Rangers Place Ian Kinsler on the DL, Call Up Jurickson Profar

Posted today at 10:31am

Major League Baseball(ARLINGTON, Tex.) -- While the Texas Rangers had to put second baseman Ian Kinsler on the DL, it is paving the way for super-prospect Jurickson Profar to get time on the Major League level.

Kinsler was placed on the DL retroactive to Saturday with a right intercostal sprain. While his bat is an integral part of the Rangers high-powered offense, it opens the door for Profar to show what he can do at the next level.

"Profar's not afraid of the game," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He'll get a chance to play. He's gotten better as the year has progressed."

Heading into the season, Profar was ranked the number one prospect by ESPN.com's Keith Law. Profar was on a hot streak at Triple-A Round Rock, hitting two home runs on Saturday and extended his hitting streak to eight games.

What remains to be seen is what happens when Kinsler is ready to return to the team. The Rangers want Profar playing everyday, so if he plays well with the Rangers, he could force their hand and find playing time for him.

Kinsler was batting .302 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs this season.

Thunder Won't Be Letting Go of Kendrick Perkins

Posted today at 10:09am

NBA via Oklahoma City Thunder(NEW YORK) -- After a second-round playoff exit in this year's playoffs, the Oklahoma City are left asking questions about their team going forward. What is for sure though, is that center Kendrick Perkins will be staying with the team despite his poor performance.

"We think Perk has a lot of value to our team," Thunder general manager Sam Presti told the Oklahoman. "He's a member of a team that won 60 games and helped us to our third division title in three years. I don't know that we can discount that."

Presti declared that the team will not use the amnesty clause on Perkins, who is still under contract for another two years.

"I'm sure he'd like to have had a better postseason. But I'm sure that's pretty universal for the whole group. And we accept that," he continued.

Kendrick was supposed to be a defensive force in the paint for the Thunder, but in this season's playoffs, his performance hit a steep decline. He averaged just 2.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per game during the postseason.

The Thunder lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in five games.

Buccaneers Like What They've Seen from Rookie QB Mike Glennon

Posted today at 9:24am

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Even though Josh Freeman has been the full-time starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the past three seasons, he might have some competition in rookie quarterback Mike Glennon.

The team selected Glennon in the third round of last month's draft, and has been praised by the team's coaching staff since. Head coach Greg Schiano recently went as far as to say he reminds him of Ravens Super Bowl winning quarterback Joe Flacco.

"It's not like we're looking to find a starter," Schiano said via Dan Pompei of the National Football Post. "But competition is competition. Mike Glennon is a fierce competitor. I knew that when he was coming out of high school. Now being able to work with him a little, you can see it on the practice field."

Schiano has also said that Freeman won't just be given the starting quarterback job.

Last season, Freeman threw for 4,065 yards but completed just 54.% of his passes and tossed just 17 touchdowns.

Report: Charlotte Bobcats Out to Become 'Hornets' Once More

Posted today at 6:36am

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The Charlotte Bobcats have started the process of changing their name back to the Charlotte Hornets, according to a report by CBSSports.com

Sources told CBS Sports that the Bobcats are looking to acquire the assets that will allow them to be called the Hornets once more.

The Charlotte NBA franchise was known as the Hornets from 1988-2002, before the team relocated to New Orleans.

There is no timetable for the switch, but NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver told season ticket holders in April that any name change would take 18 months. It became a possibility when the New Orleans franchise recently changed their name to the Pelicans.

The Bobcats became the NBA's 30th team in 2004, making the playoffs once in their nine-year history.

EJ Manuel Says Bills' System Easier to Learn than Florida State's

Posted today at 3:25am

Rick Stewart/Getty Images(ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.) -- Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback EJ Manuel is quickly getting a grasp of the team's offensive system, which he says is less complex than the system he was use to playing at Florida State.

"The funny thing is it's easier to learn than the offense I had at Florida State," he told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "It's a true West Coast-type progression offense. That's really what I wanted when I was coming through the pre-draft process. I wanted something that I could just go in and say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, check it down and run it. That's it, it's that simple. I love it."

He went on to say that he was able to learn the system so quickly by spending a lot of time with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett during the rookie minicamp and organized team activities.

The 6-foot-5 Manuel was the only quarterback taken in the first round of the 2013 draft, and new Bills head coach Doug Marrone already says he has a chance to compete for the starting job.

Manuel hopes to help the Bills end their 13-year playoff drought, the longest active streak in the NFL.

"Winning is an attitude and mindset, and we have to bring it to our team," he said.

Cabrera Homers Three Times, But Tigers Lose to Rangers

Posted today at 1:30am

Rick Yeatts/Getty Images(ARLINGTON, Texas) -- On a night where Miguel Cabrera seemed unstoppable, Daniel Murphy did just enough to carry his team to victory.

Murphy belted a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning to lead the Texas Rangers to an 11-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday night.

Lance Berkman and Adrian Beltre combined to drive in four runs for the Rangers (29-15) who were able to overcome a three home run game from Cabrera.

"Very nice to be on the winning side," Murphy said. "Big game, fun game, national TV. We got to witness the best hitter in the game hit three homers."

The 2012 Triple Crown winner went 4-for-4 with 5 RBIs and now has 11 homers on the year.

