Strasburg heads to 15-day DL

Rookie right-hander Stephen Strasburg went on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder, the latest indication of how careful the Washington Nationals are being with their prized pitcher.

"They're taking every precaution with me, obviously," Strasburg said.

It's the first trip to the DL for Strasburg, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft and signed a record $15.1 million contract.

"If he's 90 percent healthy, we shut him down," Washington manager Jim Riggleman said. "He's got to be 100 percent."

Pro baseball: Padres get Tejada from O's

The NL West-leading San Diego Padres obtained infielder Miguel Tejada and just more than $1 million from the Baltimore Orioles, convinced that the 36-year-old can help them in the infield and at the plate. The Padres gave up Double-A right-hander Wynn Pelzer.

"It's a good chance at being in the playoffs and that's always good," Tejada said in Kansas City, where he was scratched from the Orioles lineup before last night's game against the Royals. "I think we can have a chance to win."

Tejada, the 2002 AL MVP, hasn't been to the playoffs since the Oakland A's made four straight appearances from 2000-03, losing in the divisional round each year. The Padres are trying to win their first division title since winning consecutive championships in 2005-06.

More pro baseball: Marlins trade 3B Cantu to Texas

Jorge Cantu saw the light blinking on his cell phone when he got to his locker and knew it might finally be time. Then, he read the text message from his agent: He was headed for Texas.

The AL West-leading Rangers added another bat for the playoff push, acquiring Cantu from the Florida Marlins for two minor league pitchers.

For Cantu, this ends more than a week of wondering whether he would be staying or leaving at the trade deadline. Still, shaking hands and saying goodbye to the teammates he's grown to love during three seasons in South Florida was bittersweet.

More pro baseball: Rangers put Kinsler on DL with groin strain

For the second time this season the Texas Rangers are going to have to play without All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler.

He was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin.

The move came a day after Kinsler sat out a 3-1 loss to the Oakland A's. He started the season on the disabled list and missed the first 22 games with a high ankle sprain sustained in spring training.

Kinsler is hitting .298 with six home runs and 38 RBIs in 76 games. He reached base in 25 straight games before going 0 for 5 against the A's on Tuesday night. He will be eligible to come off the disabled list Aug. 12.

More pro baseball: A's Sheets to have surgery

Athletics right-hander Ben Sheets plans to have surgery soon on his troublesome throwing elbow, something he says will increase the chance he could pitch again if he so decides. It won't be this season. He has a torn flexor tendon in the elbow that will be repaired in the operation. The same injury forced him to have surgery after the 2008 campaign with the Brewers, then he missed all of 2009. Oakland general manager Billy Beane still took a risk on the four-time All-Star, signing him in January to a $10 million, one-year deal to be the A's ace. The 32-year-old Sheets was placed on the disabled list last week, his seventh DL stint. A's manager Bob Geren announced Wednesday in Texas that Sheets wouldn't pitch again in 2010 — yet the pitcher announced his decision about having surgery in a conference call.

Pro football: Haynesworth fails conditioning test, no practice

A slimmed-down Albert Haynesworth was deemed unfit to practice, even though the players were wearing shorts, contact was sparse, and the whole thing last only 70 minutes.

In the latest test of wills between Haynesworth and coach Mike Shanahan, the two-time All-Pro defensive lineman was kept off the field for the opening session of Washington Redskins training camp after failing a conditioning test.

"The bottom line," Shanahan said, "is we're going to get him in shape."

More pro football: Tebow, Broncos agree to contract

Tim Tebow missed some practices but none that counted before agreeing to a contract with the Denver Broncos.

The two-time national champion from Florida and 25th pick in the NFL draft missed the first three workouts for rookies and selected veterans while his agent, Jimmy Sexton, and general manager Brian Xanders hammered out a deal. It's worth $11.25 million over five years with $8.7 million of that guaranteed.

ESPN reported that Tebow could earn as much as $33 million over the course of the contract.

Tebow was in meetings and didn't immediately return a message.

Tebow is expected to practice this morning, the final session before training camp begins in earnest Sunday with a full squad in full pads.

More pro football: T.O. misses flight to Bengals camp

Terrell Owens arrived fashionably late, received a white jersey with his favorite number, and got a smattering of applause for doing even the simplest thing.

Every catch was an event.

A few thousand fans showed up for Owens' first practice with the Cincinnati Bengals, who signed him to a one-year deal, then got a preliminary glimpse of what the 36-year-old receiver has left.

"He hasn't slowed down," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "He's a guy that's kind of ageless and he's still got a lot left in the tank."

The day didn't come off as planned.

Owens missed an overnight flight that would have brought him to town earlier in the day, allowing for a proper introduction. Instead, he caught a later flight, rolled in less than an hour before an evening practice and suited up without talking to the media.

He and buddy Chad Ochocinco were the last two to jog onto the field, drawing loud applause. Owens occasionally waved to the fans in appreciation, but played it comparatively low-key throughout the two-hour workout.

Pro basketball: Ex-NBA player Wright shot to death

Former NBA big man Lorenzen Wright, whose body was found in the woods outside Memphis, was shot to death and the case is being investigated as a homicide, police said.

Police wouldn't answer questions about motive or suspects. But records indicate that Wright, 34, revered in his hometown as a generous and likable sports hero, was probably carrying a large amount of cash when he disappeared on July 18.

A court affidavit obtained by The Associated Press also said Wright had sold two vehicles to a man affiliated with a Memphis drug ring that's suspected in six deaths.

His family filed a missing person report with police on July 22, four days after he was last seen, but investigators repeatedly said they didn't suspect foul play. Wright's mother said in the report that she was worried because his silence was out of character and "he probably has a large amount of cash on him."

The report said that the day he disappeared, he had been dropped off at a restaurant by a woman and later taken to his ex-wife's house in Collierville, a Memphis suburb.

College football: Kiffin thinks lawsuit motivated by location

Lane Kiffin thinks the Tennessee Titans' lawsuit against him and the University of Southern California is more about geography than coaching etiquette.

Kiffin claimed he wasn't allowed to say much at the Pac-10 media day about the suit facing Kiffin and the Trojans, who angered Titans coach Jeff Fisher by abruptly hiring running backs coach Kennedy Pola last weekend.

Yet the young coach with a history of audacious pronouncements couldn't stop himself from sharing his thoughts about the real reason for the highly unusual legal action taken by the Titans.

Pro hockey: Senators sign Danish forward Regin to two-year deal

The Senators have signed forward Peter Regin to a two-year contract.

Regin had 13 goals, 16 assists, and 20 penalty minutes in 75 games with the Senators last season. He added three goals in six playoff games.

The Senators selected Regin with the 87th overall pick of the 2004 draft.

More pro hockey: Niemi decision expected by tomorrow

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman expects to learn tomorrow whether his salary cap-squeezed team will be able to keep restricted free agent goaltender Antti Niemi. After Bowman and Niemi's agent, Bill Zito, were unable to reach contract terms for the 26-year-old netminder, the case advanced to an arbitration hearing in Toronto.

Both Bowman and the NHL Players Association presented their cases and undisclosed one-year salary figures to an arbitrator, who has 48 hours to make a decision.

Soccer: Bradley to announce roster for Brazil next week

U.S. coach Bob Bradley plans to announce his roster early next week for an Aug. 10 exhibition against Brazil at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Bradley's contract runs through the end of the year, and the U.S. Soccer Federation has not said whether it will offer a new deal to Bradley, who coached the Americans to a second-round finish in this year's World Cup.

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