BASEBALL
Rosenthal’s surgery set
The St. Louis Cardinals announced Wednesday that closer Trevor Rosenthal was being moved from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL and that his right elbow injury would require Tommy John surgery. “It felt like we were getting in a groove, I was in a groove, and to kind of have this happen and take a piece away from a really good team is a little bit of a bummer,” Rosenthal said. Rosenthal, who recorded 93 saves in 2014-15, lost the closer’s job a year ago to Seung Hwan Oh but reclaimed it this season after Oh struggled. Rosenthal recorded 11 saves, giving him 118 over the past four seasons. Cardinals General Manager Mike Girsch said Rosenthal will have surgery next week. “We hoped for better news,” Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny said. “Somebody is going to have to step in. He was really throwing the ball well.”
Matz’s surgery successful
The New York Mets’ Steven Matz had successful surgery to reposition the irritated ulnar nerve in his left elbow on Wednesday, according to a source. The Mets left-hander had been pitching through pain for a while, he said Monday. An exam by team physician David Altchek on Monday revealed that a problem with Matz’s ulnar nerve had caused the persistent pain and led to season-ending surgery. Matz (2-7) hadn’t won since June 28 and saw his ERA spike to 6.08 — the highest of his career — in 66 2/3 innings.
Kipnis on DL again
Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis is on the disabled list again with a strained right hamstring. Kipnis returned recently after missing a month but was removed from Tuesday night’s game against Boston. He grounded out in the first inning and was replaced by a pinch hitter in the third. Kipnis joins a list of injured Indians players that seems to grow by the day. Pitchers Andrew Miller (right knee tendinitis) and Danny Salazar (sore right elbow) were placed on the 10-day DL on Tuesday. Kipnis is batting .228 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI. He was on the DL from July 9-Aug. 6 when he first injured the hamstring. Infielder Erik Gonzalez was recalled from Class AAA Columbus.
SOFTBALL
Auburn coach retires
Auburn softball coach Clint Myers is retiring after leading the Tigers to a pair of College World Series appearances. Auburn announced Myers’ retirement Wednesday. He went 205-54-1 with the Tigers and won SEC Tournament Championships in 2015 and 2016, making it to the World Series both times. Auburn has broken 17 offensive school records and 23 overall since Myers’ arrival in 2013. Auburn had never advanced beyond a regional final before he took over. Myers, 65, led Arizona State to national titles in 2008 and 2011.
FOOTBALL
Penn ends holdout
Pro Bowl left tackle Donald Penn has ended his holdout with the Oakland Raiders. Penn reported for practice on Wednesday, ending his 26-day holdout. Penn was looking for an improved contract but General Manager Reggie McKenzie said earlier in training camp that he would not negotiate a new deal with Penn until he arrived at camp. The Raiders could have fined Penn $40,000 for each day of camp he missed but the team is not expected to do that. Penn is entering the final year of an $11.9 million, two-year contract. He is scheduled to earn $5.8 million in base salary this season with another $1.3 million in incentives and bonuses.
Baylor willing to deal?
Baylor University’s recent settlement of a high-profile federal lawsuit suggests the nation’s largest Baptist school may be willing to reach more deals to help move past its sexual assault scandal. Federal lawsuits have piled up over the last year as the scandal mounted with allegations of a football program that acted above the rules and mishandling of sexual assault claims across the university. Baylor has settled two of the most high-profile cases within the last two months just as evidence-gathering has started to heat up. The terms of those settlements have not been released. A Baylor spokesman said the school would consider settling more cases if appropriate.
GOLF
Payne retiring as Augusta National chairman
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Billy Payne is retiring as chairman of Augusta National and the Masters, ending 11 years of substantial change that included the club having its first female members and playing a leading role in growing the game around the world.
Payne officially retires
on Oct. 16 when the club opens for a new season.
“There are two people that matter here — Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones,” Payne said of the Augusta National co-founders. “The rest of us are custodians. We do our best to first embrace, and thereafter hopefully to advance their philosophies for this club and for the game of golf — their obsession for detail, their passion to be the best. And I’ve done that now for a considerable number of years.”
Payne will be succeeded by Fred Ridley, a former U.S. Amateur champion and USGA president who is chairman of the Masters competition committee. Ridley will be the seventh chairman, and the first to have played in the Masters.
Payne stays on as chairman emeritus.
Payne, who did not take up golf until his adult years, was invited to join Augusta National in 1997, a year after he concluded his work leading a long-shot bid to bring the Summer Games to Atlanta. He became media chairman of the Masters three years later, and he was Hootie Johnson’s choice to succeed him as chairman in 2006.
Ten years after Johnson stubbornly stood his ground under pressure to have female members, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore joined Augusta National in 2012.
Wanting to expand the reach of golf, Payne worked with the R&A to start the Asia-Pacific Amateur, awarding the winner a spot in the Masters. The idea was to create heroes in an emerging market. The second winner was Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who now is No. 2 in the world. The USGA and R&A joined with Augusta National’s next venture, the Latin America Amateur.
Payne also brought in the USGA and PGA of America to start the Drive, Chip and Putt competition, which attracts children all over the country to compete in golf skills, with the finals held at Augusta National on the Sunday before the Masters.
Payne said he considers those grow-the-game initiatives and enhancing the experience and camaraderie for club members the two achievements that bring him the most pride.