NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani won't make his next scheduled start on the mound because of left knee irritation and isn't expected back in the Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation for a while.
The two-way superstar received a lubricant injection just before the All-Star break last week and had been expected to pitch Wednesday in Philadelphia against the Phillies.
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Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, stands in the outfield with trainer Albert Thomas, left, before the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, tosses his bat after hitting an RBI single against the New York Yankees during the eighth inning of the first game of a baseball doubleheader, Sunday, July 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani throws in the outfield before the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, throws in the outfield before the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani prepares to bat during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Los Angeles, Sunday, July 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts while watching his flyout during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, July 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Ohtani, however, still didn’t feel 100% while playing catch this weekend, so he and the Dodgers decided not to even test the knee with a bullpen session.
The four-time MVP hasn't pitched since July 3, when he threw a season-high 110 pitches over six innings in a no-decision against San Diego. Now, it's unclear when he'll return to the mound.
“I would say that it’s going to be some time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday before his team split a day-night doubleheader with the New York Yankees. “It's not going to be a day-to-day thing.”
Roberts reiterated that Ohtani feels no knee pain when hitting. The slugger went 2 for 5 with two RBIs and a run during an 8-2 victory in the opener Sunday, and was back in the leadoff spot as the designated hitter for the nightcap.
“We just want to continue to give it the best chance to kind of get in a good spot,” Roberts said. “As he said, as we feel, it’s the pitching and the torque on landing on that leg. That kind of gets it upset. So I think that hitting doesn’t do that. So I think that for us, we’re trying to give it as much time as possible.”
Ohtani went 1 for 4 with an infield single in the nightcap and struck out with two runners aboard in the eighth inning of a 2-1 loss. He also threw in the outfield between games and ended a long day at Yankee Stadium feeling fine.
“Overall, I think a good day for Shohei,” Roberts said.
The two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers have the best record in the majors at 63-37 and an 11 1/2-game lead in the NL West. Roberts indicated that's playing into the team's approach with Ohtani, who skipped the All-Star Game last Tuesday in Philadelphia to treat and rest his balky knee.
The right-hander has been dealing with the ailment for more than a month. He had an outing cut short against Pittsburgh on June 11 because of inflammation in the knee.
“I think for us, it’s more like we’ve done many times over, erring on the side of caution,” Roberts explained. ”A lot of it is where we’re at and how we put ourselves in a good spot in the sense of, could he probably do it? Sure. But right now the benefits don’t seem to outweigh the cost of this time in the season. So I think that we still have plenty of time to kind of get him in a good spot.”
Roberts said he's sure Ohtani will return to the mound this year.
"If it’s two weeks or three weeks then that’s kind of why we’re trying to do this, so we don’t have to worry about it throughout the end of the season,” Roberts said.
Emmet Sheehan had been expected to start during the Yankees series, but his next outing was pushed back to Monday night in Philadelphia.
Los Angeles is off Thursday this week and Monday next week, providing some short-term flexibility in the rotation while left-hander Blake Snell works his way back from an injury.
Snell, sidelined since his season debut on May 9 because of loose bodies in his left elbow, made a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Oklahoma City and threw 32 pitches in 1 1/3 innings. He’s expected to pitch again Friday and will need to get up to about five innings and 75 pitches in the minors before returning to the big league rotation, Roberts said.
“I think that once we moved Emmet, the rotation can keep going forward without Shohei for the time being. I can’t speak for how long that’s going to be,” Roberts said.
“He was on the schedule when we broke for the All-Star break and then it was more of the training staff talking to him about, `Hey, coming out of the break, how does Wednesday look? How do you feel? If you don’t feel 100%, we have the opportunity to kick the can,'" Roberts added. "I think it’s more driven by the organization saying, hey, if you’re not 100% right, we don’t have to do this.”
Ohtani is batting .290 with 22 homers, 60 RBIs and a .938 OPS. He is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings over 14 starts on the mound and has won his past six decisions.
“When he does swing the bat, it’s the back knee versus the land knee where you’re kind of driving off of it to create torque when you pitch,” Roberts said. "And so there’s no feeling of any sensation or any reason why we feel he's got to stop hitting.”
