An MRI has confirmed that Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller has a torn ACL and will miss the upcoming season, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Miller suffered the injury during Saturday night's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. He was taken off the field on a cart during the first quarter in Arlington, Texas.

On first down, Miller was tackled by Cowboys tackle Maliek Collins, who hit him just above the left knee. Miller, 28, grabbed his left leg and was checked out by the medical staff. He was eventually carted off the field.

"It's very difficult to lose a guy like Lamar, for a lot of reasons. He's a great pro. He's just an awesome guy in the locker room," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said after the game.

Miller has been the Texans' lead back since 2016. In 14 games last season, he ran for 973 yards on 210 carries and scored five touchdowns. Miller is entering the final season of a four-year contract.

Houston traded for running back Duke Johnson earlier in the month but was hoping to feature both backs in its offense. Miller was replaced in Saturday's game by Taiwan Jones.

ESPN's Sarah Barshop contributed to this report.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon has been removed from the non-football injury list, paving the way for him to be part of the team's game plan for the Sept. 8 opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Gordon, who was conditionally reinstated by the NFL on Aug. 16, practiced in full pads for the first time Sunday.

He is also eligible to play in the Patriots' preseason finale against the visiting New York Giants on Thursday.

The pieces have come together for the Patriots' receiving corps in the past week. In addition to Gordon's return, Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman (thumb) was activated from the non-football injury list Monday and veteran Demaryius Thomas was activated from the physically unable to perform list (Achilles) Tuesday.

That trio joins first-round draft choice N'Keal Harry, five-year veteran Phillip Dorsett and undrafted Jakobi Meyers (NC State) atop the depth chart. Harry has been sidelined since sustaining an injury in the preseason opener Aug. 8.

The day after Gordon was reinstated, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said they would "evaluate the entire situation and do what we feel is best for Josh and the team."

With Gordon back at practice, the Patriots released receiver Maurice Harris on Sunday, a source told ESPN's Field Yates. Harris was one of the standout performers in spring practice and generated some early momentum in training camp, but he sustained an undisclosed injury on Aug. 14 during a practice with the Tennessee Titans and hadn't practiced since.

CHICAGO -- Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is out of Sunday's starting lineup because of tightness in his back.

Rizzo left Saturday's 7-2 loss to Washington in the fifth inning. Rizzo, who turned 30 on Aug. 8, has a history of back issues.

"It's a little bit different spot, he said," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Sunday. "So we're not as concerned. ... When I talked to him afterwards yesterday he was pretty optimistic."

Ian Happ started at first in the series finale against the Nationals. It was his third career start at the position.

The Cubs are off Monday before beginning a three-game series at the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

Chicago also placed reliever Derek Holland on the 10-day injured list and recalled infielder David Bote from Triple-A Iowa before its matchup with Washington.

Holland is out with a bruised left wrist. The left-hander got struck by a comebacker during Wednesday's 12-11 loss to San Francisco.

The 32-year-old Holland pitched Friday against the Nationals, allowing a run while working the ninth inning. Maddon said Holland thought he was OK "and the result wasn't that good."

Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez will have surgery for a fractured hamate bone in his right hand and has been placed on the injured list, the team announced Sunday.

Manager Terry Francona said Ramirez, who is batting .254 with 20 homers and 75 RBIs in 126 games, will have the procedure done by hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham in New York on Monday.

There is no immediate timetable for his return, but the injury typically takes more than a month to heal.

The injury could be a blow to the Indians' playoff hopes as they try to catch the first-place Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. Cleveland, which has won the past three division titles, entered Sunday's series finale against Kansas City trailing the Twins by 2 1/2 games and one-half game back in the wild-card race.

"There's two ways to look at it: You can feel sorry for yourself, which probably doesn't end well," Francona said. "Or you can choose to fight back and feel like this is our time to shine. And I would choose No. 2. I'm aware that it got more difficult. We lost a great player.

"That doesn't mean you can't win. Just makes it a little harder."

