MLB
– The Phillies have placed C Carlos Ruiz (left plantar fasciitis) on the 15-day DL, and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. According to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, an MRI revealed a “partial tear.” Ruiz won’t be able to come off the DL when eligible, and could potentially miss the remainder of the season if he suffers a setback. Stay tuned.
– Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe was told by a White Sox official that the team likes 3B Kevin Youkilis, “but probably not enough” to pick up his $13M option for 2013. Cafardo notes that the Sox could retain Youkilis at a lesser rate. The 33-year-old is batting .256/.377/.488 with eight homers over 33 games.
– The Rockies have placed OF Michael Cuddyer (right oblique) on the 15-day DL. Cuddyer has been out the last three games. The 33-year-old could be out for around three weeks. He’s hitting .260/.317/.486 with 15 home runs and 56 RBI.
– Marlins’ OF Emilio Bonifacio (thumb) could return to action within the next 2-3 weeks. The Marlins thought Bonifacio might be done for the season when he re-injured his left thumb on Friday evening.
WWE
– WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels recently spoke to the Miami Herald about his working relationship with WWE and the possibility of wrestling again:
“Obviously, I want to do things that will help. You don’t want to bring me back for no other reason. It would depend on what it was. I am not as young as I once was. Do I think about that stuff? Yeah. It’s one of those things that I know that I can do it. At the same time I can also drink a six pack and be able to drive home, but do I want to give that a whirl? No.”
“Yeah, I can fall off this or go through this, but then I end up getting hurt and can’t do my other show. I have other responsibilities. I can’t take piano lessons with my daughter because I’m up with my knee in a brace and pushed my knees too far. I do have to give more thought to that kind of stuff. I can’t just go in with reckless abandonment. At least at this point nobody has even asked about that stuff, so I haven’t really given it that much thought.”
– WWE Champion CM Punk sported a different hair style during his Street Fight Match victory over Daniel Bryan at Friday’s Raw live event in Jacksonville, Florida. In a change from his regular slicked back look, he sported a hairstyle similar to his time with The Nexus early last year. Check out this picture of CM Punk’s new haircut:
– Chris Jericho’s band Fozzy is no longer being advertised to perform at the Rockstar Uproar Festival on August 19th in St. Louis, MO. Jericho should have no problem appearing at WWE SummerSlam that day from Los Angeles, California.
– Wade Barrett will return to action during SmackDown’s two-show tour of Tokyo, Japan at Ryogoku Kokugika next week. Barrett has been sidelined since the February 20 Raw; he suffered a partially dislocated elbow while catching Dolph Ziggler, who was thrown out of the ring by Big Show during a battle royal. During his time away from the ring, Barrett shot a supporting role in the WWE Studios film Dead Man Down.
– WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels was interviewed this week by Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas of The Score and spoke about WWE Champion CM Punk and Daniel Bryan’s feud being compared to his feud with Bret Hart and other classic feuds, like Steamboat vs. Flair:
“I’m remiss at saying, ‘boy, it’s a big compliment to them!’ I hope they take it as a compliment… it’s just weird. If Bret and Shawn are something to be compared to, it’s only because we have a [Ric] Flair and [Ricky] Steamboat to be compared to. If that’s what we’re talking about, then I’m deeply complimented and honored to have that, and I hope that they are too.”
“I do know that they are both very talented. It does not surprise me one bit that they have phenomenal matches, that they can continue to have something very special and consistent through the years because they’re both very talented. They both bring so much to the table… they don’t rest on their laurels, they’re two guys that want to continue to improve, continue to get better. Those are the same things that Bret and I strived for in each other, in ourselves and in our matches.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PKUy5JB3cw&feature=player_embedded
– The Rock tweeted on Friday that he’s completed an “intense” 15-week training camp and is headed to London, England to begin filming Fast 6, the latest installment in the Fast & Furious movie franchise:
FAST 6 update: Been an intense 15 week #PushThePace training camp. Diet, strength & conditioning. London here I come.. #RollCameras
– The Bella Twins recently had a photoshoot with the Spanish version of Maxim. Check it out:
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Booker T As Smackdown GM: “I think that Booker T will do a nice job as Smackdown General Manager as he seemed comfortable in his role Friday night. I also thought the two man booth of Michael Cole and Josh Matthews did well. Some three man combinations have and can work but my preference is a two man broadcast team not just for WWE but for football, hoops, and baseball.”
Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar: “I was talking to WWE HOF’er Jerry Brisco Friday on my way back from his stomping grounds of Stillwater and we got to talking about HHH vs. Lesnar at Summerslam. We both agree that the match will likely be off the page thanks to the personal issue that is brewing and the fact that both men will be of the mindset to steal the show. I expect a smart, physical contest from two men who are comfortable in the spotlight and with pressure on them to deliver in a big way.”
WWE Recruiting Olympic Athletes: “Had lunch Friday with former Olympic Wrestling Coach Lee Roy Smith who is a huge asset to our recruiting efforts with amateur wrestlers throughout the nation. Lee Roy is also the Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame … WWE officials along with Mark Henry are in London at the Olympic Games doing some important due diligence for WWE Developmental. Stay tuned.”
– Former WWE Superstar Jake “The Snake” Roberts spoke with Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas of The Score this week about the origin of his DDT finishing move, how badly he wants to return to WWE and more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HBtVe8-W_I&feature=player_embedded
– Jim Powers, who appeared for the World Wrestling Federation from 1984 to 1994, underwent successful hip replacement surgery Thursday and has been transferred to a physical therapy facility so that he can recovery. The surgery was caused by years of abuse he put his body through while working as a professional wrestler.
