BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

"We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury," Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. "When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time."

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

"We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective," Elias said. "It's very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here."

Hicks batted .216 last season.

"Hopefully that's a good thing for him," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. "A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it's a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we're chasing, but hopefully it's a really good fit for him."

Mullins left Monday's loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser -- the fifth pick in the draft two years ago -- is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

"Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric's injury," Elias said. "We'll just see where we're at."

Hicks was active for Tuesday's game but did not play in the 8-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore's left field, was in Mullins' usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

"In this park ... you really need two center fielders," manager Brandon Hyde said. "Aaron's got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting."

SEATTLE -- The New York Yankees placed outfielder Harrison Bader on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring injury on Tuesday.

Bader left Monday's series opener in Seattle in the third inning after beating out an infield single. He was replaced by Greg Allen, who started in center field on Tuesday in the Yankees' 10-2 victory.

Bader had an MRI on Tuesday that revealed a low-grade strain, and shortly before the game the Yankees made the move to put him on the injured list.

"Probably be a couple weeks, but we'll see. Obviously, a guy like him really, really relies on the legs," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "It wasn't bad, but enough to know that at least this 10 days are going to be needed."

Bader strained his left oblique muscle during spring training and the Gold Glove center fielder didn't make his season debut until May 3. He is hitting .267 with 6 homers, 19 RBIs and 6 stolen bases.

Franchy Cordero was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Bader's spot.

Bader's injury is yet another setback for the Yankees, who did get some good news on the injury front as Gold Glove catcher Jose Trevino returned to the lineup after missing about two weeks with a hamstring injury. He was 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. New York optioned catcher Ben Rortvedt to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for him.

Anthony Rizzo was out of the lineup for a second straight game due to a stiff neck but said the soreness was improving and expected to be back on the field by Friday at the latest. Boone said he didn't rule out Rizzo returning for Wednesday's series finale against the Mariners, but Friday in Los Angeles seems the more likely target.

Rizzo was hurt in last Sunday's win over San Diego after a collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. As the first baseman leaned back to apply the tag, Rizzo collided with Tatis. Rizzo stayed on the ground for a few minutes and headed back to the clubhouse as the Yankees batted.

"It was just a weird play," Rizzo said. "I wasn't expecting the bang-bang like that as far as him coming in standing. Guys usually slide when it's that close. Startled more than anything."

The Yankees also rolled out a star-studded lineup at Double-A Somerset on Tuesday that included Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson and right-handed pitcher Tommy Kahnle.

Donaldson went 1-for-4 in his fourth rehab game as he comes back from a strained right hamstring, and Stanton was hitless in three at-bats in his first appearance since injuring his left hamstring on April 15. Kahnle pitched one inning, giving up one run, one hit and two walks.

Boone said the hope is Kahnle will join the team in Los Angeles this weekend. He did not have a timeline on Stanton.

"We'll see. Get through today and see where we're at. We'll just kind of listen to him and hear what he has to say after today's game and then we'll continue to make a call on it," Boone said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Diamond Sports Group has decided not to pay the San Diego Padres their latest rights fee, a monumental development that will revert the team's broadcasting rights to Major League Baseball and establish precedent for an uncertain, rapidly evolving landscape.

Diamond, the Sinclair subsidiary that operates under the name Bally Sports, skipped its payment to the Padres a couple of weeks ago and had until the end of its grace period on Tuesday to make the team whole and maintain their long-term agreement. Choosing not to meant Tuesday's game against the Miami Marlins was the last Padres game under the Bally Sports umbrella. Moving forward -- starting Wednesday, continuing through the end of the season and resuming in perpetuity -- MLB will air Padres games through its streaming service and on different cable channels.

MLB will provide Padres games through its MLB.TV app for free through Sunday. After that, in-market fans can continue to stream games for $19.99 a month or $74.99 for the rest of the regular season on MLB.com and Padres.com (postseason games air on national platforms). Through this process, Padres games will no longer be subject to blackouts. Local fans can also watch Padres games through a variety of cable providers -- AT&T U-Verse, DirecTV, Cox and Spectrum -- on a different channel. fuboTV will also continue to air Padres games through its platform.

