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Yamamoto comes THIS close to perfection -- then a no-no -- vs. White Sox

@sonjamchen
June 13, 2026

CHICAGO -- A booted grounder ended his run at perfection in the eighth inning, and a long ball in the ninth was the only hit on his final line. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was nearly perfect and nearly unhittable, but he ultimately fell short of both feats.

Asked and answered ... Ohtani blasts HR after Sox fans chant 'We want Shohei'

@sonjamchen
June 13, 2026

CHICAGO -- As the White Sox put the finishing touches on an 8-2 rout of the Dodgers on Friday night, when their biggest star was out of the lineup, a chant broke out from a section at Rate Field that had gone full "Tarps Off."

Ohtani reaches base 4 times in return to Dodgers lineup after resting knee

@sonjamchen
June 13, 2026

CHICAGO -- After missing one game due to left knee inflammation, Shohei Ohtani was back in the Dodgers' starting lineup for Saturday afternoon's game against the White Sox at Rate Field, when he hit a leadoff home run and drew three walks in a 7-1 victory.

Sasaki's confidence not diminished by tough frame vs. White Sox

@sonjamchen
June 13, 2026

CHICAGO -- The Dodgers have lauded the growth they've seen from Roki Sasaki over the past month and a half. But Friday night was a stark reminder that development is rarely a linear process. Coming off a 10-strikeout, seven-inning gem where he put everything together in his finest big league

Yamamoto aims to build off strong start when he takes on White Sox 

@sonjamchen
June 12, 2026

CHICAGO -- Coming off his longest start of the season, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will look to keep rolling on the South Side. Yamamoto takes the ball for his 13th start on Saturday afternoon against the White Sox at Rate Field. The Dodgers have won the past three starts from their right-hander,

Ohtani (knee) out of Fri. lineup vs. White Sox, but it's 'not an IL situation'

@sonjamchen
June 12, 2026

CHICAGO -- One night after he was removed from Thursday's 8-6 win over the Pirates with left knee inflammation, two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was out of the Dodgers' lineup for their series opener against the White Sox on Friday at Rate Field. Ohtani underwent imaging on his knee, which did

Should the Dodgers move Betts down in the lineup?

@sonjamchen
June 9, 2026

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers have hit their stride of late, winning 18 of their last 24 games to build a sizable lead in the NL West as we near the halfway point of their regular-season schedule.

Here are three Dodgers to keep an eye on in Triple-A

@sonjamchen
June 8, 2026

This story was excerpted from Sonja Chen’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Dodgers' normally reliable pitching turns to liability in lopsided loss to Angels

@sonjamchen
June 7, 2026

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers' relief corps has been among the best in baseball this season. But once the Angels sprung a leak in the bullpen on Sunday afternoon, there was no plugging it. After an elevated pitch count led to Emmet Sheehan's exit with one out in the second

Sasaki (10 K's, 7 scoreless) looking more like pitcher LA 'hoped to get'

@sonjamchen
June 6, 2026

LOS ANGELES -- Right before their eyes, the Dodgers have borne witness to Roki Sasaki blossoming into the big league starter they knew he could be.

Muncy, Vargas OK after head-on collision at first base forces early exits

@sonjamchen
June 5, 2026

PHOENIX -- Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy and D-backs first baseman Ildemaro Vargas both exited Arizona's walk-off 3-2 victory Thursday night at Chase Field after a collision at first base in the top of the fifth inning. Muncy said that he passed concussion protocol, and while his head got “got

Less than 3 weeks post-surgery, Snell (elbow) begins throwing program

@sonjamchen
June 5, 2026

LOS ANGELES -- Left-hander Blake Snell began a throwing program ahead of Friday night's series opener against the Angels, two and a half weeks following surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow. Snell is on the 60-day injured list, so he would not be eligible to return to

3 key takeaways from Dodgers' 1st walk-off loss of 2026

@sonjamchen
June 5, 2026

PHOENIX -- For the first time this season, the Dodgers found themselves on the bad end of a walk-off. The end result was just one of several concerns that bubbled to the surface following Thursday night's 3-2 loss to the D-backs, which sealed a split in the four-game set at

Tucker shows uptick at plate, but is still searching for consistency

@sonjamchen
June 4, 2026

This story was excerpted from Sonja Chen’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Ohtani to sit tonight after another dazzling two-way performance

@sonjamchen
June 4, 2026

PHOENIX -- One night after carrying out his full two-way duties, Shohei Ohtani will be out of the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the D-backs at Chase Field, manager Dave Roberts said.

Ohtani lowers ERA to 0.74 with 6-inning gem -- and reaches base 5 times!

'He's the best player that's ever walked this earth,' Will Smith said
@sonjamchen
June 4, 2026

PHOENIX -- It had been more than 60 years since the big leagues had seen a show quite like the one Shohei Ohtani staged on Wednesday night.

Shohei's recent surge coincides with Dodgers' dominant stretch

@sonjamchen
June 3, 2026

PHOENIX -- With one out and a runner on third base in the seventh inning of Tuesday night's 6-5 Dodgers victory, the D-backs wanted no part of Shohei Ohtani. So they held up four fingers and sent him straight to first base. Ohtani is one of the most fearsome hitters

Mookie not playing around in 'Toy Story 5' TV spot with daughter

@sonjamchen
June 2, 2026

PHOENIX -- As baseball has evolved with time, technology has increasingly become a part of the game. But at the end of the day, it's all about going out on the field and playing. That concept is at the crux of a new promotional spot for Disney and Pixar's "Toy

Drawing 'huge inspiration' from Pete Frates, Sheehan dedicates 'K ALS' glove to Sarah Langs

@sonjamchen
June 2, 2026

This story was originally published on May 2, 2026.

Sheehan's consistent velo a good sign, even as he's stung by long ball

@sonjamchen
June 2, 2026

PHOENIX -- For Emmet Sheehan, it was never a matter of if, but when. Over the first two months of the season, Sheehan had recurring issues with his fastball. Early on, his velocity was down across the board. As time went on, he threw harder in the early innings, only

Dodgers continuing to build up No. 6 prospect Ryan for future

@sonjamchen
June 1, 2026

This story was excerpted from Sonja Chen’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Ward finally makes it to Dodger Stadium, promptly hits 1st MLB HR

@sonjamchen
May 31, 2026

LOS ANGELES -- As Ryan Ward ran out to left field for Sunday afternoon's finale against the Phillies, he took a moment to look around and soak in the sights and sounds of the buildup to first pitch. After seven years in the Dodgers' organization, he was finally playing at

Yamamoto racks up 10 K's, holds Phils scoreless -- and is hungry for more

@sonjamchen
May 31, 2026

LOS ANGELES -- In the first two games of the weekend series against the Phillies, manager Dave Roberts did not push his starting pitchers to the limit. But the Dodgers' skipper knew he could rely on his ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, to empty the tank on Sunday afternoon.

Sasaki records triple-digit heat -- twice! -- for 1st time in '26

@sonjamchen
May 31, 2026

LOS ANGELES -- The electric beat of "Bailalo Rocky" washed over Dodger Stadium, heralding Roki Sasaki's arrival on the mound. As he began to light up the radar gun in a way he never had as a Major League starter, it was reminiscent of the last time he toed the

Wrobleski's velo ticks up in 7-inning gem with career-high 9 K's

@sonjamchen
May 30, 2026

LOS ANGELES -- Justin Wrobleski watched as Kyle Schwarber took a hack at a fastball toward the bottom of the zone. His eyes lingered on the slugger's face, and then he nodded to himself, knowing what had happened before turning to see the ball clear the center-field fence. With two