SPORTS
April 5, 2014 | By Mike DiGiovanna
HOUSTON - The news on Angels reliever Sean Burnett was not bad, but it didn't sound real encouraging, either. The left-hander threw another simulated inning in Arizona on Saturday but seems to have hit a bit of a plateau in his return from elbow surgery. “He got through it and he felt OK afterward, but he needs a little bit of work,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “And he needs to do it in a controlled environment.” Translation: Burnett, who would be an integral part of the bullpen if he was healthy, will not be starting a minor league rehabilitation assignment any time soon.
SPORTS
April 4, 2014 | By Dylan Hernandez
Chad Billingsley will pitch Sunday for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, the first of his five scheduled starts on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment. Billingsley, who is recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery, last pitched in the major leagues on April 15 of last year. Standing in the Dodgers clubhouse Friday before the team's home opener, Billingsley said, “It felt like a year since I'd last been at the stadium. You almost forget how beautiful the stadium is.” When the Dodgers departed spring training for their season-opening series in Australia, Billingsley remained in Arizona.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
March 23, 2014 | By Samantha Schaefer
Some girls choose soccer or cheerleading. Ivy Wolk chose roller derby. "This is it, this is for me," the petite, wide-eyed 9-year-old said to her mom the first time she saw the Los Angeles Derby Dolls hit the track, and one another, two years ago. Split lips, black eyes, rink rash and bruises are trophies here. "It's not child abuse, it's derby," she once told her mother, who made sure she alerted her daughter's pediatrician about the girl's newfound love for the sport. "There have literally been days where I have been like, 'I must be crazy.' But she just picks herself up and gets back out there," said her mother, Tracy Wolk.
SPORTS
March 22, 2014 | By Mike DiGiovanna
TEMPE, Ariz. - There was some encouraging news regarding two key Angels relievers on Saturday. Right-hander Dane De La Rosa threw his first bullpen session since suffering a forearm strain on March 6, and left-hander Sean Burnett said the discomfort that forced him to be shut down during Friday's bullpen session was minor and unrelated to the elbow surgery that ended his season last August. “I had a little reaction from an injection I had a week ago,” said Burnett, who was limited by elbow problems to 13 appearances last season.
SPORTS
March 16, 2014 | By Steve Dilbeck
As if it wasn't bad enough that Zach Greinke's comments about only a few Dodgers being giddy over opening the season in Sydney had turned most of Australia into Diamondbacks fans, now the rest of the world might be pulling for them in the two-game series. It's hard not to feel sorry for the Diamondbacks after it was learned Sunday their No. 1 starting pitcher, Patrick Corbin, was scratched from the trip with a sore elbow and could be headed for Tommy John surgery. Corbin was scheduled to start the opener against the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw on Saturday, but now Arizona will go with Wade Miley.
SPORTS
March 11, 2014 | By Broderick Turner
Blake Griffin sat in his chair in the Clippers interview room after their victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night with his lips pursed and jaw tight. Griffin was still ticked about the takedown by Suns forward P.J. Tucker in the fourth quarter that left the two of them wrestling to get free of each other while down on the Staples Center court. It was yet another game in which an opponent had taken a shot at Griffin, but he maintained his composure instead of fighting back.