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If there was any danger that England might allow a touch of complacency to creep over them before their match against Pakistan, a quick glance at the record books should set them straight.

Yes, Pakistan have lost 11 ODIs in a row. And yes, England are unbeaten in a bilateral ODI series at home since 2015. They go into Monday's World Cup match as strong favourites.

But Pakistan have derailed England's plans before. Just two years ago, in Cardiff, they ended their Champions Trophy hopes at the semi-final stage, while England's new retro kit should ensure memories of the 1992 World Cup final remain fresh in the mind. Indeed, England have beaten Pakistan only once in a global ODI tournament (the World Cup or Champions Trophy) since 1983. That England victory, inspired by a young James Anderson, came back in 2003. An England side still searching for that maiden, global ODI trophy can have no room for complacency.

There is unlikely to be much swing on offer in Nottingham on Monday. Instead, England look set to reunite their two fastest bowlers - Jofra Archer and Mark Wood - in what may be the quickest ODI opening pair they have ever had.

There is logic in the approach. Pakistan looked uncomfortable against West Indies' fast bowling on the same ground on Friday. And while this pitch is not quite the same - it is two along the square and is the strip that produced the world record 481 last year and 444 against Pakistan in 2016 - England will hope their opening pair have the pace and control to unsettle a Pakistan batting line-up that looks low on confidence. In the ODI here a couple of weeks ago, Wood forced Imam ul Haq to retire hurt following a blow on the elbow, while Archer dismissed the dangerous Asif Ali with a bouncer.

With Wood and Archer more than capable of sharing the new balls, there is a possibility Chris Woakes could make way for Tom Curran. There was a time England might have worried about that weakening the batting but, such is Curran's improvement - and Archer's promise - with the bat, that is far less of a concern. Curran is also one of England's more proficient bowlers at the death.

That would be tough on Liam Plunkett and Woakes, who would probably be the bowlers to make way. Plunkett dismissed both South Africa openers on Thursday and contributed nicely in the field and with the bat, while Woakes was only required to bowl five overs and is understood to have recovered well. Both could feel justifiably disappointed to miss out. Maybe it is relevant that both Wood and Archer conceded more than six-an-over in that ODI a couple of weeks ago, too. Plunkett's cutters might not be as glamorous as Wood's pace, but they can prove just as awkward for batsmen.

Either way, England captain, Eoin Morgan, insisted his side would not underestimate Pakistan and cautioned against anyone expecting the vast scores we have seen here in the recent past.

And while he gave nothing away over his team selection - he may even have hinted that it would remain unchanged - the whispers around the England camp gave a slightly different story.

"We prepare for Pakistan at their best," he said. "Two years ago they were the best side in the world in the Champions Trophy. They turned us over and they turned India over. We'll be preparing as best we can for their A game.

"To get anywhere near 481 you have to play unbelievably well. It starts with the very basics of getting ourselves into an innings. You always start on 0. And this pitch maybe a bit different. It looks as if it may be a bit two-paced and with steeper bounce.

"There is a chance Wood could play. We saw the wicket the other day went through with more pace and exposed Pakistan, more so with the short ball. That short bowling could be a trend in this tournament. Over the last couple of years, the end in the short formats has been to bowl leg-spin. But the nature of these pitches might mean that short bowling is the trend.

"The pitches look pretty good. Cross seam deliveries into the wicket might be getting a better reaction than any other bowling. It's potentially coming off two-paced which makes cross-bat shots a little bit harder and means you have to take a higher risk.

"As the tournament progresses, you will probably see the wickets get slower and we'll look at playing three spinners or bringing in a death bowler. We're looking at all aspects."

Rain curtailed England's training session on Sunday. It was noticeable, however, that Joe Root took to the indoor nets where he faced a barrage of short balls. Pakistan's bowlers have some pace and skill of their own. They have curtailed England's plans before. They will not be taken lightly.

