Injury shelves Bellinger
The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed former NL MVP Cody Bellinger on the injured list with a bruised left calf.
The World Series champions made the move Friday before Bellinger and his teammates received their championship rings ahead of the Dodgers’ home opener against Washington.
Bellinger was accidentally spiked by Athletics reliever Reymin Guduan on Monday while beating out an infield single in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 10-3 win in Oakland.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said they had not seen “significant” improvement in Bellinger’s leg since the injury, but the outfielder was already jogging and moving. He missed the final two games of Los Angeles’ series in Oakland.
“All the tests say it’ll be a short-term missing of time rather than a long-term, which is great news all around,” Roberts said.
SWIMMING
Katie Ledecky won the 200-meter freestyle at the TYR Pro Swim Series meet with the world’s fastest time this year.
Ledecky touched first in 1 minute, 54.40 seconds in the outdoor pool Friday in Mission Viejo, California. She was well ahead of three-time Olympian Allison Schmitt, who was second in 1:58.04. Ledecky’s time tied Schmitt’s U.S. Open record set in 2012.
Ledecky’s best time in the event is 1:53.73 set at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where she won gold.
BASEBALL
Free agent pitcher David Carpenter has been suspended for one year for violating the minor league joint drug prevention and treatment program.
A person familiar with the matter said Carpenter’s ban was for refusing to take a test.
Carpenter has pitched in six big league seasons and last appeared in the majors in 2019 for the Texas Rangers.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Cincinnati fired coach John Brannen following an investigation into reports of a rift with Bearcats players.
The school fired Brannen, six days after he was put on paid leave after six Cincinnati players decided to transfer last month. Tim Morris will serve as interim coach until a replacement is hired.
Brannen was hired from Northern Kentucky in 2019 and seven players he recruited have since left the program. Four players who left this year were members of the 2020 freshman class who entered the transfer portal during a week in March.
The Bearcats went 20-10 before last season was canceled due to the pandemic. They missed the NCAA Tournament this year after going 12-11.
Gamecocks keep Martin: South Carolina coach Frank Martin received a two-year contract extension through the 2024-25 season.
The move ends more than a month of questions about Martin’s future after the Gamecocks finished the season with a 5-16 record and have not qualified for the NCAA Tournament since he led them to the Final Four in 2017.