Off the wire
FOOTBALL Lynch returns — to Raiders
Marshawn Lynch is coming out of retirement after agreeing on a two-year deal with the Raiders that paved the way for a trade to his hometown team in Oakland. Lynch passed a physical Wednesday and agreed to a restructured two-year contract. Those were the final steps needed before the Seattle Seahawks could trade his rights along with a 2018 sixth-round pick to the Raiders for a 2018 fifth-rounder. NFL Network said Lynch would get a $3 million base deal this season, with a chance to make an additional $2 million if he rushes for at least 1,000 yards. Lynch had been slated to make $9 million this season if he came out of retirement. With Seattle unwilling to pay that amount and Lynch only wanting to play for the Raiders, finalizing a trade was simple once Oakland was able to re-do Lynch’s contract. Lynch also must apply to the NFL for reinstatement from the retired list before he can play with the Raiders. Lynch retired following the 2015 season but decided he wanted to come back and play with his hometown team. The Raiders met with him early this month to gauge his interest and wanted to get a deal done before the draft. The Raiders have a need for a power running back after losing Latavius Murray in free agency.
University suspends 13
Louisiana-Lafayette has indefinitely suspended 13 players facing charges of criminal conspiracy to commit felony theft. The suspended players are tight end Matthew Barnes, defensive ends Joe Dillon and Jarvis Jeffries, offensive linemen Robert Hunt and D’Aquin Withrow, linebacker Terik Miller, defensive backs Denarius Howard, Damar’ren Mitchell, Simeon Thomas and Levarious Varnado, defensive tackle LaDarrius Kidd and running backs Trey Ragas and Jordan Wright. School officials said they were suspended “for a violation of team rules” without going into more detail. A university release said that “the department of athletics is being respectful of the judicial process and will not discuss the incident that led to the players’ suspension.” Louisiana-Lafayette police say the 13 students went to a dorm room April 5 and took several items worth a total
of about $2,400. Police said the students were identified through video surveillance. Police said all 13 students cooperated throughout the investigation and that all the stolen items were recovered.
TENNIS Nadal advances
Defending champion Rafael Nadal cruised past Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil 6-1, 6-2 to reach the third round of the Barcelona Open on Wednesday. Top-seeded Andy
Murray also advanced, but without having to play as Bernard
Tomic withdrew before their second-round match because of a lower back injury. Nadal had a slow start to the second set against the 69th-ranked Brazilian, but recovered by winning the final six games to secure the victory. Nadal will next play Kevin Anderson of South Africa. Murray will play 40th-ranked Feliciano Lopez of Spain, who defeated Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-2. In other second round matches, fifth-seeded David Goffin of Belgium defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-5, 6-0, while qualifier Hyeon Chung of South
Korea beat 12th-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-3, 6-4.
Sharapova returns, wins
Maria Sharapova won her first match on her return from a 15-month doping ban, beating Roberta Vinci 7-5, 6-3 in the opening round of the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, on Wednesday. The five-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 was earlier given a lukewarm welcome by 4,500 spectators, receiving a polite applause and some whistling when she entered the sold-out arena. After a shaky start and conceding seven of the first eight points, Sharapova settled down and showed flashes of her old self. It was the Russian’s first match since losing to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Australian Open, and her first match on clay in nearly two years. Last year, Sharapova tested positive for the banned substance meldonium.
BASEBALL Hernandez on DL
The Seattle Mariners have put Felix Hernandez on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation after he lasted just two innings in his start at Detroit on Tuesday night. The Mariners announced the move Wednesday. They also put outfielder Mitch
Haniger on the DL with a strained right oblique. Hernandez came out of the 19-9 loss to the Tigers after allowing four runs in two innings. Haniger left the game in the third inning with his injury. The Mariners also optioned right-handers
Chris Heston and Evan Marshall to Class AAA Tacoma. They recalled right-hander Chase De
Jong, left-hander Dillon Overton and outfielder Ben Gamel from Tacoma, and purchased the contract of right-hander Casey Fien from Tacoma.
BASKETBALL Rockets owner fined
Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has been fined $100,000 by the NBA for confronting a referee during live game action. Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president of league operations, announced Alexander’s fine Wednesday. The incident occurred Tuesday in the final minute of the first quarter during the Rockets’ 105-99 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Alexander left his courtside seat and walked toward Bill Kennedy. Alexander than says something to Kennedy before turning around and heading back to his seat. The Rockets eliminated the Thunder in five games and will face either the San Antonio Spurs or Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference semifinals.
SOCCER Video replays set
FIFA has confirmed that video replays will be used at the World Cup for the first time in 2018. FIFA President Gianni Infantino had already stated that he wanted the technology to be used in Russia, and now he has ended any doubt. Speaking in Santiago, Chile, Infantino said “at the 2018 World Cup we will have video referees, because so far the results are very positive.” The International Football Association Board, the game’s lawmaking body, is in its second year of trials with various versions of video assistant referees (VAR). Infantino said “we are going to help the referee to not make any mistakes, or commit fewer mistakes, and we are going to give a bit more justice to football.”