Ramirez, a two-time All-Star, had an MRI after he exited in the first inning of Saturday's game against Kansas City after fouling off a pitch.

Francona said Ramirez, 26, has been dealing with a sore wrist, but the injury occurred in a different area of the joint.

Ramirez was second in the majors in extra-base hits (32) and third in RBIs (40) in the second half of the season.

The injury is latest obstacle for the Indians. Two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber has been out since May 1 with a broken arm, and starter Carlos Carrasco is being treated following a leukemia diagnosis.

Utility man Mike Freeman replaced Ramirez in Saturday's game and had two hits and an RBI. The Indians also called up infielder Yu Chang from Triple-A Columbus.

"It's not going to be a straight platoon," Francona said of Freeman and Chang. "I don't think that makes sense. Plus, we've moved Freeman around anyway. And Chang's been moving around at Triple-A. He's been playing three at short, three at third and three at second. So we have the ability to move guys around. We'll let them know the night before, and we'll try to put two guys out there to try to take Josey's place.

"Freeman's done everything and more that we could have asked. So, I think we'll be OK."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Steeplechaser opens up on the impact of the female cycle after retaining her British title and booking her world championships place

Rosie Clarke says she is glad that there is an increasing awareness on the impact of the menstrual cycle on performance after sharing her own experiences following her British 3000m steeplechase title win in Birmingham.

The European and Commonwealth finalist retained her title on Saturday after clocking 9:46.66 ahead of Elizabeth Bird in an exciting finish as both athletes secured their spots on the British team for the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

But it came a week after Clarke was left disappointed with her performance at the Müller Grand Prix on the same Alexander Stadium track, having placed 15th in 9:54.25 in the Diamond League race.

“I’ve been struggling this year with some stuff, menstrual cycle related, and it has been really unpredictable. Luckily, up until Birmingham (Grand Prix), the issues I’ve had have been in training,” she told AW.

“We’re trying different things to try and manage stuff because it’s really not ideal but it wasn’t me out there last weekend, which is tough when you’ve done everything to prepare for it.”

READ MORE: Special report – menstrual cycle impact on athletics performance

On the impact that effects from the menstrual cycle can have, she added: “It’s massive. Every single female athlete I talk to has different problems, which is the other issue. There’s such a minefield of problems. There are brilliant people out there that are working on stuff but it’s so individualised that there isn’t just a one-solution-fits-all type solution.

Speaking after her British title win, @RosieClarke1 opened up on the impact of the menstrual cycle on performance, with the steeplechaser glad that there is an increasing awareness but remaining hopeful of future help. Read more ➡️ https://t.co/qvJMmpo7ow pic.twitter.com/G5rfVv1MVN

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 25, 2019

“For me personally, we thought we’d cracked it and I was actually training and racing really well with the use of a hormonal contraceptive which was managing my side affects but that has recently become unavailable in the UK, hence Birmingham. So we are trying to find another solution. But it is incredibly frustrating and it affects 51% of the population. I’m yet to speak to a female athlete that doesn’t have an issue to do with their hormonal cycle so it’s a massive problem.”

READ MORE: Dr Rebecca Robinson on female athlete health

Clarke’s own experiences include feeling incredibly sluggish – “it feels like you’re running through treacle” – and cramps. While pleased that the topic is being spoken about more widely, the 27-year-old hopes that it will eventually result in more help for those also enduring struggles like her own.

“I’m really glad that people are talking about it,” she said. “I think it’s really, really important. Me running 9:54 trying my absolute hardest is an example of that.

“It’s brilliant that it’s being spoken about, I just hope it translates into actual real life help for women of all different things but especially athletes because you are trying to get that top 100% out of your body and it holds you back.”

