Soccer star Alex Morgan announces retirement

• September 5, 2024

U.S. women’s national soccer team legend and Diamond Bar native Alex Morgan announced Thursday that she is retiring.

Morgan, 35, made the announcement in a social media video, in which she also announced that she’s pregnant with her second child.

Morgan’s last game will be Sunday as the San Diego Wave FC hosts the North Carolina Courage.

Morgan leaves behind an incredible legacy with the national team. She scored 123 goals (fifth all-time), recorded 53 career assists (ninth all-time). She was a member of two World Cup winning-teams in 2015 and 2019 and helped lead the Americans to an Olympic gold medal in 2012 in London.

She has spent the past three seasons with Wave FC.

Morgan was a somewhat surprising exclusion from this summer’s U.S. Olympic roster in June. Morgan had played on three consecutive Olympic squads, but was not one of the five forwards selected for the Paris Games nor was she one of the four alternates.

In a message on social media, Morgan expressed her disappointment and unwavering support.

“Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage. This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest. In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team and cheering them on alongside the rest of our country. LFG.”

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The Americans, in their first international competition under new coach Emma Hayes, wound up bringing home the gold medal with a 1-0 victory over Brazil on Aug. 10.

Morgan’s 224 caps and 123 goals are each the most among active U.S. players and rank ninth and fifth, respectively, in program history.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

Housing market picks up, with sales near two-year high

• September 5, 2024

Southern California’s housing market gained momentum in July, with prices holding steady at all-time highs and sales hitting the second-highest level of the past two years.

Lower mortgage rates and an increased number of homes for sale boosted transactions, although homes now are taking longer to sell due to increased competition among homeowners.

“The market’s picked back up,” said Jordan Levine, chief economist for the California Association of Realtors. “(Mortgage) rates started to go down in June and continued to go down into July. … I think that the market just continues to be pretty sensitive to these changes in rates. I would say, almost even hypersensitive.”

The median price of a Southern California home — or the price at the midpoint of all sales — was up nearly 6% to $775,000, matching the record high reached in April and June, real estate data firm CoreLogic reported Wednesday, Sept. 4.

The region has seen year-over-year price gains for 13 straight months.

See also: ‘Poltergeist’ house in Simi Valley finds a buyer after 45 years

Home sales, meanwhile, rose almost 14% to 17,462 transactions in July, CoreLogic figures show.

During the past two years, just two other months — June 2023 and this past May — have seen sales rise above 17,000 transactions.

Despite the gains, 2024 is shaping up as the third-slowest year on record, with 105,000 homes changing hands through July, CoreLogic figures show. Just two other years — 2008 and 2023 — had fewer sales seven months in.

July’s sales tally — the fourth-lowest in records dating back to the late 1980s — remains 65% below the average for that month.

Falling mortgage rates are helping to revive the market, however. Average rates have dropped almost a full percentage point over the past four months, boosting the buying power for home shoppers.

A buyer who could afford a $770,000, median-priced home in May (when rates averaged 7.2%), now can afford to buy an $841,000 home with the same monthly payment, thanks to mortgage rates now averaging at 6.4%.

See also: Software illegally inflated rents, including in Southern California, US lawsuit alleges

In addition, the number of for-sale listings has increased steadily this year.

The six-county region had almost 53,000 homes for sale as of July, according to online brokerage Redfin. While still well below average, it’s up 25% from July 2023 levels.

“I think the new listings have helped both the transaction numbers go up, and we’re starting to see a some moderation in price growth as well,” said Levine, CAR chief economist.

Today’s buyers “are less shell shocked,” said Culver City real estate agent Heather Coombs Perez.

“Now, I feel like it’s a slightly different pool of buyers, … and they’re not dealing with as many obstacles as they were last year,” she said.

With more homes on the market, properties also are taking longer to sell.

In July, Southern California homes averaged 34 days on the market, compared with 29 days a year earlier, according to Redfin.

The time needed to sell every home on the market at the current buying pace increased to 87 days, up from 55 days in March, according to data from Steve Thomas’ “Reports on Housing.”

“Expectations of multiple offers and short market times is simply not today’s reality,” Thomas wrote this week in his latest dispatch. “Instead, there is a lot more seller competition. It used to take days to secure an offer, but for many, it is now taking weeks or months.”

While sellers clearly had an advantage in last year’s market when listings were near a 12-year low, today’s market is “very nuanced,” said Coombs Perez.

“It’s not cut and dry,” she said. “Sellers are not having as easy of a time, and nor are buyers.”

