AP National Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Five players were suspended for violations of the minor league drug program, raising this year’s total to nine. Free agent pitcher Nick Belzer and pitcher Charles Hall of Oakland’s Class A Central Lansing farm team were suspended for 50 games each for a second positive test for a drug of abuse.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, a son of U.S. national team coach Gregg Berhalter, was traded to Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps from the Columbus Crew for $50,000 in General Allocation Money plus $50,000 in allocation money contingent on performance. Columbus would receive a percentage of any transfer fee if Berhalter is transferred

By CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer BERLIN (AP) — Hertha Berlin’s bid for a fresh start after the international break has ended in disappointment as Bochum has fought back to draw 1-1 in the Bundesliga. Ishak Belfodil’s early goal for Hertha was canceled out by former Union Berlin forward Sebastian Polter after the break. It

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — Most of the world’s best hockey players are spending this weekend in Las Vegas instead of the Olympic village in Beijing. The NHL All-Stars still aren’t happy about missing their chance to compete for gold. But nobody was complaining about the consolation prize of a

By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — The Senior Bowl quarterbacks are vying to be No. 1. In an NFL draft where it seems unlikely for a passer to be the top overall NFL draft pick, that means a competition among players like Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, North Carolina’s Sam Howell and Liberty’s

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Winger Paul Arriola signed a four-year contract with Major League Soccer’s Dallas team, a week after he was acquired in a trade from D.C. United. The 26-year-old was obtained on Jan. 26 for $1.5 million in General Allocation Money this year and $500,000 next year. Arriola has 20 goals in 89

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) — The Kraken’s first season may be a success off the ice but the on-ice product has failed to match the hope from last summer that Seattle could be an NHL playoff team in Year 1. The Kraken are 15-27-4 at the All-Star Break, although they won

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI (AP) — Desmond Ridder and other members of Cincinnati’s College Football Playoff team hope their success helped pave the way for the Cincinnati Bengals’ Super Bowl run. Success-starved sports fans in Cincinnati got a football season to remember. The Bearcats ran the table in the American Athletic Conference

ZURICH (AP) — World football’s lawmakers will discuss changes to the offside law at their annual meeting next month. Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, has proposed an attacker be ruled onside if any part of his body was level with the second-to-last defender. The International Football Association Board’s annual

BEIJING (AP) — Olympic fans in the United States will be able to watch the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games on Friday with their morning cup of coffee. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. in China. That’s 7 a.m. on the East Coast of the United States given the 13-hour time

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Locked out players rejected Major League Baseball’s request for a federal mediator to enter stalled labor negotiations. There appears little chance of an on-time start to spring training and opening day is increasingly threatened. Owners locked out players on Dec. 2, immediately following the expiration

By The Associated Press Auburn coach Bryan Harsin tells ESPN he is “not planning on going anywhere” as he tries to navigate a tumultuous offseason. Auburn went 6-7 in its first season under Harsin, who was hired away from Boise State. The Tigers have had 18 players enter the transfer portal and five assistant coaches

By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — The Senior Bowl quarterbacks are vying to be No. 1. In an NFL draft where it seems unlikely for a passer to be the top overall NFL draft pick, that means a competition among players like Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, North Carolina’s Sam Howell and Liberty’s

NEW YORK (AP) — Joe West has made it official, retiring from Major League Baseball after umpiring a record 5,460 regular-season games. Roberto Ortiz became the first Puerto Rican-born umpire to join the big league staff in a series of retirements and promotions announced Friday by MLB. Longtime umpires Gerry Davis, Kerwin Danley, Brian Gorman

By STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say a suspect was arrested in an altercation that badly injured a San Francisco 49ers fan in a parking lot outside SoFi Stadium during last weekend’s NFC championship game between the 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. says 33-year-old

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — It’s official: New York is now the largest sports betting market in America after just four weeks of taking mobile bets. The Empire State blew past New Jersey in January to seize the market lead, taking over $1.6 billion worth of sports bets. That’s $300

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Mercury have signed WNBA leading scorer Tina Charles, their second big addition in as many days. Phoenix announced Charles’ signing a day after adding Diamond DeShields in a three-team trade with Chicago and New York. Charles joins a roster that includes Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith, who led