In a release issued late Tuesday night, MLB stated that the new approach would increase the Padres' reach from 1.13 million to about 3.2 million homes within the team's TV territory.

"While we're disappointed that Diamond Sports Group failed to live up to their contractual agreement with the club, we are taking this opportunity to reimagine the distribution model, remove blackouts on local games, improve the telecasts and expand the reach of Padres games by more than 2 million homes," MLB chief revenue officer Noah Garden said in a statement.

In-game, on-air broadcasters -- typically play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo, analyst Mark Grant and on-field reporter Bob Scanlan -- are employed by the Padres and won't be affected. Camera operators, producers and other behind-the-scenes employees are typically outsourced on a freelance basis, a model that MLB will follow. The makeup of the team's pre- and postgame show, however, is still being figured out, according to a source.

"We have been preparing for this groundbreaking moment," Padres CEO Erik Greupner said in a statement. "The Padres are excited to be the first team to partner with Major League Baseball to offer a direct-to-consumer streaming option through MLB.TV without blackouts while preserving our in-market distribution through traditional cable and satellite television providers. Our fans will now have unprecedented access to Padres games through both digital and traditional platforms throughout San Diego and beyond."

Diamond is navigating through bankruptcy proceedings in the wake of significant financial losses that were caused by the debt it incurred from the initial purchase and the accelerated rate of cord cutting throughout the United States. Diamond owns the regional sports networks for 42 teams across the NHL, NBA and MLB, the latter of which comprises 14 teams. Teams who are not paid their rights fees are essentially free to break their contracts, and the Padres, who boast one of the most star-laden teams in the sport, are the first to fall out.

A spokesperson for Diamond Sports Group said in a statement: "While DSG has significant liquidity and has been making rights payments to teams, the economics of the Padres' contract were not aligned with market realities. MLB has forced our hand by its continued refusal to negotiate direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming rights for all teams in our portfolio despite our proposal to pay every team in full in exchange for those rights. We are continuing to broadcast games for teams under our contracts."

But Diamond has paid only half its rights fees to the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Guardians. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Houston, during which a bankruptcy judge will preside over Diamond's claims that it should essentially pay lesser rights fees to those teams in order to account for the market forces that have diminished the traditional cable model in recent years. The judge's ruling, which might not be made until late Thursday afternoon, will play a big role in Diamond determining which other contracts it keeps or sheds as part of the bankruptcy process.

Sinclair, under the Diamond Sports Group subsidiary, initially paid $10.6 billion to purchase the broadcasting rights for 21 MLB, NHL and NBA teams from Fox in 2019. But the company incurred about $8 billion of debt in order to do so, making it exceedingly vulnerable as the cable model deteriorated within a digital era. An interest-only payment to creditors was skipped on Feb. 15, 2023, triggering the 30-day grace period that spilled into Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, during which Diamond planned to shed its least profitable assets and hope to build a more sustainable business for the long term.

The Padres entered this season with the third-highest payroll in baseball and feature a roster outfitted with stars such as Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts. But Diamond nonetheless claims it was losing tens of millions of dollars by keeping the Padres, due in part to the lack of streaming rights.

Diamond has the streaming rights to only five teams -- the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers and Marlins -- and has stated it needs to secure additional ones in order to prop up its Bally Sports+ app and become more profitable. Diamond proposed continually paying the rights fees for all teams under its umbrella in exchange for those streaming rights but didn't offer additional compensation. MLB, leery of extending more rights to a company that had to file for bankruptcy, has balked at the offer.

MLB has continually stated its desire for Diamond to abide by its contracts with teams, but in the long term the league wants to fit all broadcasting rights under a national umbrella. League executives have been adamant that doing so is the best way to eventually pivot from the traditional cable model, eliminate blackouts that have significantly hindered the sport's reach and ultimately maximize revenues.

