Max Muncy’s prolonged absence is Michael Busch’s opportunity

• June 24, 2023

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers were hoping third baseman Max Muncy would only need the minimum 10 days on the injured list before he was healthy enough to return from a strained hamstring on Friday. That dream was dashed.

Muncy, whose 18 home runs rank fifth in the National League, took ground balls at third base prior to Friday’s game against the Houston Astros. He swung a bat and ran, but continued to experience tightness in his left hamstring. He’ll remain on the IL for at least another day, and possibly two, Manager Dave Roberts said.

That means the short runway the Dodgers were giving rookie Michael Busch is looking slightly longer. Roberts confirmed Busch will start at third base for the sixth consecutive game Saturday.

“I applaud Michael, given this is the first year he’s really played a lot of third base,” Roberts said “Other than the little pop-up mishap the other day he’s been great. Taking a new position and playing it like he has, (working) hard, it’s great. It’s a good opportunity for him.”

Some unusual circumstances preceded that “mishap” in Wednesday’s game against the Angels. Catcher Will Smith also appeared to lose a Hunter Renfroe pop-up in the glowing stadium lights as it ascended and descended between third base and home plate. Busch tracked the pop-up down but a runner, Luis Rengifo, was fast on his heels rounding third base in case the ball landed fair. It landed foul as Busch’s glove missed the ball by inches.

It was the third error Busch has committed in 67 major league innings at third base.

Busch had played 1,995 minor league innings at second base and only 196 at third base prior to this week. At the University of North Carolina, Busch was primarily a first baseman. In high school, he was primarily a shortstop.

At least Busch’s bat has never been a question mark. On Tuesday, he drove in the Dodgers’ first run in a 2-0 victory over the Angels. He entered the weekend with a .194 batting average, but he won the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week award for the week ending June 11, validating the idea that there is little left for him to prove offensively in Triple-A.

Now he’ll get at least a few more days to prove he can hit in the majors.

RELIEF EFFORTS

The Dodgers made one transaction prior to Friday’s game, activating right-hander Phil Bickford and optioning left-hander Alex Vesia to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Bickford pitched a scoreless inning for OKC in his only minor league rehab appearance after experiencing back tightness on June 2.

Vesia, who pitched a scoreless inning in Wednesday’s bullpen game in Anaheim, is 0-4 with a 7.58 ERA in 23 games.

Pitching back-to-back minor league games Tuesday and Wednesday was not an issue for rehabbing reliever Daniel Hudson, Roberts said. The right-hander, who has missed the entire season while recovering from surgery on his left knee last year, is scheduled to throw an inning Tuesday in Arizona.

“Then once he does that, if all goes well, an activation next weekend is a possibility,” Roberts said.

Jimmy Nelson (elbow) made a minor league rehabilitation appearance in a Triple-A game for the first time since April 25 with OKC. The right-hander threw 13 pitches in his only inning; his own throwing error led to an unearned run.

ALSO

Left-hander Julio Urías (strained left hamstring) is targeting four innings and 60 pitches for his minor league rehabilitation start with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, Roberts said. … Noah Syndergaard is making progress from a finger blister, but his timeline for throwing off a mound and facing hitters is unknown. Roberts said the right-hander is “a ways away.” … Infielder/outfielder Chris Taylor (knee) practiced tracking fly balls Friday but continues to struggle with lateral running. He’s expected to be limited to pinch-hitting duties this weekend. … Thursday’s annual Blue Diamond Gala raised $3,555,112 for the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, the team announced.

UP NEXT

Houston Astros (RHP Ronel Blanco, 1-0, 4.66 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Bobby Miller, 3-1, 2.83 ERA), Saturday, 4:15 p.m., Fox/Ch. 11, 570 AM

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​ Orange County Register 

Angels acquire Eduardo Escobar from Mets for infield depth

• June 24, 2023

DENVER — Moving to shore up their roster after a wave of injuries, the Angels acquired veteran infielder Eduardo Escobar and cash considerations from the New York Mets on Friday in return for minor league pitchers Landon Marceaux and Coleman Crow.

