The Boston Red Sox placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 60-day injured list Sunday when the team claimed right-hander Phillips Valdez off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

Pedroia, 36, suffered a setback with his left knee injury in late January. Over the past two seasons, the Red Sox fan favorite has played just nine games, collecting three hits in 34 plate appearances.

Pedroia initially suffered the injury back in 2017, when Baltimore's Manny Machado collided with him on a slide at second base. Pedroia last played a game on April 17, 2019.

Over the past several years, Pedroia has been a regular under the knife. In October 2017, he underwent a cartilage restoration procedure, followed by scar tissue removal in July 2018. Most recently this past August, Pedroia underwent knee joint preservation surgery, an alternative to knee replacement.

Earlier this month, new Boston manager Ron Roenicke said Pedroia wouldn't report to spring training with the rest of the position players.

"When a guy just ages and then he's not as good, that part's easy to see. But not a guy who has an injury and because of it has not been able to perform," Roenicke said at the time. "That part is really difficult.``

Through his 14-year career in the majors, Pedroia has hit .299/.365/.439 with 140 homers, 394 doubles 725 RBIs while collecting four Gold Gloves and earning MVP honors in 2008, when he hit .326/.376/.493 with 17 homers and 83 RBIs.

Valdez, 28, made his major league debut for the Texas Rangers last season and had a 3.94 ERA in 11 relief appearances. He was claimed off waivers by the Mariners from the Rangers in November.

ESPN's Joon Lee contributed to this report.

800m man avoids Glasgow mishap this time around while Tom Bosworth smashes his British 5000m race walk record

The Emirates Arena has not always been kind to Guy Learmonth but, after his painful exit from the European Indoor Championships this time last year, the Scot kept his cool and stayed on his feet to capture a third British indoor 800m title at the Glasgow venue.

The 27-year-old was left punching the track with frustration almost exactly 12 months ago following a fall which put him out at the semi-final stage of a championships for which he had been made British team captain. It looked as if a similar fate may befall him this time around, too, when Alex Botterill took a tumble in close proximity during the final lap, but instead the Lasswade athlete was able to avoid calamity and experience a moment to savour in front of a vocal home crowd.

Learmonth in fact clocked an indoor PB of 1:46.89 to hold off Andrew Osagie’s 1:46.98, with Piers Copeland also achieving a PB 1:47.21 in third. Early leader and world 1500m finalist Josh Kerr has never gone quicker over the distance indoors either, his run of 1:47.37 bringing with it fourth place. 

“I really thought I was going to go down,” said Learmonth. “But I managed to stay on my feet and bring home the bacon so it’s a great feeling. Last year there was so much bad stuff that happened – running with a broken hand, broken ribs and then I had hip tendonitis as well so to come back and rectify all that…this title means more than any other medal I’ve won before and it bodes well for a great year.”

The other men’s middle distance event of the day, the 1500m, saw Brighton athlete George Mills come out on top and land his first senior British title in a time of 3:50.69, having fought off British junior record-holder Tom Keen (3:52.40) and Bolton’s Jonathan Kay (3:52.56).

The winning moment was all the sweeter for Mills, who has had to work his way back from a catalogue of injuries.

“I had a stress fracture in my shin, sacrum and then I tore my hamstring all within the space of a year, which meant I missed 2017 and 2018,” said the former 800m European youth champion. “To be national champion and win my first senior British title is something else. I’m absolutely delighted with it.”

There was also a maiden British indoor title for James Williams, who ran a personal best of 47.24 in what was a very convincing performance over 400m to take victory ahead of Swansea’s Joe Brier in second (47.92), while Krishawn Aiken of Shaftesbury Barnet clocked (48.00) for bronze. 

In the 200m, Kingston-Upon-Hull athlete and BUCS champion Andrew Morgan-Harrison ran 21.20 to hold off Nicholas Pryce and Ben Snaith, who clocked PBs of  21.29 and 21.47 for second and third respectively.

Bosworth breaks his own British record

There was never any doubt as to which athlete would win the 5000m men’s race walk title. Instead, the real question at hand was whether or not Tom Bosworth would manage to achieve it in record-breaking style.