The Padres are simply a first step.

"Through the power of Major League Baseball and the Padres, we are working to elevate the game broadcast experience of all Padres fans," Billy Chambers, MLB's executive vice president of local media, said in a statement. "New technology, better picture quality and increased access are just a few of the items we are working on to better tell the story each and every night."

LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw says he disagrees with the Los Angeles Dodgers' decision to welcome an LGBTQIA+ group called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at the team's annual Pride Night.

Kershaw told the Los Angeles Times on Monday that the team's decision to honor the group after it rescinded its original invitation prompted him to approach the Dodgers about expediting the announcement that the team was bringing back Christian Faith and Family Day later this season.

"I think we were always going to do Christian Faith Day this year, but I think the timing of our announcement was sped up," Kershaw said. "Picking a date and doing those different things was part of it as well. Yes, it was in response to the highlighting of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [by the Dodgers]."

Kershaw announced via Twitter last Friday that Christian Faith and Family Day will be held July 30 when the Dodgers face the Cincinnati Reds. The last time the Dodgers held it was 2019.

Kershaw, who has been with the organization since being drafted in 2006, said his issues were with the Sisters and not the LGBTQIA+ community. He also added that he will not boycott Pride Night on June 16 when the Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants.

"This has nothing to do with the LGBTQ community or Pride or anything like that," said Kershaw, who held a players-only meeting in the clubhouse before Monday's game. "This is simply a group that was making fun of a religion, that I don't agree with."

The Dodgers declined to comment on the situation, according to the Times.

The Dodgers rescinded their original invitation to the Sisters on May 17 after receiving backlash from some conservative Roman Catholics and politicians, including Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who accused the group of mocking nuns and the Christian faith.

However, the Dodgers' decision sparked its own backlash from LGBTQIA+ groups around the country, with some deciding to pull out of Pride Night. The Dodgers reversed their decision five days later and welcomed the group back.

The Sisters, a group of mainly men who dress as nuns, is a charity, protest and performance group that was founded in 1979 in San Francisco. Its Los Angeles chapter will receive the Community Hero Award.

The group denied it was anti-Catholic. On its website, the group said it uses "humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that chain the human spirit."

Trevor Williams, a pitcher for the Washington Nationals, also criticized the Dodgers on Tuesday, posting a statement on Twitter saying he was "deeply troubled" by the decision.

The Nationals are in Los Angeles this week to face the Dodgers.

"To invite and honor a group that makes a blatant and deeply offensive mockery of my religion, and the religion of over 4 million people in Los Angeles county alone, undermines the values of respect and inclusivity that should be upheld by any organization," Williams wrote on his account to his more than 43,000 followers.

"Creating an environment in which one group feels celebrated and honored at the expense of another is counterproductive and wrong. It is a clear violation of the Dodgers' Discrimination Policy, which explicitly states that any conduct or attire at the ballpark that is deemed to be indecent or prejudice against any particular group (or religion) is not tolerated."

Some athletes have objected to Pride Nights in recent years. Last season, five pitchers with the Tampa Bay Rays cited their Christian faith in refusing to wear Pride jerseys.

Also on Tuesday, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass apologized for expressing support on social media for anti-LGBTQIA+ boycotts of Target and Bud Light.

During the recent NHL regular season, seven players opted out of wearing rainbow-colored jerseys on their teams' Pride nights. The Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild did not wear rainbow warm-up jerseys after doing so in previous seasons.

Steve Rankin wins at Raby Castle in our coverage of British endurance running events in recent days

Further results to follow when processed by Power of 10

RABY CASTLE 10km, May 28

Steve Rankin won the men’s race in 35:07 while fourth overall Charlotte Dillon was first woman.