Shakib, Mustafizur, Mushfiqur beat South Africa

Published in Cricket
Sunday, 02 June 2019 12:22

Bangladesh 330 for 6 (Mushfiqur 78, Shakib 75, Phehlukwayo 2-52) beat South Africa 309 for 8 (du Plessis 62, Mustafizur 3-67) by 21 runs

As it happened: Bangladesh v South Africa

These teams seem to bring out extremes in one another. In previous World Cups, that has meant one-sided games, in which one side completely dominated the other - as South Africa did with a 10-wicket thumping in their first encounter in Bloemfontein in 2003. Four years later, it was Bangladesh's turn to bring the pain as an array of left-arm spinners sent South Africa spiralling to a 67-run defeat at Providence. The pendulum swung back when Bangladesh wilted to 78 all out under lights in Mirpur in 2011. And now it's swung once more, Bangladesh excelling to soar to a 21-run win.

WATCH on Hotstar - Shakib Al Hasan's solid 75 (Available to viewers in India only)

That result would make this officially the closest South Africa-Bangladesh match in ODI history, but on a day when South Africa were outplayed in all departments, that wasn't saying much. This was Bangladesh's second ever World Cup win over South Africa and, hinting at the momentum they have behind them, their fifth win in their last five completed ODIs.

South Africa's fast bowlers huffed and they puffed, but they couldn't blow Bangladesh's house down. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as Bangladesh's batsmen studded their innings Manhattan with skyscrapers.

ALSO READ - Shakib, the quickest to 5000 runs and 250 wickets in ODIs

Along the way, Bangladesh's achievements, collective and individual, were both many and noteworthy. Shakib Al Hasan became the first Bangladeshi - and fastest cricketer - to the double of 250 wickets and 5,000 runs in ODIs, getting there quicker than the likes of Shahid Afridi and Jacques Kallis. Bangladesh reached 330 for 6, their highest total in ODIs, smashing their previous best against South Africa by 52 runs.

That they soared so high was thanks mainly to a 142-run stand between Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim, which is also Bangladesh's highest in World Cups. Together they built on the solid early efforts of Soumya Sarkar, who took on the short ball with gumption, showing echoes of his early outings against the South Africans at home way back in 2015, when he ramped and hooked his way to 205 runs in three innings to help his team to a 2-1 series win.

WATCH on Hotstar - Mushfiqur's 78 lifts Bangladesh (Available to viewers in India only)

Today, he got his team off to an excellent start with a fluid 60-run opening stand with Tamim Iqbal. South Africa clearly had a plan with the ball, and Faf du Plessis said as much at the toss, telegraphing his intentions by saying: "We're playing the extra seamer today so we want to try and attack Bangladesh with some extra pace." But once Bangladesh showed they were happy to take the short ball on, South Africa floundered for a back-up.

There was much fanfare about the potential in South Africa's bowling attack before this tournament. Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Lungi Ngidi and Imran Tahir are all match-winners in their own right, and having all four in the same line-up was South Africa's Plan A. But Steyn is yet to recover from the shoulder flare-up that cut short his IPL jaunt, Ngidi limped off with a tweaked hamstring after bowling four wicketless overs in which he leaked seven boundaries, and Rabada endured one of his rare off days, conceding 0 for 57 in his ten overs.

Worse still, South Africa had one of their worst days in recent memory in the field. The trouble started as early as the fifth over, when a regulation edge flew right between du Plessis and Aiden Markram in the slips, gifting Sarkar a second life. Then, as the partnership between Shakib and Mushfiqur grew, South African shoulders sagged and their energy in the field flatlined.

Misfields aplenty - and most egregious of all, Chris Morris' amateurish effort at short fine leg when Mushfiqur swept a ball from Tahir almost straight to him in the 20th over - eased the pressure whenever it started to build. Shakib was first to his fifty, getting there in the 26th over, Mushfiqur following him to the mark three overs later. Neither could kick on to three figures, but Mahmudullah ensured their efforts were not wasted, and Bangladesh's innings crescendoed as 54 runs came from the final four overs.