To do so he had to beat his own national mark of 18:28.70 and, in the absence of the likes of Callum Wilkinson, he was faced with what was essentially a one-man time trial. The Commonwealth 20km silver medallist set off like he meant business and always looked in complete control as he sliced a huge chunk off his target time, clocking 18:20.97 to send out a strong message to his Olympic rivals. Manx athlete Tom Partington was second in 22:17.16, with Bexley’s Luc Legon clocking 23:00.52 for bronze.

“I love this track, it’s brilliant. It’s a fast track and I set a world record last time I was here,” said Bosworth, referring to the 3000m mark he set in 2018. “I had a perfect winter in terms of preparation and, to be honest, I haven’t felt this good since the Commonwealths.

“I wanted to see how far I could push myself today. 18.28 was the old record, and I thought I would never get near that again. But I felt good, so I thought it would stick with the pace and see how far I could go. I can’t ask any more of myself, especially in an Olympic year.”

Tom Gale jumps to it once again

In the field events, Tom Gale completed what has been a memorable indoor season with high jump gold. The 21-year-old is the current world leader and has already achieved the Olympic qualifying standard thanks to his recent leap of 2.33m. While he didn’t quite hit those heights this time around, there was plenty of satisfaction at getting the job done with a leap of 2.27m.

Gale has been marked out as one to watch for some time now and continued to underline his potential, securing victory convincingly with that first-time clearance.

His three attempts at 2.32m proved narrowly unsuccessful, but he said: “In previous years I’ve won because the best guys weren’t there and today they were and I won so I can be happy. I put myself in the best position looking to the outdoor season. Having the Olympic qualifier behind me is a big thing so outdoors, let’s go have some fun.”

Giffnock North’s David Smith won the silver medal with 2.24m, while a clearance of 2.20m gave Sale’s Chris Baker bronze.

A week on from being involved in the same pole vault competition that saw Mondo Duplantis break the world record, Adam Hague enjoyed his own moment in the Emirates Arena spotlight as he won British indoor gold.

A clearance of 5.55m won the competition ahead of Shaftesbury Barnet’s Ethan Walsh (5.15m), while Kilbarchan’s Andrew Murphy won bronze with a PB of 5.00m. 

Hague went on to unsuccessfully attempt what would have been a personal best of 5.67m but was more than happy with his day’s work.

“It feels nice to get that winning feeling back,” he said. “I was really pleased with the height that I achieved in the end, so overall it was a pretty good performance. I’m happy, the crowd was great and it’s been a good day.”

It was also a good day for Michael Puplampu, who successfully defended his triple jump title. The Newham and Essex Beagle athlete had to rely on a final round leap of 16.21m to land gold, however, ahead of Harrow man Efe Uwaifo’s PB (16.18m) and Sale’s Julian Reid (16.08m).

“I left it a little late today, and I keep on doing it to myself,” said Puplampu. “I did the same thing last year and left it to the last round and got it by a centimetre. There’s so many people back home supporting me that I knew I had to get the job done.”

Primary school teacher caps strong season with dominant victory in Glasgow, while teenager Keely Hodgkinson and Amelia Strickler also achieve top marks

Jessie Knight was top of the class in Glasgow on Sunday as the primary school teacher claimed a dominant 400m victory at the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships.

Capping an impressive indoor season which saw her storm to success at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix on the same Emirates Arena track just one weekend earlier, the 25-year-old clocked 52.76 to win her first national title ahead of Crawley’s Holly Turner, who ran an indoor PB of 54.22, and Blackheath’s Krystal Galley, who also ran an indoor best of 54.83.

“Exactly what I wanted from this weekend has happened,” said a delighted Knight. “I’m really happy. It’s the perfect end to what has been just an amazing indoor season.

“Last year I didn’t make the final here,” added the 400m hurdles specialist. “I know a lot of girls are missing this year but I really feel like the times I have run would have put me in a good position coming into this weekend anyway.”

