Zack Greinke had an uneven outing in his highly-anticipated Houston Astros debut, giving up five runs in six innings to the visiting Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

Acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the 35-year-old right-hander joined All-Stars Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole to round out what many are calling the best starting rotation in baseball.

However Greinke, who entered Tuesday's game 10-4 with a 2.90 ERA in 23 starts this year, didn't have his best stuff.

After a solid first three innings, Greinke gave up two earned runs in the fourth and then a tying, three-run homer to Raimel Tapia in the top of the sixth. Righty Chris Devenski took over for Greinke to start the seventh.

The former Cy Young winner finished his night with two strikeouts and two walks.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Nashville Predators have signed forward Rocco Grimaldi to a one-year deal worth $1 million based on the ruling of an independent arbitrator.

The Predators announced the deal Tuesday night.

An arbitrator heard Grimaldi's case Sunday. Grimaldi, 26, is coming off his best season with five goals and eight assists in 53 games in his first year with Nashville. He had never skated in more than 20 games in a season, and that was in 2015-16 with Florida. He scored 13 of his 23 career points with Nashville, and he led the Predators with three playoff goals in five games.

The 33rd selection overall in 2011 by Florida, the Anaheim, California, native has played 90 career games in the NHL with the Panthers, Colorado and Nashville.

The NCAA issued a memo to agents Monday, outlining new certification requirements to represent players testing the NBA draft waters.

In the memo, obtained by ESPN, the NCAA outlined new criteria for agents: a bachelor's degree, NBPA certification for at least three consecutive years, professional liability insurance and completion of an in-person exam taken at the NCAA office in Indianapolis in early November.

The bachelor's degree requirement has led some to refer to it as the "Rich Paul Rule." Paul, who represents LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons, Draymond Green, among others, and recently brought his Klutch Sports Group under the United Talent Agency umbrella, began working with James a couple of years after high school and didn't graduate from college.

According to the new NCAA criteria, Paul wouldn't be able to represent underclassmen testing the NBA draft waters.

James weighed in on the new certification requirements via social media Tuesday.

??????????? Can't Stop, Won't Stop! They BIG MAD ? and Scared ?. Nothing will stop this movement and culture over here. Sorry! Not sorry. ?✌?

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 6, 2019

#TheRichPaulRule

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 6, 2019

Agents also will need to fill out an application and have a background check.

In the application, sources told ESPN, agents are also required to agree that they will cooperate with the NCAA in investigations of rules violations, "even if the alleged violations are unrelated to [their] NCAA-agent certification."

"Men's basketball student-athletes who are considering careers in professional basketball but who may want to return to school are only permitted to accept permissible agent services from NCAA-certified agents with a signed agent agreement," the memo stated. "It is important to remember that a men's basketball student-athlete cannot enter into an agent agreement until after his team's season has concluded, and the student-athlete has requested an evaluation from the NBA undergrad advisory committee."

Agents who complete the application and background check will take the in-person exam on Nov. 6, the day after the college basketball season begins with the Champions Classic in New York City.

Agents who meet every requirement besides the three-year NBPA certification can receive an exception if the student-athlete they represented this past spring decided to return to school.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Switch-hitting infielder Asdrubal Cabrera reached agreement on a one-year contract Tuesday for a second stint with the Washington Nationals, and manager Dave Martinez told him to be ready for multiple roles.

The 33-year-old Cabrera was released Saturday by the Texas Rangers as they turned to youth. He batted .235 with 12 home runs, 15 doubles and 51 RBIs in 93 games, drawing 38 walks.

"I was caught by surprise. I didn't expect it," Cabrera said.

Cabrera, who played all of his games at third base this season, joined his new team before the middle game of a series with San Francisco. He appeared in 49 games for Washington in 2014 after being acquired from Cleveland at the trade deadline.

"I'm very thankful to the Nationals. They gave me an opportunity to return to the team," Cabrera said. "It's a new challenge for me, I know this organization. ... I'm going to come off the bench. I'll hit for the pitcher, I'll play different positions. I'll be playing around the whole infield."

That means taking ground balls at first, where he might just get some use.

Martinez appreciates having Cabrera's power bat available off the bench.

"He hits the ball all over. It was a great addition for us," Martinez said. "I told him, 'Just be ready, you could play everywhere, come in, double-switch and help us in many ways.'"

The Nationals optioned infielder Adrian Sanchez to Double-A Harrisburg and designated right-hander Kyle Barraclough for assignment.

Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson is "utterly baffled" by England head coach Eddie Jones' selections at number nine in the run-up to the World Cup.

Gloucester's Willi Heinz, 32, could become the fourth scrum-half to make his international debut under Jones when England face Wales on Sunday.

Ben Youngs is England's starting nine, while experienced international Danny Care last played in November 2018.

"I don't how to read into it," said Dawson on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"If Ben Youngs goes down before [England's World Cup pool match against] France, that number nine has got to run the show.

"Potentially you have someone with two or three caps going into that scenario. I need someone to explain it to me."

