​There is a longstanding tradition in North American professional sports where the reigning champions visit the White House. It is widely regarded as having begun with the Washington Senators’ 1925 visit to President Calvin Coolidge, and the practice has since become a familiar ritual across the four major sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers are no strangers to White House visits under the current administration cycle, and they are slated to meet President Donald Trump in the Oval Office for a second time. Edward Lewis of the California Post reported on Thursday that the Dodgers will arrive at the White House on July 23, positioned between stops in Philadelphia and New York.
“President Trump is excited to welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the White House to celebrate their World Series championship,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers stated. The Dodgers echoed the sentiment, noting that, as with the previous year, their White House and Capitol Hill visits follow the established tradition of honoring World Series champions. “We appreciate these tributes in recognition of our back-to-back championships,” the team told The Post.
In other baseball news, Roki Sasaki delivered a respectable finish to his first full half-season in the majors, pitching six innings and allowing three earned runs in a no-decision against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. This outing marked his first quality start since his 10-strikeout performance against the Angels on June 5, a highlight in a half-season highlighted by moments of brilliance tempered by noticeable inconsistency. When asked to assess his campaign to date, Sasaki acknowledged both the challenges and the progress. Through interpreter Kensuke Okubo, he said, “When you look at the numbers, I’m not satisfied with that. But I was able to stay in the rotation and the velo’s kind of gotten a little bit up. So I’m kind of happy with it.”
On the Dodgers’ side, the bullpen remains in a holding pattern as the team awaits Edwin Díaz’s return. After Evan Phillips’s activation, manager Dave Roberts will face another tough personnel decision. One candidate currently in the “trust tree” is right-hander Edgardo Henriquez, a name Roberts touched upon briefly during his postgame press conference on Wednesday. With the team navigating a crowded bullpen and the looming question of how best to deploy its arms, Henriquez stands out as a potential option for critical late-inning roles as the Dodgers push toward their next objectives.