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Baseball

Tyler Glasnow, Will Smith among Dodgers’ postseason questions

SEATTLE — Locked in as the National League’s No. 3 seed with the regular season winding down, the Dodgers have been able to spend the weekend series at T-Mobile Park preparing for the NL Wild Card Series.

That has involved resting their regulars — Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández sat out of Saturday night’s 5-3 win, while Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were out the prior game — and taking a critical look at their roster to decide who should make the cut for the postseason.

“Now you see guys playing, competing for an opportunity to be on the postseason roster and also potentially getting innings,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I like that fight, and they’re leaving it all out there. That’s all I ask. And not be afraid to fail. Leave everything you have out there on the field.”

The Dodgers won’t find out which team — either the Reds or the Mets — will seize the third NL Wild Card spot until after Game 162. That could influence some of their decisions. Here are some of the biggest roster questions facing them before their postseason begins on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium:

Could Tyler Glasnow be available out of the ‘pen?
Friday ended up being a bullpen game, giving L.A. a look at seven arms — including an electric Roki Sasaki — who could be part of the postseason relief picture. Saturday’s starter, Glasnow, had a planned short outing, pitching three scoreless innings. He will likely be on the roster for the Wild Card Series, Roberts said.

“I think that right now, where we’re at, we want to go with our best,” Roberts said. “However that looks, that’s kind of the reason why we shortened Emmet [Sheehan], shortened Tyler.”

The team has not announced its rotation for the Wild Card Series, but Ohtani, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are lined up for the three games. If Glasnow makes the roster, he would be used in relief for the first time since he was with the Pirates in 2018.

“If you boil it down, pitching is pitching,” Glasnow said. “Just try to go out there and treat it like another inning. Maybe have a little bit more adrenaline. But I’m looking forward to it.”

What’s the latest on Will Smith, and could he make the roster?
Roberts said the other day that he was “hoping,” rather than “hopeful,” that Smith would be available in time for the Wild Card Series. Smith hit foam balls in the cage on Saturday, his first time swinging since imaging revealed he had a hairline fracture in his right hand.

The Dodgers could opt to carry three catchers if they feel Smith is close, but time is not on their side.

“It’s a balancing act because, obviously, he’s incredibly talented and we want to do everything that we can to have him in there,” general manager Brandon Gomes said Friday. “But we may get to a point where, hey, it may not make sense that some percentage of Will is worth putting on the roster. So we’ve got a few days. I don’t want to close the door on him yet. But we’ve got to go fast in the next few days to see where we’re at.”

How about others dealing with lingering injuries?
Tommy Edman (right ankle) and Max Muncy (lower body) are both dealing with some lingering discomfort that has limited their playing time recently. Edman returned to the lineup on Saturday, albeit as the DH, while Muncy has not played since Wednesday. Both are expected to be ready to go on Tuesday.

If either Edman or Muncy is compromised during the postseason run, then that could open the door for more playing time for Kiké Hernández, who hit a go-ahead two-run double off Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz in the ninth inning on Saturday.

Either way, Hernández could feasibly earn himself more playing time going forward. He’s a proven postseason performer, with an .875 OPS in the playoffs, compared with .708 in the regular season, in his career.

“We needed to finish the season strong,” Hernández said. “October is all about whoever’s playing the best baseball at the end of the season. And that’s a really good team over there.”

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WWE

Ryan Williams Says He and Jeremiah Smith Have an ‘Iron-Sharpens-Iron Relationship’

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Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams discussed his connection with Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith after both players put together impressive freshman seasons in 2024.

“He’s physically gifted, of course, but there’s a lot of guys who are really physically gifted but don’t use it to the best of their ability,” Williams told Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. “It’s an iron-sharpens-iron relationship. I want the best for him, but we definitely know what each other’s stats are week in and week out.”

Williams immediately stood out in the Crimson Tide’s offense last season, reeling in 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns as a 17-year-old. He also averaged 18.0 yards per reception.

Meanwhile, Smith caught 76 passes while leading the Big Ten with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. His standout year helped the Buckeyes capture a national championship.

Following the 2024 season, both receivers were featured on the cover of EA Sports’ College Football 26.

While expectations were high for the pair of wideouts heading into 2025, neither player has experienced a sophomore slump so far.

Williams has recorded 10 catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns in two appearances, missing a matchup with Louisiana-Monroe due to a concussion.

As for Smith, he’s racked up 20 receptions for 315 yards and three scores.

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Basketball

Geno Smith, Ashton Jeanty Disappoint Fans as Raiders Lose to Justin Herbert, Chargers

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A lackluster offensive showing from Geno Smith, Ashton Jeanty and the Las Vegas Raiders led to a 20-9 loss to Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night in Vegas.

Smith struggled throughout the night, completing 24-of-43 passes for 180 yards with three interceptions and three sacks. Jeanty, the Raiders’ No. 6 overall pick, saw limited usage, finishing with 43 yards on 11 carries. Jakobi Meyers led the receiving corps with six catches for 68 yards.

Meanwhile, Herbert completed 19-of-27 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with both Keenan Allen for a score and 54 yards and Quentin Johnston who had 71 yards for a score. The Chargers improved to 2-0.

With the loss, the Raiders dropped to 1-1. Fans expressed frustration over the offense’s lack of production, the turnovers and the minimal involvement of Jeanty in the game plan.

Smith was intercepted on the game’s first play by linebacker Daiyan Henley, setting up a 38-yard field goal from Cameron Dicker. After the Raiders tied it with a 54-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson, Herbert found Allen for a touchdown late in the first quarter to take a 10-3 lead.

Las Vegas added another field goal early in the second, but Herbert responded with a 60-yard touchdown strike to Johnston to make it 17-6. Smith was picked off again before halftime, this time by safety Tony Jefferson, as the Chargers took the lead into the break.

Dicker added another field goal in the third to stretch the lead to 20-6. The Raiders controlled the clock with an 11-minute drive that ended in a field goal, but their offense stalled again late. After a turnover on downs gave Las Vegas a short field, Smith threw his third interception, this one grabbed by cornerback Donte Jackson, ending the comeback bid.

Despite a late-game fumble forced by a big hit from Maxx Crosby, the Raiders failed to capitalize, and the Chargers held on to cruise to the win.

The Raiders will look to bounce back against Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders on the road on Sunday.

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Basketball

Knicks hosting free agent guard Dennis Smith Jr. for workout…

The Knicks are hosting free agent guard Dennis Smith Jr.for a workout, according to a report from The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy.

Smith, 27, appeared in 58 games with New York over three seasons, after arriving in the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks in January 2019. New York eventually dealt the guard to the Detroit Pistons ahead of the 2021 trade deadline in a deal that brought Derrick Rose to the Garden.

New York has limited roster and salary cap flexibility, especially after signing veterans Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon to deals, if they look to keep Smith around for a second stint.

After the Pistons, he signed with Portland and Charlotte before landing in Brooklyn. He last played in Spain, appearing with Real Madrid.

The well-traveled veteran’s most recent NBA experience came during the 2023-24 campaign with the Nets. In 56 games (two starts), he averaged 6.6 points on 43.5 percent shooting with 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 18.9 minutes.

The ninth overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft out of N.C. State, the 6-foot-3 guard had his best year in Dallas when he was fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.

In 326 career games (152 starts), he averaged 9.7 points on 40.7 percent shooting (29.8 percent from three) with 4.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 23.3 minutes. He has never played in the playoffs.

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