Latest news with #Conforto
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dodgers' $17 Million Bust Has Words About Playing With Shohei Ohtani
Dodgers' $17 Million Bust Has Words About Playing With Shohei Ohtani originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Veteran Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto has spent nearly every day of the last four months with two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani. Advertisement Clearly, Conforto isn't rushing for a night away, not when Ohtani is amid another historic season. 'You don't want to miss any of his at-bats,' Conforto said. Who could blame Conforto? Ohtani ended the weekend hitting .293 with a NL-high 22 home runs, a 1.045 OPS, and 3.0 bWAR for the division-leading Dodgers. Incredibly, Ohtani's .655 slugging percentage is higher than last year's .646. The three-time MVP has added nine doubles, four triples, and 11 stolen bases, positioning him for a second straight 30-30 season. Shohei Ohtani and Michael Conforto of the Los Angeles J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Why, then, would Conforto want to miss even a single second that Ohtani is at the plate? Advertisement 'You want to be in the dugout,' Conforto explained, via USA Today. 'You want to see it in person. That's kind of what it is being his teammate. You want to be there.' Unfortunately for Conforto, his days alongside Ohtani could be numbered. The veteran left fielder owns a .173 average and -0.6 bWAR through 198 plate appearances, and he's no longer an everyday player. Conforto hit only .194 with a single home run and four RBI over 89 May plate appearances. He's on a one-year, $17 million contract that makes him a realistic trade or release candidate. If Conforto's Dodgers tenure is indeed almost over, he can at least take solace in the fact that he watched Ohtani up close for a third of the season. That's far better than any of us can ever hope to achieve! Advertisement Related: Dodgers Trade Proposal Reunites Shohei Ohtani With $55 Million Former Teammate Related: Dodgers Fans in Disbelief at What $17 Million Bust Did Tuesday Night This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Dodgers 'Can't Wait' on Michael Conforto Rebound to Explore Trade for A's Breakout Star
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Los Angeles Dodgers ended their World Series rematch against the New York Yankees with a loss and are now preparing for a brutal stretch of the season. "And now one of baseball's most injury-plagued teams must strap back in for a four-game series against a first-place New York Mets team that has won seven of eight," as Bill Plaschke put it for the Los Angeles Times. "Followed by three games in hot St. Louis. Followed by three games in angry San Diego. Followed by three games against the reborn San Francisco Giants. Followed by four more games against damn San Diego." As the Dodgers look to overcome a series of persistent injuries, a return to the Fall Classic is far from guaranteed. And there are a few places they might consider upgrading their roster, even after a blockbuster winter of star additions. One of those offseason additions, Michael Conforto, hasn't panned out as hoped. And he could be reaching the end of his leash with the Dodgers. SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: Miguel Andujar #22 of the Athletics looks on from the dugout against the Chicago White Sox at Sutter Health Park on April 25, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan... SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: Miguel Andujar #22 of the Athletics looks on from the dugout against the Chicago White Sox at Sutter Health Park on April 25, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by) More Cunningham/Getty "The team is giving him a longer runway to find his swing considering the contract and his track record," Jason Fray wrote for Dodgers Nation. "At the same time, what if it never comes? L.A. can't wait on Conforto if his play continues to be this poor." Assessing the landscape for potential trade upgrades to replace Conforto and perhaps third baseman Max Muncy as well, Fray landed on the Athletics' Miguel Andujar, who is enjoying a breakout season in his final year of arbitration eligibility. "His play thus far in 2025 has been spectacular to the point that he could be named an AL All-Star," Fray noted. "In other words, he'd be an upgrade over Conforto (and likely Muncy) in virtually all categories. Andujar's ability to put the ball in play is a skill all teams search for come postseason time." Andujar is slashing .296/.328/.402 with 50 hits and just 23 strikeouts for the A's so far. And, given his contract situation and the team's likely contention window, it seems he could be on the trade block at midseason. If the Dodgers do want to boost the offense amid an epidemic of injuries on the team, they might look across the state for a trade involving Andujar. More MLB: Phillies Front Office Trends Suggest Ex-Yankees All-Star Could Be Bullpen Trade Target
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Max Muncy, Michael Conforto come alive on offense as Dodgers defeat Guardians
