Pitcher Song out of the Navy, will report to Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies say Noah Song was discharged from the Navy and the pitching prospect is expected to arrive at the team’s spring training camp on Thursday.
Song, a 25-year-old aviator from California, was taken by the Phillies in the winter meeting draft in December with hopes he would play after military service.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound right-hander was picked from the Boston Red Sox system in the draft for unprotected minor league players. Philadelphia put him on the military list while he continued active duty.
The Red Sox drafted Song in the fourth round — he likely would’ve gone much higher, but his impending military service caused teams to back off.
Song impressed in his only pro season, making seven starts for Boston’s Class A Lowell affiliate in 2019, with a 1.06 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17 innings.
With a fastball clocked in the upper 90s mph, the right-hander dominated that year as a senior at the U.S. Naval Academy, going 11-1 with a 1.44 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 94 innings.
In November 2019, Defense Secretary Mark Esper signed a memo clearing the way for athletes at military academies to delay service commitments and play pro sports after graduation. Song’s request to have those rules retroactively applied to him was denied. YANKEES’ MONTAS HAS SURGERY, COULD RETURN IN SECOND HALF >> Frankie Montas won’t start throwing until at least late May following right shoulder surgery, a timetable that could allow him to pitch for the New York Yankees in the season’s second half.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday the labrum of the 29-year-old right-hander was cleaned up during the procedure a day earlier with Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Montas’ rotator cuff did not need to be repaired. Montas won’t throw for 12 weeks.
NFL
EAGLES RESERVE LINEMAN
WAIVES ARRAIGNMENT IN RAPE CASE >> A reserve offensive lineman for the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles will make his initial court appearance in Ohio on rape and kidnapping charges next month after waiving his arraignment in the case.
Josh Sills, an undrafted free agent who appeared in just one game this season, was scheduled to appear in Guernsey County Common Pleas Court on Feb. 16. He instead chose to waive his appearance, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. Sills remains free on a $25,000 cash bond he posted and he’s is due to appear at a pretrial hearing March 9.
The rookie, who played at West Virginia and Oklahoma State, was indicted Jan. 31 by a Guernsey County grand jury. His attorney, Michael Connick, has said the allegations are false and that Sills will be aggressively defended. TITANS RELEASE LEWAN,
WOODS, BULLOCK TO CLEAR UP CAP SPACE >> New Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon started clearing up some muchneeded salary cap space Wednesday.
The Titans announced they released three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan for a failed physical and also released veteran wide receiver Robert Woods and kicker Randy Bullock. MAHOMES, COUSINS, MARIOTA ART OF NEW NETFLIX NFL DOCUSERIES >> Reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota will be part of a Netflix documentary series debuting this summer.
“Quarterback” is the first partnership between the league and the streaming service. NFL Films, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and Mahomes’ 2PM Productions will produce the series.
The series followed Mahomes, Cousins, and Mariota throughout the past season. It also marked the first time the NFL allowed quarterbacks to be mic’d up for every game.
EX-NFL PLAYER RECOVERS
AFTER SAVING KIDS FROM DROWNING >> A former NFL running back said he’s on the road to recovery after he nearly died while saving his two children from drowning in the Gulf of Mexico in the Florida Panhandle.
Peyton Hillis issued a statement on Twitter, thanking those who helped him following the Jan. 4 incident on Pensacola Beach. He was initially on a ventilator, but was released from the hospital in mid-January. STEELERS HIRE SEAHAWKS’
CURRY AS INSIDE LINEBACKERS COACH >> Aaron Curry is the new inside linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced Wednesday.
Curry spent the last four years working in various roles for the Seattle Seahawks, including assistant defensive line/defensive ends coach in 2022.
Tennis
DJOKOVIC HOPES TO PLAY IN
US DESPITE BEING UNVACCINATED >> Novak Djokovic has asked American authorities for special permission to enter the United States to play tennis tournaments in California and Florida despite being unvaccinated against the coronavirus, the topranked Serb said Wednesday.
The Transportation Security Administration has said the requirement for foreign air travelers to be fully vaccinated against the disease would be in place at least until mid-April. The tournament in Indian Wells will be played from March 6-19 and the Miami Open is scheduled from March 20-April 2.
“Everything is currently in the process,” Djokovic said at his training ground in Belgrade. “I have a big desire to be there.
“I am really thankful to the Indian Wells and Miami tournament (officials) and community for their support publicly and they would like me to be able to play in their tournaments.”