
Shohei Ohtani to Make 4th Start of the Season While Celebrating His 31st Birthday
Ohtani will again serve as an opener and Justin Wrobleski is expected to follow as a bulk pitcher against Houston. The Japanese two-way star threw 27 pitches over a season-high two scoreless innings last weekend at Kansas City, giving up a hit with one strikeout and one walk.
In other news, the team also announced reliever Michael Kopech had become its 12th pitcher on the injured list.
Kopech said he had scans on his right knee that didn't show any serious issues. The 29-year-old right-hander received a shot to ease inflammation.
"I don't think it'll be a long-term situation," Roberts said Tuesday.
The IL move was retroactive to Saturday. Kopech missed the first 64 games of the season while working his way back from a right shoulder impingement that he sustained during the team's postseason run last year.
Kopech has thrown seven scoreless innings in eight appearances.
Right-hander Will Klein was recalled from Oklahoma City, five days after he was optioned to the Triple-A farm team. Acquired June 2 from Seattle for left-hander Joe Jacques, Klein threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings in two previous appearances with the Dodgers this season
In other pitching updates:
— Japanese rookie phenom Roki Sasaki (shoulder) is pain free and threw from flat ground Tuesday. "The velocity, the effort, intensity, all that stuff has really ticked up," Roberts said. "Physically, he looks good." The manager said he's not sure when Sasaki will throw from a mound, but he pronounced himself "pretty optimistic."
— Tyler Glasnow (shoulder inflammation) will make his next rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The right-hander is expected to ramp up to five innings and 75 pitches.
— Blake Snell (shoulder) and reliever Blake Treinen (forearm) each will throw to hitters on Wednesday.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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NBC Sports
34 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
MLB NL Rookie of the Year Predictions: Odds, expert picks, including Jacob Misiorowski, Burns, Ramirez
The National League Rookie of the Year market is beginning to look like a runaway as Jacob Misiorowski attempts to become a household name. The Milwaukee Brewers rookie pitcher is now listed at -180 at DraftKings Sportsbook after being +1700 prior to his first start. Since June 12, Misiorowski's odds have moved from +1700 to +1100 to +300 to +150 to -110 to -190 and in that span — it's clear that no one else has shined the way he has. Make sure you follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. National League Rookie of the Year: Jacob Misiorowski (-180) There is an influx of new generational talent coming up the MLB pipeline from players capable of stealing bases at record rates like Chandler Simpson of the Rays or Paul Skenes starting the All-Star game as a rookie last year for the Pirates — the next in line for stardom is Jacob Misiorowski. In his first three career starts, Misiorowski (-180) has totaled 16.0 innings pitched, 3 wins to 0 losses, 3 hits allowed, 2 earned runs allowed (1.13 ERA), and 19 strikeouts to 7 walks. Misiorowski walked four in his debut start against St. Louis but walked three and struck out 14 over the next two starts. In his MLB debut against the Cardinals, Misiorowski made an immediate impact throwing 100+ MPH pitches in his first three pitches and 11 of his first 24. He recorded the fastest pitch of any Brewer in the statcast era dating back to 2008, plus recorded a no-hitter through 5.0 innings. The 23-year-old is a star. Misiorowski's latest rise came when he went head-to-head with Paul Skenes and the Pirates. It was a sight and very hyped game as these could be two of the best pitchers over the next five to ten years. Skenes is 6-foot-3 and 260 lbs, in other words a tank, while Misiorowski is 6-foot-7 and 197 lbs — a slender assassin. Milwaukee was victorious against Pittsburgh, 4-2, and Misiorowski dominated for his third straight win. Misiorowski went five strong scoreless innings on 74 pitches with eight strikeouts, two walks, and two hits allowed. While Skenes dominated last year and was the talk of the rookie pitching class, it's clear that Misiorowski is the 2025 version. At anything below -250 (DraftKings has -180), Misiorowski is a play because the award is his to lose. If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Cincinnati's Chase Burns (+2500) appeared to be Misiorowski's biggest competition after his MLB debut consisted of eight strikeouts over 5.0 innings against the Yankees, including five of the first six batters. However, Burns could not get out the first inning (0.1 IP) in his next start, on the road at St. Louis. Burns allowed five earned runs (seven runs overall), five hits, two walks and one homer. We can't trust that, so I will pass on Burns. Atlanta's Drake Baldwin (+450) is now second in terms of odds, but has gone cold recently. Baldwin is hitless over the last four games (9 AB) and hitting 0.83 over the past seven days (12 AB). In the last 30 days, Baldwin is hitting .186 with 14 strikeouts to 10 walks, plus 11 hits, 11 RBI, and four homers. Overall, a .273 batting average, 9 home runs and 26 RBI through 57 games isn't anything to hang your head on, but I don't think it will be enough to hang with Misiorowski. Miami's Agustin Ramirez (+1300) has watched his odds decrease in the past week despite Miami's eight-game winning streak. Ramirez is hitting .252 with 12 homers and 33 RBI through 59 games this season and even been hot over the last week with a .417 batting average (24 AB), 10 hits and 6 RBI. If there was another bet to make in this market, it's Ramirez, but something is fishy for him to be playing well and seeing his odds move from +450 to +1300. Keep an eye on Ramirez because he may be the main hedge in this market. Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type! Pittsburgh's Bubba Chandler (+7000) was another player to keep an eye on for NL Rookie of the Year, but his big league debut will be delayed even further after six earned runs allowed over 2.2 innings in his most recent Triple-A start. Chandler was expected to make a debut in May or early June this season, but his struggles have prevented that. Misiorowski's teammates Chad Patrick (+3000) and Isaac Collins (+2500) have made strides in this market, but sharing the spotlight won't earn either many first place votes. The Dodgers' Hyeseong Kim (+2500) is another contender because of his .369 batting average on 31 hits through 38 games, but the sample size is still relatively low. Kim has two homers, seven stolen bags, 12 RBI, 16 runs scored, and 19 strikeouts to five walks, so there isn't a lot of encouragement there outside the batting average. It's obvious that Misiorowski is the play. I already played Misiorowski at +1100 and -110 odds and gave those out here at NBC, so if you haven't bet on him already, you are running out of time. Get involved with Misiorowski one way or another for NL Rookie of the Year as it's his award to lose. Pick: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (Total of 1.5 units risked) Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC. Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Clayton Kershaw's first strikeout victim still in awe as Dodgers ace hits 3,000 Ks
There was actually laughter in the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse that morning at Dodger Stadium before facing the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cardinals didn't have any tape of the 20-year-old kid who was going to make his major-league debut that afternoon, May 25, 2008. No one had any scouting reports. No one faced him in the minors. So, they began asking each other if anyone knew anything about the Dodgers' prized prospect. 'Someone said they heard that he could be the next Rick Ankiel," Schumaker tells USA TODAY Sports. 'No way. There is no way his stuff could be as good as Rick Ankiel's before he became a position player. So we are laughing that someone thought he could have a curveball as good as Ankiel's." Schumaker was leading off for the Cardinals and stepped to the plate with a game plan. 'I figured I was going to ambush him and welcome him to the big leagues," Schumaker says. 'The first pitch was an elevated fastball. It was harder and faster than I thought, and I swung and missed. Then he threw a curveball. It was something different. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. 'And then, well, I struck out." Now, 17 years and one month later – 6,247 days to be exact – that strikeout is immortalized in baseball history. It was Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw's first career strikeout, making Schumaker his first victim. Kershaw since has produced 2,996 more strikeouts in his future Hall of Fame career, and with three more strikeouts on Wednesday night against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium, he can become only the 20th pitcher in baseball history to strike out 3,000 in his career. Kershaw, 37, the 10-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young winner, two-time World Series champion and MVP, will be only the fourth left-hander in baseball history to achieve 3,000 strikeouts, joining Hall of Famers Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson and CC Sabathia. Most important to Kershaw, he'll be only the third to produce 3,000 strikeouts wearing just one uniform, accomplished only by Walter Johnson and Bob Gibson. 'Clayton Kershaw," Schumaker says, 'is the most dominant pitcher I've ever played against in my career. I've never seen anybody like him. 'If anybody deserves a statue outside Dodger Stadium it's Clayton Kershaw. How cool is it for him to have just one uniform, especially in LA, and then have a statue of him in front of that stadium? 'It's unbelievable what he's meant to that organization, and really, what he's meant for baseball." Schumaker, a career .278 hitter who hit .300 or better three consecutive seasons and never struck out more than 69 times in a season, faced Kershaw six more times in his career, including twice more that afternoon. He finished 0-for-7 off Kershaw. And struck out six times. 'The only time I even made contact off him," Schumaker says, 'I grounded into a double play. How's that?" So, does Kershaw ever bring up to Schumaker that he was his first strikeout victim? 