SPORTSBRIEFS
BASEBALL: They come back for a bit, then they’re gone again. So it goes for the New York Yankees and many of their ailing stars this season.
Kevin Youkilis needs back surgery and Mark Teixeira returned to the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with inflammation in his right wrist, the latest injury setbacks for the depleted Yankees.
And while the team hopes to have Teixeira back early next month, Youkilis will miss at least 10 to 12 weeks. The corner infielder has a herniated disk and is scheduled for surgery Thursday in California.
“It doesn’t look like he will be a player for us until late September,” manager Joe Girardi said Tuesday.
Tuesday night’s game between the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers was postponed by rain. It will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader Wednesday.
Youkilis signed a $12 million, oneyear contract with New York as a free agent in December to fill in at third base for Alex Rodriguez, who is recovering from hip surgery. But the three-time All-Star has played in only 28 games and is batting .219 with two home runs and eight RBIs.
“It’s not how you draw it up, there’s no doubt about that,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “He looked great in the spring. We had high hopes. He obviously did so much for Boston over the years and he’s the type of player that if you could draw it up, that’s the type of player we would want: a gamer with power and plate discipline.”
BASEBALL: A Northern California city is suing Major League Baseball over the Oakland Athletics’ pursuit of a new ballpark in the city.
In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in federal court, the City of San Jose says MLB has been dragging its feet in having owners vote on the A’s proposed move to San Jose.
The lawsuit says MLB has controlled the location of teams under the “guise” of an exemption to federal antitrust law. The lawsuit is disputing that exemption.
The San Francisco Giants have objected to the A’s potential move on grounds they relied on territorial rights to the San Jose-area market when the Giants built their ballpark.
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig appointed a committee to study the matter.
He has previously said additional litigation over the A’s move would be unproductive.
HOCKEY: The Detroit Red Wings accomplished their No. 1 goal of the offseason Tuesday by agreeing to a $22.5 million, three-year deal with Pavel Datsyuk.
“It’s a great day for the Red Wings,” general manager Ken Holland said in a telephone interview. “He’s is a world-class player and there are no moves I can make to find players like Pavel Datsyuk.”
Datsyuk and the Red Wings reached the deal two days before his 35th birthday, keeping the Russian superstar with the franchise through the 2016-17 season.
He can’t sign the contract until July 5 because he was entering the last year of his deal. Soon after the season ended with a Game 7 loss in the second round at Chicago, Datsyuk said he wanted to stay with the Red Wings instead of returning home to play in Russia following the 2013-14 season.
Holland was relieved the two sides agreed to terms before Pavel went back home.
SOCCER ESPN — Confederations Cup, Group A, Mexico vs. Brazil, at Fortaleza, Brazil, 2:30 p.m.
ESPN — Confederations Cup, Group A, Italy vs. Japan, at Recife, Brazil, 5:30 p.m.