July 22, 2020 4:00 am
The Pirates are gearing up for the start of the regular season. They have transferred Gregory Polanco to the 10-day injured list and selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Robbie Erlin. Polanco has been absent from summer camp since July 14, with Derek Shelton confirming that it was because he tested positive for COVID-19. Polanco gave his consent to share his test results. He will need to pass two consecutive tests before he is allowed to rejoin the team. Polanco came into camp saying his surgically repaired left shoulder was feeling its best since before his 2018 injury. The Pirates currently have four outfielders in camp: Bryan Reynolds, Jarrod Dyson, Guillermo Heredia and non-roster invitee Socrates Brito.
July 22, 2020 3:47 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The NFL Players Association has agreed to the league’s plan to drop all preseason games for the 2020 season, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the offer had not been made public. The union also agreed to a 80-player roster limit for training camp, instead of the usual 90. The league had initially proposed two preseason games before deciding to scrap the preseason altogether.
July 22, 2020 3:45 am
UNDATED (AP) – Veteran defensive end and three-time Pro Bowler Michael Bennett is retiring after 11 NFL seasons. The 34-year-old Bennett played for five teams and was an integral part of the Seattle Seahawks’ 2013 NFL championship. He said Tuesday on Instagram that the 2019 season, which he split between New England and Dallas, was his last. He also played for Tampa Bay and Philadelphia. Bennett’s brother Martellus was an NFL tight end.
July 22, 2020 3:48 am
CLEVELAND (AP) – Cleveland’s players met Tuesday with owner Paul Dolan to discuss a potential name change for the team, which has been called the Indians for the past 105 years. Manager Terry Francona said the group had an “honest” conversation and he came away proud of how it was handled by all involved. Francona stressed that nothing has been resolved over the controversial topic. The franchise recently announced it was in the early stages of meeting with the community and appropriate stakeholders “to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name.” The Indians’ move coincided with the recent decision by Washington’s NFL team to drop the name Redskins, which had been decried as being racist for decades.
July 22, 2020 3:49 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Attendance will be limited to 25% capacity for the Indianapolis 500 and spectators will be required to wear face coverings at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Indianapolis Motor Speedway can hold approximately 350,000 fans in the grandstands, suites and infield, but officials said last month only 50% capacity would be admitted for the Aug. 23 race. The number was adjusted Tuesday. Tickets will not be sold after Friday. Among the precautions the speedway will take is reassigning seats for social distancing, distributing hand sanitizer and administering temperature checks at entry. Concession stands will be limited to mostly prepackaged foods.
July 21, 2020 3:42 am
UNDATED (AP) – NFL players will be tested daily for the coronavirus for at least the first two weeks of training camp per the league’s new testing protocols. The new policy was approved by the NFL and the players’ union. Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL chief medical officer, said more than one negative test is required before players initially enter the building to begin physical exams or any form of team activity. After two weeks of daily testing, if the rate of those positive tests falls below 5% among players and Tier I and Tier II individuals, as described in previously NFL protocols, testing would go to every other day. If the rate of positive tests doesn’t fall below that threshold, daily testing would continue until it drops. The new protocols were announced as rookies for Houston and Kansas City were set to report to camp Monday. Rookies for other teams begin arriving Tuesday.
July 21, 2020 3:47 am
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the first game of Major League Baseball’s pandemic-delayed regular season. The Washington Nationals announced Fauci accepted the team’s invitation to have the pregame honor Thursday. He is a self-described fan of the reigning World Series champions. The Nationals host the New York Yankees to open the season nearly four months after it originally was scheduled to begin.
July 20, 2020 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Penguins star Sidney Crosby is dealing with an unspecified health issue. Crosby left an intrasquad scrimmage early on Saturday and then was held out of practice a day later. Neither head coach Mike Sullivan nor assistant coach Mark Recchi offered any detail on what might be ailing Crosby. Crosby did score a goal during the scrimmage before exiting. The Penguins have about two weeks to get ready to face Montreal in the qualifying round of the playoffs.
July 20, 2020 3:51 am
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) – Jon Rahm will move to the top of world golf rankings after a convincing victory at the Memorial. Rahm closed with a 3-over 75 for a 9-under total, three strokes ahead of second-round co-leader Ryan Palmer at Muirfield Village. The 25-year-old Spaniard was leading by seven shots on Sunday before a double-bogey on the par-5 11th cut into his advantage. Rahm later received a two-stroke penalty after being initially credited with a five-stroke win. To become the No. 1 golfer, Rahm had to win the tournament and hope Rory McIlroy finished no better than third. McIlroy tied for 32nd. Rahm joins Seve Ballesteros as the only Spaniards to reach No. 1. Tiger Woods carded a 76 for the second time in three days, leaving him at plus-6.
July 20, 2020 3:52 am
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) – Jack Nicklaus says he’s recovered from a health scare. The golf legend revealed during Sunday’s CBS telecast of the Memorial that he and his wife tested positive for the coronavirus at the onset of the pandemic. He said his wife had no COVID-19 symptoms, while Nicklaus had a sore throat and a cough. Nicklaus said they were home in North Palm Beach, Florida, from March 13 “until we were done with it” on about April 20. Nicklaus and his wife, Barbara, turned 80 a month apart at the start of the year.
