The Cleveland Indians placed Mike Clevinger on the 10-day injured list with a back injury and manager Terry Francona told reporters that the right-hander won't be able to pick up a ball for six-to-eight weeks.

The Indians said Clevinger has a teres major muscle strain in his right upper back. The move was made retroactive to Monday. Right-hander Nick Wittgren was recalled from Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move.

Francona told reporters it's a "significant" injury.

Clevinger left his start on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays after five innings because of upper back tightness.

Clevinger had 10 strikeouts over five scoreless innings and is off to an outstanding start this season, throwing 12 scoreless innings with 22 strikeouts over his first two outings.

He was 13-8 with a 3.02 ERA in 32 starts last season, pitching a career-high 200 innings and striking out 207 batters.

Pittsburgh Pirates starter Chris Archer received a five-game suspension and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig got a two-game ban for their roles in a melee Sunday at PNC Park.

Reds manager David Bell also received a one-game suspension and, like Puig, an undisclosed fine for what the league called their "aggressive actions during the incident." Bell and Puig will begin serving their suspensions Tuesday night, while Archer's ban is subject to appeal. He was also fined.

The benches-clearing incident happened in the top of the fourth inning of the Reds' 7-5 loss to the Pirates.

Archer threw a 93-mph fastball behind Reds first baseman Derek Dietrich's back to spark the incident. Dietrich had homered in the second inning and had stared at his blast before circling the bases, apparently angering Archer.

Warnings were issued to both teams, but Bell came onto the field to argue with home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg that Archer should have been ejected. Players from both teams then began to push one another.

After the situation seemed to settle down, Puig charged toward Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams at home plate and had to be restrained, reigniting the incident. Puig grabbed Pirates bench coach Tom Prince and tried to put him in a headlock.

Three Reds (Bell, Puig and relief pitcher Amir Garrett) and two Pirates (relievers Keone Kela and Felipe Vazquez) were ejected.

"I was trying to go in,'' Archer said. "I air-mailed a couple balls today, a couple that I was trying to elevate, a couple that I yanked when righties were up there. Another one that I just yanked.''

"I missed -- missed my spot,'' he added.

Puig said pitchers shouldn't try to hit batters because a batter can't retaliate in the same way.

"When people watch the ball go far away or do bat flips, like I do before, in the next [at-bat] try to strike out the guy,'' Puig said. "Don't try to hit the guy, because we can't defend you back because we can't hit you with a bat or nothing.''

Dietrich's 436-foot drive to right-center gave the Reds a 2-1 lead. Dietrich dropped his bat and stood in the batter's box and watched the ball clear the fence atop the Clemente Wall and bounce into the Allegheny River.

Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli had words for Dietrich when he crossed home plate. Dietrich said that exchange of words probably resulted in the fourth-inning hostilities.

"That's probably where it started. I didn't say anything, I didn't flip my bat, nothing on my end. So people see it differently. Most hitters see it as a good swing, some pitchers see it as 'Oh he's trying to show me up.' I don't know where the game's going these days," he said. "Everyone loves to play and have fun, but I let my bat do the talking. It was good to see the guys had my back, especially my manager. We're not trying to intentionally hurt anybody; we're just trying to play baseball, play hard, but unfortunately things happen."

Vazquez said he was ejected for entering the field without his uniform top.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs ace Jon Lester is being placed on the 10-day injured list because of a hamstring injury suffered in Monday's home opener against the Pirates, a source said Tuesday.

Lester was scheduled to get an MRI on Tuesday, an off day for both teams, who meet again Wednesday.

Appearing on 670 The Score radio Tuesday, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said that Lester will miss one or two starts but didn't confirm a trip to the IL.

Lester left the game in the third inning Monday with left hamstring tightness, and the Cubs went on to a much-needed 10-0 victory.

Lester sent out a tweet about his injury earlier Tuesday. It was not clear if he knew at the time that he was heading to the IL.

Sometimes when you have elite speed these things can happen. Great to get the W in front of the home crowd though, here's to many, many, many more! #NVRQT

— Jon Lester (@JLester34) April 9, 2019

"I didn't feel anything as far as a pop or anything like that," Lester said after the game. "Kind of more along the cramping sensation. We'll find out more [Tuesday]."

Lester's injury occurred while he was running the bases in the bottom of the second inning. He slid into second base on an RBI double and moments later slid into home as part of a six-run inning by the Cubs. The veteran says he's never had leg problems before. (Lester, 35, has made at least 31 starts every season since 2008.)

"In my mind, I'm making my next start," he said. "[Tuesday] may tell us something different."

While warming up before the top of the third, Lester grabbed his left hamstring. He then faced two batters, allowing both to reach, before Maddon went and got him. Brad Brach replaced Lester.

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Ulster and Ireland utility back Will Addison has been ruled out for the remainder of this season after undergoing a back operation.

The 26-year-old, who joined Ulster from Sale last summer, has not played since January because of his back injury.

The former England Under-20 player made his Ireland debut last November.

Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey is a doubt for Friday's crucial Pro14 game against Edinburgh after being concussed in last weekend's defeat by Glasgow.

