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  • Kris Rhim, ESPNJan 24, 2024, 06:49 PM ET

LOS ANGELES — Jim Harbaugh is leaving the national champion Michigan Wolverines to coach the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced Wednesday.

Harbaugh’s deal is for five years, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“The only job you start at the top is digging a hole, so we know we’ve got to earn our way,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “… This organization is putting in the work — investing capital, building infrastructure and doing everything within its power to win. Great effort equals great results, and we’re just getting started.”

Harbaugh was considered among the most desirable candidates in this coaching cycle because of his success in both the college and professional levels. Since his head-coaching career began in 2006 at the University of San Diego, Harbaugh has had success at Stanford and Michigan, and in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.

There’s also Harbaugh’s Chargers connection: He played quarterback for the team for two seasons (1999-2000).

“Jim Harbaugh is football personified, and I can think of no one better to lead the Chargers forward,” owner Dean Spanos said in a statement. “The son of a coach, brother of a coach and father of a coach who himself was coached by names like Schembechler and Ditka, for the past two decades Jim has led hundreds of men to success everywhere he’s been — as their coach. And today, Jim Harbaugh returns to the Chargers, this time as our coach. Who has it better than us?”

Spanos cited the rallying cry that Harbaugh leaned on during this season at Michigan, when he would yell, “Who’s got it better than us?” to players. It’s a phrase he got from his father, Jack, as a reminder to be grateful.

As a collegiate coach, Harbaugh has a 144-42 record, winning three Big Ten championships and Michigan’s first national title since 1997 this past season.

He was 86-25 at Michigan and restored college football’s winningest program to relevance after it slipped over several seasons under Brady Hoke and Rich Rodriguez following the retirement of national championship-winning coach Lloyd Carr.

The rival Ohio State Buckeyes had an eight-game winning streak against the Wolverines until Harbaugh helped them snap the streak in 2021, leading to their first of three straight Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances.

Following two straight losses in the semifinals, extending Harbaugh’s winless streak in bowl games to six, Michigan outlasted Alabama at the Rose Bowl this past season and pulled away from Washington to win the national championship with a school record 15-0 mark.

“My love for Michigan, playing there and coming back to coach there, leaves a lasting impact. I’ll always be a loyal Wolverine,” Harbaugh said in his statement. “I’m remarkably fortunate to have been afforded the privilege of coaching at places where life’s journey has created strong personal connections for me.

“From working as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky alongside my father, Jack, and time as an assistant with the Raiders, to being a head coach at USD, Stanford, the 49ers and Michigan — each of those opportunities carried significance, each felt personal. When I played for the Chargers, the Spanos family could not have been more gracious or more welcoming. Being back here feels like home, and it’s great to see that those things haven’t changed.”

Despite the ultimate triumph at Michigan, 2023 was a season filled with adversity for Harbaugh, who served two three-game suspensions. He missed the first three games due to an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations in 2020, and he missed the final three games of the regular season following a sign-stealing scandal and the subsequent resignation of staff member Connor Stalions.

In statements, University of Michigan president Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel both said the Wolverines’ program had discussed a new contract that would have made Harbaugh the highest-paid coach in college football.

Harbaugh spent four seasons (2011-2014) as the 49ers’ head coach, being named the NFL’s Coach of the Year in his first season. He led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens, coached by his brother John.

Harbaugh left the 49ers with a 44-19-1 regular record.

The Chargers are scheduled to play the Ravens next season at SoFi Stadium, which now officially will be a matchup between John and Jim Harbaugh.

When Harbaugh took over the 49ers, he was rebuilding a team which had tumbled from the NFL’s elite and missed the playoffs for eight straight seasons.

He will have a similar challenge with the Chargers, who finished 5-12 this season and have three playoff wins since 2008. Another task for Harbaugh will be deciding the construction of the Chargers’ roster, as the team is projected to be $27.5 million over the league salary cap, according to ESPN’s roster management system.

Harbaugh and the Chargers had been linked since the offseason began. Still, one of the potential challenges for the Harbaugh-Chargers reunion was if Spanos was willing to pay Harbaugh a competitive salary, one that would lure him away from Michigan and other NFL teams.

While the Chargers have signed players to record-breaking contracts, the organization has developed a reputation for not paying coaches. The Spanoses have denied that claim, with team president John Spanos telling reporters in December that he didn’t know where “narratives came from” and that the team has never had limitations with spending.