Among Southern California counties, Riverside and San Bernardino were the only ones to see home prices rise from June, CoreLogic figures show.

Sales, however, increased month-to-month in every county but one: San Bernardino.

Prices and sales, nonetheless, were up from year-ago levels across the board.

Here’s a county-by-county breakdown of sales and median prices, with annual percentage changes:

— Los Angeles County’s median rose 7.9% to $890,000; sales were up 15.7% to 5,654 transactions.

— Orange County’s median rose 10.3% to $1.18 million; sales were up 11.5% to 2,450 transactions.

— Riverside County’s median rose 6.4% to $585,000; sales were up 16.7% to 3,381 transactions.

— San Bernardino County’s median rose 6.4% to $500,000; sales were up 9.3% to 2,503 transactions.

— San Diego County’s median rose 4.1% to $885,000; sales were up 10.4% to 2,839 transactions.

— Ventura County’s median rose 3.2% to $842,000; sales were up 18.9% to 635 transactions.

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​ Orange County Register 

This election season, every vote is about housing

• September 5, 2024

This time of even-numbered years is always a flurry of activity. Beyond the yearly back-to-school activities, candidates are making their rounds, raising money, and jockeying for visibility in front of voters on various issues of concern.

As cofounder and director of Orange County’s YIMBY organization, it is my self-appointed mission to make sure that housing– specifically the shortage of housing affordable to low- and middle-income residents, working families, young professionals, and seniors on fixed incomes– is among the top of issues voters raise with their candidates. Recent polling by UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology suggests that it is.

The 2023 UCI Poll in OC found Affordable Housing and Homelessness as the top issues of concern for OC residents. This year’s poll showed that 51% of the respondents have thought about leaving Orange County, and 78% said the reason was the cost of housing. High housing costs are a pressing issue not just for those on the bottom end of our socioeconomic ladder, but also for adult children of long-time Orange County homeowners who must tell their parents, “We’re moving; we just can’t afford to live in Orange County anymore.”

What those parents may not know, or perhaps know and don’t want to admit, is that largely this is a problem of our own making. Longstanding NIMBYism and opposition to denser forms of housing has created a shortage in every Orange County city and driven prices so high that our young adults see no future for themselves in the communities where they grew up. Sacramento’s recent combination of carrot and stick legislation has led to more by-right housing approvals, but the housing shortage will not be solved by Sacramento.

We need elected leaders in local government willing to make room for the next generation by approving new townhomes, condos and apartments in their communities. Cities in Orange County have already identified sites for new housing through their housing plans, also called Housing Elements, and most have been approved by the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

This fall will give city council members an opportunity to “make good” on the commitments made in their city housing elements and for voters to make room for the next generation by supporting pro-housing council members and candidates. Right now, there are housing developments working their way through the entitlements process, and they will be coming soon to a city council hearing near you!

There are large, innovative projects like Related Bristol (Santa Ana) and the Magnolia Tank Farm (Huntington Beach), which as of this writing are scheduled for City Council consideration on the same night– September 17th. While these high-profile projects are the definite headliners, smaller projects in cities that steadily deliver on housing, like Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park and Irvine are also moving forward. If you vote in those cities AND you care about where your children and grandchildren will live (and you don’t want it to be with you), then tell your city council members you support new housing and want them to approve the projects coming before them.

If you live in a smaller city, where new residential development opportunities come along less frequently (in some cases decades), THIS might just be your year! Aliso Viejo is mulling over a 300+ unit apartment building on an existing commercial parking lot in the city’s aging shopping district. Fountain Valley will consider new townhomes and attached-single-family homes, along with 400 apartments on an 18-acre site, and Los Alamitos will consider the redevelopment of an old office building and parking lot into both for-sale townhomes and affordable rental homes.

Each of these project sites was identified in the city’s respective Housing Element as a way to meet its state housing goal (RHNA). Why does that matter? Because it was the promise of new housing on those properties that lead the State to approve the city’s Housing Element. Without a “compliant” Housing Element, scary things can happen, like Builders Remedy or lawsuits against the city from housing law advocacy organizations. Long-term non-compliance with the state housing law could result in a city having its Housing Element decertified, loss of state funding, and loss of city’s ability to issue building permits for existing residents and businesses. All of these outcomes are undesirable regardless of which side of the political aisle you stand on.