Bangladesh carried that momentum into the field, and there was a distinctly nervy feel to the start of South Africa's chase. Nerves turned to all-out jitters when de Kock was needlessly run out in the 10th over. Thereafter, it was Bangladesh's best-laid plans that worked out. A trap was set for du Plessis, mid-off being brought up to tempt him into hitting against the spin, and he duly jumped into it - and out of his crease, running past a Mehidy offbreak to be bowled for 62.

South Africa's hopes seemed to depart with him. Mustafizur got rid of David Miller via a leading edge to point, and Rassie van der Dussen played a decidedly flustered hoick across the line to be bowled by Mohammad Saifuddin for 45.

Thereafter, South Africa never looked up for it. All Bangladesh had to do was hold their nerve, and they did just that, opening their World Cup campaign with a win.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza says a collective performance is slowly becoming a winning formula for his side that beat South Africa by 21 runs in their World Cup opener on Sunday.

He didn't call the win their biggest ever but he said the wholesomeness of the performance delighted him, and would give the team much confidence for their next game.

"This is the team we are," Mashrafe said. "We mostly win when everyone contributes. Once most of our players step up, there's a good possibility to win the matches. I think we have been lucky, and played so well. We played well in the 2007 World Cup, and did well in a few matches in the 2011 World Cup too.

"I don't think this is our best win in terms of individual wins, but it wasn't easy for us in these conditions. It is one of our best performances because we are away from home, and I loved the way we played today. We know that it won't happen every day but we will take this win any day."

Mashrafe, however, warned his team-mates and fans not to go overboard with their first win in the competition with eight games remaining.

"We don't want to be too excited," he said. "We just have two points so far, so we should just focus on our game. We have to beat big teams if we want to do well in this tournament.

"I think from now we should forget about today's game. We have to plan against New Zealand, and try to execute it properly. This win will give us confidence but more challenges await us especially for our batsmen."

Mashrafe that he was pleased to see the batsmen play aggressively, yet not take too many risks. Soumya Sarkar embodied the approach by hitting nine chanceless boundaries in his 30-ball 42, before Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim struck fifties, and later Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain blasted 60-odd runs in the last six overs.

"It looked good that the batsmen built the innings without taking risks. I think they told themselves that we don't need to take many risks to score quickly. I hope that they took this message, and will apply it in the middle in the coming games."

Mashrafe didn't discount luck from the equation either, saying that when Mehidy Hasan Miraz got one to turn into Faf du Plessis and got him bowled, he knew something was up for them.

"I am a believer in luck," he said. "Everyone plans but it doesn't always come off. Luck is a factor in these tournaments, if you want to do well. The delivery that got Faf du Plessis was the only ball that turned, so luck is very much a thing."

Faf du Plessis, South Africa's captain, says that his team will have to cobble together a new strategy to stay alive in the World Cup, after a disastrous defeat to Bangladesh at The Oval was compounded by a hamstring strain for Lungi Ngidi that will keep one of their premier strike bowlers out of action for up to ten days.

With Dale Steyn, their iconic attack leader, still inching his way back to fitness following a shoulder problem, du Plessis admitted that "Plan A is gone", having come into the World Cup with hopes of deploying those two men alongside Kagiso Rabada to form one of the most formidable pace attacks in world cricket.

And now, with just three days to dust themselves off before taking on India in their opening World Cup fixture in Southampton on Wednesday, du Plessis said that he was still searching for answers as to why South Africa's campaign has got off to such a poor start.

"I have to believe that we can still win the World Cup," du Plessis said. "I won't be South African if I said no.

"I'll go back and try and see how we can lift the spirits in the team. We're playing a strong team in India in their first game, and our third game, so as a team, we know. We know we're not good enough at the moment and we have to turn it around.

"It's not like international cricket [is] 'there you go, there's a win for you'. The World Cup is set up with strong teams, and we have to win. We have no other choice. We won't be going back and just falling over, I can promise you that."

South Africa's performance was fatally undermined when Ngidi left the field after bowling just four expensive overs in Bangladesh's record ODI total of 330 for 6. He did not reappear, even to bat, and Dr Mohammad Moosajee, the team doctor, confirmed he would be sent for scans after experiencing "sharp discomfort in his left hamstring".