The Angels made roster room for Escobar by transferring infielder Gio Urshela to the 60-day injured list from the 10-day IL. Urshela is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a left pelvis fracture last week in Texas.

Just a day before Urshela’s injury, rookie shortstop Zach Neto was placed on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain. On Monday, third baseman Anthony Rendon went on the 10-day IL with a left wrist contusion.

Escobar, a 34-year-old switch-hitter, has spent 13 years in the majors, the last two with the Mets. He was a National League All-Star in 2021. In 40 games with the Mets this season, he has appeared defensively 29 times at third base and nine times at second base. He’s batting .236 with four home runs and 16 RBIs.

A .254/.307/.435 hitter for his career, Escobar can play third base, second base and even shortstop, if needed.

The Mets will reportedly pay all but the pro-rated league minimum of Escobar’s salary, which calls for $9.5 million in what will likely be the final year of his deal. Escobar’s contract has a $9 million club option for 2024.

Crow and Marceaux, right-handers who had both matriculated to Double-A Rocket City this season, were ranked 19th and 20th in the Angels’ minor league system, respectively, by MLB.com.

Crow, 22, is 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA in his first four starts but hasn’t pitched in a game since late April. He has 31 strikeouts in 24 innings. In three minor league seasons, he is 15-6 with a 4.33 ERA and 221 strikeouts in 41 games (37 starts, 214⅓ innings).

Marceaux, 23, has played in 12 games (all starts) this season, going 3-6 with a 4.88 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 59 innings. For his career, he is 7-13 with a 3.99 ERA across parts of three minor league seasons.

MOORE OPTIMISM

Left-handed reliever Matt Moore, sidelined since late May with a right oblique strain, is scheduled to throw a simulated game Saturday and if all goes well, he could be reinstated from the 15-day IL as early as next week.

“We’re going to make it quick, just make sure he feels good and re-evaluate it after that step,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said before Friday’s game. “But things are looking really positive.”

Nevin said there is a chance that Moore could be reinstated sometime during next week’s four-game home series against the Chicago White Sox.

“Obviously, he has to come out of this feeling good but his bullpen sessions have been very aggressive,” Nevin said. “We like where his numbers are velocity-wise and feel good about getting through tomorrow comfortably.”

In addition, Nevin said the off-day Thursday had benefited Rendon, who has been dealing with a left wrist contusion.

“I think yesterday staying off it and leaving it alone, he feels a lot better,” Nevin said. “He’s going to try to go through as much as he can. Basically, each day he’s got to feel better and better. … He feels a lot better today, but what that means, I don’t know.”

ROOM TO ROAM

Mike Trout likes batting in hitter-friendly Coors Field but he also embraces the defensive challenges posed by its expansive outfield.

“When you’re out there, you’ve got to run some stuff down,” the Angels center fielder said. “It’s fun to be able to go out there and be free out there.”

Aside from perhaps playing a few steps deeper in the field, Trout said there are really no other differences in his defensive approach to Coors Field.

“We’re not going to change anything,” he said.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 5-2, 4.40 ERA) at Rockies (RHP Chase Anderson, 0-1, 4.12 ERA), Saturday, 6:10 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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​ Orange County Register 

Fugitive warrant issued for man charged with attacking CHP officer

• June 24, 2023

A fugitive warrant was issued Friday, June 23 for a Santa Ana man when he failed to appear in court on charges of attacking a California Highway Patrol officer.

Jaime Balderaspaniagua, 34, was accused of attacking the officer just after 5 p.m. May 19 at the Main Street on-ramp to the northbound Santa Ana (5) Freeway, just a day after he was released from jail, according to jail records and CHP Officer Anselmo Templado.

Balderaspaniagua was accused of yelling at passing drivers and attempting to remove a freeway sign, prompting officers to respond and detain him, Templado said. After the officers warned him to stay away from the freeway and on-ramp and obtained his identification, he was cited and released, Templado said.

As a CHP motorcycle officer was getting ready to ride away, Balderaspaniagua confronted the officer and despite his efforts to de-escalate the conflict, a fight ensued, Templado said.

