Brewers DFA two-time All-Star Cain as he reaches 10 years
CINCINNATI >> On the same date that he reached 10 years of major league service, the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday designated for assignment two-time All-Star outfielder Lorenzo Cain.
Cain, 36, hit .179 with one home run and nine RBIs over 43 games this season.
“It just got to a point where it's probably time,” Cain told a small group of Brewers' beat writers. “I haven't been performing like I would've liked, but the situation is what it is. I've had a great career. I can't really be upset about anything, but, yeah, it's time. I wish all my teammates the best, coaches, trainers, everybody that I've played with or met throughout my entire career, I wish them nothing but the best. It's been a really fun ride for me for sure.”
Cain is in the last year of a five-year, $80 million contract he signed in January 2018 as a free agent. Milwaukee is responsible for the $10,897,121 remaining of this season's $18 million salary. He is unlikely to be claimed off waivers because of his salary. If he is released, any team can sign him for a prorated share of the $700,000 minimum.
Waiting until Saturday allowed Cain to be fully vested in the players' pension fund.
The center fielder played a key role for the 2015 World Series champion Kansas City Royals before signing with the Brewers, the team that originally drafted him before trading him in December 2010 to the Royals. He helped Milwaukee reach postseason play each of the past four seasons. NATIONALS RETIRE ZIMMERMAN'S NUMBER >> Seventeen years and 11 days after Ryan Zimmerman was the first player ever drafted by the new-to-town Washington Nationals, and a little more than eight months after he appeared in his last game for the franchise, his No. 11 became the first jersey number retired by the club.
During a ceremony before
Saturday's game between Washington and the Philadelphia Phillies, the man known as “Mr. National” removed a blue uniform shirt with “11” on the back and handed it to his father, who handed it off to clubhouse and equipment manager Mike Wallace.
Then a plaque with Zimmerman's name and number were unveiled on a façade of the upper deck in foul territory between home plate and right field at Nationals Park.
NBA
ATKINSON DECIDES NOT TO COACH HORNETS >>
The Charlotte Hornets will have to begin their search again for a head coach because Kenny Atkinson changed his mind and will stay with the NBA champion Warriors after all.
Two people with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Atkinson will remain with Golden State as an assistant coach and won't become the new coach of the Hornets.
Both spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither Atkinson nor the Hornets revealed any details of the talks or agreement publicly. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said
he wouldn't discuss it until the Hornets announced Atkinson's hiring.
The move comes more than a week after Atkinson had agreed to a fouryear contract. But the contract was never signed, one of the people said.
Tennis
OSAKA WON'T PLAY AT WIMBLEDON >>
Naomi Osaka pulled out of Wimbledon, citing a lingering problem with her left Achilles tendon and marking the second consecutive year she's decided to sit out the grasscourt Grand Slam tournament.
The four-time major champion and former No. 1-ranked player posted a photo of herself on a grass court and wrote on Twitter: “my Achilles still isn't right so I'll see you next time.”
Osaka has not played an official match since losing in the first round of the French Open to Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-4 on May 24. During that match, for which she said she took a painkiller, Osaka tried to stretch her tendon by tugging on the toe of her shoe at changeovers and squatting to flex her lower leg between points.
Motor sports
VERSTAPPEN WINS F1 POLE >>
Max Verstappen overcame slick conditions to win his second pole of the season, and Fernando Alonso used the wet track to earn his first front row start in a decade in rainy qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix.
The run for Verstappen, the reigning Formula One champion and current points leader, was no surprise even though it's the Dutchman's first career pole at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Instead, it was 40-yearold Alonso who brought the crowd to its feet with a thrilling run to qualify second. He jumped ahead of Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton as time expired and drew a rousing ovation from the rain-soaked spectators.
Swimming
LEDECKY RECLAIMS 400 TITLE >>
Katie Ledecky started the United States' medal collection at the world swimming championships with a gold by reclaiming her title in the women's 400 meters.
The Americans finished the first day of racing with two gold, one silver and three bronze.
Ledecky clocked 3 minutes, 58.15 seconds — nearly two seconds off the world record — for her fourth world title in the 400 freestyle after 2013, 2015 and 2017.