BASEBALL
OF Puig, Braves reach deal
Free agent outfielder Yasiel Puig and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a one-year deal, a person with knowledge of the deal said Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not official until Puig passes a physical. The agreement helps the Braves address a depth problem in their outfield. Puig hit a combined .267 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019. He also stole 19 bases. Puig, 29, was the last big-name free agent from the offseason who had not signed with a team. Puig, from Cuba, made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013. He hit .263 with a career-high 28 home runs for the Dodgers in 2017 and added 23 home runs in 125 games in 2018. The National League East champion Braves were facing a depth problem in their outfield even after signing Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $18 million deal in the offseason. Veteran Nick Markakis opted out of the season before summer camp. Ozuna or Adam Duvall could be needed as the designated hitter in the shortened 60-game season. The team's shortage of outfielders was highlighted when rookie Cristian Pache jammed his right ankle in Monday night's intrasquad game and was not available Tuesday. If Ozuna is the primary designated hitter, Puig could join Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ender Iniarte in a starting outfield.
10 umpires opt out of season
About 10 Major League Baseball umpires have opted out this season, choosing not to work games in the shortened schedule because of concerns over the coronavirus. Two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press about the decisions Tuesday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey and Washington Nationals infielder Ryan Zimmerman are among a dozen or so players who won't participate this year because of health issues. The 60-game, virus-abbreviated season begins July 23. There are 76 full-time MLB umpires and more than 20 of them are age 55 or over. Joe West and Gerry Davis are the oldest umps at 67. Umpires who are deemed at risk -- either for their age, health situation or other issues -- and opt out will continue to get paid. Umps get their salaries over 12 months and have already been paid through April. A deal between MLB and its umpires reached during the virus shutdown ensured that if even one regular-season game was played this season, the umps were guaranteed 37.5% of their salaries.
BASKETBALL
Kings' Barnes has coronavirus
Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings became the latest NBA player to reveal that he has the coronavirus, making the announcement Tuesday and saying he has hopes to join his team for the league's restart later this summer. Barnes is the only player who has started all 64 of the Kings' games this season. To extend that streak, he'll need to be cleared and arrive at Walt Disney World before Sacramento's season resumes with the first of its eight seeding games on July 31 against San Antonio. "Prior to the team leaving last week, I tested positive for Covid-19," Barnes wrote on social media. "I've been primarily asymptomatic and am doing well. I'm quarantined and am abiding by the safety protocol until I'm cleared for action. I hope to join my team in Orlando when it is safe to do so! Stay safe out there." Barnes is averaging 14.7 points this season for the Kings. The league said Monday that 19 players tested positive during in-market testing after July 1, those tests being done before teams began arriving at Disney on July 7. Based on the timetable Barnes used in his message, it's likely that he was one of those 19 players in the NBA's latest count. The Kings have gotten Buddy Hield and Jabari Parker back after each had positive tests. Alex Len, however, remains out after his positive test, and now Barnes is in that situation as well. "We have to prepare as if we're not going to have either one of those guys," Sacramento Coach Luke Walton said. "That's just getting ready for whatever the worst-case scenario may be."
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July 15, 2020 at 02:40PM
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Off The Wire - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
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