Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Off the wire
BASEBALL Pair to help bullpen
The Kansas City Royals have made a pair of moves to fortify their struggling bullpen, recalling left-hander Scott Alexander and right-hander Jake Junis from Class AAA Omaha. Kansas City’s relief corps has struggled mightily during a 2-5 start, nobody more than left-hander Matt Strahm. He was optioned to Omaha in an attempt to get the young reliever on track. The Royals also optioned extra outfielder Terrance Gore to Class AA Northwest Arkansas. Alexander made 17 appearances with the Royals last season and had thrown two scoreless innings at Omaha this season. Junis allowed two runs in 61/3 innings in a start for Omaha last week.
Manfred: Dump Wahoo
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has made his strongest comments yet on wanting the Cleveland Indians to eradicate their
Chief Wahoo logo. Manfred has been in talks with Indians owner Paul Dolan about abolishing the divisive symbol, which has sparked debate for decades.
MLB spokesman
Pat Courtney said in a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday that Manfred wants to transition away from the logo. In the past, Manfred has only gone as far as saying he understood why many people find the logo offensive. The Indians have decreased Chief Wahoo’s profile, switching their primary logo to a block “C” several years ago. The symbol still appears on some of the sleeves of some of the team’s uniforms and caps.
Gutierrez on DL
The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed outfielder Franklin Gutierrez on the 10-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain sustained when he was caught stealing against the Cubs. Gutierrez hit .231 with two RBIs and two doubles in six games before getting injured Monday. The Dodgers recalled outfielder Trayce Thompson from Class AAA Oklahoma City on Wednesday for the second game of the series in Chicago. Thompson was hitless in 10 at-bats with a run scored, an RBI and two walks in four games with Oklahoma City to start the season. He hit .225 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI with the Dodgers before having last season cut short because of two stress fractures in his back.
Second SS lost
The Washington Nationals’ shortstop corps officially lost its second member in a week Wednesday when the team placed Stephen
Drew on the 10-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain and called up
Grant Green from
Class AAA Syracuse in his place.
Drew left Tuesday night’s game in the fifth inning after his cleat caught in the dirt near the left-handed batter’s box. The timetable for his return remains unclear. His injury comes three days after Trea Turner strained his right hamstring, an injury the Nationals do not consider severe, though they placed Turner on the disabled list to be sure. Turner cannot return until next week at the earliest, leaving shortstop duties to Wilmer Difo and leaving the Nationals in need of a backup shortstop.
BASKETBALL Noah to have surgery
Joakim Noah has a right rotator cuff injury and the New York Knicks said team doctors have recommended offseason surgery for their suspended center. It’s the latest bad news in a season full of it for Noah, who while recovering from knee surgery was suspended 20 games by the NBA for violating the anti-drug policy. The Knicks said Wednesday that Noah was injured in January and an MRI showed the injury, but he continued to play through it. Another MRI this month showed no improvement and surgery was recommended, though there has been no decision or a timeline for his return to the court. Noah was limited to 29 games last season in Chicago before surgery to repair a dislocated left shoulder. He then signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Knicks in July. He has been limited to 46 games and his suspension will carry into next season.
TENNIS Seeds advance
Seeded players Fernando Verdasco and Thomaz Bellucci won Wednesday at the Houston men’s tennis tournament, while American Donald Young was beaten. Fifth seed Verdasco of Spain won two tiebreakers in defeating Kevin Anderson of South Africa 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4). No. 8 Bellucci, of Brazil, battled back to knock off American Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 1-6, 6-2. Young, seeded seventh, lost to Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 32.
HOCKEY iPads during playoffs
NHL coaches will have more technology on the bench than ever before as the Stanley Cup playoffs begin. Three iPad Pros will be available for coaches on every bench and officials will also have them to review coach’s challenges, The Associated Press has learned. All 16 playoff arenas have been outfitted with the iPads and also Macs for video coaches as part of a collaboration with Apple. This season, coaches have been able to use video monitors on the bench to help them decide when to challenge offside and goaltender interference situations. With the iPads, which were tested late in the regular season, they’ll have real-time video capabilities to show players their own shifts minutes after they happen as they discuss adjustments. The monitors had already become a game-changer for coaches, giving them more information on challenges and for player feedback.
MOTOR SPORTS IndyCar tests track
Simon Pagenaud and IndyCar drivers have run their first laps on the repaved and reconfigured Texas Motor Speedway at Fort Worth. Pagenaud said the oval track is a different layout with the banking reduced in Turns 1 and 2 that were also widened from 60 to 80 feet. He said the bumps are gone and the turning radius into the first turn has definitely changed. More than 1,100 laps were completed before lunch by 13 cars on the 11/2 mile track where the series races June 10. The Texas test was supposed to be a full-field open test with 22 cars. But points leader Sebastien Bourdais and several Honda cars were held out as a precaution because their engines had higher mileage on them.
Alonso to miss Monaco
McLaren said Fernando Alonso will race for the team at the Indianapolis 500 and miss the Monaco Grand Prix. McLaren will be racing in the famous race in the United States for the first time in 38 years. The Indy 500 and the Monaco GP both take place on May 28. McLaren said the Monaco GP will be the only Formula One race Alonso will miss. The British-based team hasn’t announced who will replace Alonso for the race.
MISCELLANEOUS Attorney alleges conflict
An attorney in North Carolina’s ongoing academic scandal wants SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey removed as head of the NCAA infractions panel hearing the case because of a conflict of interest. Raleigh attorney Elliot Abrams wrote the NCAA this month saying
Sankey “has a personal, professional and institutional interest in the outcome” of the case involving his client, Deborah Crowder, a retired UNC office administrator. In a second letter Tuesday, Abrams stated the third Notice of Allegations outlining charges against Crowder and UNC should be tossed out. He said they are the result of “inappropriate pressure from a conflicted hearing panel.” Abrams provided The Associated Press with copies of both letters. The requests are part of the latest snag in the oft-delayed case tied to irregularities in the formerly named African and Afro-American Studies (AFAM) department. Most notably, there were independent study-style courses misidentified as lecture classes that didn’t meet and required a research paper or two — courses featuring significant athlete enrollments and typically offering high grades for little work.