AP National Sports

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson will start Cleveland’s exhibition opener at Jacksonville while waiting to learn if the NFL will succeed in keeping him off the field much longer. Watson is potentially facing a year-long suspension for alleged sexual misconduct. He’s playing Friday night against the Jaguars. It’s the

By JERRY BEACH Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor scored three times, tying a franchise record by scoring a run in 13 consecutive games, and the New York Mets breezed to their sixth straight win, 10-2 over the Cincinnati Reds. Lindor finished 2-for-3 with a walk and a two-run single in the second

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is expected to play briefly in the preseason opener before Tim Boyle and David Blough get a chance to compete to be the team’s backup and perhaps seal a spot on the roster. This offseason, the Lions made it a point to bring back Boyle

By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer PHOENIX (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Rodolfo Castro’s phone faux pas was a relatable moment. The 23-year-old mistakenly left his smartphone in the back pocket of his baseball pants and it flew out when he was sliding into third base during the Pirates’ 6-4 loss to the Diamondbacks. Castro

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says the coming Big Ten television contract with NBC is a “perfect” way for the network to complement its deal with the Fighting Irish. Swarbrick held a live chat for Notre Dame’s alumni association. He addressed recent developments with the Big Ten and how

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer Noah Gragson has been earned a full-time ride in the Cup Series and will drive for Petty GMS next season. Gragson will replace Ty Dillon in the No. 42 Chevrolet and be teammates with Erik Jones. He sat next to team chairman Richard Petty at Wednesday’s announcement. Gragson

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is still healing from an appendectomy two weeks ago, and coach Zac Taylor said there is no timetable for his participation in training camp. The third-year quarterback has been observing practice from a golf cart or scooter. Burrow’s father, Jimmy Burrow,

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — Parris Campbell arrived in Indianapolis four years ago with big expectations. The versatile, speedy receiver from Ohio State seemed like a perfect fit in coach Frank Reich’s offense. But a series of injuries have limited Campbell to just 15 games in three years. Now, in

By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil has insisted that it won’t play its suspended World Cup qualifying match against Argentina next month, arguing that the risks are too high ahead of the tournament in Qatar. The qualifier nearly one year ago in Sao Paulo was stopped by local health officials

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Former Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich has filed a claim against the university seeking $25 million for wrongful termination after he was fired last year for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Such a claim is a prerequisite for filing a lawsuit against a state agency. Rolovich’s attorney, Brian Fahling,

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer A diversity report found the NBA posting nearly across-the-board gains in hiring of minorities and women after a small, one-year dip in its overall grade. Wednesday’s report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida assigned an overall A grade,

NEW YORK (AP) — There will be 14 students from Historically Black College and University medical schools working for the first time on the staffs of NFL clubs this season. The students are coming from the four HBCU medical schools in the country and will be working with eight different teams. The teams include Atlanta,

MIDDLESBROUGH, England (AP) — United States forward Matthew Hoppe has joined second-division Middlesbrough from Spanish club Mallorca in search of regular playing time that could earn him a World Cup roster spot. The 21-year-old Hoppe signed a four-year contract after one season in Spain’s top flight where he made just seven appearances for Mallorca, with

TORONTO (AP) — Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Borje Salming has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, the team announced Wednesday. Salming, who played 16 seasons with the Leafs and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, said he recognizes that there is no

By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Egypt. Australia. A hot dog place in Pennsylvania. A junior college in Chicago. If Major League Baseball is looking for another place for a game, oh man, do we have some fun ideas. The second “Field of Dreams” game is Thursday night in the cornfields

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Kyle Pitts likes to set goals. One thing is definitely on his mind after a brilliant rookie season: getting to end zone more often. Pitts was held to a single touchdown catch in 2021, which is about the only thing he had to complain

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Browns return specialist Jakeem Grant Sr. was placed on injured reserve after tests confirmed he tore his left Achilles tendon during practice. Grant will miss the season, forcing Cleveland to find another option to fix its lackluster return game. The 5-foot-6 Grant signed a three-year contract

By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The performance didn’t come close to matching the hype for the 2021 quarterback class. With QBs going 1-2-3 for third time ever in the common draft era and five going off the board in the first round for the fourth time, expectations were