An Ulster statement said that McCloskey, who has earned three Ireland caps, would follow the return to play protocols.

The statement added that Ulster are hopeful Addison will "return to full fitness for pre-season".

Last Friday's 30-7 defeat by Glasgow has heaped pressure on Dan McFarland's Ulster side heading into Friday's game at Murrayfield.

With two rounds of fixtures left in the regular season, Ulster are second in the Conference B but both Benetton and Edinburgh are within three points of the Irish province.

An Edinburgh victory on Friday could see Ulster dropping out of the three play-off places if Benetton defeat Munster in Treviso on the same evening.

In the final round of fixtures on 27 April, Benetton, now two points behind Ulster following their draw with Leinster in Dublin last weekend, will be fancied to take full points when they face Zebre away.

Ulster's final fixture sees them facing Leinster at Kingspan Stadium in a repeat of the recent European Champions Cup quarter-final which the holders won narrowly.

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Leicester and England hooker Tom Youngs is set to face a disciplinary hearing in London on Wednesday following his red card for dangerous play in the Premiership defeat against Exeter.

The 32-year-old was sent off by referee Tom Foley for making contact with Ollie Atkins' head in a ruck on Saturday.

He was dismissed after 56 minutes having been adjudged to have made no attempt to wrap his arms around Atkins.

Youngs is due to face the three-person Rugby Football Union panel at 1700 BST.

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Wayne Pivac has brushed aside claims that he is no longer the right man to lead Wales after the Rugby World Cup.

He was announced as Warren Gatland's successor last July - with his Scarlets going on to endure a turbulent season.

The region are at risk of failing both to make the Pro14 play-offs and to qualify for the European Champions Cup for the first time since Llanelli entered the competition in 1996.

"Comments people make are out of our control," said Pivac.

Fans have vented their frustration on social media, with some saying the Welsh Rugby Union appointed Pivac as a knee-jerk reaction after Scarlets won the Pro12 in 2017 and made the Pro14 final and Champions Cup semi-final last year.

• Pivac rejects Woodward's 'lost focus' claim
• Pro14 Play-off hopes and European worries

"God help Wales next season" and "from heroes to zeroes" were among a host of negative comments posted on the BBC Sport Wales Facebook page after Scarlets' home defeat by Edinburgh on Saturday.

Former England coach Sir Clive Woodward had also accused Pivac of losing focus, suggesting he should have taken a sabbatical after his appointment with Wales.

"They appointed me after two pretty positive seasons and a side that's been built over four years," Pivac said.

"I think most people who are astute rugby people will understand that we've had some difficulties this season; it's clear for everybody to see."

Those difficulties include long-term injuries to key players such as Aaron Shingler, James Davies, Jake Ball and Blade Thompson amid Leigh Halfpenny's three-month absence as he recovered from concussion.

Losing John Barclay, Tadhg Beirne and Scott Williams have also not helped Pivac's cause.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Rugby Union Weekly Podcast, former England and Lions wing Ugo Monye said he worried about Pivac filling Gatland's boots, likening his succession to David Moyes taking the reins from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

"It reminds me of the coaching and player exodus of 2003 in England," he said.

"Sir Clive Woodward's plan was essentially to win a World Cup, which he did, with not much thought afterwards.

"The slight difference with what Gatland has done is not only try to build a squad to win a World Cup, he's also given so many caps to so many young talented Welsh players. His legacy will be shown in those young guys he's entrusted over the last 18 months.

"It's not a thing against Pivac and Stephen Jones, it's just the person following into Gatland's shoes - it's a thankless task because you'll forever be reminded of what was there before."

Scarlets are fifth in their conference, with the top three making the play-offs, while finishing fourth would give them a chance to qualify for Europe's top club competition.

Pivac's men have two games left to salvage their season. They have to get a maximum 10 points against Zebre at home and against Dragons on Judgement Day while hoping other results go their way.

"Technically there's a lot to play for. For us it's about two games of rugby... we're looking for a good performance with and without the ball over 80 minutes, something we've struggled to do this year," Pivac said.

"Obviously it's our last game at home. We want to put on a special performance for the people that aren't going to be here next year and for our fanbase that have supported us through a turbulent season.

"We want to finish with a bit of a bang."

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MESQUITE, Texas – Oklahoma native Shane Stewart is looking forward to heading home this weekend — kind of.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is returning to historic Devil’s Bowl Speedway this Friday and Saturday — a track Stewart now considers home and has circled on his calendar.

The Mesquite, Texas track — where the inaugural World of Outlaws race was held in 1978 — is about four hours away from Stewart’s hometown of Bixby, Okla. With most tracks in Oklahoma either torn down, or a distant memory, Devil’s Bowl Speedway has become his surrogate hometrack. However, it’s more than just a hometrack.

“Devil’s Bowl has always been one of those bigger races on the schedule,” Stewart said. “Back when I was growing up, Devil’s Bowl, besides Knoxville, was always it for me. If you look at the drivers that have won there, especially Outlaw drivers, the list is pretty deep, with a lot of history there. It’s definitely a track that everybody wants to win at.”