"Look, it didn't go according to plan," said du Plessis. "We spoke a lot before the game about trying to be aggressive, but obviously then Lungi got injured and that changed completely.

"Now all of a sudden, as captain, I have to bowl 15 to 20 overs of medium to slow or spin or bowling, so then you need to bowl the team out in order to make sure that you don't have to chase a big score.

"But the nature of subcontinent teams is that they do get a big score on the board, they can squeeze you when they have runs on the board, and that's exactly what happened."

Options for South Africa are thin on the ground going into the India fixture. Dwaine Pretorius is waiting in the wings as a seam-bowling allrounder, and Tabraiz Shamsi could conceivably link up with Imran Tahir in a twin-spin attack. But their ideal scenario, of fast and hostile bowling to cow their opponents into submission, is now to all intents and purposes over.

Plan A is gone," said du Plessis. "It's gone because Plan A was those bowlers playing together. They haven't played a game together on this tour.

"Initially Plan B was Anrich Nortje, an extra pace bowler that we had lined up for if we had an injury, to have another X-factor bowler that can bowl 145 plus. He got injured, as well.

"So now you're moving into your all-rounder territory. You have two medium pace all-rounders and then you have Chris Morris that like sits in between your fast bowlers and your medium pace bowlers.

"So, now, we have to really look at what we can do to try to be effective; is it playing all-rounders together, do we play two spinners. Now it's reshuffling all our cards and see how best we can deal with it."

Steyn is at least making progress towards his long-awaited return. He practised in the middle after the match, and should be close to consideration for the India game. However, having not played competitively since the IPL in April, and with a possible six must-win matches still to come in the group stages, his realistic return may be deferred until the West Indies match on June 9.

"Any captain would say that it's not easy [managing injuries], but I mean, I can't complain about it," said du Plessis. "That's not going to change anything. I have to find a way. The coaching staff, the team, has to find a way. It's not going for us from an injuries point of view."

For now, du Plessis' task is to motivate a dispirited dressing room, and he warned that - whereas there was comfort to be taken in the manner of their opening defeat against India - the Bangladesh loss was a different matter altogether.

"From my style of captaincy, has always been there's a line, and if you don't perform to that line, then there's a lot of harsh words," he said. "I'm certainly not Mr. Nice Guy. There's times for strictness and there's times that you see a dressing room needs you to be strong and to motivate them, and that was the previous game when we lost to England the way that we did.

"But now, today was not good enough. There's absolutely no excuses from me. So if the guys think they can make excuses for a performance like today, then they will be challenged. That's a fact.

"At the moment, it's a skill thing. Our skill is not where it needs to be. It's got absolutely nothing to do with injuries. You can make excuses, as many as you want. But every single player in our dressing room is not playing to their full potential, and that's why we're not putting the performance on. It's just about making sure you look at yourself in the mirror and see how you can find that answer."

Sitting Pat standing pat: Gronk still retired

Published in Breaking News
Sunday, 02 June 2019 10:49

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said Sunday morning that he is happy in retirement, while playfully deflecting a question on whether he wanted to end rumors that he would ever consider a comeback.

"Oh man! Whatever I say, it doesn't matter. It will always be crazy out there, but you can put them to rest," Gronkowski said with a smile while taking part in the One Mission Buzz Off for Kids at Gillette Stadium. "I'm feeling good. [In a] good place. It's great to be back here."

While Gronkowski, 30, didn't decisively spike the possibility of a comeback -- which is something his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said in March wouldn't surprise him -- he clearly seems to be content in retirement.

Gronkowski said returning to Gillette Stadium for Sunday's event, which marked the ninth year in which he's served as an ambassador by shaving his head in support of kids with cancer, reminded him that "there will always be family here, and it will always be home here."

Gronkowski didn't detail specific plans for his retirement, other than saying he plans to be part of more charitable and community events.