Three passersby came over to help the officer, Templado said.

Balderaspaniagua had pleaded guilty March 27 to a misdemeanor charge of vandalism and was placed on a year of informal probation, according to court records.

He is charged with battery on a peace officer and resisting arrest, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, assault on a peace officer and possession of a controlled substance.

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​ Orange County Register 

How states are dealing with abortion a year after Roe v. Wade was struck down

• June 24, 2023

A year without Roe v. Wade

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, opening the door for states to ban abortion outright. In the year since the decision, 14 states have made abortion illegal while 11 have expanded access.

Terminology differs greatly depending on where one stands on the issue of abortion.

You can find the National Right to Life Committee’s report on the state of abortion in the U.S. here.

You can find the Center for Reproductive Rights report on abortion laws by state here.

Both use data from the CDC and the Guttmacher Institute (which was originally founded as a special research arm of Planned Parenthood) and considered more complete and reliable. You can find the Guttmacher Institute here.

Change in amount by state

#wecount is a national abortion reporting effort that aims to capture the shifts in abortion access by state following the June 24, 2022, Dobbs v Jackson’s Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision.

Since the Dobbs decision, compared to the average monthly number of abortions observed in the pre-Dobbs period of April and May 2022, there were 25,640 cumulative fewer abortions from July 2022 to March.

The National Right to Life Committee estimates there have been more than 64 million abortions in the U.S. since 1973.

In the two months before Dobbs, the average monthly number of abortions provided by clinicians in the U.S. was 81,730.

Chemical abortion percentage: Both Guttmacher Institute and the CDC stats are about 53%.

The Guttmacher Institute assessed a range of policies related to abortion in every state and selected approximately 20 types of abortion restrictions — including gestational age bans, waiting periods, insurance coverage bans and medication abortion restrictions — and approximately 10 protective policies, including state constitutional protections, abortion funding, insurance coverage for abortion and protections for patients and clinic staff. States were then assigned to one of seven categories based on the policies currently in effect and the cumulative impact of those policies on abortion rights and access.

Even in some states where it’s banned, there are exceptions in order to prevent health risks to the mother. A few examples:Texas, Alabama Mississippi and Louisiana: Abortion is banned except in the case of a life-threatening condition caused by the pregnancy.Oklahoma and Idaho: Abortion banned except when necessary to preserve the life of the woman or if “the pregnancy is the result of rape, sexual assault, or incest that has been reported to law enforcement.”

You can find each state’s rules regarding abortion on the Guttmacher Institute’s site here.

The worst breach of confidentiality in the Supreme Court’s history became public on May 2, 2022, when Politico published a draft opinion reversing the landmark 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. Demonstrations were in U.S. streets the next day. On June 24, the ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision was official.

Anti-abortion supporters applauded the ruling while California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the governors of Oregon and Washington launched a new multistate commitment to defend access to reproductive health care and protect patients and providers.

Gov. Newsom signed a $200 million Reproductive Health Package in September. The legislation allows state funding to create a state website, payment of travel costs, cover uninsured care, support providers, bolster security and more.

The California Legislature introduced a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution. Voters passed the bill 66.8% in favor to 33.1% opposed in November.

California law allows abortions before the fetus is viable, generally about 24 weeks into a pregnancy. Abortions also can be performed after viability, but only if a doctor determines a pregnant person’s life or health is in danger.

Similar to California, Oregon allows state Medicaid funds to cover abortions and others besides physicians can do the procedure. The state of Oregon has no restriction on gestational age.

Sources: The Guttmacher Institute, The National Right to Life Committee,The Centers for Reproductive Rights, Society for Family Planning, The Associated Press, National Library of Medicine

​ Orange County Register 

Giorgio Chiellini, LAFC turning things around amid busy slate

• June 24, 2023

Among his 74 UEFA Champions League appearances, Giorgio Chiellini never once faced a Serie A club.

So in April, when the Los Angeles Football Club reached the quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League, the 38-year-old Italian defender thought it was “weird” to play another MLS team.

