Rams sign Welker
Wide receiver Wes Welker wanted to get back into pro football, and the St. Louis Rams needed a veteran wide receiver.
So on Monday, the Rams worked out several players, including Welker, and later in the day the Rams signed Welker, coach Jeff Fisher said.
Welker agreed to a one-year deal that could earn him a base salary plus as much as $700,000 in incentives.
The Rams worked out Welker as well as Hakeem Nicks and Vincent Brown on Monday, ESPN reported.
Welker, 34, has been out of the NFL the finishing up last season with the Denver Broncos.
One of Welker’s challenges is to get through the season without incurring another concussion. His concussion history may be why Welker was not signed before this.
He has 890 catches for 9,822 yards and 50 touchdowns over his career.
OSU’s Barrett returning from suspension
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett will start Saturday against Illinois after he served a one-game suspension, coach Urban Meyer announced.
“If J.T. has a good week of practice, he’ll get the start,” Meyer said. “I think it’s the right thing at this time.”
Barrett sat out Saturday’s 28-14 win over Minnesota after he was handed a one-game suspension following his arrest on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Cardale Jones started in Barrett’s place against Minnesota, completing 12 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. Jones added 65 yards and a score on the ground.
Indians’ Brantley has surgery
Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and will need about six months to recover.
The team announced that Brantley had the surgery to repair a small tear in the labrum of Brantley’s non-throwing shoulder.
Brantley originally injured his right shoulder diving for a ball in the third inning on Sept. 22 in Minnesota and was limited to seven plate appearances during the remainder of the 2015 season.
The 28-year-old Brantley battled injuries last season, hitting .310 with 15 home runs and 84 RBIs, with a major-league-leading 45 doubles, in 137 games.
Mets’ Alderson to miss GM meetings
New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson will miss this week’s general manager meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., to undergo an unspecified medical procedure.
Alderson fainted last Wednesday while meeting with reporters at a press conference. Assistant general manager John Ricco didn’t state whether the procedure is related or not to the fainting incident, due to Alderson’s request.
“He had a medical procedure that was scheduled after the season ended and because of the playoff run it got pushed back, kept getting pushed and pushed, and obviously for good reason,” Ricco told reporters on the opening day of the four-day session. “And so he’s going to have it done this week.”
Twins win rights to Korean star Park
The Minnesota Twins won the right to negotiate with Korean slugger Byung-ho Park by submitting the highest bid, Yahoo Sports reported Monday.
The Twins submitted a bid of $12.85 million, according to the report.
Minnesota now has a 30-day window in which the Twins — and only the Twins — can try to negotiate a contract with Park.
Park, a first baseman, hit .343 with 53 homers and 146 RBIs, for Nexen this past season, and he had an OPS of better than 1.000 each of the past three seasons.
Park has become more attractive after another Korean, shortstop Jung Ho Kang, had a productive season in his first year with the Pirates, hitting .287.