"I love the New England community. It's something special, all the support through many, many years of playing. The support of just not on the field, but off the field as well. New England will always be special, always have a big part in my heart, and always have much love," he said. "It's great to continue giving back. Just because I'm not playing any more doesn't mean you can't give back. You can do more, actually."

Gronkowski arrived for Sunday's event in the "Gronk Bus," allowing fans the chance to step inside and take photos

Andy Ruiz Jr. did what many believed was the impossible by stopping Anthony Joshua in Round 7 on Saturday to capture the WBA, WBO and IBF world titles in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

So what happened, and what did we learn?

1. Ruiz won -- did boxing lose?

It wasn't just Joshua who suffered a defeat. Deontay Wilder was a big loser too. While Wilder might eventually face Joshua in the future, that fight will never have quite the same importance or buzz as it did for the past year, when both were undefeated heavyweight titleholders.

Before this fateful weekend, if you had asked most boxing fans, both hard-core and casual, which fight they would most like to see in 2019, the answer probably would have been Joshua vs. Wilder. And now, after all the public posturing and promotional machinations that took place between the two sides, the two fighters and fans alike are now left with the possibility of nothing.

This was somewhat reminiscent of another monumental heavyweight upset -- when James "Buster" Douglas defeated Mike Tyson in February 1990. Sitting ringside that night in Tokyo was Evander Holyfield, who was waiting in the wings for Tyson to take care of business so that Holyfield could face "Iron Mike" for an eight-figure payday in what would have been a matchup of two well-known and undefeated heavyweights in their physical primes.

A pairing between Joshua and Wilder as undefeated heavyweight champions would have been one of the rare events in which boxing would've taken center stage on an international level.

Perhaps Wilder is finding a sense of satisfaction out of all this, given the acrimony of what has been an all-too-public negotiation with Joshua. But there has to be a part of him that is frustrated that the opportunity to be the first man to make the London Bridge fall down has evaporated, along with a career-high payday.

Once again, the business of boxing got in the way of the sport.


2. Is Joshua's chin a problem?

At this point, it seems like a rhetorical question.

What looked to be an early night for Joshua after flooring Ruiz in Round 3, instead became the beginning of a Gotham City nightmare in Joshua's United States debut. As he came into close the show on Ruiz, Joshua was caught by a series of crisp counterpunches from Ruiz, who proved he too could punch.

Joshua was stunned by a left hook to the temple during an exchange in the same round and went down in an stunning turn of events. And then once again. And while he survived the round and had some moments thereafter, from that point on, he looked unsteady on his legs and more than that, unsure of his own durability.

Never had a man so strong looked so fragile.

It was an easy call for referee Michael Griffin. While Joshua was on his feet standing on a neutral corner after being knocked down twice more by Ruiz in Round 7, he had symbolically waved the white flag.

And while the result is surprising, the fact is that Joshua was buzzed numerous times, and he hit the canvas four times. We have seen that before. He was stunned in victories over Dillian Whyte and most recently against Alexander Povetkin. Two years ago, Joshua was knocked down by Wladimir Klitschko before stopping Klitschko in a great fight.

For all of his talent, it's clear that Joshua's chin is a flaw. Perhaps it was just a matter of when it was going to be totally exposed.


3. So, who's the best heavyweight in boxing right now?

While Ruiz has three belts around his waist, does this make him the best big man in the world?

It's not Ruiz, no. But he'll certainly get the opportunity to state his case in the coming months.

WBC belt-holder Deontay Wilder and lineal champion Tyson Fury -- who fought to a contentious draw in December at Los Angeles' Staples Center -- are considered the two best after tonight.

It was announced Friday that Wilder and Fury had agreed to a rematch in the first part of 2020. The winner of that bout will be considered the best fighter in the division. But based on the events we just saw, let's not assume anything just yet. While Wilder will be facing Luis Ortiz in September, Fury still has to fight Tom Schwarz on June 15 and might have another fight in the fall.

Let's not just pencil in this rematch just yet.


