SPORTS SHORTS

NFL: Brady restructures deal

Tom Brady and the Buccaneers have restructured the quarterback’s contract to free up $9 million in salary-cap space, ESPN reported.

Brady would still become an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season, but the move frees Tampa Bay to sign its draft picks and, perhaps, re-sign Rob Gronkowski and Ndamukong Suh.

● The NFL will have three games on Christmas Day for the first time: one apiece on CBS and Fox in the afternoon, followed by a prime-time contest on NBC.

MLB: Frazier has appendicitis

Clint Frazier’s snakebitten career took another hit when the Cubs announced the outfielder has been sidelined because of appendicitis.

The 27-year-old Frazier missed the final 82 games of last season with the Yankees because of vertigo. He signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Cubs after being released by the Yankees on Nov. 19.

● Miguel Cabrera’s quest for his 3,000th hit was delayed for at least one more day when the game between the Tigers and Rockies scheduled for Friday night in Detroit was rained out.

● In Atlanta, Kyle Wright had a careerhigh 11 strikeouts in six dominant innings, Matt Olson doubled in two runs and the Braves beat Miami, 3-0. Wright has a 1.06 ERA after three starts. ● In Philadelphia, Alec Bohm hit a goahead, two-run single in the eighth inning, Bryce Harper got two key hits and the Phillies stopped Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory.

● In St. Petersburg, Fla., Xander Bogaerts had three hits and scored twice in the first five innings and Boston beat Tampa Bay, 4-3.

NHL: Oilers clinch playoff spot

Evander Kane had three goals and an assist, Connor McDavid had three assists and the Oilers clinched a Western Conference playoff berth with a 6-3 victory over the Avalanche in Edmonton, Alberta. ETC.: Cantlay, Schauffele lead Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele shot a 4-under 68 in alternate-shot play at windswept TPC of Louisiana to maintain a one-stroke lead in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in Avondale, La. The teams of David Lipsky-Aaron Rai and Doc Redman-Sam Ryder were second after 67s.

● In Los Angeles, Jin Young Ko had five back-nine birdies in a 7-under 64 at demanding Wilshire Country Club for a share of the second-round lead with Nasa Hataoka in the DIO Implant LA Open

● Camp Nou broke its own world record set last month for a women’s soccer match when 91,648 fans reveled in Barcelona’s 5-1 rout of Wolfsburg in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League semifinal in Barcelona.