BASEBALL
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have optioned shortstop Addison Russell to Triple-A Iowa about two months after he completed a suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.
Russell was sent down to make room for catcher Willson Contreras, who was activated from the 10-day injured list.
Russell is hitting .247 with six homers and a .733 OPS in 55 games. The 25-year-old was suspended last fall after a series of allegations made by ex-wife Melisa Reidy.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — New York Yankees All-Star catcher Gary Sánchez has gone on the injured list for the second time this season, a day after straining his left groin.
Sánchez was hurt when he stepped on first base while grounding out in the eighth inning of a 14-12, 10-inning win by the Yankees over Minnesota on Tuesday night. He was replaced by Austin Romine.
Sánchez also was sidelined between April 10 and 24 because of a strained left calf.
NFL
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have made Kevin Byard the NFL’s highest-paid safety with a contract extension hours before they report for training camp.
The Titans announced the multi-year deal Wednesday night.
Multiple reports said the five-year deal is worth $70.5 million with $31 million guaranteed. Byard’s agent David Mulugheta also represents Landon Collins, who agreed to a six-year, $84 million deal in March with Washington.
Byard was an All-Pro in 2017 when he had eight interceptions. The third-round pick in 2016 out of Middle Tennessee has not missed a game since becoming a starter and has 12 interceptions over the past two seasons. He has 246 tackles and 10 quarterback pressures through three seasons.
NEW YORK (AP) — Former USC star and New York Jets first-round pick Mark Sanchez is retiring from the NFL and joining ESPN as a college football analyst.
Sanchez played quarterback for Southern California from 2005-08, earning Rose Bowl MVP honors in his final college game. He was selected fifth overall in the 2009 NFL draft by the Jets and led them to the AFC championship game in each of his first two seasons. The 32-year-old also played for the Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins in a 10-year NFL career. He finished with 15,357 yards passing, 86 touchdown passes and 89 interceptions.
This season, Sanchez will join anchor Kevin Negandhi and analyst Jonathan Vilma, another former Jets player, on ABC’s studio show. Sanchez replaces Mack Brown, who returned to coaching at North Carolina.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Taylor Lewan, Tennessee’s three-time Pro Bowl left tackle, says the NFL has suspended him for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancers.
Lewan announced his suspension Wednesday in an emotional video he posted to social media, saying he received the letter from the NFL a few weeks ago that he had tested positive for ostarine. He said he wanted to share the news himself, which comes a day before the Titans report for training camp.
“I’ve never taken anything that would cheat the game. I’m so sorry to the Tennessee Titans,” Lewan said before pausing, taking a deep breath and wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry to the Titans, to the fans, that I won’t be there for four games. I’ve never cheated myself, and I never want you guys to feel cheated. And I’m sorry. But I’m going to be better for this. I’m going to come back.”
The Titans had no immediate comment.
BASKETBALL
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have signed point guard Jamal Murray to the five-year, $170 million extension that the sides agreed to last month. The deal, which runs through the 2024-25 season, was announced Wednesday by President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly.
Murray, a 22-year-old native of Kitchener, Ontario, in Canada is coming off his best season in his three years in the NBA.
The seventh overall selection of the 2016 draft out of Kentucky, Murray set career highs in points (18.2), assists (4.8) and rebounds (4.2) while helping the Nuggets to 54 wins and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Pac-12 will move its football championship game to Las Vegas in 2020 and 2021.
Commissioner Larry Scott announced the decision Wednesday at the start of Pac-12 media day in Hollywood.
The league title game has been played at Levi’s Stadium in suburban Santa Clara, California, since 2014. The event has struggled for solid attendance in the past half-decade, including a noticeably empty stadium for Washington’s win over Utah last year.
After the upcoming season, the game will move to party-friendly Las Vegas and the Raiders’ new stadium, which is still under construction just west of the Strip.
CYCLING
GAP, France (AP) — Two riders, including a teammate of defending Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas, have been kicked out of the race after they got into an altercation that both teams said was minor and unworthy of such a harsh penalty.
Cycling governing body UCI and race organizers said on Wednesday that Thomas’ Ineos teammate Luke Rowe and Tony Martin, who rides in support of Jumbo-Visma leader Steven Kruijswijk, were disqualified.
The decision is a blow for both Thomas and Kruijswijk, who were respectively second and third in the overall standings behind race leader Julian Alaphilippe ahead of three tough Alpine stages where they will need strong support.
Martin and Rowe appeared to shove each other close to the finish of the 200-kilometer Stage 17 to Gap in the Col de la Sentinelle. Martin shoulder-barged Rowe, who then chased him and pushed a hand on Rowe’s neck.
TENNIS
LONDON (AP) — Andy Murray will team up with brother Jamie to play doubles at the Citi Open in Washington as he continues his comeback from hip surgery.
Murray posted a video on Twitter confirming he will partner with Jamie in the tournament, which starts Saturday.
The former No. 1-ranked singles player has been limited to doubles since having a hip operation in January. He teamed up with Pierre-Hugues Herbert in men’s doubles at Wimbledon and also played mixed doubles with Serena Williams.
Murray says he is “obviously very excited to be back on the court with (Jamie),” but didn’t disclose whether he’ll play at the U.S. Open, where he won the first of his three Grand Slam singles titles in 2012.
COURTS
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Jerry Sandusky won’t get a fresh chance to argue in state court he should get a new trial, seven years after the former Penn State assistant football coach was convicted of molesting 10 boys.
Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down Sandusky’s request that it review a Superior Court decision earlier this year rejecting most of his arguments.
His lawyer says he was surprised and disappointed by the justices’ decision.
OBITUARY
Don Mossi, a left-handed pitcher who won 101 games in over a decade as a major leaguer and was an All-Star for the Cleveland Indians in 1957, has died. He was 90.
The Cremation Society of Idaho says Mossi died Friday in Nampa, Idaho.
Mossi made his big league debut in 1954 for the Cleveland team that won the American League pennant with 111 victories. Pitching mostly in relief, he went 6-1 with a 1.94 ERA that year and made three appearances in the World Series against the New York Giants.
He remained a reliever for most of his five seasons with Cleveland, but in 1957 he made 22 starts and earned All-Star honors. That was a sign of things to come, because the Detroit Tigers used Mossi primarily as a starter when he was with them from 1959-63. He went 17-9 with a 3.36 ERA in 1959, throwing 15 complete games.
After five seasons with Detroit, Mossi pitched for the Chicago White Sox in 1964 and the Kansas City Athletics in 1965.
NEW YORK (AP) — Former Boston College women’s basketball coach Cathy Inglese died Wednesday, a week after sustaining a brain injury in a fall. She was 60.
Inglese’s family announced the death in a statement posted by sister Nancy Inglese on Facebook.
Inglese coached at Boston College from 1993-2008 and was hired as an assistant coach at Hofstra last month.
Inglese coached the Eagles to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Sweet 16 three times. She led the Eagles to their lone Big East Tournament championship in 2004 when they became the only school to win the title by winning games on four straight days.
Before getting the job at BC, she was the head coach at Vermont, where she led the Catamounts to consecutive undefeated regular seasons in 1992 and 1993. She also was a head coach at Rhode Island after BC before working at Farleigh Dickinson for two years.
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