Athletics took a back seat for Knight a few years ago when she decided to focus on her teaching career, but the Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow athlete teamed up with coach Marina Armstrong 18 months ago and the decision to return to the sport is clearly paying off as she balances it with leading her 32-strong year six class in Epsom.

“Seeing my class tomorrow morning will be just so exciting,” Knight smiled. “I hope I have inspired them as well, we have a lot of talks about it, they know how hard I work, so I hope it has inspired them and they are very excited, as I am.”

On combining her athletics with work, she added: “There are so many athletes that do work full-time and it is really hard. There are times in the winter that I have come home almost in tears because it’s just sheer exhaustion.

“It just goes to show that if you get the right coach, the right training set-up, time management, you can do it. Just keep going everyone because it can all come together. The messages I have received have just been amazing, so much support.”

Hodgkinson steps up for senior win

In her first ever indoor season, 17-year-old Keely Hodgkinson followed her European indoor under-20 800m record with a British title victory, running a well-judged race to clock 2:04.37 ahead of Birchfield’s Mari Smith in 2:04.72.

Finishing third in 2:07.27 was 39-year-old Philippa Millage, who had broken the British W35 indoor record with her heat time of 2:05.70 the day before and, after claiming bronze, joked that she was old enough to be winner Hodgkinson’s mother.

“It’s my first indoor season ever, my first British Championships, so I’m really happy to prove myself on the bigger stage, have a strong race and come away with the gold,” said Hodgkinson, who ran 2:01.16 at the Vienna Indoor Classic earlier this month.

“I only decided to do indoors late on,” added the Leigh Harriers athlete, who is coached by Trevor Painter, the coach and husband of world medallist Jenny Meadows. “I was going to stick to cross country this winter but thank god I didn’t, the weather is absolutely ridiculous!”

In the 1500m, victory was claimed by Cambridge & Coleridge’s Holly Archer, who like Knight works full-time to support her athletics.

In Glasgow, the pharmaceutical marketing associate ran 4:21.99 to finish ahead of Fife’s Jenny Selman (4:22.57) and Preston’s Jacqueline Fairchild (4:22.58) and admitted she had surprised herself with victory.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet that I’m British champion,” said Archer. “I wasn’t expecting to do this well this year.

“It was always our plan to medal, but the game plan changed a little before today’s race.”

A tactical 3000m final was won by Melissa Courtney-Bryant as she clocked 9:48.54 after a 2:39.4 final kilometre, back on the track where she claimed European indoor bronze last year.

Swansea’s Verity Ockenden secured silver in 9:50.39 and Epsom & Ewell’s Commonwealth steeplechase fourth-placer Rosie Clarke claimed bronze in 9:52.02.

The women’s 5000m race walk was combined with the men’s event, with the two-strong race won by Aldershot, Farnham & District’s Abigail Jennings in 25:28.46 ahead of Hyde Park Harriers’ Pagen Spooner.

In the 200m, Enfield & Haringey’s Ama Pipi powered to a UK-leading indoor PB of 23.23 ahead of Gateshead’s Jazmine Moss with 24.17 and Colchester’s Rebecca Jeggo with 24.33.

Strickler’s shot put success

Amelia Strickler unleashed the throw of her life to win her second British shot put title after the outdoor gold she claimed in 2018.

In the first event of the day, the Thames Valley thrower launched the shot put out to 17.97m in the fourth round for an overall lifetime best which beats her previous PB of 17.83m, set outdoors last year.

The final had seen a battle between Strickler and defending champion Sophie McKinna in the opening rounds as Strickler took an early lead with 16.83m before McKinna replaced her at the top with her second-round 16.90m.  Strickler regained the lead with her next throw of 17.45m before improving again to her winning mark, which exactly matched McKinna’s winning distance from last year.

It also moved Strickler up to equal third with McKinna on the UK indoor all-time list.

Great Yarmouth’s world finalist McKinna, who threw an impressive 18.61m in Doha last year, this time had to settle for the silver with a best of 17.39m, while Birchfield’s Adele Nicoll got bronze with a 16.19m indoor PB.

