Dodgers' Dave Roberts' arrogant NLCS claim may have jinxed World Series before it even started
The Los Angeles Dodgers fell behind 1-0 in the World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, suffering an 11-4 rout that few expected. While the Dodgers entered the series as favorites, they are dealing with key relievers missing from the roster.
“Regardless, Scott hasn't shown enough to rush him back to the Fall Classic roster, and the Dodgers might just be better off without him, especially with the emergence of Roki Sasaki to take the ball during high-leverage situations,” SI’s Gabe Smallson wrote. “With his struggles as of late and however long it will take him to ramp up, it appears unlikely fans will see Scott in the World Series.”
Tanner Scott hasn’t pitched since the Wild Card round, and reliever Alex Vesia was left off the World Series roster due to a personal matter.
“Alex Vesia is off the World Series roster and not on a bereavement list that would allow him to return between three and seven days, by the way. The Dodgers will try to secure another championship without one of their most trusted relievers,” ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez wrote.
The Dodgers are in a tough spot, but some of this could have been foreshadowed when manager Dave Roberts dropped a bold, now-viral quote after beating the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.
“Before this season started, they said the Dodgers are ruining baseball. Let's get four more wins and really ruin baseball,” Roberts said on the air.
With everything currently happening to the Dodgers, it almost feels like the baseball gods are conspiring against them. While the team is certainly not giving up, this quote has become prime bulletin board material.
With each Blue Jays win and each step closer to a World Series title, Roberts’ words echo louder. The Toronto team might just be laughing at the comment, and the Dodgers may have inadvertently jinxed themselves before the series even began.
Lions Get Bad News on Next Opponent’s Star Player
The Detroit Lions are locked in a tight race for supremacy in the NFC North, and could be facing a big challenge in their coming game against a division rival.
The Lions are in their bye week this weekend, a time they will use to rest and hopefully recover from some of the injuries that have been mounting, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But this week will also give the rival Minnesota Vikings the chance to get their starting quarterback ready for the matchup against the Lions next week.
Lions Expected to Face J.J. McCarthy in Next Week’s Game
As The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported, McCarthy is in position to return to his starting position next week against the Lions. McCarthy has missed the last five games with a high ankle sprain, but Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Friday that the second-year quarterback is making good progress toward his return.
“He got some work today and he will hopefully get some work throughout the early part of the week, which will lead him into a full week of preparation,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell added that McCarthy would spend the bye week getting back into rhythm and rebuilding a rapport with his wide receivers.
“For J.J., it’s going to be about the commitment that he’s made throughout his rehab of getting back to those concrete fundamentals and techniques that allow his feet and eyes to work together and find completions to any one of our five eligibles, whether it’s a receiver or T.J. (Hockenson) or even Aaron Jones or Jordan (Mason) or Zay (Zavier Scott) out of the backfield,” O’Connell said.
The Vikings struggled with veteran Carson Wentz under center. The ailing veteran completed 15-of-27 passes for 144 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, playing through some obvious pain.
The Vikings put a lot of faith in McCarthy, allowing veteran Sam Darnold to leave in free agency after he led the team to a 14-3 record last year following a season-ending injury for McCarthy. The second-year quarterback showed some promise in his start to 2025, but the high-ankle injury has raised new concerns about whether he might be too injury-prone.
Lions Could Get Some Help on the Injury Front
While the Lions will have to face McCarthy next week, they will also have some help on the way as their own players recover from injuries. Jimmy Liao of USA Today’s Lions Wire reported that Detroit will have several players returning over the coming weeks, including safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph next week, with cornerback Terrion Arnold and running back Sione Vaki returning the next week.
They will have more returns in the weeks that follow, including cornerback DJ Reed, defensive lineman Marcus Davenport, and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez.
While the returns will help bolster a Lions defense that has now faced two years of mounting injuries, the team could also look to bring in outside help. Some insiders predict the Lions will seek defensive help at the trade deadline, boosting depth in their secondary or defensive line.