For a few weeks now, the Dodgers have been in the 'treading water' portion of their season, trying to work through injuries in their pitching staff and inconsistencies in the lineup to remain atop the National League West standings. On Tuesday, in a 9-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, the team's play embodied that dynamic. Advertisement Starting pitcher Dustin May was mostly good but gave up a three-run homer that marred an otherwise productive five-inning start. Slumping hitters Max Muncy and Michael Conforto showed long-awaited life, both going deep late to help the Dodgers pull away. And though the rest of the offense squandered chances for even more on a cool night in Cleveland, the Dodgers still clinched a series win against the Guardians and set up the chance for a much-needed sweep at the end of this East Coast swing. For most of this season, the Dodgers have been operating around subpar production from Muncy and Conforto — at the plate and in the field. Entering the night, both veteran sluggers had slumped through much of the season. Muncy had just three home runs and a .653 OPS. Conforto had only two long balls and a .562 OPS. Their defense had been glaring weaknesses, as well. Advertisement Read more: The simple adjustment the Dodgers hope will get closer Tanner Scott back on track It had made the pair the weakest links in the Dodgers' star-studded lineup. And it had invited widespread scrutiny from the fan base, raising speculation about their long-term roles with the team. Late Tuesday night, however, both finally breathed a deep sigh of relief. After an early 4-0 Dodgers lead — built on a two-run second-inning rally and two-run homer from Shohei Ohtani in the fourth — had been cut to 4-3 on Daniel Schneemann's three-run homer against May in the bottom of fourth, Conforto came to the plate in the sixth and hit his first deep fly since April 5. Advertisement For the last several weeks, Conforto had slowly started turning his season around, hitting the ball harder and posting incrementally better results (not that things could have gotten much worse after he batted .134 in his first 36 games this season). This week, manager Dave Roberts said the club's hitting coaches were optimistic about Conforto's recent cage work, as well, ever convinced the left-handed slugger was close to a more profound breakthrough at the plate. It all came together in a full-count against Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis, Conforto barreling up an inside fastball for a 406-foot drive to center. Conforto also singled in the Dodgers' two-run second-inning rally, and later drew a walk in the eighth, raising his OPS to .833 over his last 14 games. Muncy, too, continued his own recent turnaround at the plate. Advertisement In the second inning, the third baseman drew a walk, got a good jump against Guardians starter Tanner Bibee to steal second without a throw, then got a good read on Andy Pages' flare single to right to score the night's opening run. Pages would later tack on a run-scoring single to open up a 2-0 advantage. Despite Ohtani hitting his MLB-leading 20th homer of the season in the fourth — making it three straight games in which he has left the yard — and Conforto providing some insurance with his blast in the sixth, the game remained in doubt until Muncy came up again in the eighth, hitting his first homer in almost three weeks on a three-run shot that had him bat-flipping out of the box. Read more: 'It's reimagining team travel.' Why the Dodgers are using two planes on road trips this year Mistakes were still in abundance for the Dodgers (34-21). Advertisement The team's second-inning rally was cut short after Tommy Edman, another cold Dodgers hitter of late, hit into a double-play grounder in which baserunner Dalton Rushing couldn't avoid a tag while running to second. In the fifth, Teoscar Hernández was slow getting out of the box on a line drive off the wall in right-center, and was thrown out by a mile after making an ill-advised decision to still try for a double. And in between that, May hit a major speed bump, offering up a down-the-middle sinker with two aboard in the bottom of the fourth to Schneemann. But, the Dodgers still held on. Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius provided three key innings of relief. Conforto and Muncy's contributions made the two runs Luis García yielded in the ninth irrelevant. Advertisement And a club that has simply been trying to keep its head above water lately was able to breathe a little easier, ensuring it will do no worse than split this six-game trip. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Max Muncy, Michael Conforto come alive on offense as Dodgers defeat Guardians
CLEVELAND — For a few weeks now, the Dodgers have been in the 'treading water' portion of their season, trying to work through injuries in their pitching staff and inconsistencies in the lineup to remain atop the National League West standings. On Tuesday, in a 9-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, the team's play embodied that dynamic. Starting pitcher Dustin May was mostly good, but gave up a three-run homer that marred an otherwise productive five-inning start. Slumping hitters Max Muncy and Michael Conforto showed long-awaited life, both going deep late to help the Dodgers pull away. And though the rest of the offense squandered chances for even more on a cool night in Cleveland, the Dodgers still clinched a series win against the Guardians and set up the chance for a much-needed sweep at the end of this East Coast swing. For most of this season, the Dodgers have been operating around sub-par production from Muncy and Conforto — at the plate and in the field. Entering the night, both veteran sluggers had slumped through much of the season. Muncy had just three home runs and a .653 OPS. Conforto had only two long balls and a .562 OPS. Their defense had been glaring weaknesses, as well. It had made the pair the weakest links in the Dodgers' star-studded lineup. And it had invited widespread scrutiny from the fan base, raising speculation about their long-term roles with the team. Late Tuesday night, however, both finally breathed a deep sigh of relief. After an early 4-0 Dodgers lead — built on a two-run second-inning rally and two-run homer from Shohei Ohtani in the fourth — had been cut to 4-3 on Daniel Schneemann's three-run homer off May in the bottom of