Sports briefs
Source: MLB considers expanding playoffs
Major League Baseball is considering expanding the playoffs to nearly half the 30 teams and allowing higher-seeded wild-card teams to choose opponents.
The playoffs would grow from 10 clubs to 14 under the plan, first reported Monday by the New York Post. There would be four wild cards in each league, up from two.
Details were confirmed by a person familiar with the proposal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because MLB did not authorize any public comments. Another person, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said MLB has been looking at several plans.
Any proposal would have to be negotiated with the players’ association. The current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2021 season.
Only the division winner with the best regular-season record would advance directly to the Division Series under the plan. The two other division winners and wild-card teams would start in a best-of-three round.
The division winner with the second-best record would choose its opponent from among the three lowest-seeded wild-card teams. The division winner with the third-best record would then get to pick from among the remaining two wild cards. The top wild card would face whichever team is left over after the division winners make their choices.
Pens’ Marino has surgery
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman John Marino underwent successful surgery to repair facial bone fractures.
The surgery was performed at UPMC Mercy by Dr. Mark Ochs of UPMC Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Marino is expected to miss three to six weeks.
Marino, 22, was struck in the face with a puck while on the penalty kill during Pittsburgh’s game in Tampa Bay last Thursday. He currently ranks second among team defensemen, and fourth among all NHL rookie blueliners with 25 points in 51 games.
In college basketball
Iowa State star guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss the rest of the season with a fractured left wrist.
Haliburton was injured late in the first half of the Cyclones’ win over Kansas State on Saturday when he landed on the wrist as he blocked a shot.
Haliburton was the Cyclones’ second-leading scorer at 15.2 points per game. He averaged 5.9 rebounds and a Big 12-leading 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals in 22 games. The sophomore is considered a potential lottery pick in the NBA draft this year.
• Tre Jones had 13 points to help seventh-ranked Duke overcome a turnover-heavy performance to beat No. 8 Florida State 70-65 on Monday night.
Fickell turns down MSU
Coach Luke Fickell informed Michigan State on Monday that he’s decided to stay at Cincinnati, leaving the Spartans to resume their search to find Mark Dantonio’s replacement as the school’s football coach.
Fickell has rebuilt Cincinnati into a Top 25 program in his three seasons. Dantonio, who stepped down from the job this month, also coached at Cincinnati. After considering the Michigan State job over the weekend, Fickell announced he was staying because his family is comfortable in Cincinnati.
In the NHL
Anthony Beauvillier scored twice, Josh Bailey had three assists and the New York Islanders kept Alex Ovechkin stuck at 698 career goals in beating the Washington Capitals 5-3 Monday night.