FROM THE NATION’S CAPITAL

The Capitals fired coach Todd Reirden on Sunday after two seasons of NHL first-round playoff exits. Reirden was the top assistant to Barry Trotz when the Capitals won their lone Stanley Cup title in 2018. Trotz left the team in a contract dispute and later joined the Islanders. The Capitals promoted Reirden. In two regular seasons, Reirden had a .642 winning percentage and won two division titles, but the team wasn’t able to produce playoff success.

Pitcher Stephen Strasburg will have season-ending surgery to correct carpal tunnel in his right hand, Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Saturday. The reigning World Series MVP will have the surgery this week. Strasburg exited his start Aug. 14 against Baltimore after throwing 16 pitches. It was just his second outing of the MLB season; nerve troubles delayed the start of his 2020 campaign.

To effectively battle his cancer diagnosis, Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera knows he will have to lean on the other members of the locker room, from players to the coaching staff. “I’m not being rosy about this,” he told reporters on a Zoom call Saturday, via ESPN. “I’m being honest. I know I’m going to struggle, so on days I do, I ask the coaches to step up and the players to step up and take ownership. I understand the significance of what I’m going through and I understand how tough it’s going to be.” Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will take over if Rivera is absent, similar to when Del Rio spelled John Fox as Denver head coach in 2013 when Fox had heart surgery.