Interview with @RosieClarke1 in Birmingham as she spoke with @JmWhittington about retaining her British 3000m steeplechase title and booking her place on the team for the world championships in Doha.
Report ➡️ https://t.co/BnZsQd3PY3 #MullerBritishChamps pic.twitter.com/CjWseM3phK

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 25, 2019

A series of indentations on the side of the medals – one for gold, two for silver and three for bronze – make them easy to distinguish by touch

The Tokyo 2020 organising committee has unveiled the official design of the Paralympic medals to mark one year before the opening ceremony of the Games.

The design is said to be centred around the motif of a traditional Japanese fan, depicting the Paralympic Games as the source of a fresh new wind refreshing the world as well as a shared experience connecting diverse hearts and minds.

READ MORE: Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals unveiled with one year to go

The kaname, or pivot point, holds all parts of the fan together; here it represents para-athletes bringing people together regardless of nationality or ethnicity. Motifs on the leaves of the fan depict the vitality of people’s hearts and symbolise Japan’s captivating and life-giving natural environment in the form of rocks, flowers, wood, leaves, and water. These are applied with a variety of techniques, producing a textured surface that makes the medals compelling to touch.

Braille letters spell out “Tokyo 2020” on the medal face. A series of circular indentations on the side of the medals – one for gold, two for silver and three for bronze – make the medal types easy to distinguish by touch, the first time in Paralympic history that this provision has been made for athletes with a vision impairment.

As part of the Tokyo 2020 Medal Project, Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medals are being manufactured from recycled precious metals extracted from mobile phones and other small electronic devices donated by the public.

The medals were designed by Sakiko Matsumoto, who said: “I am very grateful that I could take part in these historic Games as a designer.

“I wanted to keep the athletes front and centre as I conceived this design. I hope these medals bring athletes and the people around them closer together and stirs a fresh new breeze in their hearts.”

Paralympic Games action takes place from August 25 to September 6, with athletics competition held from August 28.

Sprinter runs 20.08 at British Championships in Birmingham on a day that also sees big shocks in the men’s middle-distance races

Written off by some as a ‘mere’ relay runner, Adam Gemili carved his name into the history books at the Müller British Championships on Sunday by winning the men’s 200m in a championship record of 20.08.

The 25-year-old will now head to the IAAF World Championships next month as a medal contender. When he last won the British title, in 2016, he went on to place a close fourth in the Olympic final in Rio, so he is hoping to improve on that in Doha in a few weeks’ time.

Seven days after pushing former world champion Yohan Blake to the wire over 100m at the Birmingham Diamond League event in the same arena – and 24 hours after winning 100m silver – Gemili beat Zharnel Hughes (20.25) and Miguel Francis (20.34) to the national title over half a lap.

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, who held the championship record previously with 20.18 from 2017, clocked 20.39 in fourth. Impressively, Gemili ran the new CBP into a -1.9m/sec headwind as well.

In the final track race of the last major meeting before the Alexander Stadium is demolished and re-built ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Gemili’s run was also a stadium record and a spectacular send-off for the spectators who came to watch the meeting under sun-drenched skies and in temperatures of around 30C.

“I know what I can do and if I’m fit and healthy I can push the world’s best and I know I can do that,” said Gemili, who has struggled for the last couple of seasons with hamstring problems.

Last winter he was put on Lottery funding for the sprint relay – and not as an individual runner. “To be labelled a relay runner is never nice, especially in an individual sport like track and field,” he added.

Middle-distance surprises

Coming into the championships Jamie Webb and Charlie Da’Vall Grice led the UK rankings this season for 800m and 1500m respectively, but the form book was turned on its head as Spencer Thomas and Neil Gourley showed their speed and tactical acumen to take gold medals.

Thomas (pictured below) punched his fist through the line as he crossed the finish of the 800m but he was not sure if he had won the race. Runner-up Guy Learmonth was also uncertain, which was not surprising given that both men were given the same time of 1:46.79. The verdict however went to Thomas from Learmonth with Webb a close third in 1:46.84 as Elliot Giles came fourth and 2017 world fourth-placer Kyle Langford looking out of sorts in eighth.