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This election season, remember that city council members not only play a role in shaping your quality of life today, but their decisions to allow or deny new housing will have a direct impact on the ability of your children or grandchildren to remain in Orange County. So, what can you do? Talk to your current council members; send them an email telling them to support the housing developments that are coming before them this fall. Talk to your council candidates. If they say they support housing, ask them where the city plans to accommodate that development. Have they read their city’s Housing Element? How do they plan to engage in the process to bring new housing opportunities to your community?

This fall will not just be a presidential election year with a list of down ballot races. It will be a proving ground for housing elements and a test of our collective will to make room for the next generation. Almost every city in Orange County has gotten into compliance with HCD, and two cities — Cypress and Yorba Linda — actually have their Housing Elements on the ballot for voter approval.

Now the question is, will the sitting city councils follow through on their commitments to permit housing on the sites they identified? Will we – voting residents, parents and grandparents– have the courage to vote out the ones that don’t?

Elizabeth Hansburg is the Co-founder and Executive Director of People for Housing Orange County. She lives in Fullerton where she served on the planning commission. She can be reached at [email protected]

​ Orange County Register 

Daxon: Brea utility terrain vehicle has had some use by the Fire Department

• September 5, 2024

Hiking and mountain biking around some the 90 miles of trails in Chino Hills State Park is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the state park and get some exercise.

Lots of fun until, ouch! You have an unexpected stumble, slid into a gully and now your ankle is throbbing and hurts if you try to move it.  There is no way you can’t make it back to the trailhead.

How do you get help? And how can someone locate you?

Brea’s Fire Department is ready for any hiking emergency, thanks to their trained emergency personnel and a very cool utility terrain vehicle, or UTV.  I recently got to ride along in the UTV with Capt. Bill Schaefer and firefighters Dillon Fetty, Mason Fishback and Chase Kayl.

While I wasn’t along on an actual rescue operation I experienced first hand the rough and wild terrain they have to traverse in the UTV to reach downed hikers and mountain bikers within the 14,000 acres of Chino Hills State Park and the other hills surrounding Brea.

According to Fire Chief Mark Terrill, the UTV was purchased in 2018 for $31,252.

“The cost of the vehicle was partially funded by projected Fire Department savings of $14,251 and $17,000 in donations received,” said Terrill.

Capt. Schaefer added that the donations came from three sources: Walmart, FlexFit and Bright Energy. And the names of all three of the Brea businesses are on the UTV.

So far, 16 people have been rescued with the UTV, and remote rescues are its primary use. Terrill noted that it is also used for fire road maintenance, surveys, training and mutual aid.

“For mutual aid purposes,” said Terrill, “the Brea Fire Department has worked together with the cities of Chino Hills, Yorba Linda and Fullerton, as well as the Huntington Beach Air Show and various city of Brea events.”

Maybe you saw it at last month’s National Night Out on Birch Street in Brea Downtown, like I did.

It is big, bright red and for sure a very welcomed sight to injured hikers and bikers.

And speaking of bikers, especially those of you who own big-ticket mountain bikes, the UTV has a large metal panel mounted on the hood where that pricy mountain bike can safely be secured while its injured owner is seated or on a stretcher inside the UTV. Schaefer noted that mountain bike owners never want to leave without their bikes.  Especially since many of them cost $10,000 or more.

While the UTV was fun to ride in, I sure don’t want to ride in it because of an injury or emergency while hiking in the hills. One thing the crew emphatically emphasized was for hikers, bikers and anyone coming out to enjoy the beauty of the state park and its view of the surrounding terrain is to make sure they have enough water and to drink it.

Dehydration can make you feel dizzy, lightheaded, tired and with a dry mouth. Not good in the middle of hike or while mountain biking through rugged hills or anywhere.

Something else Schaefer emphasized was to always let someone know where you will be hiking, especially when hiking alone. Never go hiking without letting anyone know. Your life could depend on it.

He also said to note the mile markers on the hiking trails, have a map and use the what3words app. Schaefer showed me how they use it to easily reach a location. It is very precise and while I downloaded the app I am still learning how to use it.

Be sure you can properly use your navigation tools before taking that first step on the hiking trail. And do to tell someone!

Terri Daxon is a freelance writer and the owner of Daxon Marketing Communications. She gives her perspective on Brea issues twice a month.

​ Orange County Register 

Hunter Biden is prepared to plead guilty, attorney says, as judge pauses LA tax trial

• September 5, 2024

By FRED SHUSTER

Just as jury selection was set to begin Thursday in Hunter Biden’s tax evasion trial in downtown Los Angeles, an attorney for the president’s son indicated that Biden is prepared to plead guilty in the case.