To Chiellini, the CONCACAF encounter against the Vancouver Whitecaps and the subsequent semifinal against Philadelphia seemed more like Italian Cup contests than matches for the continental prize.

Competing against familiar league foes in Champions League is among the quirks of playing professional soccer in the U.S., which Chiellini has experienced firsthand with LAFC for the past 12 months.

Other oddities include an “unreal” travel schedule and a two-leg Champions League final jammed in the middle of the league schedule rather than at the end like everywhere else.

“Here is the only league in the world that you play a Champions League final after three days a game, three days a game, and another three days a game,” Chiellini said. “It’s not possible. Mentally, also physically, but mentally if the Champions League game is at the end of the season there is a reason.”

Finishing runner-up to Mexico’s Leon, the tournament marked Chiellini’s third Champions League bridesmaid performance and LAFC’s second.

Three weeks removed from that letdown, the club remains as busy as ever.

Five matches since the second leg of the final on June 4 have yielded forgettable performances and, as of late, determined wins.

Refocused on MLS and the coming Leagues Cup, a needed road victory in Kansas City and a strong defensive effort at home to beat Seattle, 1-0, on Wednesday lifted LAFC (9-3-5, 32 points) atop of the Western Conference standings midway through the season.

“I’m very happy for this group and about this group because everyone is involved, everyone has taken part and helped a lot,” Chiellini said days after playing a full 90 minutes against the Sounders. “It was a huge win, what we did in Kansas City, because of our effort. We worked all together.

“Probably we deserved to win other games before that one, but at the end, if you’re working this way the results arrive. And with the same confidence and effort we did against Seattle, we were able to win.”

The reigning MLS Cup champions nailed down back-to-back victories for the first time since four straight in the spring – including dominating the Whitecaps 6-0 on aggregate after 180 minutes.

As Vancouver returns on Saturday for a run-of-the-mill regular-season match, the Whitecaps (5-5-7, 22 points) are in search of their first road win in 15 MLS games dating to last July.

“We have a lot of respect for Vancouver and their play and that type of play and we know that with an average game we will not win,” Chiellini said. “We have to do something better, technically, physically, mentally, all these things.”

Unbeaten in seven home meetings against Vancouver in all competitions, LAFC has repeatedly met that mark, averaging more than three goals a game against the Canadians at BMO Stadium.

“They say, ‘No, Vancouver never wins away,’” Chiellini noted. “Hopefully not Wednesday.”

The necessity of winning at home is a reality MLS shares with every pro league, Chiellini acknowledged. Unlike everywhere else, he went on to say, there are few guarantees in the MLS parity party.

VANCOUVER AT LAFC

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: BMO Stadium

TV/Radio: Apple TV+ – MLS Season Pass/710 AM, 980 AM

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​ Orange County Register 

37-acre Calabasas estate listed at $8.5M has a wildfire suppression system

• June 24, 2023

A contemporary Calabasas mansion on over 37 acres is on the market for $8.5 million.

Surrounded by 360-degree views of the Santa Monica and Santa Susana mountains, the gated hilltop property holds a four-bedroom, 4,400-square-foot home with a rooftop deck and offers defense against wildfires.

Records show the house sold at $1.709 million in April 2017 to Doriana and Roger Richman, co-owners of L.A. Motorsports which provides stunt coordinators and drivers for film and TV productions.

The house sits at the end of a long driveway with parking for more than 30 cars, a private helicopter landing pad and a pool and spa.

A wildfire suppression system uses a high-pressure pump to draw water directly from the pool. With the push of a button, the pump can deliver 37,000 gallons of water onto the house and surrounding landscape at full capacity for over 90 minutes, lowering the ambient temperature to stop the fire from advancing.

And if that doesn’t offer enough peace of mind, a firefighting strike team is on constant standby. In the event of a fire, professional firefighters will converge on the property in a state-of-the-art firefighting truck and stay until the danger passes.

A koi pond lit from above by a circular atrium greets guests as they step inside the house. Finished in hardwood and tiled flooring with ample glass, the common areas can easily accommodate large gatherings.