There was similar drama in the 1500m as Gourley found a gap on the inside lane in the home straight of a slow race to pass leader Josh Kerr to win in 3:48.36. The field dawdled through 800m in 2:14 but the race sprang to life on the last lap, with Gourley powering through to win as Kerr was second and Jake Wightman third – completing a Scottish one-two-three for the third consecutive year – with Grice fourth.

Hudson-Smith in control

The 400m was more straightforward as Matt Hudson-Smith, returning from injury, clocked a world qualifier of 45.15 to win by more than half a second on his home track.

Dai Greene turned back the clock in the 400m hurdles as the 2011 world champion blasted through the early part of the race and led into the home straight. But with everyone tying up in the closing metres the 33-year-old was passed by Jacob Paul, who clocked 49.57 to win by one tenth of a second from Greene with Chris McAlister third in a close race.

In the 3000m steeplechase Zak Seddon enjoyed a runaway win. The Bracknell athlete ran an 8:21.28 PB in Rome earlier this summer and here in Birmingham on Sunday he sealed selection with 8:36.30 to take the British title in the heatwave temperatures.

In addition to the heat a swirling wind affected a few events over the weekend and the men’s sprint hurdlers faced a headwind of -2.5m/sec as David King pipped Cameron Fillery – both men given the same time of 13.78.

UK record for Wilkinson

The heat did not bother Callum Wilkinson as he scorched to a UK record in the men’s 5000m race walk. Held in the heat of the midday sun, the 22-year-old clocked 18:41.23 to beat Tom Bosworth’s outdoor national best by two seconds although Bosworth has clocked 18:28.70 indoors.

Wilkinson, a former world junior 10km race walks champion, now heads to Doha to compete in the 20km event in the knowledge his basic speed is better than ever.

UK No.1 clears 4.73m as she secures her spot for the world championships

Holly Bradshaw was a class apart in claiming her 12th national pole vault title at the Müller British Athletics Championships on Sunday, booking her place on the team heading to the IAAF World Championships in Doha in the process.

The national record-holder broke her own championship best with her clearance of 4.73m as she added another gold medal to her record number of wins which now stands at seven outdoor British titles and five victories indoors.

Entering the competition at 4.51m, Bradshaw had the competition won with her very first vault as she soared over the bar on her first go.

She went on to clear 4.63m on her first attempt and the 4.73m championship record on her second go before three attempts at a would-have-been British outdoor record of 4.82m.

It came after a long and hot wait of around 2 hours and 40 minutes to begin jumping and the European bronze medallist only started competing after all the other members of the field had already exited the competition, with Sophie Cook securing silver with a PB-equalling 4.36m and Lucy Bryan claiming bronze with a 4.25m clearance.

“I always love the British Champs. I love being in front of a home crowd and I love competing in Birmingham when the conditions are good and boy, the conditions were good today,” said Bradshaw, speaking one week after a windy Müller Grand Prix at the same stadium.

“It was pretty much like an indoor meet – you didn’t even have to look at the wind sock and as a pole vaulter that’s what you want.

“I had a bit of a long wait so when I was attempting the British record I actually felt like I lost a lot of energy and I couldn’t run properly but overall I’m really happy.”

Abigail Irozuru, Shara Proctor and Morgan Lake all joined her in also securing world championships spots.

In the long jump, a resurgent Irozuru continued to prove that reversing her retirement was the right decision to make as she improved on her 2012 PB of 6.80m with a 6.86m leap to win her first national outdoor gold.

Proctor’s silver medal-winning leap was just 2cm off Irozuru’s top mark and a qualifying standard for the world championships, while Jazmin Sawyers was just a single centimetre off the Doha mark with her 6.71m leap for bronze.

Lorraine Ugen finished fourth with 6.68m, while world para athletics champion Olivia Breen leapt 4.84m.

“I’ve been waiting seven years for a personal best,” said a delighted Irozuru. “I’ve had three surgeries, loads of injuries, been retired and now I’m back and in the form of my life. It’s a really incredible feeling.”

