MILWAUKEE — Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker needs surgery on his heart again after a tear was discovered at the site of his valve replacement.
The Brewers said Uecker will have the surgery Tuesday. It will be performed by the same doctors who did his initial procedure April 30. Uecker’s recovery time is expected to be at least eight weeks.
“I’m approaching this with the same optimism that I had the first time, and I appreciate all of the kind thoughts and well wishes from Brewers fans and everyone who has reached out to me,” the 75-year-old Uecker said Thursday.
• Boston Red Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald underwent thumb surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training.
Also, the Red Sox and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia agreed to a one-year contract that pays him $750,000 in the major leagues and $250,000 in the minors.
Gordon on pole at Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C. — Jeff Gordon recovered from a poor practice session in the daylight to post the fastest lap (191.544 mph) once night fell at Charlotte Motor Speedway to capture the pole for Saturday’s Sprint Cup race.
Gordon, in fourth place in the points standings, barely held off Carl Edwards, who will start second after a lap of 191.455 mph.
AJ Allmendinger qualified third, followed by Mark Martin, Paul Menard and Kyle Busch.
Jimmie Johnson, the points leader who’s seeking a fifth consecutive Sprint Cup title, will start 10th in the fifth of 10 races in the Chase for the championship.
Johnson’s closest competition will be farther back. Denny Hamlin, who enters the weekend in second place and 36 points behind Johnson, qualified 23rd. Kevin Harvick, 54 points back, will start 24th.
• Russia will host grand prix races near the Black Sea resort of Sochi starting in 2014 after signing a six-year contract with Formula One.
Footnotes.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek and forward Arron Asham are expected to be out about two weeks with shoulder injuries.
• New Jersey Devils right wing Brian Rolston had surgery to repair a sports hernia. He will be sidelined four to six weeks.
• Defenseman Toni Lydman has been cleared to make his debut for the Anaheim Ducks after sitting out the past month with a strange case of double vision.
• The NBA players association said it is planning legal action over the league’s decision to issue more technical fouls for complaining.
• The NBA suspended Toronto’s Joey Dorsey for one game for swinging his arm at Chicago Bulls forward Brian Scalabrine.
• Baylor guard LaceDarius Dunn will be allowed to practice but remains suspended indefinitely from games while facing allegations that he broke his girlfriend’s jaw in a domestic dispute.
• Canadian sports medicine Dr. Anthony Galea, charged this year with smuggling unapproved drugs into the U.S. to treat professional athletes, was formally indicted by a federal grand jury in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Associated Press