“You don’t build a résumé like Jim’s by accident, and you don’t do it by yourself,” Chargers president John Spanos said in a statement. “You need a team. And nobody has built a team more successfully, and repeatedly, in recent history than Jim Harbaugh. His former players swear by him, and his opponents swear at him. Jim is one of one.”

The Chargers fired coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco on Dec. 15, following a 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15.

Now that the Chargers have found their on-field leader, they now turn their focus to the front office and hiring a general manager, a role that will be essential for Harbaugh’s comfort with the team. In his last NFL stint, Harbaugh reportedly clashed with 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and team management, leading to his departure for Michigan.

The Chargers interviewed nine candidates for GM, including multiple with Harbaugh ties, such as Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds who worked for the Raiders when Harbaugh was the team’s QB coach in 2003. The Chargers conducted a second interview with Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown on Tuesday, sources told Jeremy Fowler.

The Chargers held an extensive coaching search after firing Staley, interviewing a league high 15 candidates.

They began internally with interim head coach Giff Smith and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore before interviewing former Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, Raiders DC Patrick Graham, former Titans coach Mike Vrabel, former Stanford coach David Shaw, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald.

Staley finished his 48-game Chargers tenure with a .500 record, with one playoff appearance that ended in a historic loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Chargers opened at 30-1 to win next season’s Super Bowl at DraftKings, but those odds improved to 25-1 as of Wednesday.

Michigan, meanwhile, is focusing its search on offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to replace Harbaugh, and he’s expected to be offered the job barring an unexpected development, sources told ESPN’s Chris Low. Moore served as acting head coach for four games during the 2023 season — once during Harbaugh’s initial suspension and for all of Harbaugh’s second three-game suspension.

“Jim did exactly what he sought to do at Michigan, build our program to consistently win Big Ten Championships and compete for national championships,” Manuel said in a statement. “… We can’t thank Jim enough for all that he has done for our student-athletes, staff and Michigan Football. He will always be a huge part of our rich history, and will be remembered as an all-time great Wolverine, as both a championship player and coach.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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MLB-best Brewers put SS Ortiz (hamstring) on IL

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August 23, 2025

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MLB-best Brewers put SS Ortiz (hamstring) on IL

  • Associated Press

Aug 22, 2025, 06:28 PM ET

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee’s Joey Ortiz went on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring Friday, leaving the NL Central-leading Brewers without their starting shortstop.

The Brewers also reinstated first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers from the injured list and sent outfielder Jackson Chourio to a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Nashville.

Ortiz left a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday after hurting himself while grounding out in the fifth inning. Manager Pat Murphy said he has been told it’s a low-grade strain, an indication that Ortiz’s stay on the IL might not be too long.

Ortiz, 27, is hitting .233 with seven homers, 43 RBIs and 11 steals in 125 games. He has batted .343 with an .830 OPS in August.

“I felt like I was finally kind of getting a groove going, especially offensively, that I was starting to swing the bat as I feel I can,” Ortiz said. “Things happen. It’s baseball. It’s going to happen. I’ve just got to do what I can to get back.”

Murphy said Andruw Monasterio will be the Brewers’ primary shortstop while Ortiz is out. Monasterio, 28, has hit .254 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 43 games.

Bauers, 29, was dealing with a left shoulder impingement and last played in the majors on July 18. Bauers is hitting .197 with five homers and 18 RBIs in 59 games. He had gone just 2-for-23 in July while dealing with the shoulder issue before finally going on the injured list.

“Since April, May, I’ve been dealing with it,” Bauers said.

Chourio, 21, hasn’t played since straining his right hamstring while running out a triple in a 9-3 victory over the Cubs on July 29.

“He’s got to be able to get comfortable standing on the diamond back-to-back days,” Murphy said. “He’s got to be comfortable playing all nine (innings) in the outfield back-to-back days, because you can’t bring him back here and then just [go] zero to 100.”

Chourio is hitting .276 with 17 homers, 67 RBIs and 18 steals in 106 games.

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Red Sox move Buehler to pen as RHP eyes ‘reset’

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7 mins ago

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August 23, 2025

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Red Sox move Buehler to pen as RHP eyes 'reset'

  • ESPN News Services

Aug 22, 2025, 05:31 PM ET

NEW YORK — The Boston Red Sox are pulling Walker Buehler from their rotation and sending the struggling right-hander to the bullpen.

