Texas, 72-54
Houston, 72-56, 1 GB
Seattle, 71-56, 1.5 GB
Angels, 61-67, 12 GB
Oakland, 36-91, 36.5 GB
WILD-CARD STANDINGS
top three teams qualify
Tampa Bay, 77-51
Houston, 72-56
Seattle, 71-56
Toronto, 70-57, 1 GB
Boston, 67-60, 4 GB
New York, 61-65, 9.5 GB
Angels, 61-67, 10.5 GB
Cleveland, 60-66, 10.5 GB
DODGERS
From Jack Harris: The delay started before the rain did. And no one in the Dodgers dugout seemed too pleased about it.
After just two innings at Progressive Field on Wednesday night, the Dodgers’ game against the Cleveland Guardians was delayed — and eventually suspended — because of rain.
The only problem: No rain fell until 28 minutes after the delay began, effectively wasting a start from Clayton Kershaw and forcing the Dodgers to play 16 innings Thursday — seven to complete Wednesday’s game, then the scheduled series finale.
“It was unfortunate,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t want to get too much into how it was handled.”
The Dodgers were leading 3-1 on Wednesday night when Kershaw recorded a strikeout to end the bottom of the second inning.
For Dodgers pitcher Ryan Pepiot’s 2023 debut, it’s a case of better late than never
NL WEST STANDINGS
Dodgers, 76-48
Arizona, 66-61, 11.5 GB
San Francisco, 66-61, 11.5 GB
San Diego, 61-67, 17 GB
Colorado, 48-78, 29 GB
WILD-CARD STANDINGS
top three teams qualify
Philadelphia, 69-58
Chicago, 66-60
Cincinnati, 67-61
Arizona, 66-61, 0.5 GB
San Francisco, 66-61, 0.5 GB
Miami, 65-63, 1.5 GB
San Diego, 61-67, 5.5 GB
USC FOOTBALL
From J. Brady McCollough: Throughout his storied football career, Reggie Bush made one thing clear over and over again: You can’t give the guy an opening.
Fifteen years after the NCAA began investigating him, in July 2021, college sports’ governing body did just that, issuing a statement that alleged Bush had a “pay-for-play type arrangement” while at USC — an assertion that was not a part of its findings in the report that led to debilitating sanctions against the Trojans and Bush all the way back in 2010.
Suddenly, Bush had his opening. Wednesday morning, he burst right through it, returning to his former house of glory at the Coliseum to hold a news conference announcing he had filed a defamation suit against the NCAA.
By his side on the rooftop deck of the Coliseum were his attorneys, Levi McCathern and Ben Crump, the high-profile civil rights lawyer who notably represented George Floyd’s family. After an impassioned 12-minute speech by Crump with the downtown L.A. skyline glimmering in the sun behind him, Bush approached the lectern to speak.
“I’ve got dreams of coming back in this stadium and running out of that tunnel with the football team. I’ve got dreams of walking back in here and seeing my jersey and my banner right down there next to the rest of the Heisman Trophy winners,” Bush said, pointing below toward the peristyle end zone. “But I can’t rightfully do that without my Heisman Trophy.”
Plaschke: Enough is enough. Give Reggie Bush back his Heisman Trophy
UCLA FOOTBALL
From Ben Bolch: Goodbye, good riddance and … good to see you again?
That would be UCLA’s preferred farewell to the Pac-12, the Bruins winning the conference title that has eluded them since 1998 and snagging another trophy on their way to the Big Ten.
It won’t be easy. A new starting quarterback, however talented, can’t stumble. The defense can’t resemble any of those that came before it under coach Chip Kelly. The fans can’t keep making excuses not to show up at the Rose Bowl, no matter how hot it gets or how late the opening kickoff comes.
Here are 12 things that must go UCLA’s way to win the Pac-12:
CLIPPERS
From Andrew Greif: The Clippers’ season-opening trip to Hawaii in October for training camp will end with a preseason game that will double as a benefit for the state’s recovery from wildfires.
All proceeds from their Oct. 8 preseason game against the Utah Jazz at Honolulu’s SimpliFi Arena will be donated to the Maui Strong Fund, the team announced Wednesday. The fund is administered by the nonprofit Hawaii Community Foundation, which is seeking only monetary donations “that can be deployed quickly, with a focus on rapid response and recovery for the devastating wildfires on Maui,” according to the foundation’s website.
The wildfire that burned Lahaina has become the deadliest in the U.S. in a century. Last week, the Clippers and 11 other major professional sports teams in Los Angeles donated $450,000 to the American Red Cross’ relief efforts in Maui.
SPARKS
Azurá Stevens had 20 points and nine rebounds, Karlie Samuelson scored a career-high 15 points and the Sparks beat the short-handed Phoenix Mercury 91-62 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight victory.
Jordin Canada and Zia Cooke each added 11 points for Los Angeles (14-18), which shot a season-high 54% from the field.
Phoenix (9-24), which has lost four straight games, was without stars Brittney Griner (health and safety protocol) and Diana Taurasi (left toe).