AP freelance writer Larry Fleisher contributed to this report.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, stands in the outfield with trainer Albert Thomas, left, before the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, tosses his bat after hitting an RBI single against the New York Yankees during the eighth inning of the first game of a baseball doubleheader, Sunday, July 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani throws in the outfield before the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, throws in the outfield before the second game of a baseball doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani prepares to bat during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Los Angeles, Sunday, July 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts while watching his flyout during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, July 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday to warn that “every time Iran kills an American Soldier” going forward “they will pay for that killing many times over.” Trump offered no further details but said his directive has been relayed to U.S. military leaders.
The warning comes after the U.S., early Monday, launched its ninth night of airstrikes on Iran after announcing the death of another American service member killed in Iraq during the “controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian drone. The U.S. military also identified two soldiers who were killed in Jordan on Friday while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Seventeen U.S. troops have been killed since the start of the war.
The renewed exchanges of fire, now in their second week, have seen the U.S. target Iranian bridges, electrical facilities and, as of Monday, the city believed to host its underground missile bases, as the countries inch closer to a return to full-scale war. Iran on Monday retaliated with attacks on American allies Kuwait and Bahrain, home of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.
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Jordan’s armed forces said Monday evening they had shot down three Iranian missiles, adding that there had been no material damage or casualties.
There was no immediate word from Iran.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will be at Dover Air Force Base on Tuesday evening for the dignified transfer of U.S. service members.
“The President and the entire White House are praying for their families,” Leavitt said on social media Monday.
Two service members were killed Friday in Jordan while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks, the U.S. military said. A third service member was missing after the attack.
Another American service member was killed Saturday in northern Iraq in what was described as a controlled detonation of an Iranian ordnance.
The president offered the assurance to Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told the New York Times that the Israeli prime minister “belongs in The Hague” and that he was in “active conversation” with the city’s legal department about potentially arresting him if he comes to New York City for the U.N. General Assembly in September.
“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,” Trump said in a social media post in which he made no direct mention of Mamdani.
During his mayoral campaign last year, Mamdani said he would order the city’s police to arrest Netanyahu under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over Netanyahu’s role in the war in Gaza.
The president took to social media on Monday to warn that “every time Iran kills an American Soldier” going forward “they will pay for that killing many times over.”
Trump offered no further details but said his directive has been relayed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other U.S. military leaders.
Trump’s warning came after the U.S. earlier Monday launched its ninth night of airstrikes on Iran after announcing the death of a U.S. service member, killed in Iraq during the “controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian drone. Seventeen American troops have been killed since the start of the war.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said Monday evening that a second ship had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, this one off the coast of the United Arab Emirates
Earlier, a vessel caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile near the coastline of Oman. The crew abandoned the vessel, which was adrift and still ablaze hours later, the UKMTO said.
The route around Oman has been the one the U.S. military has encouraged ships to travel to avoid Iran’s control. The Guard later claimed it was targeting tankers in the strait.
Tehran also hit U.S.-allied countries throughout the Middle East. Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens Monday morning, while Kuwait said its air defenses were firing at an incoming Iranian barrage.
Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry condemned Iranian drone strikes targeting the country’s air traffic systems, saying they endanger travel for civilians.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford told a news conference Monday he is frustrated with Trump’s threats to place tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke.
Ford said Ontario has contributed to fighting fires in the U.S. and offered assistance when Georgia was struck with a hurricane in 2024.
“Rather than criticize and threaten Canada, your closest friend, maybe one day you’re going to need our help,” Ford said. “I get frustrated just listening (to) that bunch of rubbish.”
Ford noted one of the largest fires started in Minnesota.
“Maybe President Trump would offer his closest allies and friends some support rather than sit there and threaten tariffs.”
Nearly 200 wildfires are currently burning across Northern Ontario, with 57 out of control.
Trump said he told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney he needs to do more to stop wildfires when they talked during Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey.
“I told them you got to stop these fires from coming in and poisoning our air. Our air has been poisoned,” Trump told reporters on Sunday when he returned from the game.
“If we can help them, we’ll help them. But maybe they should pay us some damages or something, or we should do some tariffs.”
Trump last week accused Canada of neglecting forest management. It is unclear under what authority Trump would rely on to impose new tariffs on Canada.
The Democrat from Georgia is making full-throated broadsides against Trump as he runs for reelection, calling the president a “national disgrace” leading a “Mar-a-Lago mafia” and “the most corrupt administration of all time.”
