Off the wire

Matt Andriese
Matt Andriese

BASEBALL

D'backs get Andriese

The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired right-hander Matt Andriese from the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league catcher Michael Perez and minor league right-hander Brian Shaffer. Andriese went 3-4 with a 4.07 ERA in 23 relief appearances and 4 starts for the Rays this year. He has gone at least 2 innings 16 times and 3 or more innings 5 times in his 23 relief appearances. Andriese is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time next winter. Tampa Bay also is thought to be mulling offers for pitcher Chris Archer, catcher Wilson Ramos and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria. Perez has thrown out 34.8 percent of attempted base stealers. He hit .284 with 6 home runs and 29 RBI in 58 games at Class AAA Reno. Shaffer is 7-5 with a 2.70 ERA and 109 strikeouts over 19 starts for Class A Kane County.

Tillman a free agent

Chris Tillman's tenure in the Baltimore Orioles' organization -- a stretch that spanned 11 seasons -- ended Wednesday when Tillman declined an outright assignment to Class AAA Norfolk and became a free agent. The Orioles designated Tillman for assignment Friday when his minor-league rehabilitation assignment expired, and offered him an opportunity to pitch in Class AAA, but on Wednesday, Tillman officially declined that offer. Because of his service time, Tillman could refuse a minor-league assignment and go to free agency. From 2013 to 2016, Tillman was the Orioles' most reliable starter, averaging 32 starts, 14 victories, 190 innings and a 3.91 ERA with a 56-30 record. But after going on the disabled list with a shoulder injury toward the end of the 2016 season, his performance dipped. Since the beginning of 2017, Tillman is 2-12 with an 8.42 ERA in 32 games (26 starts). He went 1-5 with a 10.46 ERA in seven big-league starts before going on the disabled list with a lower back strain.

Cespedes' surgeries

Yoenis Cespedes, the New York Mets' best hitter and highest-paid player, will miss the remainder of this season and a good chunk of next season because of surgeries on both of his troublesome heels. Even to those numb from the repeated blows of another dismal Mets season, the announcement Wednesday was significant. The surgeries will remove bone spurs and calcification near the Achilles tendon in the outfielder's heels. Although he has dealt with heel pain for his entire career, dating to his playing days in Cuba, it has worsened and been identified as a root cause of his recurring leg injuries. The timetable for recovery is eight to 10 months, but that is speculative, said John Ricco, the team's assistant general manager.

Ethier retiring

Andre Ethier, a two-time All-Star during a 12-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is retiring from baseball. The Dodgers, the only team Ethier played for, announced Wednesday they will honor him with a retirement ceremony before their Aug. 3 game against Houston. Ethier hit .285 with 162 home runs and 687 RBI in 1,455 games. He had 14 walk-off RBI, the second-most in Dodgers history behind Dusty Baker's 16. His last major league at-bat was a pinch-hit RBI single in Game 7 of last year's World Series against the Astros. The Dodgers acquired Ethier from Oakland in a December 2005 for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez. Ethier became a free agent last fall and remained unsigned.

TENNIS

Three advance

Hyeon Chung, Ryan Harrison and Mischa Zverev won second-round matches Wednesday at the Atlanta Open. Chung won the day's first singles match by beating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-6 (5). Harrison followed by beating Lukas Lacko 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the second of four singles matches on Wednesday's schedule. Zverev won the third singles match by beating Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-2. Top-seeded John Isner was scheduled to play his first match Wednesday night against Alex de Minaur.

BASKETBALL

Hawks sign Carter, 41

Needing a veteran in a rebuilding locker room full of young players, the Atlanta Hawks will sign the NBA's eldest statesman. The Hawks agreed to terms with Vince Carter on a one-year, $2.4 million deal, the veteran minimum, according to a person familiar with the situation. Carter, 41, is entering his 21st NBA season. He is one of seven players in NBA history to play 20 or more seasons. Carter played last season with the Kings, where he appeared in 58 games and averaged 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists. Carter is also one of six players in league history to record 24,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists, 1,000 steals and 1,000 three-point field goals. Last season, at 40 years, 46 days old, Carter became the oldest player to start an NBA game since Juwan Howard in 2013. In his 20-year career, Carter has averaged 17.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He averaged more than 20 points a game in 10 seasons.

FOOTBALL

Player collapses, dies

A University of Maine football player from Orange County, Va., died Tuesday after he collapsed during a preseason workout. Darius Minor was an incoming freshman defensive back and a former standout at Orange County High School. He collapsed around 1:15 p.m., according to a university statement, 15 minutes into a "supervised light workout." Athletic training staff and emergency personnel were unable to revive him. Minor was 18 years old. Temperatures were in the low 80s Tuesday with close to 50 percent humidity when Minor collapsed. Players were wearing T-shirts and shorts during the workout, reported the Bangor Daily News.

MOTOR SPORTS

France: Rumors wrong

NASCAR Chairman Brian France insisted Wednesday his family is dedicated to its racing properties despite reports the business could be for sale. France called SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and was asked about a potential sale of NASCAR. Reuters reported in May that the France family was exploring a sale of NASCAR's sanctioning body. Forbes last month said the France family was seeking only minority investors. Both reports cited unidentified sources and France referred to them Wednesday as rumors, adding that rumors are "seldom right."

Fittipaldi racing again

Pietro Fittipaldi will race this weekend in the IndyCar event at Mid-Ohio, his first competition since suffering serious leg injuries in a crash two months ago. Fittipaldi was injured May 4 when he crashed a sports car in the FIA WEC event at Spa-Francorchamps. The IndyCar rookie has been rehabilitating his injuries in Indianapolis and was cleared to race this Sunday at Mid-Ohio. Fittipaldi is scheduled to drive Dale Coyne Racing's No. 19 for the remaining five IndyCar events this season. Mid-Ohio will be Fittipaldi's first race on a road course in the IndyCar Series. It will be just his second series start. He debuted at Phoenix in April but was injured before he could make his first attempt at racing in the Indianapolis 500.

SOCCER

Pavard's goal best

Benjamin Pavard has beaten Juan Quintero in a fans' online vote to pick the best goal of the World Cup. France defender Pavard's spinning right-foot shot against Argentina in the round of 16 came top out of 18 candidates for the award. FIFA said more than three million votes were logged on its website. Pavard turned around France's fortunes, minutes after the team trailed for the only time in the tournament. His goal leveled the score at 2-2 before France went on to beat Argentina 4-3. France went on to win the tournament, beating Croatia in the final. Quintero scored for Colombia with a slow-rolling free kick under a jumping Japanese wall of defenders in a group-stage game, and took second in the voting. Luka Modric's long-range goal for Croatia against Argentina was voted third.

Sports on 07/26/2018

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