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VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE SPORTS
AAC releases testing requirements
UNDATED (AP) — The American Athletic Conference will require all its schools to test football players for COVID-19 at least 72 hours before competition.
The announcement by the American comes ahead of the expected release of recommendations from the NCAA. The Power Five conferences have been working toward a minimum standard for testing throughout major college football.
AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco says the testing protocols will apply throughout the regular and bowl seasons. More operational protocols are still being finalized, as are testing protocols for other sports.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MEAC
Another conference cancels fall sports
UNDATED (AP) — The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has suspended fall sports, becoming the third Division I league to postpone its football season.
Following fellow FCS conferences the Ivy League and Patriot League, the MEAC announced it would not have competition in the fall and consider trying to make up the schedule for those sports in the 2021 spring semester.
The MEAC is comprised of 11 historically black colleges, though its membership is in flux. Earlier this year, Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman announced they would be leaving the MEAC and joining the Southwestern Athletic Conference next year. MEAC-power North Carolina A&T has announced it will be moving to the Big South in 2021.
Elsewhere in college sports:
— The Big East Conference has joined several other leagues in deciding to play only conference opponents during the fall sports season, if it’s able to play at all. The basketball-focused conference announced the decision Thursday. The Big East still hasn’t decided whether it will conduct a fall season and championships.
MLB-METS-DEGROM
DeGrom still plans to pitch
NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom still plans to pitch on opening day, although New York Mets manager Luis Rojas didn’t sound so sure that will happen.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner says he feels good two days after leaving an intrasquad game early because of back tightness. A precautionary MRI came back clean, and deGrom thinks he simply might have slept “wrong” the night before.
Rojas says the team is taking a day-to-day approach as deGrom receives treatment.
MLB-CUBS-HENDRICKS
Hendricks to get opening day start
CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Hendricks will start on opening day for the Chicago Cubs, getting the nod over Yu Darvish. Chicago begins the season on July 24 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Hendricks has been one of Chicago's most consistent pitchers since his major league debut in 2014. The right-hander, who was acquired in the July 2012 trade that sent Ryan Dempster to Texas, is 63-43 with a 3.14 ERA in 163 games over six seasons.
Darvish will start the second game. The Japanese right-hander finished strong last year, compiling a 2.76 ERA and striking out 118 in 81 2/3 innings over his final 13 starts.
MLB-MARINERS-RODRIGUEZ
Top Seattle prospect hurt
SEATTLE (AP) — Top Seattle Mariners prospect Julio Rodriguez has suffered a hairline fracture of his left wrist during a practice.
The 19-year-old dived for a ball during a defensive drill and jammed his wrist. He left the field with a trainer and manager Scott Servais said X-rays revealed the fracture. Rodriguez will have additional tests on the injury.
Rodriguez was going to be on Seattle’s taxi squad for the upcoming season but is considered one of the top prospects in the organization. He has been rated among the top 20 prospects in all of baseball heading into the season.
MLB-OBIT-TONY TAYLOR
Former Phillies star dead at 84
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former Philadelphia Phillies infielder and coach Tony Taylor has died. He was 84.
The Phillies said in a statement that Taylor died Thursday from complications of a stroke suffered in 2019.
Taylor batted .261 with 2,007 hits, 1,005 runs and 234 stolen bases in 2,195 career games. Taylor was inducted into the team’s Wall of Fame in 2002. He was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2004.
NBA-PELICANS-WILLIAMSON
Williamson leaves team for family matter
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans say top overall draft choice Zion Williamson has left the club to attend to an urgent family medical matter.
The Pelicans say Williamson intends to rejoin the team in the Orlando area for the resumption of the season. But the club has not said whether the former Duke star would be able to return or whether he’ll miss any games because of his departure on Thursday.
Williamson will have to quarantine again when he returns to Central Florida.
Williamson has averaged 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 19 games this season after missing the New Orleans’ first 44 games while recovering from preseason arthroscopic knee surgery.
GOLF-MEMORIAL
Steele takes early lead on different Muirfield Village track
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Gary Woodland was a stroke better than the field on the back nine in the first round of the Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village. Brendan Steele shot a 4-under 68 and was the early leader. Also on Woodland's heels are Jimmy Walker and Lucas Glover.It’s the second straight week the PGA Tour is at Muirfield Village, but it sure didn’t play like the same course. The greens are 2 feet faster on the Stimpmeter, and that made all the difference. The wind is also howling.
LPGA TOUR
Both Ohio events on LPGA schedule to be played without fans
SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) — The LPGA Tour starts in two weeks with consecutive tournaments in Ohio that will not have spectators.
The Marathon Classic is the second event back. LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said there was a chance the tournament would cap attendance at 2,000 spectators. But after talking with county and state officials, the Marathon Classic decided to go without fans on Aug. 6-9. The tournament still will have two pro-ams in which the amateurs must be tested for the coronavirus.
The LPGA Tour resumes July 30 at Inverness with the Drive On LPGA Championship.
MISSED TESTS-STEVENS
American sprinter Stevens banned 18 months for missed tests
GENEVA (AP) — Olympic finalist sprinter Deajah Stevens has been banned for 18 months for missing doping tests and will miss the Tokyo Games.
The Athletics Integrity Unit says Stevens was unavailable for giving samples three times in 2019 in Oregon and West Hollywood. Three whereabouts violations within one year can lead to a ban.
The 25-year-old American runner’s ban was backdated to start on Feb. 17, 2020. It expires days after the postponed Tokyo Olympics in August 2021.
At her disciplinary hearing, Stevens cited issues with her telephone to explain why samples collection officials were unable to contact her for two of the missed visits.
Stevens placed 7th in the 200-meter final at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and 5th at the 2017 world championships in London.
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