Royals sign veteran catcher Austin Nola to provide depth
MLS reduces suspension of FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga
NEW YORK – The suspension of FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga has been reduced from three games to two, Major League Soccer said Friday.
Miazga, voted the league's top defender last season, was suspended and fined an undisclosed amount last November after entering the match officials' locker room following a game against the New York Red Bulls on Nov. 4.
The league said the reduction comes after “a successful petition based on his continued commitment and compliance with a recommended treatment program overseen by MLS' Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health (SABH) Program.”
Miazga served the first game of his suspension against the Columbus Crew on December 2, 2023, and will also miss a match Sunday against Toronto FC. He will be eligible to return against the Chicago Fire on March 2.
SURPRISE, Ariz. – The Kansas City Royals signed Austin Nola to a contract for the 2024 season on Friday, adding a veteran catcher to provide some insurance behind Salvador Perez alongside young backup Freddie Fermin.
The 34-year-old Nola was released by the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday to make room for Gary Sanchez.
Nola appeared in 110 games for San Diego two years ago, hitting .251 with four homers and 40 RBIs. But he only hit. 146 with one homer and eight RBIs while appearing in 52 games for the Padres last season.
The Royals have little depth at catcher behind Perez and Fermin, though outfielder MJ Melendez can play the position. The only other catchers in big league camp are non-roster invitees Logan Porter, Tyler Cropley, Sandy León and Rodolfo Durán.
In a corresponding move, the Royals put Kris Bubic on the 60-day injured list. The left-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last April and threw his first bullpen session of spring training earlier this week.
Italian tennis player Andrea Rita gets 15-month suspension
LONDON – Italian tennis player Andrea Rita has been suspended for 15 months as part of a corruption investigation, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Friday.
The ITIA said 23-year-old Rita admitted to four breaches of anti-corruption rules “including wagering on tennis matches and the failure to report a corrupt approach.”
The breaches took place from 201820. Rita was also fined $5,000, of which $4,000 was suspended.
Rita reached a career-high ITF singles ranking of 1,712 last June. The ITIA said he co-operated fully with the investigation and accepted an agreed sanction.
Verstappen calls on F1 tracks to ‘double-check’ safety
SAKHIR, Bahrain – Max Verstappen called for Formula 1 venues to “doublecheck” the safety of objects around the track after a loose drain cover interrupted preseason testing for the second day running Friday.
The cover flew up when Verstappen's
Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez drove over a curb, causing a red-flag stoppage to the morning session after just half an hour amid repairs and an inspection of the area.
Carlos Sainz Jr.'s Ferrari was badly damaged by a water valve cover in practice for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November, underlining the risks.
Defending F1 champion Verstappen said the issue might be made worse by the ground-effect aerodynamics introduced in 2022, where the floor is shaped to generate grip against the track surface.
“Before you start driving on the weekend, to double-check that everything is solid, I think, is a must for the upcoming tracks, so that we don't have another situation where cars get destroyed,” Verstappen said. “Especially with the budget cap in place as well, it's not nice when these things happen.”
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, Sainz's teammate, was one of the drivers who hit another loose drain cover Thursday. The cover shattered in that incident, scattering debris and leaving Ferrari to check his car's floor for damage.
— Wire reports