The Sports Report: It was an emotional day for Freddie Freeman

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Mike DiGiovanna: Freddie Freeman was equipped with a towel as he walked into a Dodger Stadium interview room Monday afternoon. An emotional sort in the best of times, the veteran first baseman knew he wouldn’t get a minute into recounting the brutal ordeal his 3-year-old son, Maximus, went through over the last two weeks without crying.

He was right … and he didn’t care. The tears flowed, and so did the gratitude of an eight-time All-Star who returned after an eight-game absence, his son home from the hospital and on a long but hopeful road of recovery from Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.

“Max is doing all right … but he’s got to relearn how to do pretty much everything,” Freeman said, pausing several times to rub his eyes and collect his thoughts. “Terrible syndrome, Guillain-Barré … but it’s a good thing I’m here, because it means things are trending better. No one should have to go through this, especially with a 3-year-old.”

Freeman and his wife, Chelsea, noticed Max walking with a limp on the morning of July 22, a Monday, and by that night, Max couldn’t walk. The symptoms, according to visits with several doctors, were consistent with transient synovitis, which can cause a pain in the hip after a viral infection.

Continue reading here

From Mike DiGiovanna: A crowd of 48,178 in Dodger Stadium rose to its feet as Freddie Freeman came to the plate in the first inning Monday night, the rousing ovation marking the return of the veteran first baseman from an eight-game absence while his 3-year-old son, Maximus, battled a rare neurological disorder that temporarily paralyzed the toddler.

Freeman had already fought back tears during a 30-minute pregame news conference in which he recounted Max’s harrowing ordeal, which included eight straight days in a pediatric intensive care unit, and now he could feel the emotions welling up in his chest again as the crowd showered him with admiration.

Freeman doffed his batting helmet and tapped his heart in appreciation of the 45-second ovation, and he thought he would be able to hold it together … until he saw his father, Fred, and his stepmother, Alma, in the first row behind the backstop.

“My Dad was—I don’t know if I could call it crying, but he was choked up and teary-eyed—and that’s what really got me going,” Freeman said after the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

“It made it really hard to hit in that first at-bat, but that’s a good thing. I was OK with that. It was one of the most pleasant strikeouts I’ve had in my big-league career.”

Freeman, who had one single and two strikeouts in four at-bats, didn’t play a huge role in his team’s 5-3 victory over the National League East-leading Phillies, one that pushed the Dodgers’ NL-West lead over Arizona and San Diego to five games.

Continue reading here

Dodgers face ‘sense of urgency and competition’ with roster for the rest of the season

Dodgers box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

RAMS

From Gary Klein: Rams receiver Puka Nacua, who suffered a knee injury during a joint practice with the Chargers, is week to week, a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly said Monday.

Nacua was injured Sunday at the Chargers’ facility during a practice that featured no tackling but did include instances of hard contact.

Nacua, who set rookie receiving records in 2023, fell hard to the turf attempting to make a contested catch in the end zone. He also absorbed contact while carrying the ball on a jet sweep, and spent the last half of the workout on the sideline with an ice pack on his right knee.

Continue reading here

CHARGERS

From Anthony De Leon: The first few weeks of training camp have been eventful for Jim Harbaugh, juggling quarterback Justin Herbert’s injury, revamping the receiving corps and implementing a new defensive scheme. But Monday the Chargers coach had to steer and address the alleged sign-stealing scandal from his time at the University of Michigan.

Harbaugh’s replacement as the Wolverines’ head coach, Sherrone Moore, is being investigated as part of the scandal. Moore is one of seven 2023 national championship team staffers accused of violating NCAA rules.

In a prepared statement, Harbaugh addressed the situation:

Continue reading here

Chargers great Nick Hardwick emotional about chance to help franchise again

LAKERS

From Steve Henson: At some point, it might be easier to just rename Crypto.com Arena.

Kobe’s Crib, anyone?