After her runner-up finish in Glasgow at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix the weekend before, Birchfield’s Bethan Partridge won the British high jump title after clearing 1.87m. Having cleared a PB of 1.91m in January, she went on to attempt 1.92m but knocked the bar in her three attempts.

Commonwealth medallist Morgan Lake was visibly upset after a performance which saw her clear a best of 1.84m, some way off her PB of 1.97m, while UK leader Nikki Manson, who has managed 1.93m this winter, also cleared a best of 1.84m for bronze.

There was a sixth British triple jump title win for Naomi Ogbeta as the European finalist leapt 13.83m as Woodford Green’s Shanara Hibbert secured silver with a 13.03m PB performance. Bronze was claimed by Shaftesbury’s Eavion Richardson with a 12.73m jump.

“This is my sixth British title and that was exactly what I wanted today to be about, winning the title,” said Ogbeta.

“Getting a season’s best as well, you can’t ask for any more than that.

“The feeling never wears off when you win a British title and this one is just as sweet as the first one.”

Full results can be found here.

When talking about the Mount Rushmore of NASCAR modified racing, three drivers immediately come to mind — Mike Stefanik, Jerry Cook and Richie Evans.

However, in the last 10 years, Connecticut’s Doug Coby has quietly made a case to be included in discussions about NASCAR’s greatest modified drivers.

The 40-year-old racer, who flips real estate when he’s not strapped in a race car, has won six of the last nine NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships. During that same time period, Coby has scored 27 of his 28 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories, more than any other driver in the last 10 years.

His six NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships leave him tied with Cook for third on the all-time list behind seven-time champion Stefanik and nine-time champion Evans.

Being mentioned in the same breath as Cook, Stefanik and Evans is something Coby never thought possible when he began his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career in 2002.

“I never really had high expectations,” he said. “The tour has always been super competitive. Back in ’02, it was Tony Hirschman, Ted Christopher, Mike Stefanik, John Blewett, a ton of guys, Ed Flemke, Rick Fuller, all these guys with experience. Decades of experience, not just a couple seasons.

“It was always just a big learning deal I guess.”

It wasn’t always checkered flags and championships for Coby. Much like any successful racer, he had to claw his way through the ranks. In fact, 10 years ago Coby was still struggling to find a full-time ride on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

After running most of the tour in 2003, Coby ran the full schedule from 2004 to ’06, earning his first victory at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 2006. But by the end of the season, he’d lost his ride with car owner Curt Chase.

“I never looked past the first win until I got the first win. The goal was how do you win another one? I went from 2006 to ’11 with only one win. During that time, I lost my full-time ride and I guess I would say from ’06 to ’11, the focus changed from getting my next win to getting in a full-time car,” Coby explained.

Coby picked up rides on the tour whenever he could. He drove for nine different teams during that time span. Finally, the opportunity he’d been looking for came in the form of team owner Wayne Darling, who turned over the reins of his No. 52 modified to Coby from 2011 through ’13.

Coby repaid Darling with eight victories and the 2012 series championship.

As it turned out, that was just the start of what ended up being an incredible run for Coby.

In 2014, he joined forces with team owner Mike Smeriglio III and together they were nearly unstoppable. During the next six seasons, they won five NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour titles and 19 races.

It’s those numbers that have put him in the same conversations as Cook, Stefanik and Evans. However, Coby has a difficult time believing he’s even in the same league as that trio of NASCAR modified kingpins.

“Those guys, they are legends because they are pioneers,” Coby said. “They built cars, they taught other people how to build cars. They designed entire setups and some geometry on our cars that we all still run today. That was a time in all of auto racing where whoever was the most innovative won races.

“Whoever found a way to squeak some more horsepower or run an entirely different engine package that may have 50 more horsepower, that was the era those guys are in,” Coby noted. “It was like the space race, who can get there first?

“It was a totally different time and I don’t necessarily know. I obviously wasn’t alive then to know how things would have been for a guy like me to race then. Probably not so good.”

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STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. – When Stafford Speedway waves the green flag on its four Open Modified 80 races during the upcoming season, race fans will see a former partnership rekindled.

