German on leave via domestic violence policy
New York Yankees star pitcher Domingo German was placed on administrative leave Thursday under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy, casting doubt over whether New York’s top winner this season will be available for the playoffs.
Manager Aaron Boone was informed of the decision while he was driving to Yankee Stadium for a game against the Angels. New York clinched its first AL East title since 2012 with a 9-1 victory over the Angels. German is 18-4.
“Set baseball aside, this is a bigger issue, obviously,” Boone said. “When you hear the words domestic violence, it’s one of those things that stops you in your tracks.”
Details on what prompted the action weren’t disclosed. MLB said the leave “may last up to seven days, barring an extension.”
The Yankees begin the AL playoffs on Oct. 4, likely at home.
ETC. FIFA urges Iran to lift ban
FIFA President Gianni Infantino raised hopes that Iran will lift a ban on women entering soccer stadiums before a World Cup qualifying game next month.
Attention on the ban intensified when a 29-year-old activist, Sahar Khodayari, died this month after setting herself on fire outside a courthouse. She had been detained for dressing as a man to enter a soccer stadium and believed she faced six months in prison.
Infantino said in a statement “now is the moment to change things and FIFA is expecting positive developments starting in the next Iran home match.”
Iran, the top-ranked team in Asia, hosts Cambodia at the 78,000-seat Azadi Stadium in Tehran on Oct. 10.
Lukas Michel of Australia twice came back from three-hole deficits and won the U.S. Mid-Amateur in Parker, Colo., becoming the first international winner in the event’s 39-year history and earning a spot in the Masters . ... In Virginia Water, England, Rory McIlroy made six bogeys and a double bogey in his last 11 holes to shoot four-over 76 at the BMW PGA Championship, leaving the world No. 2 already 11 strokes off the firstround lead held by Matt Wallace . ... Tom Hoge shot a bogey-free 64 to lead the Sanderson Farms Championship at Jackson, Miss., before first-round play was suspended because of weather.
The University of Connecticut removed a logo from its online athletic sites after discovering a key piece of it was copied from a North Carolina State athletic logo. The logo, which featured three canines in the woods and the words “The Pack,” was created to represent Connecticut’s new official student section at sporting events.
But the image of the animals is identical to the wolves used in an N.C. State logo.
The Los Alamitos thoroughbred racing meetings next year were reduced from eight weeks to five as the California Horse Racing Board finalized racing for Southern California. Los Alamitos picked up an extra week in December as part of a compromise measure. Los Alamitos will race thoroughbreds from June 24 until July 5 and from Dec. 2 until Dec. 22, under the auspices of the L.A. County Fair meeting. In this compromise measure, Santa Anita gave up a week of simulcast revenue that could approach about $1 million.
— John Cherwa
Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot agreed to an eight-year, $64million contract extension. The agreement locks up another member of Ottawa’s young core.
The Kings lost in overtime 3-2 against the Vegas Golden Knights at Staples Center. Jonathan Marchessault scored the game-winner, beating Jonathan Quick on the glove side on a breakaway during the sudden death period.
Dustin Brown opened the scoring late in the second period for the Kings, burying a rebound on the power play. The Golden Knights scored twice late in the third period to tie the score.
— Jack Harris
The Clippers on Friday will announce the renaming of their practice facility as the Honey Training Center, part of a naming-rights deal with Honey, a tech firm that finds discounts for online shoppers, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
The logo of the Los Angeles-based company also will be displayed on the practice courts and jerseys the team wears during practices. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but it lasts at least four years.
— Andrew Greif