The 39-year-old senator’s approach is being noticed across the Democratic spectrum, from activists hungry for the right message in the 2026 midterms to those pining for viable presidential candidates.
And now he has a 20-1 fundraising advantage against Rep. Mike Collins, who won a Republican primary runoff after Trump’s last-minute endorsement. Collins argues that Ossoff is “weak” and “woke,” just another “out-of-touch, far-left liberal.”
“The senator is definitely having a moment,” Democratic strategist Lis Smith said, adding that tying Trump’s personal financial gain to his performance on the economy is a strategy “more Democrats should adopt.”
The Justice Department has filed a first-ever petition to a secretive and dormant court created 30 years ago to weigh government requests to deport so-called “alien terrorists” from the United States.
The Alien Terrorist Removal Court was established in 1996 but had never received a petition until the Justice Department filed an application last week seeking the removal of an individual whose name is withheld from the single-page document posted on the court’s website.
A written response from the chief judge of the five-member court — all appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts — indicates that a hearing was held and that the Justice Department was directed to provide more information on Wednesday.
The chief judge of wrote that “the Government could benefit from the opportunity for more thoughtful consideration.”
Trump complained that a report on climate change National Academy of Sciences included “discredited” information that created “huge losses” across the country. The report is used by the Federal Judicial Center as a resource to assist judges in considering scientific evidence.
Trump ordered “federal suspension and debarment officials” to review the research organization’s conduct, adding that taxpayers should not be funding ″climate fraud” and judges should not rely on the report.
It was not clear what officials Trump was referring to and what, exactly, he wants them to investigate.
Earlier this year, the judicial center withdrew a chapter on climate change from the newest reference manual on scientific evidence after Republican state attorneys general complained it was biased against fossil fuel companies.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, are celebrating the birth of their fourth child.
Born Sunday, Alec Neel Vance joins older siblings Ewan, 9; Vivek, 6; and Mirabel, 4. The Vances said Usha and the baby are happy and healthy. They also thanked the doctors and staff at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the White House medical team.
The Republican vice president has passionately advocated for Americans to have more children. He repeatedly expressed alarm about declining birth rates as he launched his political career in 2021, and told the 2025 March for Life anti-abortion rally, “I want more babies in the United States of America.”
Trump and his White House have enthusiastically promoted the Freedom Fuel Network, a chain of star-spangled convenience stores selling gas at $3.47 per gallon to honor the 47th president.
Untangling exactly who is behind the Philadelphia-area venture has proven difficult. Records indicate the chain was launched last month by a collection of businessmen including an NFL kicking coach, a GOP fundraiser and a New Jersey entrepreneur who was ordered along with his brother to pay civil damages for unlawfully taking more than 200,000 gallons of fuel.
None of them want to talk about it. How the stations got Trump’s attention remains a mystery. Experts say they’re likely selling the gas for a loss.
What is clear: Trump has loved the idea of cheaper gas with average costs per gallon rising above $4 again as the war with Iran continues.
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David Hearn, 67, has pleaded not guilty to deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool amid a troubled multimillion-dollar renovation project championed by Trump.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman set the date for Sept. 28 during a Monday hearing, Hearn’s second since a grand jury indicted him on a single felony count of property destruction.
Trump has claimed without providing evidence that damage to the pool’s lining was caused by vandals.
David Hearn, 67, a canoeist who competed in three Summer Olympics, told The Associated Press that he reached into the water to see what the peeling new coating felt like — “very rubbery” — and let go of it when a park worker told him to. At least three others have been charged in the same court with misdemeanors for allegedly removing pieces of the paint.
The avid Trump supporters are currently being held in federal detention, where bail is rarely granted in international extradition cases. Their lawyer said he expects they’ll remain jailed for now.
A U.S. district judge will consider whether they meet conditions for extradition, but the ultimate decision falls to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The State Department has some discretion to deny, but it has granted nearly every British request since ratifying a strengthened extradition treaty in 2007.
The Tates flew to Florida on a private jet last year despite a U.K. extradition request from Romania, where they also face charges. Romania’s foreign minister said at the time that a Trump administration official had expressed interest in the brothers’ legal case.
Trump said he knew “nothing about” the case when asked if his administration had pressured Romania to release the Tates.
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Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate are scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate in Miami on Monday after they were arrested to face rape and sex trafficking charges in the United Kingdom.