Jon McKennedy and Art Barry, who won the Modified Racing Series championship together in 2012, will reunite to make a run at the checkered flag in Stafford’s Open 80 events scheduled for May 8, June 12, July 10 and Aug. 21 with the No. 21 SPAFCO Chassis Chevrolet.

“I ran for Art [Barry] back in 2012, we won a handful of races and the MRS championship together,” said McKennedy. “The open shows at Stafford are something I’ve been looking at doing because I always enjoy coming to race at Stafford. Art and I have stayed in contact over the years and we touched base over the holidays and thought it would be good to get back together and do some races together. We had pretty good success back in the day and Art and all of his guys are great. He has good equipment so I’m hoping we can have some good runs.”

Having already worked alongside each other to win races and a championship, McKennedy is looking to pick up right where he left off with the Barry team and eliminate any new driver/team combination woes.

“Having worked together before, we should be able to get up to speed pretty quickly,” said McKennedy. “Kenny Barry and I have always gotten along great and we’re usually on the same page with things and he always gives me a good car. I don’t see why we can’t pick up right where we left off last time we were racing together. We’d obviously like to win all 4 races but that’s unrealistic. I certainly think we can contend for a win or two and we’ll see what happens. Art’s car is definitely a good ride to be in.”

Stafford is known for being a track that is tough to conquer for any drivers who are new or lack experience at the Connecticut half-mile. McKennedy struggled at Stafford early in his career, but teaming up with the Barry team turned McKennedy’s Stafford fortunes around and he enters the 2020 season with two MRS wins and two MTS wins at Stafford in limited experience.

“Going back 10 years ago or so, Stafford one was one of my worst tracks to go to,” said McKennedy. “When I started racing for Art in 2012, Kenny Barry gave me some pointers on how to drive the track and ever since then it’s been a night and day difference. Our first race together at Stafford we won and I remember it was a good race with Ted Christopher to get that win. Ever since then Stafford has been a great track for me and I think I’ve won four or five races there. It’s a neat, technical track and beautiful facility and the Arute’s and everyone involved with the speedway do a great job.”

In order for McKennedy to replicate his winning ways with the Barry team at Stafford, he knows he will face some stiff competition from all different forms of modified racing.

“If there’s 25 cars for these races, there’s probably about 10 or 12 of those cars that can win on any given night at Stafford,” said McKennedy. “There’s certainly a lot of good drivers with a lot of experience and to win at Stafford you need to have the whole package with a good car, good strategy, and some luck. It’s nice to come into Stafford with some experience and feeling confident that I know the track. I’m looking forward to the open shows with a variety or drivers coming from all different series with different car and engine combinations, which should make for some exciting races.”

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he is one of Anthony Martial's biggest critics but praised the striker after he bagged his third goal in as many games during the victory over Watford.

Martial scored the second in United's 3-0 win at Old Trafford after Bruno Fernandes has scored his first goal for the club with a first-half penalty. Teenager Mason Greenwood added the third as United moved up to fifth in the table, three points off the Champions League places.

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"I am delighted with the week Anthony has had," Solskjaer said after the France forward scored in three consecutive games for the first time since 2017. "He has got his critics and I am one of the biggest.

"He has come up with a No. 9's goal against Chelsea, he did everything to get the goal against Bruges and today is more the Anthony we know about. The skill is just mind-blowing but I want more from him."

As well as Martial, Fernandes was also central to an impressive United performance. The January signing scored from the spot and set up both Martial and Greenwood to claim the man-of-the-match award.

"In today's market, I think we got a good deal," Solskjaer said. "He has come in and done really well and given everyone a boost.

"It means more than just getting a player in. The fans are used to players with that personality, mentality and quality.

"He has come in from day one and felt like a presence in the group. Some players take some time in warming up but he felt confident right away.

"It is a bit of a mix between [Paul] Scholes and [Juan Sebastien] Veron -- the temperament of Veron and a lot of the quality of Scholesy."

While it was a positive day for Solskjaer, Martial and Fernandes, it was a quiet afternoon for Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira after both were left out of the squad.