4. Is an immediate rematch a good idea for Joshua?

The reality is that Joshua has never been the same aggressive attacker post-Klitschko. Now, in the aftermath of his New York meltdown, you wonder if he'll ever be the same. Losses of this nature can affect a fighter more psychologically than physically.

This just seems like a soul-crushing loss for Joshua, and the shiny veneer that accompanied him into this event might never be recaptured. The cloak of invincibility on Joshua had been fading, and now it's completely ripped to shreds.

If they do it again in six months, Ruiz, you would think, would come into the rematch with more confidence -- and at least the same power -- while Joshua will have the same doubts that he left the ring with on Saturday.

In the United Kingdom, Joshua is still a very bankable commodity, but another loss to Ruiz most likely would reduce his status to being the modern-day Frank Bruno.


5. Do we need to give Ruiz credit?

play
2:23

Atlas: Ruiz 'just wrecked a hundred years of physical fitness'

Teddy Atlas says that Anthony Joshua didn't look interested in the fight vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. and gives credit to Ruiz for catching Joshua behind the ear, throwing off his equilibrium.

Yes, absolutely. While there is a natural inclination in these circumstances to always talk about the shortcomings of the favorite who loses a fight in this manner, credit does have to be given to the victors for what they achieved.

Ruiz was a late replacement for Jarrell Miller and a more seasoned fighter with a better track record coming into the bout. While neither had faced "great "opposition, Ruiz's only loss in 33 previous fights was a razor-thin majority decision to Joseph Parker in Auckland, New Zealand, for the WBO heavyweight title in December 2016.

Talent has never been an issue for the 29-year-old Ruiz, who despite his less-than-chiseled physique is a boxer who possesses fast hands and fluidity. He will never have rippling abs or the shredded musculature of his colleagues, but he does have natural fighting ability.

He also showed a fighter's mentality by dusting himself off the canvas in the third; instead of getting caved in by Joshua, Ruiz turned things around in dramatic fashion, then proceeded to patiently walk down the defending champion.

Bottom line: Ruiz fights better than he looks.

D-Wade surprises as H.S. graduation speaker

Published in Basketball
Sunday, 02 June 2019 12:11

Dwyane Wade, reflecting on the challenges faced by the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a mass shooting took place last year, told the school's 2019 graduating class that "I've never experienced anything to the magnitude that you guys just experienced."

Wade was a surprise speaker for the high school's graduation ceremonies Sunday. In his speech, he shared his perspective on his first visit to the Parkland, Florida, school in March 2018, three weeks after the shooting that killed 14 students and three staff members.

"I remember walking to the school, and I remember hearing absolutely nothing," Wade said. "I remember thinking to myself, 'I've never heard this kind of silence before in my life.'"

Wade then related his surprise at the reaction he got from people at the school, saying they made him a part of the "MSD family."

"As I was walking in, students started seeing me, I remember seeing smiles, people running, pulling out their phones," Wade said. "... I remember thinking, 'Wow.' It was packed. I didn't expect that."

Wade told graduates that it was understandable if they felt unsure about their futures. He said that in some ways, after 16 years in the NBA, he also was unsure exactly what his future entails.

The now-retired Wade has been a regular supporter of the school ever since the shooting. He said he was honored that Joaquin Oliver, who was killed in the attack, was a huge fan of the former Miami Heat star and was buried wearing a Wade jersey.

Wade closed his remarks by asking those in attendance to join him in a cheer that he used to spur on the Heat in the 2013 NBA Finals.

The cheer was punctuated by the words "to the last man, to the last minute, to the last second, we fight, we fight, we fight!" Once he led the graduates and their guests in the cheer, he wrapped up his speech by again saying, "MSD Strong" -- the school's mantra since the tragedy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kerr open to playing Durant after one practice

Published in Basketball
Sunday, 02 June 2019 10:47

TORONTO -- Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant will not play in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, but coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that it is "feasible" that Durant could participate in just one practice before being cleared to play in a game.