Their attorney Joseph McBride said the charges are “filth and slander” and that he’s confident the extradition request would be denied.
He also said he believed the arrests were “greenlighted by a low-level functionary” at the Justice Department, without input from leadership. But the Justice Department told The Associated Press that the arrests were approved by leadership of its Criminal Division.
The Tates’ social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities.
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There were few details, but the deputy head of the Houthi media office, Nasruddin Amer, said on X that the Bab al-Mandeb strait will be closed to Saudi vessels in response to what he called Saudi Arabia’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years.”
The Houthis are key to Iran’s regional influence and they have a large stockpile of drones, but several Houthi members previously told the AP that the group’s weapons stockpile is running low after its attacks during the Israel-Hamas war. The Iran war has further impeded the flow of weapons, said the officials, who at the time spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk to the media.
Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens Monday afternoon to warn of a possible Iranian fire, while Kuwait said its air defenses were responding to incoming Iranian missiles and drones. No damage was immediately reported in either country.
Dozens of Democratic senators and Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King want more details on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s vetting practices and vehicle pursuit policies following more deaths in ICE shootings.
In a letter spearheaded by King and sent to the Department of Homeland Security, the senators listed new measures to increase accountability at the agency tasked with carrying out immigration enforcement.
They said ICE should immediately start wearing uniforms or vests that clearly identify them as “ICE” instead of the more generic “POLICE” or “POLICE ICE.”
The senators also want to know whether ICE considers records of domestic violence or abuse when vetting new recruits. In Maine, the AP reported that the ICE officer who opened fire and killed a man from Colombia had a history of violent behavior detailed in family court records.
Defaults are reaching record levels as borrowers struggle to pay.
The numbers have spiked since payments came due again following a lengthy pause intended to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, around 9.5 million people — 1 in 5 federal student loan borrowers — are in default, meaning their wages or Social Security payments could be garnished. The Trump administration has held off on such involuntary collections for now.
And still another wave of defaults could be coming. The Trump administration eliminated the most generous income-driven repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, as part of its overhaul of the federal student loan system. Millions who had been enrolled in SAVE now must pay more each month.
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A Houthi military spokesperson described the embargo on Monday, effective immediately, as an “eye for an eye” response.
Attacks by the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen last week damaged Sanaa International Airport and Abha airport in Saudi Arabia, threatening a truce that began in 2022.
Imposing an embargo could put new pressure on Saudi Arabia, which is sending oil through pipes to the Red Sea as a way of avoiding the chokehold in the Strait of Hormuz.
Houthis attacked more than 100 ships over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. It’s unclear whether the Houthis will keep up that level of attack now against Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. military’s Central Command said Monday’s strikes targeted “Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and communications networks.”
Iranian authorities on Sunday said at least 50 people have been killed and 517 wounded in the latest rounds of U.S. strikes. Since the war began on Feb. 28, 17 U.S. service members have been killed.
The U.S. military said the latest service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday during the “controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian drone.
“We hit them very hard again tonight,” Trump said. “And we did that in honor” of the soldiers killed.
As the strikes began, a vessel caught fire early Monday in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile near the coastline of Oman, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The crew abandoned the vessel, which was adrift and still ablaze hours later, the UKMTO said.
The route around Oman has been the one the U.S. military has encouraged ships to travel to avoid Iran’s control. The Guard later claimed it was targeting tankers in the strait.
The United States targeted Iran with a new round of airstrikes early Monday after announcing the death of another American service member, hitting areas around a city believed to house underground missile bases. Iran responded by attacking Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, and Kuwait.
Step by step, the U.S. and Iran have inched closer to all-out war. Last month’s interim deal meant to permanently end the fighting has crumbled. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled. Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people.
Meanwhile, benchmark Brent crude rose Monday above $90 a barrel, further fueling a global energy crisis sparked by the conflict. An average gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. rose to $4, putting more pressure on American wallets ahead of midterm elections this fall.
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Spain players, from left, cheer alongside President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the conclusion of the World Cup championship final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Vehicles drive past a monument depicting the clenched fist of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the U.S. and Israel strike on Feb. 28, in Islamic Revolution Square in Tehran, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
An overturned car sits on a section of a destroyed bridge after a strike in Hormozgan province, southern Iran, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (Mahdi Negahban/Mehr News Agency via AP)
Spain players, from left, cheer alongside President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the conclusion of the World Cup championship final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