Lake cleared a season’s best of 1.94m on her third attempt to win the high jump title ahead of heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who had another busy afternoon.

After throwing 40.07m in the javelin, having also contested the 100m hurdles and shot put the day before, Johnson-Thompson cleared 1.90m before three unsuccessful attempts at 1.94m.

Bronze went to Nikki Manson with a 1.84m clearance.

The javelin was won by Laura Whittingham as she saved her best throw of 52.39m until last to take the title ahead of Emma Hamplett with 51.01m and Bethan Rees with 49.19m.

Paralympic and world champion Hollie Arnold threw a season’s best of 41.99m.

Women’s track events report to follow…

Triple jumper enjoys another PB at the British Championships in Birmingham while Nick Miller wins quality hammer final

Ben Williams is one of the breakthrough stars of British athletics in 2019 and he continued his great form by winning triple jump gold in style at the Müller British Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Sunday.

Building on the big PB of 17.14m he jumped to win at the European Team Championships in Bydgoszcz earlier this month, the Stoke athlete jumped out to 17.27m in the first round in Birmingham to go No.7 on the UK all-time rankings.

He shut down his competition halfway through due to cramp in his calf muscles but is now looking forward to representing Europe against the United States in The Match in Minsk early next month.

In-form Ben Williams talks to AW about his big triple jump PB at the #MullerBritishChamps. Cramp stopped him doing 6 rounds today but he’s looking ahead now to Europe v USA in Minsk. pic.twitter.com/I89xPrwAZw

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 25, 2019

“I feel like there’s much more in the tank,” said Williams. “I have to go to Doha and do what I know I can do.”

In second place Nathan Douglas also jumped well with 16.88m – close to the 16.95m Doha qualifier. Only problem is that there are barely any competitive opportunities left for him to chase the mark.

Nick Miller won the hammer with 76.31m – the best winning mark at the championship since 1985. Seemingly relishing the warm conditions, he was pushed by Taylor Campbell, who threw a 74.63m PB, plus Osian Jones, with a Welsh record of 73.89m.

Another Nick – Nick Percy –also left Birmingham with a smile after beating UK record-holder Lawrence Okoye and UK No.1 Greg Thompson to take the British discus title.

Percy threw 60.57m as an under-par and slightly out of shape Okoye finished runner-up with 58.84m in only his second competition of the year. George Armstrong took bronze, but Thompson, who threw a world qualifier of 65.56m in April, managed just 53.82m for fifth in Birmingham.

Scott Lincoln won the shot with 19.56m from Youcef Zatat and Samuel Heawood with youngster Lewis Byng in fourth.

MACON, Ill. – Rudy Zaragoza scored an unlikely victory in street stock competition on Saturday night at Macon Speedway.

Zaragoza started 11th in the 15-lap Archer’s Alley Street Stock feature. Zaragoza, who struggled throughout the day, only got faster as the laps clicked off.

With the white flag waving, an accident happened in the fourth turn to slow the momentum that Terry Reed was taking all the way to the winner’s circle. When the restart came, Reed found himself only a bumper’s length ahead of Zaragoza, who had raced his way to second.

As the cars restarted and Reed chose to stay on top, Zaragoza ran the bottom and came up on top of Reed out of the fourth turn and crossed the line ahead of Reed to steal the win away.

In other action, Dakota Ewing passed Blake Damery on the fifth lap of the 20-lap Decatur Building Trade Pro Late Model feature to run away and win the race.  Rodney Standerfer won the BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds event.

Tim Hancock Sr. stayed ahead of Billy Knebel to take the Neal Tire & Auto Pro Modified feature. Dennis Vandermeersch made quick work of the Sportsman field during the 15-lap event to take the win.

Paul Day was lightning quick and sprinted away from the field in the Micro Sprints Presented by Bailey Chassis. Lastly, Erik Vanapeldoorn raced in his wife’s Hornet to victory.