BASEBALL
Sale has finger surgery
Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale had surgery on his broken left pinkie finger on Monday, a day after it was hit by a line drive in a game against the New York Yankees. The team called the surgery successful but did not give a timetable for his return. A broken bone usually takes 4-6 weeks to heal, which would allow Sale to return before the end of the season. In the first inning of Sunday's game against the Yankees -- just his second start since returning from a broken rib -- Sale was hit in the hand by Aaron Hicks' 106 mph line drive. The Red Sox starter screamed in pain and walked immediately off the field. A seven-time All-Star with the potential to be a staff ace if healthy -- and vaccinated -- Sale broke a rib while working out on his own during the lockout. He returned on Tuesday and pitched five scoreless innings against Tampa Bay. Sale, 33, has thrown just 48 1/3 innings for the Red Sox since the end of the 2019 season. Last season, he went 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA in nine starts in his return from Tommy John surgery.
BASKETBALL
Duke, Arizona OK series
Duke and Arizona have agreed to a home-and-home men's basketball series for 2023 and 2024. The schools announced the agreement Monday. The first meeting comes in November 2023 with the Wildcats visiting the Blue Devils' famously hostile Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke travels west to Tucson the following November. In statements, new Duke Coach Jon Scheyer and Arizona Coach Tommy Lloyd -- named The Associated Press men's college basketball national coach of the year in April after his debut season -- said their teams will benefit from the marquee non-conference matchups. The teams haven't met since November 2013 and have played just nine times, including Duke's win in the 2001 NCAA title game. The Wildcats lost their only trip to Cameron in February 1990, while the Blue Devils lost both trips to Arizona's McKale Center in December 1987 and February 1991.
Bucks sign Connaughton
Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton has signed a multiyear contract extension after scoring a career-high 9.9 points per game this past season. Connaughton, 29, played 26 minutes per game and made 2.2 3-pointers per game this past season to set career highs in both categories. He made 39.5% of his three-point attempts. He also had 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Connaughton has been with the Bucks for four seasons after three with the Portland Trail Blazers. He has career averages of 5.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 417 regular-season games.
Clemson's top scorer out
Clemson's top scorer PJ Hall will need knee surgery and there's no timetable yet for when he might return to the court, the school said Monday. Hall is a 6-foot-10 rising junior who averaged 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds last season, and led Clemson with 38 blocks -- nearly half of the team's 77. He had an MRI on Friday that revealed a subluxation of the patella, meaning his kneecap had slid out of place. The school didn't say which kneecap. Hall had surgery on one of his feet in the offseason to correct a problem that had lingered much of last year. Hall was expected to take another big step forward for the Tigers next season. Coach Brad Brownell said Hall will stay engaged throughout his latest rehab and help the team will his leadership.
TENNIS
High seeds survive
Third-seeded Zhang Shuai recovered from a scare early in the second set to advance to the second round of the Palermo Ladies Open on Monday. Zhang was broken twice at the start of the second set before rallying to beat Rebeka Masarova of Spain 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7). The Chinese player will face Jasmine Paolini after the Italian eased past Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 6-1. Fourth-seeded Sara Sorribes Tormo is also safely through to the round of 16, with the Spanish player recovering to beat Ana Bogdan 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. The match had to be halted three times, for a medical timeout apiece, and another one due to extreme heat in what was the first match of the day. Sorribes Tormo will next face Leolia Jeanjean, who beat Ylena In-Albon 6-2, 6-4. Sixth-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania defeated Marina Bassols Ribera 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Dodin beat 19-year-old Matilde Paoletti 6-4, 7-5. It was Paoletti's first WTA main draw match and the Italian is assured of moving up around 200 places in the rankings from No. 920.
Khachanov opens with win
Karen Khachanov saved two match points as he won his first-round match at the Hamburg European Open on Monday, while Botic van de Zandschulp had a surprise loss and Barbora Krejcikova won her opener in the women's draw. The seventh-seeded Khachanov won against Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2) after twice saving match point at 6-5 down in the decider before forcing a tiebreak. Van de Zandschulp, seeded fifth, was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who goes on to play Slovakian qualifier Jozef Kovalik. In the women's draw of the clay-court event, last year's French Open champion Krejcikova, seeded third, broke Suzan Lamens' serve four times in a 6-2, 6-4 win to set up a second-round match with Magdalena Frech. Fourth-seeded Aliaksandra Sasnovich won against Nastasja Schunk 6-1, 6-4, while Anastasia Potapova upset sixth-seeded Varvara Gracheva 7-5, 6-3. Andrea Petkovic won an all-German match with Tamara Korpatsch 6-3, 6-3.
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale walks off the mound after a hand injury during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 17, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, July 17, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)