The announcement by attorney Abbe Lowell prompted U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi to recess proceedings for two hours, with the attorneys expected to discuss the possibility of a plea deal and reconvene in a downtown courtroom late Thursday morning.

Lowell indicated that Biden, 54, of Malibu, was willing to enter a guilty plea, although he would continue to maintain his innocence. It remained unclear exactly which counts, if not all, Biden was willing to enter guilty pleas for.

Biden is facing nine tax-related counts — three felonies and six misdemeanors — of failing to pay more than $1.4 million in taxes. Prosecutors contend in the indictment that Biden “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills,” the indictment alleges.

Defense lawyers say they believe the case was brought “in direct response to political pressure,” according to filings in Los Angeles federal court.

Hunter Biden’s attorneys said the defendant has repaid the government $2 million in back taxes and penalties. He is charged with evading a tax assessment, failing to file and pay taxes, and filing a false or fraudulent tax return.

His trial was expected to last two weeks, with opening statements anticipated Monday in the courtroom of Scarsi, an appointee of former President Donald Trump.

Evidence of the younger Biden’s partying during a period when he was admittedly using crack cocaine and allegedly willfully failing to pay more than $1.4 million in taxes may become part of the trial, federal prosecutors indicated.

Scarsi previously rejected Hunter Biden’s bid to toss the case after the defendant sought to argue that David Weiss, the special counsel overseeing the prosecution, was improperly appointed.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Biden’s request to revive a bid to have the charges against him dismissed.

Regarding the tax charges, the 56-page indictment alleges that between 2016 and Oct. 15, 2020, “the defendant spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes.”

Hunter Biden’s defense attorney, veteran Los Angeles criminal lawyer Mark Geragos, unsuccessfully petitioned the court to allow testimony that the death of the defendant’s mother and sister in a 1972 car crash and the death of his brother from cancer in 2015 caused him to ignore his tax obligations.

This is Hunter Biden’s second federal criminal case of 2024. In June, the president’s son was convicted of three felony charges in a separate case brought in Delaware stemming from his 2018 purchase of a gun. Hunter Biden was found guilty of having lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs — when, in fact, he later admitted to having been addicted to illegal narcotics at the time.

Court papers show Hunter Biden is scheduled to be sentenced in the Delaware gun case on Nov. 13, in the week after the presidential election.

Described in the indictment as a Georgetown- and Yale-educated lawyer, lobbyist, consultant and businessperson, Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian industrial conglomerate and a Chinese private equity fund during the time of the tax allegations.

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“He negotiated and executed contracts and agreements for business and legal services that paid millions of dollars of compensation to him and/or his domestic corporations, Owasco PC and Owasco LLC,” according to the indictment for tax evasion.

In addition to his business interests, the defendant was an employee of a multinational law firm, the document states.

Hunter Biden has said he had forgotten to pay his taxes during a period when he was in the grip of drug addiction.

​ Orange County Register 

Angel City FC’s Christen Press continues joyful comeback

• September 5, 2024

For the first time since tearing her ACL on June 11, 2022, Angel City Football Club’s Christen Press made her return to competition Aug. 1 during the NWSL Summer Cup.

On Aug. 24, she played in her first NWSL regular-season game. And on Sunday, her comeback reached another milestone, playing in a regular-season game at BMO Stadium for the first time in 819 days.

“It’s so special being back here,” Press, 35, said Sunday. “It’s been quite the journey, from the last time I remember suiting up and playing in a game here.

“There’s no place like this. The most amazing fans and community, so to be back and playing in front of everybody, it’s been a joy. You can probably see on my face when I’m playing, I’m ear-to-ear smiling because I’m just able to slow a bit and feel it and smell it.”

After enduring four knee surgeries due to complications, Press has now played four consecutive games, including the last two in the Summer Cup. Sunday, she entered in the 70th minute and tallied her longest stint, playing the final 20 minutes plus eight minutes of stoppage time.

“No matter where you are in your journey, you have this perspective of the gap between where you are and where you think you can be, that’s how I felt at the very top of my game,” Press said .”Through the course of my recovery, it was, ‘Getting stronger. OK, now you have to get fit. OK, great, now you have to get some technique back.’ And so there’s always a yearning for improvement.”

“I definitely feel like I have young legs, like a young Bambi, where I’m out there and I’m playing these games in my mind of what it feels like to be at this level and to play at this speed. I think often just with my personality and how I am, I feel I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be and exactly who I am. I know what kind of player I am.