The pair paid the price for a disappointing team performance against Club Brugge in Belgium on Thursday and Solskjaer has warned his squad that following the January arrival of Fernandes and Odion Ighalo, there is more competition for places.

"We picked a squad of 18 we felt covered all bases," Solskjaer said. "There is more competition for places so of course your standard has to improve.

"We need to be more consistent and kick on. This week has been a good one."

While South Africans celebrate their double success in T20 cricket on a super Sunday in which both the men's and women's teams won crucial matches, Australia are not making any attempt to hide their disappointment that victory could have been theirs.

Their men's team lost a T20 for the first time since November 2018, ending a nine-match unbeaten run and thus squandered the chance to seal the series against South Africa in a tense tussle.

Chasing 159, Australia were fell 12 runs short, after putting themselves in a position from which assistant coach Andrew McDonald felt they could have won.

"We got the game into a situation, where even though [Tabraiz Shamsi] bowled four overs for 17, we could have won it," he said. "The players will feel it is a missed opportunity to win a series away from home which is always a huge accomplishment."

Shamsi was the most economical bowler in the match, bowling a tight middle-overs spell to keep the required rate rising, but was bowled out by the 14th over of Australia's innings. Then, they needed 50 runs off the 36 balls to win but Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada denied them.

Ngidi's third over, which went for 11 runs but included the wicket of Alex Carey, and Rabada's last two overs, which cost a combined 10 runs and saw Matthew Wade dismissed, did the trick for South Africa and helped restore some of their confidence after they suffered their biggest T20I defeat less than 48 hours before. Ngidi admitted it has been tough for the home attack, especially after they also failed to defend a total against England immediately before this series and coach Mark Boucher said their skills were not up to scratch.

"It's been a very difficult build-up for us. There's been a lot of situations where we have been tested at the death," Ngidi said. "The chats have been to have confidence in the skills that we have. We have done it before so it's to go out there and have trust in our skills. We saw in our innings, we had gotten off to a flier and they also bowled very well at the death. We saw that if we can hit our straps with our death bowling it's going to be a tight game and we saw in the end, it was."

Rabada was significantly improved from his effort at the Wanderers on Friday, where he took 0 for 45 in three overs, and Ngidi recovered from conceding 36 runs in his first three overs, which included 12 in his first three legitimate deliveries, to giving away only five in his final one. The trust he spoke about shone through as he kept himself in the fight until the end.

"You've got 24 balls to bowl and the first over doesn't determine whether you have won or lost the game," he said. "There were a few unfortunate boundaries that I went for that could have helped if those hadn't gone but I knew there is still an opportunity to win the game. I just wanted to try and take as many wickets as I could."

Ngidi probably knows that he can't claim all the credit for his last wicket, which was the result of superb fielding from former captain Faf du Plessis. Stationed at long-on, du Plessis parried a Mitchell Marsh shot that was destined for six back into the playing area for David Miller to complete the catch in the third instance of a ball being saved from sailing over the boundary in the match. The other two efforts were from Steve Smith, who saved sixes when South Africa were batting and McDonald had nothing but praise for both teams' showing in the field.

"The game gets better every day and fielding becomes a spectacle. It was fantastic. The cutting of angles and the speed, the athleticism of the modern-day player is outstanding and they never cease to amaze," McDonald said. "They do practise it and they put themselves in those scenarios in training. It's no fluke they are able to execute that in my match. These guys have got creative minds and they've added in different shots over time and fielding is no different."

But for Wednesday's decider, Australia's focus will shift to their middle order, where they are still experimenting with No. 4 and No. 5 as they prepare for the T20 World Cup. "We've locked in Finch and Warner at the top and Steve Smith, I dare say he won't be moving but we are flexible on No. 4 and 5," McDonald said.

"Exposure to those situations more often grows experience and with experience comes the ability to execute and today we didn't quite get that right. We saw at the Wanderers they had some work to do and they were able to do it batting first. Batting second on a tiring wicket is a different situation so they will be no doubt better for that experience."