'Oh, only every time I see him," laughs Schumaker, now a senior advisor with the Texas Rangers. 'He remembers. And how could I ever forget? 'You don't know at the time, it being his first start, but he just has that special unique look, and with the combination of his stuff, it's just so different. I knew he had a chance to be special, but I didn't know it was going to be 3,000 strikeouts, three Cy Young awards and 16 years in the big leagues special." Schumaker, who was traded to the Dodgers before the 2013 season, fully grasped Kershaw's greatness in their first game together on Opening Day against the San Francisco Giants. Kershaw threw a four-hit, complete-game shutout. 'I remember just looking at each other on the bench," Schumaker says, 'What the hell are we watching here? What is this?' He's this dominant on Opening Day? What's the rest of the season going to look like?" Kershaw went 16-9 with a 1.83 ERA that season, pitching a career-high 236 innings with an NL-best 232 strikeouts, winning his second Cy Young award. 'Just to see him work, and know what kind of person he is," Schumaker says, 'that's what makes this so special. He's the ultimate teammate. He's the ultimate competitor. And he's the ultimate person." Kershaw, who won the Roberto Clemente Award for his charitable work in 2012, is revered throughout baseball for his generosity, autographing baseballs, jerseys, or whatever is needed for charities, schools and programs. When Schumaker was trying to help a group of kids from being discouraged during the 2020 COVID summer that cancelled their travel ball season, Kershaw spent an hour on a Zoom call with Schumaker and 15 kids. 'It was one of the most special moments that these kids will always treasure," Schumaker says. 'That's why he's so easy to root for. I can't wait to watch him get his 3,000th." Kershaw will be the first pitcher to achieve 3,000 strikeouts since Max Scherzer in 2021. The next closest to 3,000 strikeout is 36-year-old Chris Sale with 2,528 strikeouts. 'I think it's cool man," says San Francisco Giants 42-year-old starter Justin Verlander, the three-time Cy Young winner, who leads all active pitchers with 3,471 strikeouts and 262 victories. 'I think the game should celebrate stuff like that and people lile him because it's clearly going away. There are very few of us left. So any time you get a moment to celebrate something like that, you don't know if you'll ever see it again. 'I'm looking forward to seeing it, and I'll surely reach out and congratulate him." Schumaker, who competed against Kershaw for eight seasons during his career, played with him during the 2013 season, and even managed against him for two seasons while with the Miami Marlins, isn't about to miss Kershaw's start either. He plans on plopping down on his couch Wednesday night at home with his 17-year-old son, Brody, who has Kershaw's autographed jersey hanging in his room, watching history. 'It's just crazy to see him keep doing this," Schumaker says. 'You didn't know if he would even come back after a couple of surgeries. He comes back, and even though he's throwing 89-91 [mph] now instead of 97, he's still beating guys inside with his fastball, and pitches with so much intent and conviction." Kershaw, who didn't start pitching this season for the Dodgers until May 17 after undergoing knee and toe surgeries during the off-season, is 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA, striking out 29 batters in 38 ⅔ innings. Who knows how much longer he'll pitch, or how long his body holds out – but the way he's going, why stop now? 'It's cool to have moments like these that shake you up a little bit," Verlander says. 'Getting to that number kind of puts things in perspective. But the great ones don't rest on their laurels. They keep working hard, put their nose to the grindstone, and want to keep being great. 'That's Kershaw." Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.


CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Reds and Red Sox suspended by rain, will finish as doubleheader Wednesday
The middle game of the three-game series between the Cincinnati Reds and Boston was suspended because of rain with the Red Sox leading 2-1 heading into the fourth inning Tuesday night and will resume as part of a day-night doubleheader. The postponed game will resume at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, and the series finale is set for 7:10 p.m. Play was stopped after lightning was seen in the area, causing umpires to clear the field. Rain started shortly after, and the suspended was announced after 1 hour, 20 minutes. Jarren Duran led off the first with a double off Brady Singer and scored on Roman Anthony's double that put Boston in front. Carlos Narváez added a one-out RBI single. Cincinnati opened the third inning with back-to-back singles by Will Benson and Christian Encarnacion-Strand off Richard Fitts, and Matt McClain hit an RBI groundout. Up Next Cincinnati RHP Nick Martinez (5-8, 4.12 ERA) is set to start the scheduled game Wednesday, his first start since losing a no-hit bid in the ninth inning last week against San Diego. RHP Brayan Bello (3-3, 3.41) is slated to start for the Red Sox.