“I never missed a beat in terms of how I like to receive the ball, how I know I can score goals. It didn’t take long for me to feel strong and confident in that. So I think, the big things for me now are getting fitness so I can get clear for more minutes and game experience, so that I can feel more confident and stronger on the field.”

Press and Angel City (6-9-3) continue their two-game homestand Friday as the Seattle Reign (4-9-5) visits BMO Stadium. Angel City is 5-1-1 in their last seven games across all competitions.

“We talked about it before the game that we’re excited to play proper minutes together,” ACFC forward Sydney Leroux said. “It’s was really nice to be on the field back with (Christen) Press. I’m so proud of her and her recovery. I’ve seen the last two years when it’s been tough.”

Angel City sits in ninth place, but tied at 21 points with Bay FC, which holds the eighth and final playoff spot with eight games remaining.

BAY, IGER OFFICIALLY ON BOARD

Willow Bay and Bob Iger are officially the new controlling owners of Angel City FC, the club announced Thursday. The deal was unanimously approved by the NWSL’s Board of Governors.

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The transaction values Angel City at $250 million, the highest ever for women’s professional sports team. The deal also includes an additional $50 million “capital injection to support the club’s operations and growth goals.”

Iger is the CEO of Disney and Bay is the deal of USC Annenberg.

SEATTLE REIGN at ANGEL CITY FC

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: BMO Stadium

How to watch: Prime Video

​ Orange County Register 

Cubs’ Shota Imanaga, 2 relievers combine to no-hit Pirates

• September 5, 2024

By GAVIN DORSEY The Associated Press

CHICAGO — Shota Imanaga wasn’t disappointed when he was removed after seven hitless innings and 95 pitches.

“He actually didn’t know he had a no-hitter going at all, which is funny,” Chicago Cubs manager Counsell said.

Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge each followed with a perfect inning to finish a 12-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night, the Cubs’ first no-hitter at Wrigley Field since 1972.

“That’s 100% about taking care of Shota and making sure we’re doing the right thing for him,” Counsell said. “It’s not fun to do, but when you’re prioritizing the player’s health and you don’t know what’s going to happen moving forward, we want him to stay healthy.”

Imanaga (12-3) struck out seven and walked two, throwing 66 pitches for strikes.

A 31-year-old left-hander in his first season with the Cubs after pitching in Japan for eight seasons, Imanaga has not gotten an out in the eighth inning this season and has thrown a high of 103 pitches.

He needed 25 pitches to get through the second inning. He complimented catcher Miguel Amaya, who posed for photos with the three pitchers after the final out.

“Miggy studies the hitters, and there were a few occasions today where there was a specific pitch I wanted to throw, Miggy had a different sign, and I just trusted him and it worked out,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. “I can’t thank him enough.”

Imanaga agreed in January to a $53 million, four-year contract. Chicago paid a $9,825,000 posting fee to the Yokohama BayStars of Japan’s Central League.

“The way he works, the presence, the confidence that he shows up there, every pitch is with intention,” Amaya said. “He’s a grinder.”

Chicago’s previous no-hitter was by Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2021. Chicago had not pitched a no-hitter at Wrigley Field since Milt Pappas against San Diego on Sept. 2, 1972 – Pappas was one pitch from a perfect game when Bruce Froemming called ball four on a full-count pitch to Larry Stahl. Garry Jestadt then popped out.

Chicago ended a streak of 4,147 regular and postseason games at Wrigley Field without a no-hitter, the second-longest for a team in a single ballpark behind Pittsburgh, according to Opta. The Pirates never had a no-hitter in 4,773 games at Forbes Field from 1909-70.

Cubs players celebrated when shortstop Dansby Swanson threw to first baseman Michael Busch for the final out on Oneil Cruz’s grounder, but were more muted than during celebrations after individual no-hitters.

Swanson insisted on staying in the game despite the blowout.

“He goes about his work the same every day, whether he’s had a good outing or a bad outing,” Swanson said on Imanaga. “He’s always wanting to get better. He’s always doing the routine that he needs to do to be able to go back out again in five days and be able to pitch well. He’s always prepared. He has his own way of doing things and takes full pride and responsibility to do that.”

This was the fourth no-hitter this season after complete-game efforts by Houston’s Ronel Blanco against Toronto on April 1, San Francisco’s Blake Snell at Cincinnati on April 2 and San Diego’s Dylan Cease at Washington on July 25.

Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Swanson each had three of Chicago’s 17 hits, with Swanson and Crow-Armstrong both finishing a triple shy of the cycle.

