Sports briefs
In the NFL
Baltimore receiver Rashod Bateman is out for the season after deciding to have surgery on his injured foot.
Coach John Harbaugh announced Thursday that Bateman opted for Lisfranc surgery after consulting with his family and agent.
The Ravens drafted Bateman in the first round last year, but his rookie season was delayed by a groin injury. He ultimately caught 46 passes for 515 yards in 12 games in 2021, and Baltimore showed confidence in him when the team traded away receiver Marquise Brown in the offseason.
- The New Orleans Saints have decided to place wide receiver Michael Thomas on injured reserve because of a dislocated toe that has not responded well to rehab.
The decision means Thomas will have missed most of three seasons since his five-year, $96 million extension went into effect in 2020.
U.S. Embassy officials visit Griner
Officials at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow have visited jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner, more than a week after a Russian court rejected her appeal of her nine-year sentence for drug possession.
A State Department spokesman tweeted that the American representatives “saw firsthand her tenacity and perseverance despite her present circumstances” and said the U.S. is pushing for the immediate release of Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan. He was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison in Russia on espionage-related charges that he and his family say are bogus.
The White House says the U.S. has made “a significant offer” to resolve the cases but says there’s been “a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians.”
In golf
Will Gordon was frustrated with the way he finished last week in Bermuda. He had no complaints about his start Thursday at Mayakoba.
Gordon ran off four straight birdies to start the back nine on the El Camaleon course and finished with a 9-under 62 to take a one-shot lead over Russell Henley in the World Wide Technology Championship.
Harris English took another step back in his recovery from hip surgery and was at 64, part of a group that included former British Open champion Francesco Molinari.
Also seeing positive signs was Masters champion Scottie Scheffler. Without the No. 1 ranking next to his name for the first time since March, Scheffler hit plenty of iron shots close and converted them into a 65.