April 2, 2022 3:57 am
(AP) – The injuries already are starting for Jacob deGrom and the New York Mets. The Mets ace will miss major time because of inflammation in his shoulder area. DeGrom won’t throw for up to four weeks and there is no timetable for his return. The Mets said an MRI earlier in the day showed a stress reaction on his right scapula that caused inflammation. The two-time Cy Young Award winner had been set to start the season opener Thursday in Washington. That assignment will go to Max Scherzer.
April 2, 2022 3:58 am
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Reigning Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama has withdrawn from the Valero Texas Open after nine holes of the second round, citing discomfort in his neck.
Wearing a strip of medical tape on the side of his neck, Matsuyama teed off Friday and birdied his opening hole at TPC San Antonio. He made bogey two holes later and came back with another birdie on the 16th hole for a 1-under-par on the back nine. With a 1-over tournament total, he was below the cut line.
Matsuyama is scheduled to defend his Masters title starting Thursday.
April 1, 2022 3:46 am
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Evgeni Malkin scored 3:57 into overtime and Rickard Rakell had two goals as the Pittsburgh Penguins halted Minnesota’s seven-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory over the Wild. Jake Guentzel added his 32nd goal of the season for Pittsburgh. Rakell has three goals in six games since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks for three players and a second-round draft choice. Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith made 28 saves. Pittsburgh moved one point behind the New York Rangers for second in the Metropolitan Division. First-place Carolina is six points ahead of the Penguins. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 38th goal for Minnesota to tie the franchise record for points in a season with 83. Matt Dumba and Frederick Gaudreau also scored for the Wild. Cam Talbot stopped 35 shots.
April 1, 2022 3:50 am
A rules change to bring back automatic runners in extra innings is being brought back for a third straight season. MLB and the players’ association agreed to keep the controversial rule that starts each team with a runner on second base during extra innings for the 2022 regular season. The agreement regarding on-field rules modifications also includes expanding active rosters from 26 players to 28 from opening day on April 7 through May 1 this year, due to the delayed start of spring training.
March 31, 2022 3:46 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a new head coach. Bruce Arians has decided to retire and is moving into the Buccaneers’ front office. He’s being replaced by defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, whose previous head coaching job was with the New York Jets. Arians will turn 70 this coming season. He coached the Bucs to the Super Bowl title in the 2020 season and was 31-18 in three seasons with Tampa Bay. He called it the right time for him to make the transition to the front office. There was no public indication at the NFL’s annual meetings in Florida that such a move was coming. Arians is 80-48-1 in eight years as a head coach, including his five years with the Cardinals.
March 31, 2022 3:44 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to take a step forward in 2022 after three straight last-place finishes in the NL Central. The franchise has stockpiled prospects since general manager Ben Cherington took over in 2019 but most of them are not ready for the major leagues. If Pittsburgh is going to compete, it will need the pitching staff to bounce back from a rough 2022 and hope third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes avoids the kind of injuries that derailed his rookie season. The Pirates open the season April 7 at St. Louis.
March 31, 2022 3:48 am
UNDATED (AP) – The New York Rangers are two points closer to the NHL’s Metropolitan Division lead after rallying for a win in Detroit. Andrew Copp scored 1:34 into overtime of the Rangers’ fourth straight win, 5-4 over the Red Wings. Chris Kreider tied it with his 46th goal, beating Alex Nedeljkovic with 3:38 left in regulation. It was his league-leading 20th power-play goal. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, who are within three points of the first-place Hurricanes. Carolina has a game in hand. Ryan Reaves and Filip Chytil also scored for New York.
March 30, 2022 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Frank Vatrano and Braden Schneider scored less than five minutes apart in the second period, and the New York Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Chris Kreider added his 45th goal in the third as the Rangers topped Pittsburgh for the second time in five days. Igor Shesterskin made 22 saves, including a stop on Penguins forward Jake Guentzel in the final seconds. Sidney Crosby scored his 25th goal and Brian Boyle got his ninth for the Penguins. Tristan Jarry made 23 saves but fell to 6-2 in his last eight starts, with both losses coming to New York.
March 30, 2022 2:15 am
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – The NFL is changing its sometimes controversial overtime rules to guarantee each side gets the ball in the playoffs. Concerned that the coin toss to begin the extra period has too much impact on postseason game results, the owners voted Tuesday to approve a proposal presented by the Colts and Eagles. Beginning this season, if the team possessing the ball first in overtime scores a touchdown on that series, the opponent still gets a possession. In recent seasons, that touchdown would have ended the game.
March 30, 2022 3:45 am
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) – The Baltimore Ravens have signed coach John Harbaugh to a three-year contract extension through 2025. Harbaugh is entering his 15th season at the helm. Baltimore went 8-9 in 2021 for only the second losing record of his tenure. Injures derailed what looked like a promising season. The Ravens are 148-96 under Harbaugh, plus a Super Bowl victory at the end of the 2012 season. He also guided Baltimore to the AFC title game in 2008 and 2011. In nine visits to the postseason, Harbaugh is 11-8. He was the AP’s NFL coach of the year in 2019.