Robbie Ross (2-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the win and Joe Nathan closed the door in the ninth for his 13th save. The Rangers took three-of-four games from the Tigers this weekend.

Jose Ortega (0-1) took the loss for the Tigers.

The Rangers placed second baseman Ian Kinsler on the 15-day disabled list with bruised ribs and called up top prospect Jurickson Profar from Triple-A Round Rock. He is expected to start for the Rangers Monday night against Oakland.

Senators Clip Pens 2-1 in Double Overtime Thriller

Posted yesterday at 11:41pm

Francois Laplante/NHLI via Getty Images(OTTAWA) -- Colin Greening scored the game-winning goal 7:39 into double overtime to give the Ottawa Senators a 2-1 Game 3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins still lead their Eastern Conference semifinal series two games to one.

Down 1-0 with less than a minute remaining in the third period, Daniel Alfredsson scored a short-handed goal with 33 seconds left to tie the game at one.

"We were just calm," Anderson said of the Senators' mood heading into overtime. "We had tied it up. We had momentum. We felt like the fans really rallied behind us.

Craig Anderson made 49 saves for the Senators, including 18 in both overtimes. Penguins goalie Tomas Vokoun suffered his first loss since taking over for Mark-Andre Fleury

"Whether you win or lose, you always turn the page quickly and concentrate on the next one," Penguins captain Sidney Crosbo said. "Obviously it's disappointing, but we will bounce back."

Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday night in Ottawa.

Scoreboard Roundup - 5/19/13

Posted yesterday at 9:30pm

Christopher Trotman/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- NBA Playoffs - Western Conference Finals: San Antonio Spurs 105 - Memphis Grizzlies 83 (Spurs Lead Series, 1-0)

NHL Playoffs - Eastern Conference Semi-Finals: Boston Bruins 5 - New York Rangers 2 (Bruins Lead Series, 2-0)

Ottawa Senators 2 - Pittsburgh Penguins 1 - 2 OT's (Penguins Lead Series, 2-1)

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies 3 (21-23) - Cincinnati Reds 2 (26-18)

New York Mets 4 (17-24) - Chicago Cubs 3 (18-25)

Tampa Bay Rays 3 (23-20) - Baltimore Orioles 1 (23-20)

Cleveland Indians 6 (25-17) - Seattle Mariners 0 (20-24)

Los Angeles Angels 6 (17-27) - Chicago White Sox 2 (19-23)

Miami Marlins 2 (12-32) - Arizona Diamondbacks 1 (25-19)

Atlanta Braves 5 (25-18) - Los Angeles Dodgers 2 (17-25)

San Diego Padres 13 (20-23) - Washington Nationals 4 (23-21)

Oakland Athletics 4 (23-22) - Kansas City Royals 3 (20-20)

Colorado Rockies 5 (24-20) - San Francisco Giants 0 (24-20)

St. Louis Cardinals 4 (28-15) - Milwaukee Brewers 2 (17-25)

Pittsburgh Pirates 1 (26-18) - Houston Astros 0 (12-32)

Boston Red Sox 5 (27-17) - Minnesota Twins 1 (18-22)

Texas Rangers 11 (29-15) - Detroit Tigers 8 (23-19)

New York Yankees - Toronto Blue Jays - PPD

LeBron James To Pacers: 'We'll Be Ready'

Posted yesterday at 9:16pm

Christian Petersen/Getty Images(MIAMI) -- In wake of Pacers head coach Frank Vogel saying that the Miami Heat "are just the next team" in line of their quest for an NBA title, Heat All-Star LeBron James will be waiting for them come Wednesday.

"We're not just another team," James said on Sunday, as the Heat prepare for their Eastern Conference Finals opponent. "I don't understand what he's saying. But we're not just another team. That's not true."

"He said we're just another team in their way. We're a great team. If we're just another team, you really don't prepare for just another team. You have to prepare for us," James continued.

The Pacers won two of their three regular-season games against the Heat, but James isn't putting too much thought into that.

"We're very confident," James said. "We'll be ready for them. We don't need bulletin-board material. We've heard everything, we've seen everything. But I would say we're not just another team, though."

Rays' Matt Moore Being Mentioned With Babe Ruth After Win

Posted yesterday at 7:32pm

Patrick Smith/Getty Images(BALTIMORE) -- Rays' left-hander Matt Moore pitched seven-innings of one-run ball leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles Sunday.

Moore allowed five hits and one run while striking out five and walking one.

The win improves the 23-year-old Moore's record to 8-0 on the season. That's the best start to a season for a pitcher that young since Babe Ruth did it in 1917 at age 22.

Moore didn't seem impressed by the milestone but his manager did.

"If you compare (Moore's achievement) historically, he ranks up there with Babe Ruth, and that's not a bad thing," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I think from where he's coming from, he knows he can be better. He doesn't like those five-inning outings. He doesn't like that at all. So I'm sure he's deflecting based on that. As you see him get deeper into the games and more consistent with the wins, I think you might see him step out a little bit.

"But I like the idea that there's humility involved. I like the idea that he knows that he can get better. I love that. The accountability is tremendous. That doesn't surprise me. ... Historically speaking, it's been wonderful, but there is 'more' in Moore. And he knows that."

The Rays (23-20) are now tied with the Orioles (23-20) for third in the A.L. East.

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