Men:
1 Steve Rankin Sunderland Harriers & AC M35 35:07
2 Bryan Potts Elvet Striders M35 35:58
3 Jamie Wilkinson Middlesbrough & Cleveland Harriers M35 36:30

M55: 1 Wayne Pearson Crook & District AC 36:56

Women:
1 Charlotte Dillon Houghton Harriers & AC 36:47
2 Rebecca Blain Tyne Bridge Harriers 41:10
21 Emma Neil Eden Runners FV35 41:55

SERPENTINE LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH 5km, London Hyde Park, May 26

Overall: 1 N Thomas (Fulham) 15:47; 2 C Nicol (TVH, M35) 15:49; 3 F Johnson (HW) 15:52

M50: 1 L Martin (Spring S) 17:03; 2 D Gillett (S Lon) 17:06

M60: 1 S Corfield (SoC) 18:21; 2 D Ogden (S Lon) 18:49

M65: 1 D Pitt (Serp) 20:18

Women: 1 S Cowper (Roth) 17:49; 2 N Sturzaker (Herne H, W45) 18:18; 3 S Swinhoe (Lon Hth, W50) 19:13

W55: 1 A Critchlow (W4H) 19:22; 2 S McDonald (S Lon) 19:34; 3 L Thomas (HW) 21:05
W60: 1 S Davies (B&W) 21:36; 2 L Woolhouse (Vets) 21:46; 3 H Briggs (Serp) 22:59; 4 M Wadman (Horsh J) 23:14; 5 A Davidson (DMV) 23:29
W65: 1 A Riddell (Serp) 24:22; 2 M Connolly (S Kent) 25:19
W70: 1 R Tabor (Dulw) 25:41

HOLT 10km, Norfolk, May 28

Overall:
1 J Orrell (Hunts) 34:07; 2 L Williamson (NNBR) 35:52; 3 D Cross (Stock) 36:06

M55: 1 C Hollinshead (C&S) 37:42

Women:
1 L Finch 38:12; 2 R McKenzie (Stock) 42:17; 3 N Moore (L Goat) 42:54

W55: 1 C Henery (Norw) 46:18

W65: 1 J Yardy (Norw RR) 49:00; 2 A Ellen (Norf G) 49:21

NORTHALLERTON 10km, North Yorkshire, May 28

Three days after helping his Richmond & Zetland club win the North York Moors Relays, Rob Scott took this event in 31:59.

Overall:
1 R Scott (R&Z) 31:59; 2 A Clarke (Herne H) 32:28; 3 L Davies (NE Project) 32:52; 4 J Scott (N York M) 33:35; 5 T O’Mahoney (R&X) 34:32; 6 G Wallace (B’hill) 34:44

M40: 1 D Bentley 34:49

M45: 1 A Croft) 34:46

M50: 1 M Ellis (Quakers) 36:26; 2 T Banks (Elsw) 37:35

M60: 1 S Soulsby (Elvet) 38:31

Women:
1 L Matthews (Stoke) 39:18; 2 A Banks (Elsw, W50) 41:19; 3 A Bambridge 41:53

W50: 2 A Davies (Wake) 43:38

W55: 1 J Masterman (Goole) 45:58

EGDON EASY 10km, Dorset, May 27

Overall:
1 D Cahill (Yeo) 34:04; 2 T Oury (Aldridge, M40) 34:15; 3 J Godden (Poole, M40) 35:30

M55: 1 D Bell (Wimb) 37:59

M60: 1 A Barnett (Poole) 39:36

Women:
1 L Mills (Wok) 39:15; 2 A Hallett (Run T) 40:41; 3 H Martyn (Eg H) 41:49

W50: 1 K Perrett (Wey) 42:08

RUN EXE RELAYS, Exeter, Devon, May 26

The students of Exeter University came out on top with a comfortable enough victory over South West Road Runners, Martin Duff reports.

It was Tom Crockett who put them ahead on the third 4km leg with a race fastest split of 11:22.

It was the same result in the women’s section, but much closer, as Inca Padfield with a fastest split of 13:26 overcame a narrow lead by South West Road Runners to give Exeter University their second win of the evening.