– The success continues for WWE’s YouTube channel, which moved up one spot this week in the rankings to become the #3 most-watched channel on the service. The WWE Fan Nation channel had 5,979,000 views in the past weeks, more than double the views it had just a few weeks ago.
– On this week’s “Santino’s Foreign Exchange,” Santino catches up with Superstars and Divas backstage to find out their favorite memories of the epic Raw 1,000.
– WWE Intercontinental champion The Miz announced on Twitter that his girlfriend, former WWE Diva Maryse, is opening her new “House of Maryse” jewelry business next week.
– Sean Christopher Haire, who appeared for World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling as a Sean O’Haire, is now trying his hand at a new profession: hair styling. The South Magazine conducted an interview with the three-time WCW World Tag Team Champion regarding his endeavor and notes in an article, “Two or three times during our interview, Haire says something cool and outside the window, perfectly timed lightning shatters the sky. Some people have a flair for the dramatic. Which is one of the reasons he plans to make a great hair stylist.”
The interview is featured in their fifth annual “Power Professional” issue, and Haire is on the cover with the headline reading: “Sean Haire: When The Devil Came Down To Georgia.” During the interview, he recalls his life story as he discusses his history as a fighter, long-abandoned professional wrestling personas including Sean O’Haire and “the never-quite-finalized Devil’s Advocate,” his partially reconstructed and reinforced titanium jaw and orbital socket, the National Kodak Medallion of Excellence award he won for photography in high school, fighting a K-1 kickboxing champion and not knowing it, his boxing stint in New Jersey, stories involving “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, two marriages, two divorces, professional mountain biking, his girlfriend of four years and “enough WCW/WWE name-dropping to deeply entertain a writer who grew up watching scrambled WrestleManias on pay-per-view.”
– Dean Malenko, who works for WWE as a producer, turns 52-years-old on Saturday. Also celebrating a birthday Saturday is Kensuke Sasaki, who turns 46-years-old.
NBA
– The Jazz have offered F Paul Millsap a maximum 3-year/$25M extension, but the Salt Lake Tribune reports that he is expected to reject the offer. Millsap will command much more next summer, so it’s very unlikely that he signs this deal. F Derrick Favors is also cutting into Millsap’s role, and Millsap “hasn’t even been guaranteed a starting spot … he’s expected to enter camp battling Favors for the starting power forward position.”
NFL
– Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid’s son, Garrett, was found dead in his dorm room at 7:20 a.m. Sunday morning in Lehigh. There are no additional details at this time. Garrett Reid, 29, had a history of drug issues, starting with a January 2007 arrest for crashing his car while high on heroin. Our deepest condolences go out to the Reid family.
– The Lions have signed franchise LE Cliff Avril to a 1-year/$10.605M contract. Avril caved and only missed one week of practices. Avril will play on the guaranteed tender and will likely test unrestricted free agency next spring, at age 27. He has 19.5 sacks over the past two seasons.
– Patriots’ OG Robert Gallery has retired from football. An eight-year veteran and former No. 2 overall pick, Gallery “just didn’t have it in camp,” according to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss. Gallery made 12 starts for the Seahawks last season, but was released only one year into his 3-year/$15M deal in March. He finishes with 103 tackles.
– Browns’ WLB Chris Gocong (right Achilles tendon) has been diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, and is done for the season. He’ll undergo surgery next week. A 16-game starter each of the past two years in Cleveland, Gocong recorded 70 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles last season.
– Vikings.com has confirmed that rookie WR Greg Childs (knees) suffered a torn patellar tendon in both knees. Childs will undergo surgery and miss the entire 2012-13 season. Browns’ CB Gary Baxter suffered the same injury as Childs in October of 2006 and never made it back.
– ESPN’s John Clayton seconds an NFL Network report in saying that Rams’ WR Steve Smith appears to be on the “verge of a rebirth.” All reports on Smith has been positive since he “came on strong” over the final two weeks of offseason practices. Nearly two years removed from a complex microfracture procedure on his knee, Smith has been the early-camp “surprise” for the Rams, showing “more speed than anticipated.” Smith is fighting for the No. 1 receiver role.
– The Broncos have agreed to terms with S Jim Leonhard on a 1-year deal. Leonhard tried out for the Bills on Friday, who reported on their official website he was still “3-4 weeks away” from gaining full clearance. Leonhard tore his patellar tendon in Week 14 last season with the Jets.
– ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky remains skeptical that Jaguars’ QB Blaine Gabbert will improve in his second season. Kuharsky writes Gabbert has had some “very nice” moments in his red, no-contact practice jersey, but things still fall apart for him all too often. “A kneel-down would seem less disheartening in many of those instances.” Kuharsky reports there are still major consistency issues, and everything will come down to how he responds to a live pass rush. Stay tuned.
– Titans’ C Eugene Amano (torn triceps) is out for the season. Amano has been the Titans’ starting center since 2008. In 2011, however, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ fourth worst center. Amando is due a $3.685M in 2013.
TNA
– TNA Wrestling executive producer Eric Bischoff has voiced his support for Gail Kim. When asked on Twitter to give his thoughts on the accomplished wrestler, he responded, “She’s talented, professional and hot! Great combo!”
– Thursday’s episode of TNA Impact Wrestling drew a 1.01 rating with 1.40 million viewers. Viewership was down 13% from the previous week. This week’s show had tough competition from the 2012 Olympic games.