Update on the latest sports
APCOLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL
Alabama tops preseason poll
UNDATED (AP) — Alabama is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason college football poll for fourth time in the past six seasons. The Crimson Tide are the defending national champions.
Alabama received 47 of 63 first-place votes from sports writers and broadcasters who vote in the poll presented by Regions Bank. Oklahoma is No. 2 with six first-place votes, just ahead of No. 3 Clemson. Ohio State and Georgia round out the top five.
The Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 conferences each have five teams in the Top 25. The ACC and Big 12 each have three.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Cole back from COVID
UNDATED (AP) — Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will be activated from the COVID-19 injured list to start this evening against Shohei Ohtani and the Angels in a makeup game in the Bronx from a rainout July 1.
Cole tested positive for the coronavirus on Aug. 3 and said he had mild symptoms. He’s one of nine Yankees to register a positive test since the All-Star break, even though at least 85% of the club’s players and coaches are vaccinated.
Cole last pitched July 29, when he allowed eight runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss at Tampa Bay. He’ll oppose Los Angeles’ José Suarez in a one-game series before the Angels depart for three games in Detroit, an unusual bit of scheduling necessitated by the July 1 rainout.
Also coming up today in Major League Baseball:
— Fernando Tatis Jr. has returned from the injured list with a new position but that same sweet swing. The Padres star homered twice in an 8-2 win Sunday against Arizona and hopes to stay hot at Coors Field for a series against the Rockies. The electrifying shortstop has been moved to right field for the time being.
— Dansby Swanson and the NL East-leading Braves are rolling into a series at Miami this evening. Swanson has four homers in his past three games, teammate Ozzie Albies has five homers in seven games, and Freddie Freeman and Austin Riley both match injured star Ronald Acuña Jr. for the team lead with 25 homers.
— The A’s and White Sox open a four-game series tonight that could be an AL postseason preview. Frankie Montas will take the ball for Oakland in the opener. His 51 strikeouts over his past six starts are the most for an A’s pitcher over six appearances since Todd Stottlemyre had 56 in 1995. Dallas Keuchel (KY’-kul) is up for Chicago. The veteran left-hander has a 5.79 ERA over his past four starts, all White Sox losses.
MLB-NEWS
Rays sign Olympic pitcher
UNDATED (AP) — The AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays have signed 36-year-old reliever David Robertson to a major league contract and will have him report to Triple-A Durham. Robertson pitched for the silver medal-winning USA team in the Tokyo Olympics.
The right-hander is 53-33 with 137 saves and a 2.90 ERA in 12 major league seasons, including nine with the New York Yankees. Robertson last appeared in the majors in 2019, pitching in seven games for Philadelphia.
The Rays started the week with 16 pitchers on the IL, including ace Tyler Glasnow and last year’s closer Nick Anderson.
Elsewhere in the majors :
— The Chicago White Sox have placed outfielder Adam Engel on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. The White Sox also promoted right-handers Ryan Burr and Mike Wright from Triple-A Charlotte. Reliever Matt Foster was sent down, and right-hander Zack Burdi was designated for assignment. The move for Engel was made retroactive to Friday. Engel also began the season on the IL with a hamstring injury.
NFL-NEWS
Giants waive QB Clayton Thorson, sign Brian Lewerke
UNDATED (AP) — The New York Giants have waived-injured third-string quarterback Clayton Thorson and signed former Michigan State star Brian Lewerke. The team announced the moves Monday, just two days after Thorson sustained a concussion while being sacked for a safety late in a 12-7 loss to the Jets.
Thorson spent most of the 2020 season on the Giants’ practice squad. He played the final 2 1/2 quarters against the Jets and was hurt on New York’s final offensive play. Lewerke spent the spring and summer of last season with the New England Patriots.
The Giants also acquired cornerback Keion Crossen from the Houston Texans for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
— The Browns placed tight end Stephen Carlson on injured reserve after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Saturday night’s exhibition opener at Jacksonville. Carlson juggled a short pass and was turning upfield when he took a hit on the knee along Cleveland’s sideline in the first half. The 24-year-old appeared in all 16 regular-season games for the Browns in 2020 and made two starts. Carlson also played on special teams. Wide receiver Ryan Switzer also went on IR with a foot injury. He caught a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the Browns’ 23-13 win over the Jaguars.
NBA-GRIZZLIES-CLIPPERS TRADE
Clippers trade Beverley, Rondo to Memphis for Eric Bledsoe
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers have brought guard Eric Bledsoe back to the team where he started his NBA career in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. The trade sends Bledsoe to the Clippers for guards Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo and center Daniel Oturu.
Bledsoe spent his first three seasons after being the 18th pick overall out of Kentucky in 2010 playing 197 games before going to Phoenix, Milwaukee and New Orleans. Memphis acquired Bledsoe in a trade in late July with New Orleans that also brought the Grizzlies center Steven Adams for center Jonas Valanciunas along with a swap of draft picks.
NHL-WILD-FIALA
Wild sign forward Kevin Fiala to $5.1 million, one-year deal
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild have signed Kevin Fiala to a $5.1 million, one-year contract.
Fiala had 20 goals and 20 assists in 50 games last season with the Wild. He led the team with five game-winning goals and 41 takeaways. Fiala has 101 points in 133 games over two-plus seasons since Minnesota acquired him from Nashville for Mikael Granlund just before the 2019 trade deadline. He has 91 goals and 198 points since the Predators drafted him No. 11 overall in 2014.
PARALYMPICS-NO FANS
Paralympics follow lead of Olympics: No fans during pandemic
TOKYO (AP) — All fans will be barred from the Paralympics because of the coronavirus pandemic just as they were from the recently-completed Tokyo Olympics.
The Paralympics open Aug. 24 with about 4,400 athletes. That is a far smaller event than the Olympics with 11,000 athletes. But the Paralympics come as new infections accelerate in Tokyo that may expose a population that is more vulnerable to COVID-19. New infections in Tokyo tripled during the 17 days of the Olympics.
Medical experts say the surge was not directly linked the Tokyo Games but they suggested an indirect effect.
