Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — The World Series champion Atlanta Braves are carrying three catchers on their opening day roster. William Contreras made the team behind starting catcher Travis d’Arnaud and top backup Manny Piña. The Braves sent veteran infielders Phil Gosselin and Pat Valaika to Triple-A Gwinnett. The 24-year-old Contreras hit .215 with eight homers and

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — A South American soccer official who was acquitted of a racketeering conspiracy charge in the United States has had his life ban by FIFA annulled and sent back for a fresh investigation. The Court of Arbitration for Sport says its judges partially upheld an appeal by Manuel Burga against FIFA. The

TORONTO (AP) — Niagara IceDogs general manager Joey Burke and head coach Billy Burke have been indefinitely suspended by the Ontario Hockey League. The two men and the team have been fined a combined total of $150,000. The team is based in St. Catharines, Ontario. The league cited transcripts of a March 6 WhatsApp conversation.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Two Black coaches have joined Brian Flores in his lawsuit alleging racist hiring practices by the NFL toward coaches and general managers. The updated lawsuit filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court adds coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton. Wilks alleges he was discriminated against by the

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods is back. Walking with the slightest hint of a limp after a devastating car wreck that could’ve cost him his right leg, Woods sent the Masters patrons into an uproar with his first birdie of the tournament. After five straight pars, Woods delivered

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer Serena Williams’ coach for a decade is going to work with Simona Halep. Patrick Mouratoglou announced his partnership with Halep via social media on Thursday. It raises questions what this means for the future of Williams as a player. Williams owns a professional-era-record 23 Grand Slam singles titles but

DUBLIN (AP) — Conor McGregor has appeared in a court in Dublin charged with six driving offenses. The biggest star in mixed martial arts was stopped by police as he was driving in his Bentley in west Dublin on March 22. McGregor was accused of two counts of dangerous driving as well as driving without

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA has approved new financial monitoring rules for European soccer clubs and dropped the words “fair play” from the name. UEFA says the name “Financial Fair Play” was misinterpreted to mean it wanted to create a level playing field between teams. UEFA also lowered expectations

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Against all odds, Tiger Woods has teed off in the Masters for his first truly competitive tournament since a car wreck that damaged his right leg so badly he was faced with the prospect of amputation. Wearing a pink shirt and black pants, Woods was

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods will put his surgically repaired right leg to the test as he begins his pursuit of a sixth green jacket. The 46-year-old Woods is competing for the first time since severely injuring his leg in a car accident in February

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Karim Benzema is reaching the pinnacle of his career at an age when most top athletes are hoping to remain relevant. The 34-year-old France striker is enjoying the best season of the 13 he has spent at Real Madrid and making a strong argument for being