FOOTBALL
Charles to retire a Chief
The Chiefs will sign career rushing leader Jamaal Charles to a one-day contract this week so he can retire with his original team. The decision signals Charles' retirement from the NFL, which had remained uncertain after last season, when he appeared in two games for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Charles, 32, was a third-round selection by the Chiefs in 2008 and became the team's primary back in the second half of that season. He went on to rush for the first of his 1,000-yard seasons with the team that year. The first of his four Pro Bowl seasons came in 2010, when he rushed for 1,467 yards. Over nine seasons in a Chiefs uniform, Charles rushed for 7,260 yards. He was released by the Chiefs in February 2017 and spent the next season with the Denver Broncos.
Colts add RB Ware
The Indianapolis Colts have signed veteran running back Spencer Ware. At 5-10, 229 pounds, Ware gives the Colts' backfield a bigger back than the others currently on the roster. Seattle drafted Ware in the sixth round in 2013 draft out of LSU. He played one season in Seattle before leaving in 2015 for Kansas City, where he spent the past three seasons. Ware has 340 carries, 1,580 yards rushing and 11 scoring runs in his career. He also has 59 receptions for 676 yards and 2 scores.
BASEBALL
Rendon heads to IL
Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon is finally heading to the injured list with a bruised left elbow after sitting out seven of Washington's past eight games. Lefty reliever Dan Jennings' contract was selected from Class AA Harrisburg on Tuesday so he could replace Rendon on the roster before Washington's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Nationals also designated right-hander Austin Adams for assignment. Rendon was hit by a pitch on his elbow during an April 20 game against Miami, ending a 17-game hitting streak. He missed the next four games, went 0 for 3 in one appearance, then skipped three more games for the Nationals, who entered Tuesday with a 12-15 record. Washington General Manager Mike Rizzo said Rendon seemed to be healing early on, but problems with the elbow returned after he played the one game. Rendon is batting .356 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI.
Marlins demote Brinson
Miami Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson was optioned Tuesday to Class AAA New Orleans, the latest setback for the team's centerpiece in the Christian Yelich trade. Brinson is hitting .197 with 28 strikeouts in 76 at-bats for the Marlins, who have the worst record in the majors. He batted .199 last year in his first season with Miami and missed two months because of a hip injury. The Marlins recalled from rehabilitation and reinstated outfielder Garrett Cooper from the 10-day injured list. Brinson will be an everyday center fielder for New Orleans. Brinson, 24, was a highly regarded prospect when acquired in the trade that sent Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers for four prospects before the 2018 season. Yelich was the NL MVP last year and ranks among the major league leaders this year in batting, home runs and RBI.
Tatis put on shelf
The Padres on Tuesday decided to shut down their budding superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. for at least another eight days. The team placed the 20-year-old on the 10-day injured list. Reliever Phil Maton was recalled from Class AAA El Paso to fill Tatis' roster spot. It is a temporary blow, as Tatis has contributed more than any other player to their struggling offense. But the Padres' decision-makers have remained steadfast that the future will not be imperiled by anything they do in the present. Tatis appeared to be walking without issue Monday night, and indications from those familiar with how he was responding after injuring his hamstring on Sunday were that he would be playing in the coming days. But the decision was made to give him more time to rest. Tatis' .300/.360/.500 line makes him the team leader in all three categories among those with more than 20 plate appearances.
Ichiro returns to old role
Ichiro Suzuki has rejoined the Seattle Mariners as a special assistant to the chairman and will work as an instructor with both the major league club and some of the organization's players in the minors. Suzuki retired from baseball last month during Seattle's opening two-game series in Japan against the Oakland Athletics, but he was expected to continue having a relationship with the organization. Suzuki is taking on the same title as he had last year after he stepped away from playing after the first month of the season. Manager Scott Servais said Suzuki will be around the team during home games and will likely spend some time with the team's Class AAA franchise in Tacoma, Wash., working with players at that level.
TENNIS
Wimbledon eyes serve clock
Wimbledon is "highly likely" at the 2020 tournament to introduce a serve clock for players that debuted in Grand Slams at last year's U.S. Open. Tournament CEO Richard Lewis detailed the timetable at a news conference Tuesday that announced a nearly 12% raise in prize money for the July 1-14 edition. Lewis said the clock would be "not a rule change, just a visible device on the court to manage the rule." Players have 25 seconds to prepare after a point for the next first serve. They are first warned, then assessed a fault for the second violation. Wimbledon will have a $49.5 million prize fund this year, and give the men's and women's singles champions a 4.4% raise to $3.06 million. First-round losers get a 15% raise to $58,600.
BASKETBALL
Ex-UConn coach sues former assistant
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Former UConn basketball coach Kevin Ollie filed a lawsuit against his one-time top assistant, contending Glenn Miller slandered him in comments to the NCAA about an alleged payment to a player's mother.
Miller told the governing body during its recent investigation of UConn that he had learned about the alleged $30,000 payment.
Ollie is joined in the suit by Stephanie Garrett, mother of former UConn player Shonn Miller. Miller played at UConn in 2015-16 after transferring from Cornell. The two Millers are not related.
Glenn Miller's lawyer, Drzislav Coric, derided the suit as an "attempt to intimidate a witness."
The university fired Ollie after a 14-18 season in 2017-18 amid allegations of recruiting violations.
The NCAA notified UConn that it found numerous violations, but the payment mentioned by Miller was not among them.
Ollie's lawsuit says the accusation of the payment was false and damaged his reputation. It allegedly was part of a vendetta against Ollie, who had fired Miller after the 2016-17 season. It seeks unspecified monetary damages.
"Glen Miller stated to at least one other person that coach Ollie would pay and would get what's coming to him," Ollie's attorney, Jacques Parenteau, wrote in the lawsuit.
The lawyer added that Miller also referred to Ollie with an expletive and said: "I was three years away from retiring. He has ruined my life. I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't even get a job on campus. I'm going to get him.'"
Miller's wife, Yvonne, from whom he said he learned of the allegation, also is named as a defendant.
Miller is now an associate director of men's basketball at Division III University of Saint Joseph in Connecticut, where former UConn coach Jim Calhoun is the coach.
Sports on 05/01/2019