Two of three statues saluting the late Lakers great Kobe Bryant have been unveiled outside the arena, the latest Friday a touching tribute to Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. They both died along with seven others in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.

Now anyone headed into the arena after admiring the statues can use the Kobe Bryant Entrance, formerly the 11th Street Entrance.

Continue reading here

OLYMPICS POLL

For those of you not reading our special Sports Report, Olympics Edition newsletter, written by John Cherwa, he had an interesting poll you might like to participate in:

Which sports do you want to get rid of?
We’ve got no power, but we can pretend. So, let’s get rid of a few Olympic sports. Here are the choices. You can vote for two.

3 X 3 basketball: Do you want to expand to 2 X 2 or 4 X 4 or 6 X 6? Where does it end?

Artistic swimming: Used to be synchronized swimming but needed rebranding. Reached peak with Esther Williams.

Basketball: Little competitive balance, especially with the women.

Boxing: Growing more insignificant by the day. Bad scoring system. Gateway sport to UFC.

Golf: Too elite and players are judged on how many majors they win, not Olympic medals.

Modern pentathlon: About as outdated as it comes. What kid doesn’t have a daily routine of fencing, swimming, horseback riding, shooting and running?

Rhythmic gymnastics: Ball, ribbon and hoop. Need we say more?

Tennis: See golf.

Trampoline: Extra deduction if you land in the neighbor’s back yard.

Something else: Self explanatory.

(Note to readers: Comments for entertainment purposes only.)

You can vote here.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1958 — Glen Davis of Columbus, Ohio, sets a world record in the 400 hurdles with a time of 49.2 in Budapest, Hungary.

1966 — Muhammad Ali knocks out Brian London in the third round to retain his world heavyweight title.

1972 — South African Gary Player wins his second PGA golf championship with a two-stroke victory over Jim Jamieson and Tommy Aaron.

1978 — John Mahaffey beats Tom Watson and Jerry Pate on the second playoff hole to win the PGA Championship.

1984 — American athlete Carl Lewis wins long jump (8.54m), his second of 4 gold medals at Los Angeles Olympics.

1991 — Debbie Doom of the U.S. pitches her second consecutive perfect game in women’s softball at the Pan American Games. Doom threw a perfect game at the Netherlands Antilles in the opener and matches that performance against Nicaragua, winning 8-0.

1992 — Carl Lewis leads a U.S. sweep in the long jump in the Olympics with a mark of 28 feet, 5 1-2 inches on his first attempt. Mike Powell takes the silver and Joe Greene the bronze. Kevin Young demolishes one of track’s oldest records with a time of 46.78 seconds in the 400 hurdles. Bruce Baumgartner becomes the first American wrestler to win medals in three straight Olympics, taking the gold in the 286-pound freestyle division.

1994 — Jeff Gordon wins the Brickyard 400, the first stock car race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

1995 — Canada’s Donovan Bailey wins the 100 meters at World Track and Field Championships in Goteborg, Sweden, marking the first time since 1976 an American fails to win a medal in the event at a major meet.

1999 — Tony Gwynn goes 4-for-5, singling in his first at-bat to become the 22nd major leaguer to reach 3,000 hits, as the San Diego Padres beat the Montreal Expos 12-10.

2006 — Tiger Woods (30) becomes the youngest player to compile 50 PGA Tour wins with a 3 stroke victory over Jim Furyk in the Buick Open.

2008 — Kim Terrell-Kearney wins the first professional championship match featuring two black bowlers, beating Trisha Reid 216-189 in the U.S. Bowling Congress’ U.S. Women’s Open. Terrell-Kearney collects her second U.S. Women’s Open title and third career major title.

2010 — Tyson Gay upsets the defending world and Olympic champion Usain Bolt in a race between the two fastest runners in history. Gay beats the Jamaican at the DN Galan meet in 9.84 seconds at the same stadium where Bolt last lost a race two years ago. Bolt finishes second in 9.97.

Compiled by the Associated Press