Hall of Famer Koufax hit by line drive
Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax was hit in the head by a line drive hit by Andre Ethier at Los Angeles Dodgers’ camp on Friday.
MLB.com reported that Koufax stayed on his feet but did sustain a cut.
The Los Angeles Times reported Koufax was conscious and smiling as team trainers carted him off for medical attention. The Dodgers did not immediate released any other details.
Koufax, 78, who spent his 12-year playing career with the Dodgers, is a regular at spring training.
Magic buy out Glen Davis’ contract
The Orlando Magic and forward Glen Davis mutually agreed to a contract buyout, the team announced Friday.
Financial terms were not released by the team.
Davis averaged 12.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 30.1 minutes over 45 games (43 starts) with the Magic this season.
“As we continue to chart what we believe is the best course of action for our organization, maximizing the development of our young players remains of critical importance,” general manager Rob Hennigan said in a statement.
Davis, originally selected in the second round of the 2007 draft by the Seattle Sonics, has averaged 8.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 23.1 minutes over 417 regular-season NBA games with the Boston Celtics and Magic.
Red Wings’ Zetterberg has back surgery
Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg, who last week was ruled out of Sweden’s bid for ice hockey glory at the Sochi Olympics with a herniated disc, had back surgery on Friday, the NHL team said.
Zetterberg, who played through pain and scored a goal in Sweden’s 4-2 win over Czech Republic in their opening game at the Winter Games before returning to the United States for treatment, will be re-evaluated after eight weeks.
The 33-year-old center, who had been appointed as Sweden’s ice hockey captain in Sochi, has had recurring back issues for years and suffered a herniated disc last December.
Zetterberg, the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, has missed 13 games during the 2013-14 season due to injury, but leads the Red Wings with 48 points (16 goals and 32 assists) in 45 games.
He is now likely to miss most of Detroit’s stretch run in the regular season.
James’ nose sore, swollen
Miami Heat star forward LeBron James’ nose is sore and swollen a day after taking a blow to the face in which he sustained cuts during Thursday night’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, James is expected to play Sunday when the Heat host the Chicago Bulls, according to ESPN.com.
James left Thursday’s game in the fourth quarter after Thunder center Serge Ibaka caught him on the face while he drove to the basket and scored the last of his 33 points for the game. No foul was called on the play. James bled on the floor before heading to the locker room. He did not return to the game or comment afterward.
The team is reportedly waiting for the swelling to subside before deciding what kind of treatment James will require. It was not immediately known if James broke his nose.
Time to launch online streaming sports network
Time Inc, the publisher of Sports Illustrated and People, is launching an online streaming-video sports network in partnership with several major U.S. sports leagues, the company announced on Thursday.
Called 120 Sports for its 120-second original sports features, the network will partner with Major League Baseball and the NHL. It will also include sports content from the NBA, NASCAR and college sports.
The network will launch later this spring, and viewers can watch it on smartphones, tablets and the Web, according to the press release. Sports Illustrated will play a significant role in 120 Sports including leading ad sales and marketing.
The move comes as Time prepares to separate from its parent, Time Warner, the owner of HBO, Warner Brothers and several cable networks including CNN. When Time spins off later this year it will be mainly a print and digital company.