"It's feasible," Kerr said. "But again, it's really a day-to-day thing. If we had a crystal ball, we would have known a long time ago what we were dealing with. It's just an injury; there's been a lot of gray area. So literally it's just day to day and how the progress is coming. And at this point he's still not ready."

Durant has not played or practiced since suffering a right calf injury on May 8 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets. Kerr and the Warriors remain optimistic that Durant will return at some point in the Finals, but they just don't know when he will be able to do more work with his teammates.

"Kevin is fine," Kerr said. "He didn't go through our shootaround. He's with our trainer, so he's out obviously. Another day, another step forward in his rehab progress."

Durant spent time with the group on the floor during the beginning of Saturday's practice but went back to the locker room area to receive more treatment. The Warriors are not scheduled to practice Monday as they head back to Oakland for Wednesday's Game 3.

Rangers' Gallo placed on IL following early exit

Published in Baseball
Sunday, 02 June 2019 10:16

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo hopes to be sidelined no more than two weeks because of a left oblique strain.

Gallo was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday. He consulted with New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, who has been out with a similar injury since April 20.

The strain is on the back side of the left-handed-hitting Gallo's swing, while Judge's injury is to his front side.

"I talked to Judge yesterday because I was concerned," Gallo said before Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals. "I was trying to figure out what he felt, 'cause at the time I didn't have the MRI. He said, yeah, it's better to be on the back side. His was more significant."

Gallo has 17 homers and was tied for second in the American League entering Sunday. His .653 slugging percentage topped the AL.

Rangers manager Chris Woodward said he thought Gallo would miss about two weeks.

"He worries me just because he creates so much torque with his body and he's so strong that we don't want him to come back too early," Woodward said. "We don't want that to turn into a six- or eight-week deal."

Woodward said Gallo, who is 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, probably will be able to bat before he can return to the outfield.

Gallo left Saturday's game in the fifth inning after hitting his second homer in two days in the fourth. He was pulled with a full count after speaking with Woodward and head athletic trainer Matt Lucero.

He felt the injury in the top of the fifth when he prepared to throw from center field to third base.

"It's not like an excruciating pain," he said. "Just an annoying kind of, little nagging thing."

Center fielder Delino DeShields was recalled from Triple-A Nashville.

Brewers place RHP Chacin on IL, to recall Nelson

Published in Baseball
Sunday, 02 June 2019 11:30

PITTSBURGH -- The Milwaukee Brewers have placed struggling starter Jhoulys Chacin on the injured list with a strained lower back, paving the way for Jimmy Nelson's return to the majors.

The Brewers made the move Sunday, two days after Chacin fell to 3-7 with a 5.74 ERA after giving up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings in a loss to Pittsburgh.

Milwaukee recalled right-handed relievers Jacob Barnes and Taylor Williams from Triple-A San Antonio to give the team some help in the bullpen for Sunday's series finale against the Pirates. The Brewers optioned catcher Jacob Nottingham to Triple-A.

The team said it expects to recall Nelson on Wednesday and start him against the Miami Marlins. The appearance will be Nelson's first in the majors since Sept. 8, 2017, when he partially tore his labrum and strained the rotator cuff in his right (throwing) shoulder diving head-first into first base to beat out a single against the Chicago Cubs.

The injury put an end to Nelson's breakout season. He went 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA for Milwaukee in 2017. He underwent shoulder surgery shortly after the injury and missed all of 2018.

Nelson went 3-0 with a 3.75 ERA in three starts and one relief appearance for San Antonio this spring. He will make his return to the majors on his 30th birthday.

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Raptors forward Brown undergoes knee surgery

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EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsToronto Raptors forward Bruce Brown underwent arthroscopic surgery...

Baseball

D-backs get Gurriel back in boost to playoff push

D-backs get Gurriel back in boost to playoff push

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMILWAUKEE -- Lourdes Gurriel is back to assist the Arizona Diamondb...

Braves reinstate 2B Albies after 2 months on IL

Braves reinstate 2B Albies after 2 months on IL

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Atlanta Braves returned three-time All-Star second baseman Ozzi...

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    Federation Internationale de Speedball

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