fourth, Conforto came to the plate in the sixth and hit his first deep fly since April 5. For the last several weeks, Conforto had slowly started turning his season around, hitting the ball harder and posting incrementally better results (not that things could have gotten much worse after he batted .134 in his first 36 games this season). This week, manager Dave Roberts said the club's hitting coaches were optimistic about Conforto's recent cage work, as well, ever-convinced the left-handed slugger was close to a more profound breakthrough at the plate. It all came together in a full-count against Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis, Conforto barreling up an inside fastball for a 406-foot drive to center. Conforto also singled in the Dodgers' two-run second-inning rally, and later drew a walk in the eighth, raising his OPS to .833 over his last 14 games. Muncy, too, continued his own recent turnaround at the plate. In the second inning, the third baseman drew a walk, got a good jump against Guardians starter Tanner Bibee to steal second without a throw, then got a good read on Andy Pages' flare single to right to score the night's opening run. Andy Pages would later tack on an RBI single to open up a 2-0 advantage. Despite Ohtani hitting his MLB-leading 20th homer of the season in the fourth — making it three-straight games in which he's left the yard — and Conforto providing some insurance with his blast in the sixth, the game remained in doubt until Muncy came up again in the eighth, hitting his first homer in almost three weeks on a three-run shot that had him bat-flipping out of the box. Mistakes were still abound for the Dodgers (34-21). The team's second-inning rally was cut short after Tommy Edman, another cold Dodgers hitter of late, hit into a double-play grounder in which baserunner Dalton Rushing couldn't avoid a tag while running to second. In the fifth, Teoscar Hernández was slow getting out of the box on a line drive off the wall in right-center, and was thrown out by a mile after making an ill-advised decision to still try for a double. And in between that, May hit a major speed bump, offering up a down-the-middle sinker with two aboard in the bottom of the fourth that Schneemann. But, the Dodgers still held on. Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius provided three key innings of relief. Conforto and Muncy's contributions made the two runs Luis García yielded in the ninth irrelevant. And a club that's simply been trying to keep its head above water lately was able to breathe a little easier, ensuring it will do no worse than split this six-game trip.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB Announcers Stunned to Learn About a Baseball Rule During Live Broadcast
A bizarre play unfolded Friday night during the Los Angeles Dodgers-New York Mets game at Citi Field that shocked everyone involved. Everyone except the umpires. It all went down in the top of the third inning with Mookie Betts at the plate and Michael Conforto on second base and Shohei Ohtani on first base. Betts hit a fly ball into right-center field, where Mets outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Juan Soto both attempted to make the catch. Instead, they bumped into each other, prompting the ball to pop out of Taylor's glove. He bobbled it a bit before eventually catching it with his bare hand for the out. But while the ball was being bobbled, Conforto tagged up from second base and took off for third base, while Ohtani tagged up from first base to second base. Taylor fired the ball to second base, beating Ohtani by a mile, but the umpire called Ohtani safe. And this is where things get tricky. Mets players assumed Conforto tagged early and failed to wait until Taylor caught the ball for the out. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was shocked that the umpire called Ohtani safe at second, as Lindor assumed he executed the double play -- with Conforto tagging early and Ohtani getting to second base late. Even the AppleTV+ broadcasters, play-by-play announcer Wayne Randazzo and analyst Dontrelle Willis, were adamant that the Mets' replay challenge would overturn the call and give the Mets the double play. They were wrong. The Apple TV+'s rules analyst, former MLB umpire Ben Gorman, explained that a baserunner doesn't have to wait until the ball is caught and called an out. The rule dictates a baserunner can tag up once the opposing team simply makes contact with the baseball. 'The reason behind the touch, as opposed to when he eventually catches the ball, is that an outfielder can actually juggle the ball all the way in and prevent the guy from advancing,' Gorman explained. 'As soon as the ball hits the glove, he can take off." 'You learn something new every day, Wayne,' Willis exclaimed. 'Wow.' 'For real,' Randazzo replied. 'So, because he waited for the touch to happen, the catch is essentially nullified, in terms of tagging up. And Conforto was ruled to have tagged up appropriately.' He added, "Conforto tagged appropriately because he tagged on the initial touch. He didn't wait for the catch. And [the Mets] had a play at second base but they didn't realize they needed to tag Shohei. They thought touching the bag would be a double play." Randazzo later got a note from his producer, which explained that "Tommy McCarthy played in the late 1800s and he would juggle the ball on purpose to mess with the base runners, so they put the rule in because of our friend here." Willis laughed off the whole thing, saying he didn't feel bad because it was clear that the players on the field didn't know the rule either. "Well, you know what, I didn't know the rules and apparently Francisco Lindor, who's on the field, didn't know the rules, either," Willis quipped. "So I don't feel so bad."