He won at the track in 2016 and had a podium finish at the second race there last year. After an up and down early start to the season, Stewart’s hoping for similar results this year as he and his new CJB Motorsports team continue to learn each other.

Stewart started off the World of Outlaws season strong, finishing second on the opening night of racing at Volusia Speedway Park, but then finished 19th and 21st the next two races. Since then his results have been a mix of top-15 and top-10 finishes — placing him currently eighth in Series points.

“Our finishes haven’t really shown how we’ve been,” Stewart said. “I feel like we’ve been in contention to win three races, and I let one of them sneak away at Volusia, and we were leading the other night and had a flat at Stockton. When we Qualify in the right spot, put ourselves in the Dash, we’ve been in contention to win.”

He spent the past five years driving for Kyle Larson Racing, and while each team is unique with its own personality, Stewart said there’s been no difficulties adjusting to driving the No. 5 car with 2017 Crew Chief of the Year Barry Jackson.

Jackson agrees.

“He (Shane) and I, we communicate real well, and relate real well,” Jackson said.

David Gravel, who moved over to Jason Johnson Racing this year, spent the last three years as Jackson’s driver, and while they found success winning more than 30 races and finishing third in points all three years together, Jackson said it’s easier to connect with Stewart.

“I think with Shane and I, we come from a little bit more similar background,” Jackson said, “We’re closer in age. It’s a little harder for the older guys to work with the real young guys, at least for me. And Shane and I have a lot of similarities, and we’re clicking pretty good in that department.”

What’s hindered the team this year is consistency with races, bad luck and the team’s engine program, Jackson said.

After 12 years of working with Kistler Engines, Jackson said, at USA Raceway, he made the difficult decision to switch to engines from Gray Motorsports — which races in the NHRA Pro Stock division.

“We kind of had some issues, kind of going on for about a year,” Jackson said about the team’s engine program. “It’s going to be a little bit of a learning experience for both them and myself. They’re great engine builders, but it’s like me going over there to try and work on a Pro Stock car or a Funny Car. It’s a whole different ball game.”

He made the decision to switch engine builders after the second race at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas — where Stewart finished 21st — after about 15 hours of talking over the decision with several people. However, Jackson said he’s not sure if the engine switch is his final decision, though. Stewart finished 10th at USA Raceway and 12th at Arizona Speedway last weekend.

But if there was a time to have a slow run in the season, Jackson said he wants it to be now.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to get the season rolling,” Jackson said. “I don’t feel like we’ve got a chance to do that yet with all of the rain outs. If I’m going to have a little bit of a slow time in the season, as far as performance, I want it to be now. Because whenever May rolls around and you start looking at the races we have in May and the races we have in June, July and August, that’s where I want to get on a roll. Hopefully we’re getting this stuff out of the way now and we’ll be set to roll real soon.”

Having run well at Devil’s Bowl Speedway previously, Stewart looks for the team chemistry and momentum to grow this weekend.

“Going to different race tracks and putting yourself in different situations, knowing how to communicate with each other is one of the things that we continue to work on,” Stewart said. “I feel like we’re heading in the right direction.”

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BROWNSBURG, Ind. – The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 will kick off the championship point season in a big way, with four events in four days throughout two states.

The traveling All Stars, complete with 15 full-time teams vying for the season-ending point fund, will battle for a winner’s share equalling $27,000 over the course of the four-day weekend, opening with the $10,000-to-win/$1,000-to-start, Thursday Night Thunder at Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Va., on Thursday.

Once action at Virginia Motor Speedway is complete, the All Star Circuit of Champions will turn their compasses north and cross the Mason-Dixon for a three-pack in the Keystone State beginning with the Tommy Hinnershitz Memorial Spring Classic at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday.

Despite a long history in Pennsylvania Posse country, the All Stars have yet to earn a victory during competition at The Grove. Full-time competitors will have 6,000 reasons to end the infamous streak on Friday night, as the Hinnershitz will award a $6,000 payday.

Competition will resume with the annual Keith Kauffman Classic at Port Royal Speedway on Saturday. The $6,000-to-win program, honoring ‘The Man From Mifflintown’ who owns more than 300 victories and 18 track championships over the course of his career, will be the first of three appearances by Tony Stewart’s All Stars in 2019 at Port Royal. The series will return in September for the two-day Tuscarora 50, which will award a $52,000 payday on Sept. 7.

The four-race weekend will come to a close with a visit to the historic Bedford Fairgrounds Speedway on Sunday. Although a short history with the traveling sprint series in terms of overall appearances, six total visits since the series first visited Bedford in 2001, Bedford Speedway has been nothing short of competitive, as six different winners have been crowned in the first six contests.

Tony Stewart, who his celebrating his fifth season as the commander-in-chief of the All Star Circuit of Champions, will not only make an appearance at Virginia Motor Speedway on Thursday evening, but the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion plans to join-in on the action, vying for the five-figure payday and another win to add to his ever-growing open wheel resume.

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