Brady’s appeal hearing set
An appeal hearing for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension over Deflategate will begin June 23, according to a report on Friday.
The hearing could be extended to June 25, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
The NFL suspended Brady for the first four games of the 2015 season in connection with the Patriots using underinflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts in January. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick refused to comment on the suspension Friday, saying the team had already moved on to next season.
Falcons waive player after alleged dog killing
The Atlanta Falcons released linebacker Prince Shembo after he was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals in connection with the death of a former girlfriend’s dog.
Shembo, 23, is accused of killing the dog, according to Gwinnett (Ga.) County police. He was not taken into custody as of Friday afternoon, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
A Yorkie named Dior died of blunt force trauma, according to a necropsy report. Denicia Williams had reported to police on April 19 that her former boyfriend killed the dog.
Shembo, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Falcons in 2014 from Notre Dame, played in all 16 regular-season games last year and finished his rookie campaign with 59 tackles.
Warriors’ Thompson has concussion
Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who had taken a knee to the head in Wednesday night’s series-clinching win over the Houston Rockets, was diagnosed with a concussion after seeing a neurologist Friday.
The team said Thompson has been ruled out indefinitely. He will not practice until he has been cleared.
Thompson threw up and experienced other “concussion-like symptoms” late Wednesday night after he was unintentionally kneed in the head by Rockets forward Trevor Ariza in the fourth quarter of Game Five, his father, Mychal Thompson, told ESPN.
Thompson was initially cleared to return to the game by team doctors. Thompson was originally diagnosed with a right ear laceration and needed stitches, though he never returned to the game. He started developing symptoms after the game.
Bruins sign Swedish forward
The Boston Bruins have signed signed forward Anton Blidh to an entry-level contract.
In 48 regular-season games with Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League in 2014-15, Blidh registered five goals and 26 penalty minutes. The 20-year-old also netted a postseason goal in 13 playoff games.
The 6-foot, 181-pound winger from Molnycke, Sweden, represented Team Sweden in the 2015 World Junior Under-20 Championship, where he registered one goal and two assists in seven games.
Blidh, who has attended the last two Bruins development camps, was drafted by Boston in the sixth round of the 2013 NHL Draft.
Astros pitcher has knee surgery
Houston Astros right-hander Scott Feldman underwent surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his right knee and likely will be out for four to six weeks, the team announced Friday.
The Astros placed Feldman on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 27 and called up right-hander Michael Feliz from Double-A Corpus Christi to replace him on the roster.
Feliz, who pitched one game in Double-A after being starting the season in high-Class A, will give the Astros another arm in the bullpen. Brett Oberholtzer is expected to take Feldman’s spot in the rotation.
Feldman, 32, suffered the injury while fielding a ball during his last outing. He has started 10 games this season with a 4-4 record and a 4.80 ERA.