AP National Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect Sam Poulin is taking a leave of absence from the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Penguins general manager Ron Hextall says the 21-year-old Poulin is stepping away due to “personal reasons.” Poulin was Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in the 2019 draft. He made his NHL debut in

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Scotland wing Darcy Graham has been ruled out until February because of a knee injury that could jeopardize his participation in the Six Nations tournament. The 25-year-old Graham sustained damage to his medial collateral ligament during a match with his club Edinburgh on Saturday. The club says Graham will be sidelined

By TERESA M. WALKER AP Pro Football Writer NASHVILLE Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk left coach Mike Vrabel to explain her decision to fire the team’s general manager during one of the best stretches in franchise history. Strunk fired Jon Robinson on Tuesday with five games remaining in his seventh season

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Prosecutors say former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza will not be charged in connection with an alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at an off-campus party last year when he played football for San Diego State University. The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that no charges will

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers defensive end Henry Anderson has revealed he suffered a minor stroke in October because of a blood clot in his brain. Anderson said he felt numbness in his legs and his speech became slurred on Oct. 22. His wife took him to a

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Coach Sean McVay says Baker Mayfield probably will be active for the Los Angeles Rams’ game against the Raiders on Thursday night. That’s just two days after the Rams claimed the former No. 1 draft pick off waivers from Carolina. McVay wouldn’t rule out the

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings placed cornerback Akayleb Evans on injured reserve after his most recent concussion. The roster move means the rookie must sit out at least the next four games. This makes room for cornerback Cameron Dantzler. He was designated for return from injured reserve following a four-game absence because of

By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence missed the first practice of his NFL career because of a sprained big toe on his left foot. But Lawrence and coach Doug Pederson expect the second-year pro to get on the practice field later in the week and probably

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — The NCAA has granted an extra year of eligibility to Virginia football players whose eligibility has expired in the aftermath of the slaying of three members of the team. The school confirmed the decision Wednesday. Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler were killed last month as they returned to

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase missed Cincinnati’s game against Cleveland on Halloween. Some of the Browns’ defensive backs are excited to finally catch up with the Bengals’ uber-confident star wide receiver Sunday. Chase added fuel to an already heated rivalry this summer when he called

By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer SAN DIEGO (AP) — A person familiar with the deal says veteran closer Kenley Jansen has agreed to a $32 million, two-year deal with the Boston Red Sox. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the agreement was pending a physical. The 35-year-old

By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers are not counting on getting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo back for a possible playoff run even after getting the favorable news that he wouldn’t require surgery on his broken left foot. Coach Kyle Shanahan says there’s an ‘outside chance’ Garoppolo

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan point guard Jaelin Llewellyn is out for the rest of the season with an injured left knee. He is expected to have surgery next month. Llewellyn was hurt in a loss to Kentucky in London over the weekend. Llewellyn transferred to Michigan from Princeton last spring and that seemed

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky quarterback Will Levis announced Wednesday on social media he will declare for the NFL draft and skip the Wildcats’ upcoming Music City Bowl against Iowa. Projected as a first-round selection next spring, Levis completed 65% of his passes for 2,406 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 11 games

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Longtime North Carolina field hockey coach Karen Shelton is retiring. She recently closed her 42-year run with the Tar Heels going unbeaten to claim an NCAA-record 10th national championship. The school announced Shelton’s retirement Wednesday. She is the winningest coach in the sport’s history, with 745 victories. And her 10

By RAUL FLORES Associated Press SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Frank Harris threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 49 yards and another score, lifting No. 23 UTSA to its second straight Conference USA championship with a 48-27 victory over North Texas. After falling behind 10-7, the Roadrunners reeled off 17 unanswered points,

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Three wins from the title that has eluded the Netherlands, Louis van Gaal has filled his World Cup with hugs, kisses and dancing. Leading his nation for the third time at age 71, he is the tournament’s oldest coach. He also may be the most

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer The racial gap in graduation rates for this year’s bowl teams in college football has declined again, this time to the smallest difference in the history of a study examining the data. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at Central Florida reported Wednesday that the overall

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs could have two important parts of their offense back with guard Joe Thuney and wide receiver Kadarius Toney returning to practice Wednesday ahead of their trip to Denver. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that everyone would practice in their first