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Domingo Germán (0-1), who pitched a perfect game last year for the New York Yankees against Oakland, allowed seven runs – six earned – and nine hits in three innings.

Seiya Suzuki hit an RBI single in the first, and Chicago opened a 4-0 lead in the second when Crow-Armstrong had a run-scoring double and Happ hit a two-run single.

Swanson’s two-run homer and Crow-Armstrong’s solo shot boosted the lead to 7-0 in the third. Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer in the sixth against Kyle Nicolas.

Pittsburgh’s Rowdy Tellez allowed Miles Mastrobuoni’s RBI single in the eighth, the first baseman’s third mound outing this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (tendinitis in pitching elbow) and right-hander Jorge López (strained right groin) were put on the 15-day IL, Steele retroactive to Sunday and López to Tuesday. Cubs reliever Hayden Wesneski, out since July 19 with an injured right forearm, will start a rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa. … Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was a late scratch because of a knee issue.

​ Orange County Register 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto to rejoin Dodgers’ rotation next week

• September 5, 2024

ANAHEIM — Ready or not, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will rejoin the Dodgers’ starting rotation next week.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Yamamoto will come off the injured list and start Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs. It will be Yamamoto’s first major-league start since he left after two innings against the Kansas City Royals on June 15 with a strained rotator cuff.

Yamamoto made his second start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment on Tuesday and only got through two innings. The Dodgers had hoped he would pitch three innings and throw some more in the bullpen after that in order to extend his pitch count before rejoining them. But Yamamoto gave up two runs in the first inning and a 17-pitch at-bat to start the second inning drove his pitch count up and he was done after two innings.

“The pitch count got up to 55 pitches. We didn’t get the ups that we wanted. But with the off day coming on Thursday I think we’ll be fine as far as bullpen coverage,” Roberts said.

“I think a lot of it’s gonna be dependent on efficiency. But it wouldn’t be crazy to think that he could get to the fourth inning if he’s efficient.”

The Dodgers are more interested in getting Yamamoto four starts before the postseason than how deep he might be able to go next week.

“We’re still going to be building up, but I think anyone can argue that that start at Yankee Stadium was the best start by any one of our starters all year. Certainly in that environment,” Roberts said. “So that’s hopefully a sign of things to come.”

Yamamoto, who was signed out of Japan this offseason to a 12-year, $325 million contract – the largest deal ever obtained by a starting pitcher – held the Yankees to two hits over seven scoreless innings in that June start. But it was his next start when his shoulder injury drove him out of the game. The combination of throwing more sliders in that start than he had previously and the intensity of pitching on the big stage at Yankee Stadium are considered factors leading to the shoulder injury.

“He’s going to do whatever he can to get hitters out, whatever the scouting report says,” Roberts said. “I just don’t know what the slider usage is gonna be.”

And the Dodgers will be in a “wait-and-see” mode to find out what Yamamoto has to offer after not facing major-league hitters for almost three months.

“I think the stuff will be there. I’m not sure about how the command is going to be,” Roberts said of Yamamoto, who was 6-2 with a 2.92 ERA in 14 starts before his injury. “So I think the way we’re looking at it is we’re going to get four starts from him and if we can log four starts and build up volume we’ll be ready to go beyond that.”

Yamamoto’s return comes with the Dodgers’ rotation very much in flux, with Jack Flaherty seemingly the only lock to start postseason games at the moment. Rookie right-hander Gavin Stone could earn a spot if others don’t progress.

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Tyler Glasnow hasn’t pitched since Aug. 11 because of elbow tendinitis, though he is expected to start throwing bullpen sessions again this weekend. Clayton Kershaw returned to the IL on Saturday because of a bone spur in his left big toe. Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller have struggled throughout the year, though Buehler has shown progress in his past few starts.

KNACK RETURNS

Roberts said right-hander Landon Knack will be recalled from Triple-A to start Friday against the Cleveland Guardians and will fill Kershaw’s spot in the rotation for the time being.

Knack has gone 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 games (eight starts) for the Dodgers this season.

ALSO

Right-hander Tyler Glasnow continued his throwing program and is scheduled to throw off a mound this weekend for the first time since he went on the IL with elbow tendinitis 2 ½ weeks ago. Glasnow will have to make at least one rehab start before returning, Roberts said.

UP NEXT

The Dodgers are off Thursday.

Guardians (LHP Matthew Boyd, 1-1, 2.38 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Landon Knack, 2-2, 3.00 ERA), Friday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM

​ Orange County Register