By wire sources
Sizemore to miss
8-12 weeks
CLEVELAND — Grady Sizemore will start the season in a familiar spot — on the disabled list.
The oft-injured Cleveland Indians outfielder is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks with a back injury, the latest medical setback for a three-time All-Star who once appeared to have a sensational career ahead of him.
The team said Sizemore underwent a “minimally invasive” lower back procedure Thursday in Miami. He required a micro discectomy that was performed by Dr. Barth Green of the University of Miami School of Medicine.
“Grady’s obviously frustrated,” general manager Chris Antonetti said in comments posted on MLB.com.
Sizemore was limited to 71 games last year, hitting .224 with 10 home runs, 32 RBIs and 34 runs scored. Hoping to bounce back with a healthy season, he was injured while fielding ground balls early in spring training.
Burnett to undergo surgery for fracture
PITTSBURGH — Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett will undergo surgery on Friday to repair a fractured right orbital bone.
The right-hander was injured Wednesday at the team’s spring training facilities in Bradenton, Fla., while trying to bunt. The failed attempt caromed off his bat and into his face.
He flew to Pittsburgh late Wednesday to be further evaluated.
AP sources: No deadline for deal on MLB playoffs
NEW YORK — The Braves are remembered for one of baseball’s epic collapses.
Too bad for Atlanta the playoffs weren’t expanded a year earlier.
Negotiators for baseball players and owners are working toward an agreement to increase the postseason field to 10 teams this season. They had hoped to reach a deal by Thursday, but both sides said talks could continue if they needed additional time to deal with the details of adding a second wild-card team in each league.
Steinbrenner plans to lower Yankees’ payroll
TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner wants to lower the team’s payroll to $189 million over the next few years.
Under baseball’s new labor contract, the luxury tax threshold will be at $189 million after the 2013 season. By getting under the threshold, the Yankees would be eligible to get some of their revenue-sharing money back.
“Is it a requirement with baseball that we hit 189? No, it’s not a requirement, but that is going to be the luxury tax threshold, and that’s where I want to be,” Steinbrenner said Thursday. “I don’t think it’s an unrealistic goal. My goals are normally considered a requirement.”
Steinbrenner said this season’s payroll is around $210 million. He thinks the Yankees can be successful at a lower level with a strong player-development system.
Cardinals, Molina
reach $75M deal
JUPITER, Fla. — The St. Louis Cardinals made certain another big star did not get away.
Four-time Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract Thursday that kicks in next season and will keep him in St. Louis through the 2017 season. The deal makes Molina, long known for his premier defense and with a much improved bat, the second-highest paid catcher in the majors.
“He’s the best catcher in the game,” teammate Carlos Beltran said. “When you have the best catcher in the game, you have to sign him. It’s great for the organization, to keep a guy like that.”
Unlike Molina’s close friend, Albert Pujols, who bolted for a 10-year, $240 million deal with Anaheim in December, the Cardinals stepped up before another of their cornerstone players entered the final year of his contract. Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. called Molina a “franchise-type player.”
Molina batted .305 in 2011 with 14 home runs and 65 RBIs, and added 12 RBIs during the team’s World Series title run.
He’s been durable, too, averaging 138 games the last three seasons.
Vikings get new stadium plan,
tough sell ahead
ST. PAUL, Minn. — It has taken the Minnesota Vikings nearly a decade to get this far in their quest for a new stadium.
There is a lot more work to be done.
Gov. Mark Dayton and Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf unveiled plans Thursday for a new, $975 million stadium that would be built nearly on top of the Metrodome site in downtown Minneapolis. The deal, assembled behind closed doors in recent weeks, was a key step toward getting a plan in front of state lawmakers and other civic leaders for approval.
Still, the plan is a far cry from becoming reality.
“Every single politician is now going to have to make a tough decision,” said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, a stadium booster who must now persuade a majority of skeptical city council members to dedicate sales tax proceeds to the effort.
Chargers G Dielman retires due to concussion
SAN DIEGO — As tough and nasty as any player in the NFL, whether it was putting Albert Haynesworth on his back or getting in the last shot in a tangle of large bodies, Kris Dielman found it hard to end his NFL career.
With one of his young sons babbling in the background, the four-time Pro Bowl left guard for the San Diego Chargers choked up as he announced Thursday that he was retiring due to a scary concussion that led to changes by the NFL.
Roddick advances to quarters at Delray
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Andy Roddick reached his second quarterfinal of the year with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championship on Thursday.
The other time the fourth-seeded Roddick reached a quarterfinal this season was in San Jose two weeks ago. He lost that match to Istomin 6-2, 6-4 in their only other career meeting.
Roddick is currently ranked No. 30, which is the lowest ranking he’s had since he ranked No. 30 on August 13, 2001. He’s been dealing with right hamstring and right ankle problems this year, and he’s struggling to find a range with his game.
Radwanska wins twice in 1 day in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska completed two wins on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the rain-delayed Malaysian Open.
Radwanska finished off a 6-2, 6-4 win over Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan after their first-round match was suspended by rain on Wednesday at 3-3 in the second set.
After a break, she then defeated Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4 to reach her fifth quarterfinal of the year.
Djokovic sets up semifinal with
Murray in Dubai
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Novak Djokovic defeated fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic 6-1, 7-6 (6) Thursday to set up a Dubai Championships semifinal against Andy Murray, a rematch of a marathon five-setter at the Australian Open.
Murray, who lost to Djokovic at the Australian Open each of the last two years, defeated fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5 Thursday.
Roger Federer will face Juan Martin del Potro in the other semifinal. Del Potro beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (1), 6-2 for the second time in two weeks, while Federer improved to 12-0 against Mikhail Youzhny by eliminating him 6-3, 6-4.
Verdasco beats Almagro to reach Mexican Open semis
ACAPULCO, Mexico — David Ferrer took a large stride toward back-to-back Mexican Open titles by winning his quarterfinal Thursday, while his main rival and Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro lost to Fernando Verdasco.
By wire sources