LAFC
Carlos Vela had a goal and an assist to lead LAFC past the Colorado Rapids 4-0 on Wednesday night.
LAFC (11-6-7) has won all five of its home matches against Colorado, outscoring the Rapids 14-2 in those matches. Colorado (3-11-10) still only has 16 goals through 24 games this season.
Vela, who returned from an injury, had a goal and an assist in the opening 30 minutes to help give LAFC a 2-0 lead. Vela secured a loose ball near midfield and raced the other way to find Mateusz Bogusz, who curled a shot into the net in the 19th minute.
LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES
From Eric Sondheimer: El Segundo turned to its No. 1 and No. 2 hitters, Brody Brooks and Louis Lappe, to stay alive at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
They were each three for three on Wednesday night, with Lappe delivering a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning for a 5-3 victory over Tennessee. They are a combined 12 for 16 in the tournament.
El Segundo is one of three teams still alive in the U.S. bracket after winning its second straight elimination game. El Segundo will play Washington on Thursday at 4 p.m. for the right to advance to Saturday’s U.S. championship game against Texas, which has to be considered the favorite because it will have well-rested left-hander DJ Jablonski to pitch.
TRACK
From Andrew Greif: Despite building a resume like few hurdlers in track and field’s history, Rai Benjamin entered this season fixated on what was missing.
The 26-year-old American’s young career was defined by being oh-so close: The former All-American at UCLA and USC who trains in Los Angeles owns history’s second-fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles, and silver medals from world championships in 2019 and 2022 and the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
On Wednesday evening at track’s world championships in Budapest, Hungary, the gold he had long sought was only a meter ahead when Benjamin cleared the eighth of 10 hurdles in the 400-meter final, with about 110 meters remaining. Only Norway’s Karsten Warholm, the world record-holder in the next lane, lay ahead. But over the final stretch Benjamin couldn’t close the gap or overtake Warholm, who surged to another world championship in 46.89 seconds.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1904 — Holcombe Ward wins the men’s singles title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association singles title.
1925 — Helen Wills, 19, wins her third straight U.S. Lawn Tennis Association singles title with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Kathleen McKane. An hour later, Wills teams up with Mary K. Browne to win the doubles title.
1929 — Helen Wills wins her sixth U.S. Lawn Tennis Association singles title by defeating Phoebe Holcroft Watson, 6-4, 6-2.
1963 — The Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. is covered by ABC’s Wide World of Sports for the first time.
1963 — Don Schollander becomes the first swimmer to break the two-minute barrier in the 200-meter freestyle with a 1:58.4 time in a meet at Osaka, Japan.
1963 — John Pennel breaks the 17-foot barrier in the pole vault with a 17-0¾ vault in a meet at Miami.
1988 — Minnesota North Stars forward Dino Ciccarelli is sentenced to one day in jail and fined $1,000 for hitting another player with his stick. Ciccarelli, who was given a match penalty and 10-game suspension by the league for the Jan. 6, 1988 attack on Toronto’s Luke Richardson, is believed to be the first NHL player to receive a jail term for an on-ice attack of another player.
1989 — Pete Rose is suspended from baseball for life for gambling.
2003 — Jockey Julie Krone becomes the first female rider to win a million-dollar race taking the Pacific Classic at Del Mar aboard Candy Ride.
2004 — Four-time world 1,500 champion Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, a heartbreak loser at the last two Olympics, holds off Bernard Lagat down the stretch to win in 3 minutes, 34.18 seconds. El Guerrouj edges Lagat by .12 seconds for the gold medal. El Guerrouj had lost four races in the last eight years, but two of those defeats came at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
2007 — The NFL indefinitely suspends Michael Vick without pay just hours after he acknowledged in court papers that he did, indeed, bankroll gambling on dogfighting and helped kill some dogs not worthy of the pit.
2008 — On the final day of the Beijing Games, the United States beats Spain 118-107 and win the gold medal in men’s basketball for the first time since 2000. China has one of the most dominating and diverse performances at an Olympics ever, winning a games-leading 51 golds and an even 100 overall. The United States finishes with 110 medals and trails well behind the Chinese in golds with 36, the first time since 1992 it doesn’t lead the category.
2008 — Hawaii’s mini-mashers get a little help from Mexico’s miscues to win a fourth straight Little League World Series title for the United States. Tanner Tokunaga smacks two homers and Iolana Akau adds a solo blast as the boys from Waipahu, Hawaii, defeat Matamoros, Mexico, 12-3.
2008 — Danny Lee becomes the U.S. Amateur’s youngest champion, supplanting Tiger Woods by holding off Drew Kittleson 5 and 4. The 18-year, 1-month-old Lee is six months and 29 days younger than Woods when he won the first of his three Amateurs in 1994.
2018 — French Open Tennis bans Serena Williams′ black Nike catsuit from future tournaments citing ‘respect for the game and the place’.
—Compiled by the Associated Press
And finally...
Pete Rose admits to betting on baseball. Watch and listen here.
Until next time...
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