COSTA MESA >> In March, the Chargers signed Russell Okung, making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid left tackles. In April, the Chargers drafted three offensive linemen, including two within the first three rounds. So why — a week into August — are the Chargers starting a former practice-squad

ANAHEIM >> Nick Tropeano is an example of one tangible way in which the Angels have changed the way they rehab their pitchers. Tropeano and Tyler Skaggs both had Tommy John surgery in August, which didn’t leave enough time to pitch in the majors the following season. Tropeano, though, is aimin

IRVINE >> No matter what happens going forward, the Rams paid their highest-possible compliment to receiver Mike Thomas in mid-July, when they didn’t cut him. Thomas, a physically gifted but mistake-prone rookie in 2016, received a four-game suspension for a violation of the NFL’s policy on pe

LOS ANGELES >> Seldom did the UCLA ru ing game pace the Bruins last year. Trudging through one of the worst rushing seasons in school history, it was almost always the ru ing game that held the Bruins back. Not so during Monday’s practice. After a sudden rash of injuries knocked out two-thir

The world’s first responders are in Los Angeles, but not to rescue anyone. They’re here for the 2017 World Police and Fire Games, which were officially ushered in on Monday with opening ceremonies at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The event brings together finely tuned law enforcement officers a

LOS ANGELES >> USC began training camp last year with a quarterback competition. Following two-plus weeks of practices, Max Browne edged Sam Da old and was named the starter entering the season. After a 1-2 start, he was replaced by Da old, who sparked the Trojans’ tu around. There is littl

A brief look at the Trojans’ training-camp practice on Monday at Howard Jones-Brian Ke edy Field: Big moment There were not exactly many during USC’s light 60-minute session, but Cary Angeline hauled in a tough over-the-shoulder catch on a wheel route over a smaller defensive back late during the p

Early exits Wide receiver Jordan Lasley and safety Adarius Pickett were both kicked off the field early. Head coach Jim Mora dismissed Lasley after the receiver was slow to get off the field as the team transitioned between periods and Pickett was kicked out for targeting. “One of the things that ma

ANAHEIM >> After Mike Trout celebrated his 1,000th career hit and yet another birthday homer, Ma y Machado crashed the party. The Baltimore Orioles’ young star hit a seventh-i ing grand slam against JC Ramirez, sending the Angels to a 6-2 loss on Monday night. Machado’s homer, plus the pitch

Pat Gudauskas competes in quarterfinals match against Tomas Hermes during the US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach on Sunday, August 6, 2017.(Photo by Kyusung Gong, Orange County Register/SCNG) Kanoa Igarashi competes in the quarterfinals match against Richardo Chri

Don Baylor, a former Angels slugger and coach and wi er of the franchise’s first MVP award, died Monday after a battle with multiple myeloma, a form of cancer. He was 68. Baylor died while hospitalized in Austin, Texas, according to the Austin American-Statesman. “Don passed from this earth with th

A brief look at the Chargers’ training-camp practice with the Rams on Monday at Jack Hammett Sports Complex: Big moment Safety Jahleel Addae picked off quarterback Kellen Clemens during 11-on-11 drills, taking the ball back for a touchdown. On another play, defensive end Melvin Ingram batted the bal

Every time Chris Hibbs flies into LAX, before landing he’ll peek out his window a minute or two to peruse the 300 acres in Inglewood sitting across the street from the Forum. Invariably, a bit of a jolt will overcome him. It represents the daily progress being made on the $2.6 billion sports and ent

It is well known that Long Beach has placed more players on the U.S. Olympic water polo team than any other city. Few know, however, how far back the city’s contributions go. As the president of the Aquatic Capital of America Foundation, I was researching candidates for induction into the Long Beach

Don Baylor and Bobby Grich grew up as Baltimore Orioles, playing on a legendary Rochester Triple-A team. “We had a mantra throughout that organization that I never heard anywhere else,” Grich said Monday. “We said, ‘If we win, everybody had a good year.’’’ If you played with Don Baylor, you had a go

ANAHEIM >> Matt Shoemaker’s season is over. The Angels’ right-hander on Sunday decided to have season-ending surgery to release the radial nerve in his forearm. He had spent about a month trying to rehab the injury since it was finally diagnosed, and a setback during a bullpen session on Frida

IRVINE >> For most of the offseason, the Rams believed they had discovered the correct mix on their offensive line. Now, with less than five weeks until the regular-season opener, they want to verify. In a brief, breezy practice Sunday afte oon at UC Irvine, the Rams switched up their line an

NEW YORK >> If the Dodgers keep this up, they might give Clayton Kershaw a complex. A year ago, the Dodgers tu ed their season around without their ace, going 38-24 and gaining 13 games in the National League West standings while Kershaw spent 75 days on the DL with a back injury. Kershaw wen

NEW YORK >> For someone who is supposed to be too big for the position he plays, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager is certainly playing it very well. By Fangraphs’ measures, Seager ranks first among National League shortstops (and fourth in the majors) in defensive WAR and second behind Cubs shor

Ranking the top 10 sports events Aug. 7-13 you won’t want to miss: NO. 1: NFL EXHIBITIONS: CHARGERS vs. SEAHAWKS Details/TV: At StubHub Center, Sunday, 5 p.m., Ch. 7 RAMS vs. COWBOYS Details/TV: At the Coliseum, Saturday, 6 p.m., Ch. 2 Well, we got a bit of a look at the two local teams. And the two