BASEBALL
Braves pitcher faces surgery
Atlanta Braves right-hander Mike Soroka has experienced a setback in his recovery from surgery to repair his torn right Achilles tendon and will have a follow-up procedure next week. Soroka was the Braves' opening day starter in 2020. He suffered the season-ending injury against the New York Mets on Aug. 3. Soroka, 23, had not begun throwing but was expected to return to the rotation this season. Now those plans are in doubt. Manager Brian Snitker said Wednesday that Soroka will have exploratory surgery early next week in Green Bay, Wis. Soroka emerged as one of the foundations of the Braves' rotation in 2019, when he went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA.
Dodgers' Rios out for season
Los Angeles Dodgers backup third baseman Edwin Rios will miss the rest of the season after surgery on his right shoulder. Right-hander Dustin May also underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, sidelining him until at least the summer of 2022. The defending World Series champions announced their decision later Wednesday on Rios, who has a partially torn labrum. He will have surgery next week. Rios got off to a rough start this season, batting .078 with 1 home run in 25 games while struggling with his swing. The 27-year-old Puerto Rican prospect made his major-league debut in 2019. Rios appeared in seven postseason games last fall, hitting two home runs in the National League Championship Series against Atlanta.
Seven Yankees sidelined
New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres was kept out of Wednesday night's starting lineup at Tampa Bay as a precaution as the number of confirmed positive covid-19 tests among the team's coaching and support staff reached seven. Manager Aaron Boone said MLB's joint covid-19 health and safety committee is waiting and reviewing a number of test results. It was also confirmed by Boone that pitching coach Matt Blake has joined third base coach Phil Nevin and first base coach Reggie Willits as members of the coaching staff testing positive for the virus.
AUTO RACING
Gragson's DQ overturned
An appeals officer ruled Wednesday that JR Motorsports did not violate any rules when NASCAR disqualified Noah Gragson at Darlington Raceway. The decision restored the fourth-place finish Gragson earned Saturday in the Xfinity Series race, and he can collect the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus he'd won. NASCAR said Gragson's car failed post-race inspection for violating a rule regarding how the suspension is mounted. JRM appealed the penalty and Roger Werner, the final appeal officer, did not provide a reason for reversing NASCAR's call.
HOCKEY
Rangers fire head coach
The New York Rangers fired Coach David Quinn and three assistant coaches Wednesday after missing the playoffs with one of the NHL's up-and-coming young teams. The move is the first major one from new General Manager Chris Drury, who took over last week after the team fired popular president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton in the beginning of a front-office overhaul. In three years, Quinn posted a 96-87-25 record in rebuilding the Rangers with a much younger team that included No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafreniere this past season.
BASKETBALL
Top recruit to play for dad
Patrick Baldwin Jr., one of the nation's top recruits in his class, said he will play college basketball for his father at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The 6-9 forward is rated as the nation's No. 4 senior prospect, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports. An ankle injury caused him to miss most of his senior season at Hamilton High School in Sussex, Wis. Baldwin chose the Horizon League program over Duke and Georgetown. He announced his decision Wednesday at a news conference at his high school. His decision is a huge victory for his father Pat Baldwin, who has posted a 47-70 record in four seasons as Wisconsin-Milwaukee's coach. The Panthers went 10-12 this past season.
