ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
LOS ANGELES — In a World Series matchup loaded with storylines, one was seemingly put to rest Thursday: Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will not make a dramatic return to the mound to face the New York Yankees.
“There is no possibility, none whatsoever,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Thank you for asking.”
Ohtani has not pitched since undergoing major elbow surgery in September 2023 while with the Los Angeles Angels. The two-way star was strictly a designated hitter for the Dodgers this season, one so good that he is the overwhelming favorite to win National League MVP after posting the first 50/50 season in MLB history.
All the while, he rehabbed his elbow. Finally, in late August, he began throwing off a mound. Then, last month, Roberts opened the door to Ohtani pitching in the postseason. Soon, however, the Dodgers put the brakes on the idea. Roberts on Thursday slammed them.
Ohtani, meanwhile, did not appear disappointed with the decision.
“I’ve never said to them that I wanted to pitch in the postseason,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman underscored that in an interview with ESPN Radio earlier in the day, saying that Ohtani “is a one-way player for the next 10 days and then he will go back to being a two-way player.”
Ohtani would’ve joined a bullpen that has been foundational in the Dodgers’ postseason success. With just three starters, the Dodgers are expected to deploy at least one bullpen game in the World Series. The relief corps could receive reinforcements.
Alex Vesia, the Dodgers’ top left-handed reliever, told ESPN’s Alden González that he is “90% sure” he will be on the Dodgers’ roster after missing the National League Championship Series with an intercostal injury. Vesia threw 15 pitches in a live bullpen session Wednesday. He tossed three scoreless innings in the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres after recording a 1.76 ERA in 67 appearances during the regular season.
Additionally, Roberts said Brusdar Graterol is also “trending in the right direction.” Graterol missed most of the regular season with shoulder and hamstring injuries, appearing in just seven games. The right-hander has a 1.64 ERA in 22 career postseason games.
“It’s part of the math,” Roberts said of Graterol’s limited action this season. “I think the other part is his track record in the postseason, how good he’s been, how good the heartbeat’s been. We believe in the person, the stuff.
“So then if it plays out as he’s on the roster, then it’s more of a decision on when I feel comfortable using him. I just don’t know that answer, but I am hopeful that he’s in a good spot right now.”
The days leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline were a furious final sprint as contenders looked to stock up for a postseason run while rebuilding clubs added prospects and draft capital.
After the overnight Brock Nelson blockbuster Thursday, Friday lived up to expectations, with Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand and other high-profile players finishing the day on different teams than they started with. All told, NHL teams made 24 trades on deadline day involving 47 players.
Which teams and players won the day? Who might not feel as well about the situation after trade season? Reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski identify the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 NHL trade deadline:
There are some who saw what the Carolina Hurricanes did at the trade deadline — or perhaps failed to do after they traded Mikko Rantanen — and believe they’re cooked when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, based on the projections from Stathletes, the Canes remain the team with the highest chances of winning the Cup, at 16.7%.
Standing before them on Sunday are the Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The Jets had a relatively quiet deadline, adding Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev, though sometimes these additions are the types of small tweaks that can push a contender over the edge. As it stands, the Jets enter their showdown against the Canes with the sixth-highest Cup chances, at 8.7%.
Carolina has made two trips to the Cup Final: a loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and a win over the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. The Canes have reached the conference finals three times since (2009, 2019, 2023). Winnipeg has yet to make the Cup Final, and was defeated 4-1 in the 2018 Western Conference finals by the Vegas Golden Knights in the club’s lone trip to the penultimate stage.
Both clubs are due. Will this be their year?
There is a lot of runway left until the final day of the season on April 17, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide detail on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Points: 43 Regulation wins: 12 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 17 Points pace: 54.3 Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday) Playoff chances: ~0% Tragic number: 8
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters.
Hintz extended his stick toward Henrique, whose wrist shot sent the puck under Hintz’s visor during his club’s 5-4 loss to the Oilers. He was on the ice, with his face in a towel, as the team’s medical staff assessed him and helped him skate toward the dressing room.
After the loss, Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said Hintz was at a local hospital, receiving tests. The coach added that the initial report was fairly optimistic for Hintz, 28, who has 25 goals and 52 points.
“Everyone’s optimistic that it’s not ‘serious, serious,'” DeBoer said. “But we won’t know until we get testing.”
The short-handed Stars rallied from a 5-1 deficit before eventually losing. Trade deadline acquisition Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist in his debut for Dallas, which had its four-game winning streak stopped. Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn and Matt Dumba also scored for the Stars.