Heinz, who was born in New Zealand but qualifies for England through his late grandmother, has played for Gloucester since 2015 and was integral to the side's run to the Premiership play-offs last season.

Jack Maunder, Ben Spencer and Dan Robson have also been given their first cap by Jones, who is yet to settle on a back-up for Youngs since leaving Care out of his squad.

Spencer looked a likely option when he was included in a training camp in Italy at the end of July, but the Saracens scrum-half has not been chosen for the warm-up match against Wales at Twickenham.

The choice seems more significant given that the England head coach will name his World Cup squad the day after the match, almost four weeks before the deadline of 8 September imposed by World Rugby.

Jones' side will then play another warm-up game against Wales in Cardiff before facing Ireland and Italy.

Who will play in England's back row?

Another key selection area for Jones will be the back row, with Brad Shields now a doubt because of a foot injury which could mean he does not play again before England's first World Cup game on 22 September.

Harlequins' Alex Dombrandt had replaced Shields in the training squad, but has been left out of the group to face Wales, and experienced former captain Chris Robshaw does not feature in Jones' plans.

Uncapped Northampton flanker Lewis Ludlam could make his Test debut at the weekend, but the lack of options might mean locks Maro Itoje and Courtney Lawes move into the back row.

At number eight, Billy Vunipola is the only specialist in the group given that Nathan Hughes was not included in the training squad.

All this means Sale's Mark Wilson, who made his debut for England in 2017 and can play flanker and number eight, is now "one of the first names on the plane" according to BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones.

"Wilson really has come from nowhere," Jones added on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport's Matt Dawson's Rugby Show.

"A year ago we weren't talking about Mark Wilson and now he is integral to England's World Cup hopes."

As one of the most popular drivers and creative marketers in the sprint car pits, Rico Abreu takes time to hang out with Ralph Sheheen. The two-time Chili Bowl Nationals winner and former USAC National Midget Series champion talks about all the important things in life: his hair, his love for sprint car racing, his marketing philosophy and his experience pursing a career in NASCAR.

Catch this week’s full episode on SPEEDSPORT.com or download the podcast on SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify or iHeart Radio.

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Surrey Stars 130 for 9 (Taylor 43, Fenby 4-20) Yorkshire Diamonds 121 (Marsh 3-17) by nine runs

Surrey Stars kicked off their Kia Super League title defence with a nine-run victory over Yorkshire Diamonds at Emerald Headingley.

Australia star Alyssa Healy's blistering 31 looked to have put Yorkshire on top in their pursuit of 131, after Helen Fenby helped restrict Surrey by claiming four wickets. But the Diamonds, who have yet to reach Finals Day in the KSL, failed to capitalise on their strong start as Laura Marsh took three wickets to lead the Stars to opening day success.

Healy, who scored 266 runs in the women's Ashes, launched a superb attack in the Powerplay, striking three boundaries in each of the third and fourth overs. But she was removed for 31 from 17 balls by spinner Mady Villiers - who also dismissed Healy on her England debut last week - to leave Yorkshire 43 for 1 in the fifth over.

Experienced England spinner Marsh helped keep the Diamonds in check with two key wickets, as Hollie Armitage and India star Jemimah Rodrigues fell for 12 and 4 respectively.

Yorkshire reached 75 for 3 at the halfway mark as captain Lauren Winfield set about anchoring the innings. But Stars skipper Natalie Sciver dismissed Cordelia Griffith for 5 and then claimed the key scalp of Winfield for 31.

At 97 for 5, Yorkshire required 34 to win from the last five overs. But Leigh Kasparek fell in the 16th as Marsh claimed 3 for 17 from her four overs.

Allrounder Alice Davidson-Richards offered hope for the Diamonds with a brisk 17, taking them to 19 needed from 12 balls, but her run out in the 19th over ended their chances. Yorkshire lost three wickets in the final over to be bowled out for 121.

Surrey's innings had followed a similar pattern. South African Lizelle Lee, who hit 104 from 58 balls in last year's final win over Loughborough, hammered two fours in the opening over. But Lee was the first of four wickets for 20-year-old legspinner Fenby, trapped lbw for 9 attempting to sweep, before opening partner Bryony Smith was caught by Armitage for a breezy 20.

England pair Sarah Taylor and Sciver guided Surrey to 71 for 2 at the halfway mark. Sciver struck the only six of the match as she crashed Kasparek down the ground, but the spinner responded by forcing Sciver to miscue one straight back to her.

Taylor, who missed the T20 part of the recent women's Ashes due to mental health problems, played well on her return to make 43. But her departure in the 15th over, also caught and bowled by Kasparek, sparked a collapse.

The legspinner picked up her third when South African Dane van Niekerk was brilliantly caught in the deep by Rodrigues, before Marizanne Kapp was the third to be caught and bowled - this time by Linsey Smith.

Fenby returned to dismiss Marsh and Gwen Davies to finish with figures of 4 for 20, but Surrey's total of 130 for 9 proved beyond Yorkshire.