The Detroit Pistons have hired former Oklahoma City Thunder executive Troy Weaver as their new general manager. The 52-year-old Weaver spent the past 12 seasons with the Thunder, including three-plus years as vice president of basketball operations. The Pistons had been without an official GM since overhauling their front office two years ago. Stan Van Gundy had been Detroit’s coach and team president, with Jeff Bower serving as GM. After the Pistons moved on from Van Gundy in 2018, Ed Stefanski took over the front office and Dwane Casey became the coach.
Baseball players have proposed a 70-game regular-season schedule, leaving them and the teams 10 games and about $275 million apart on plans to start the season. As part of the union’s proposal Thursday, players would wear advertisement patches on their uniforms during all games for the first time in major league history. People with knowledge of the proposal said it included $1.73 billion in salaries, plus a $50 million postseason pool. On Wednesday, Major League Baseball said a framework for the season had emerged from discussions between Commissioner Rob Manfred and players’ association head Tony Clark. People familiar with the proposed framework said it called for a 60-game regular-season schedule that would have $1.48 billion in salaries plus a $25 million players’ postseason pool. Both MLB and the union proposed starting the season on July 19, and players said it should end Sept. 30, three days later than management.
The Detroit Tigers have agreed to terms with second round pick Dillon Dingler, a catcher from Ohio State University. With the signing of Dingler, the Tigers have now agreed to terms with three of their six selections from the 2020 MLB Draft.
Dingler, 21, played in 115 games over his three years with the Buckeyes, hitting .276/.367/.442 with 21 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs and 50 RBI. The 6-2, 215-pound catcher was named second team All-Big Ten and to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team as a sophomore in 2019, and was selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2018.
Dingler put up impressive numbers in his shortened junior season, batting .340/.404/.760 with four doubles, one triple, five home runs and 14 RBI. At the time that the 2020 season concluded, Dingler was tied for the Big Ten lead in home runs, while he was second in the conference, 23rd nationally and sixth among all Division I catchers in slugging percentage.
The RBC Heritage began two months later than usual with a little rain, a little sunshine, a lot of birdies — and the only fans were residents whose homes line the course. Ian Poulter holed a 30-foot birdie putt and followed with a 5-iron to 4 feet for a birdie that closed out his round of 7-under 64, giving him a share of the lead Thursday with Mark Hubbard at Hilton Head. The top three players in the world are at Hilton Head — Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas — and none broke par on a day in which 66 players in the 151-man field shot in the 60s. Jordan Spieth made a triple-bogey 7 and then had a career-best six straight birdies on his back nine and finished with seven birdies over his last eight holes for a 66.
Michigan State’s athletic department says it conducted COVID-19 testing on 124 athletes, and one tested positive and will be isolated for 10 to 14 days. Michigan also disclosed results from its testing. A physician with the athletic department says the school has had two positive tests on athletes, out of 221 tests. Both schools said no athletic department staff members tested positive.
The University of Texas announced that 13 football players tested positive for COVID-19 or are presumed positive, and contact tracing has 10 more in isolation.
Texas started bringing football players back to campus for workouts on June 8. The school has also identified four other players who tested positive for the COVID-19 antibody.
Kansas State officials reported Wednesday night that eight Wildcats athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 out of 130 tested.