The eat-in gourmet kitchen holds two prep stations, a center island and high-end stainless steel appliances.

According to the listing, each of the four bathrooms boasts “an art deco flair.” The primary suite opens to a terrace.

The grounds include an outdoor kitchen, patios and walkways through the property’s manicured, terraced grounds.

Wailani O’Herlihy and Cormac O’Herlihy of the O’Herlihy Group at Sotheby’s International Realty share the listing with Ani Dermenjian of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

​ Orange County Register 

Education report card: The nation and California’s latest scores continue to fall

• June 24, 2023

Education report card

Nationally, student scores plunged nine points in math and four points in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, dubbed the nation’s report card. California’s scores were lower, too.

The scores reflect testing in fall 2022, comparing it to the same period in 2019, before the pandemic. The average math score is now the same as it was in 1990, while the average reading score is the same as it was in 2004. The lowest-performing students declined the most. In math, their scores fell by 12 to 14 points, while their highest-performing peers declined six points. Reading results were similar, with low performers seeing twice the decline.

You can see how California compares to every state here.

Newest national study

The National Center for Education Statistics administered the NAEP long-term trend reading and mathematics assessments to 13-year-old students from October to December of the 2022–23 school year. The average scores for 13-year-olds declined four points in reading and nine points in mathematics compared to the previous assessment administered during the 2019–20 school year. Compared to a decade ago, the average scores declined seven points in reading and 14 points in mathematics.

Missing more school

Students who took the 2023 long-term trend reading and mathematics assessments were asked how many days of school they had missed in the last month. Responses to the survey question for both subjects indicate a decrease in the percentages of 13-year-old students reporting having missed none to two days in the past month compared to 2020. Conversely, there were increases in the percentages of 13-year-old students who reported missing three or four days and students who reported missing five or more days in the last month. The percentage of students who reported missing five or more days doubled from 5% in 2020 to 10% in 2023.

Sources: Department of Education, National Assessment of Educational Progress, The Associated Press, Edsource.org

​ Orange County Register 

USMNT’s Weston McKennie, Sergiño Dest suspended for Mexico melee

• June 24, 2023

MIAMI — American midfielder Weston McKennie and defender Sergiño Dest were suspended by CONCACAF from matches they weren’t scheduled to play in, a result of their ejections from the Nations League semifinal against Mexico.

CONCACAF on Friday said that McKennie must serve a four-game suspension and Dest a three-game ban as a result of on-field conduct during the June 15 game. Mexican defender César Montes also was given a four-match suspension and defender Gerardo Arteaga was given a three-match ban.

Dest and McKennie are not on the roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which starts Saturday. The U.S. Soccer Federation on June 12 announced a mostly junior varsity roster for the tournament, and the USSF said those games will count toward the suspension.

Montes and Arteaga are on Mexico’s Gold Cup roster.

CONCACAF’s discipline statement did not mention the homophobic chants by Mexican supporters that caused Salvadoran referee Iván Barton to end the June 15 match early. CONCACAF said after the game that it “strongly condemns the discriminatory chanting” and “will make a further statement in short order.”

CONCACAF general secretary Philippe Moggio did not respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Montes was issued a straight red in the 69th minute after a harsh foul on U.S. striker Folarin Balogun in the June 15 match in Las Vegas, which sparked a melee that resulted in McKennie getting sent off with a ripped jersey. Dest and Arteaga picked up red cards in the 85th minute. The Americans beat Mexico, 3-0, to advance to the Nations League final, where they defeated Canada, 2-0, last Sunday to win a second title.

CONCACAF said the penalties were based on Nations League regulations and FIFA’s disciplinary code but did not cite specific provisions.

CONCACAF also fined the USSF and the Mexican Football Federation but did not announce the amount. It threatened “more severe sanctions could be taken should incidents occur during their upcoming matches.”

The U.S. opens its Gold Cup campaign Saturday against Jamaica (6:30 p.m. PT, FS1, TUDN) at Chicago’s Soldier Field while El Tri kicks off on Sunday against Honduras (5 p.m. PT) in Houston.

​ Orange County Register