Off the wire
BASEBALL Miller loses feel
Andrew Miller has lost control, and neither he nor the Cardinals know why. The two-time All-Star and 2016 ALCS MVP with Cleveland will be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time as he tries to regain the feel for his pitches. “The sensation I have throwing a baseball now just isn’t consistent with what it is when I know I’m good,” Miller said. Miller struggles to describe the feeling he experiences when releasing the ball. It’s not pain. There’s no burning or tingling. It simply doesn’t feel right. Scheduled to pitch in relief on Monday, Miller cut short his warmup after several tosses badly missed his target. “I wasn’t worried about hurting myself,” Miller said. “The stuff that’s been bothering me, and I’ve been trying to work through, it just wasn’t getting better.” That outing followed a wild Grapefruit League debut Friday during which Miller allowed one run in one inning while hitting two batters, including Tim Tebow. Miller said the issue dates back to last season, his first with St. Louis, and contributed to his 5-6 record and 4.45 ERA. He’s entering the final year of a two-year free agent contract worth $25 million, with a club option for 2021.
Sale undergoes MRI
Boston Red Sox starter Chris Sale has soreness in his throwing elbow and has undergone an MRI, the team announced two days after the 30-year-old left-hander faced batters for the first time this spring. Manager Ron Roenicke said Sale felt the soreness in his elbow Monday morning, the day after his 18-pitch batting practice session. Team doctors reviewed the MRI results and sent them to Dr. James Andrews. Sale’s batting practice session Sunday was the first time he faced hitters since he gave up five runs over 62/3 innings in a win at Cleveland on Aug. 13. He went on the injured list with elbow inflammation, finishing 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA in 25 starts — his fewest wins and starts and highest ERA in a full season since 2012. Sale avoided surgery on his elbow, receiving platelet-rich plasma injections in the fall instead. Sale, who turns 31 on March 30, is entering the first year of a five-year, $145 million deal he signed during spring training last year.
Yankee sluggers in doubt
Outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are likely to miss New York’s opener at Balti- more on March 26 because of their injuries. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday that Judge is having more tests to determine the cause of soreness in the right pectoral area near his shoulder. Judge has not hit on the field since spring training started. The right fielder felt discomfort Friday when he took batting practice for the second straight day in an indoor cage. Stanton strained his right calf on Feb. 26 during defensive drills. Cashman thinks Stanton will be back in April. Since winning the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year award, Judge has been limited to 112 games in 2018 because of a broken right wrist and to 102 games last year due to a strained left oblique. Stanton was acquired by the Yankees from Miami before the 2018 season. The left fielder played in just 18 regular-season games last year because of a strained left biceps and a sprained right knee.
BASKETBALL Duncan fills in as coach
San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich missed Tuesday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets because he was away to attend to personal business. Former Spurs star and assistant coach Tim Duncan stepped in to lead the Spurs in a 104-103 victory against the Hornets. Popovich is expected to return for San Antonio’s next game against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. Duncan also served as acting coach Nov. 16 when Popovich was ejected during a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Oubre has knee surgery
Phoenix Suns forward Kelly Oubre had surgery Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and will miss at least four weeks. The 6-7 Oubre has missed the past three games because of the injury, and the Suns lost all of them. Oubre ranks third on the team with 18.7 points per game. He’s also averaging 6.4 rebounds. The Suns said Oubre will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
FOOTBALL Jags, Broncos swing deal
A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that the Denver Broncos have agreed to acquire cornerback A.J. Bouye from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be processed and the teams cannot comment on it until the NFL’s new league year begins March 18. The fourth-round pick in the deal is the one the Broncos acquired from the San Francisco 49ers at the trade deadline last season for wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who helped his new team reach the Super Bowl. Bouye has 14 interceptions in seven NFL seasons in Houston and Jacksonville.
Nevada extends coach
Nevada Coach Jay Norvell has received a new five-year contract that runs through the 2024 season, the school said Tuesday. Norvell, who is 18-20 overall in three seasons, is coming off back-to-back winning seasons and consecutive bowl appearances after going 3-9 in his first year at Nevada in 2017. The new contract includes a guaranteed base salary and compensation totaling $625,000 per season, plus supplemental bonuses based on athletic and academic success, Athletic Director Doug Knuth said. Norvell went 8-5 with a victory over Arkansas State University in the Arizona Bowl in 2018. Nevada was 7-5 last season and played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Nevada will face the University of Arkansas in Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Sept. 5 in the season opener.