“It’s going to be his new role,” manager Alex Cora said Friday before the Red Sox continued a four-game series with the Yankees. “We’ll figure out how it goes, maybe one inning, multiple innings. Whatever it is, we don’t know yet.”

Buehler’s next scheduled start would have been the opener of a four-game series in Baltimore on Monday. The Red Sox did not immediately announce who would take his turn. Right-hander Richard Fitts, currently with the Red Sox, and left-hander Kyle Harrison, who is at Triple A after being acquired in the Rafael Devers trade, are options.

“It’s obviously disappointing,” Buehler said. “It’s the first time in my career that I’ve been in a situation like that, but at the end of the day, the organization and, to a lesser extent, myself, kind of think it’s probably the right thing for our group and it gives me an opportunity to kind of reset in some ways.”

In his first season with the Red Sox after seven seasons with the Dodgers, Buehler is 7-7 with a 5.40 ERA in 22 starts and has allowed a career-worst 21 homers. He was 4-1 with a 4.28 ERA in his first six starts but is 3-6 with a 6.37 ERA over his past 16 outings. He also missed two weeks in May because of bursitis in his pitching shoulder.

“He’s been very frustrated with the way he has pitched,” Cora said. “I still believe in him. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Buehler last started in Wednesday’s 11-inning loss to the Orioles and allowed two runs in four innings while throwing 75 pitches. It was the ninth time this season he did not complete five innings.

After the game, he didn’t fault Cora for the quick hook.

“At some point, the leash I’m given has been earned,” he told reporters. “I think they did the right thing in coming to get me before the [Gunnar] Henderson at-bat. Our bullpen has been great. For me, personally, I think everything went according to plan until the fifth. You go double, four-pitch walk. The way I’ve been throwing it, it all kind of makes sense.”

Buehler also issued 54 walks in 110 innings this season for a career-high 4.4 walks per nine innings.

The Red Sox signed Buehler to a one-year, $21.05 million contract in December. The deal contains an additional $2.5 million in performance bonuses. The Red Sox also gave Buehler a $3.05 million signing bonus and includes a $25 million mutual option for 2026 with a $3 million buyout.

Buehler was 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA and pitched 75⅓ innings in the 2024 regular season for the Dodgers after missing all of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He helped the Dodgers win their second championship since 1988 by going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and pitched a perfect ninth for the save in Game 5 of the World Series against the Yankees.

Buehler’s only previous relief experience was eight appearances as a rookie in 2017. His last relief appearance was June 28, 2018, when he allowed a run in five innings after missing time because of a rib injury.

A two-time All Star in 2019 and 2021, Buehler is 54-29 in 153 appearances. He finished fourth in voting for the National League Cy Young Award in 2021 after going 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 33 starts when he threw 207⅔ innings.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Bronzed Beltré: Rangers honor HOFer with statue

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8 mins ago

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August 23, 2025

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Bronzed Beltré: Rangers honor HOFer with statue

  • Associated Press

Aug 22, 2025, 04:56 PM ET

ARLINGTON, Texas — Hall of Fame third baseman Adrian Beltré now has a statue in Arlington to go with his bust in Cooperstown.

The Texas Rangers unveiled a life-sized bronze statue of the first-ballot Hall of Famer on Friday, one with him posed hitting a home run with his knee on the ground like he did so often in his career. Beltré is the third player to have a statue outside the team’s stadium, joining two other Hall of Famers, strikeout king Nolan Ryan and 14-time All-Star catcher Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez.

Beltré spent the last eight of his 21 big league seasons with Texas, the team he played with the longest. He retired after the 2018 season, had his No. 29 jersey retired by the Rangers the following year and was enshrined in baseball’s Hall of Fame last summer.

The statue is situated where it appears that Beltré is glancing toward the old ballpark that still stands across the street. It was there that he became the first player from the Dominican Republic to reach 3,000 career hits on July 30, 2017, two years after hitting his 400th homer. That is also where he had all three of his MLB record-tying three career cycles, one as a visitor with Seattle in 2008, and two more with the Rangers, on Aug. 24, 2012, and Aug. 3, 2015.

The dedication came before the opener of a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians. The Rangers on Saturday will present Beltré with a smaller version of his bronze statue and he will catch a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Mike Tabor, the Texas artist who sculpted it, and the first 20,000 fans entering the ballpark before that game will get replica versions.

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