Further down the field, Cathy Newman shone for Exmouth Harriers’ women. The former women’s AAAs 1987 5000m champion firstly ran the first over-60 leg for her club in 14:49, before later anchoring her W50 colleges to third with a 15:31 split.

Men (4x4km): 1 Exeter Uni 48:20 (D Poynting 12:06, M James 12:49, T Crockett 11:22, D Coombes 12:03): 2 SWRR 50:00 (A Crump 12:53; J Pullinger 12:34, G Davies 12:51, O Thorogood 11:42); 3 Exmouth 50:02 (R Ellis 12:30, O White 12:34, L Kelly 13:03, S Kelly 11:55); 4 Exeter Uni B 50:32; 5 Connect Plus Tri 51:49; 6 Axe Valley 52:49

Fastest: Crockett 11:22; Thorogood 11:42; S Kelly 11:55

M40 (4x4km): 1 Axe V 53:53 (M Frost 13:56, M Orsman 13:36, R Durrant 12:56, J Broom 12:21); 2 SWRR 53:59 (E Pickering 13:32, J benham 13:32, N Bruce-White 13:25, J Howard 13:30); 3 Exmouth 56:07

Fastest: Broom 12:21

M50 (4x4km): 1 Dawlish 64:53 (N Little 16:20, S Gloyn 18:16, Z Steers 15:17, A McMillan 15:00); 2 Teignbridge 65:04; 3 Exeter Tri 70:41

M60 (4x4km): 1 Axe V 68:34

Fastest: I Kinnersley (Axe V) 16:03

Fastest: McMillan 15:00; Gloyn 15:17; D Knight (Teign) 15:41

U17 (4x4km): 1 Exeter H 51:51 (L Stannus 12:48, R Dafforn 12:49, B Perry 13:05, M Falle 13:09; 2 Exeter H B 55:56

Fastest: Stannus 12:48

Women (4x4km): 1 Exeter Uni 56:17 (M Edwards 13:55, E Powell 14:32, M Porter 14:24, I Padfield 13:26); 2 SWRR 56:29 (N Small 13:43, A Jones 14:32, V Hill 14:34, R Mew 13:31); 3 Tavistock 58:09 (E Ryder 13:54, S Lake 14:58, J Grey 15:16, N Kelly 14:01); 4 Exeter Uni B 59:33; 5 Teignbridge 61:50; 6 Exmouth 61:58

Fastest: Padfield 13:26; Mew 13:31; Ryder 13:54

W40 (4x4km): 1 Axe V 66:22 (K Eyre 16:54, K Board 16:55, L Jones 17:50, M Harrison 17:26); 2 SWRR 66:50 (P Davies 16:05, T Connor 18:02, L Reynolds 16:49, S Tosh 15:54); 3 Greenbow 79:18

Fastest: Tosh 15:54; P Davies 16:05; Reynolds 16:49

W50 (4x4km): 1 Teignbridge 70:20 (M Wheeler 16:44, K Steemson 17:37, R Steel 18:25, J Woon 17:34); 2 SWRR 77:46; 3 Exmouth 79:50

Fastest: C Newman (Ex’mth) 15:31

W60 (4x4km): 1 Exmouth 74:31

Fastest: C Newman (Ex’mth) 14:49

U17 (4x4km): 1 Torbay & Newton Abbott 58:34 (S Muscott 14:43, O Lindgreen 14:50, E Richards 1511, P Quinn 13:50)

Fastest: Quinn 13:50

NORTH YORK MOORS RELAYS, Middlesbrough, May 25

Marc Scott led the first leg for Richmond & Zetland with a 4:24 split that proved to be the fastest overall, but his quartet were then passed, on the fourth and final stage, by another foursome from their club.

Men (4x1M): 1 Richmond 18:31 (J Reeve 4;28, R Scott 4:42, C Stephenson 4:38, C Gibson 4:43); 2 Richmond B18:38; 3 Mandale 18:46

Fastest: M Scott (Rich B) 4:24; M Ben-Tiba 4:25; G Jayasuriya (M&C)/Reeve 4:28; J Stephenson (Rich B) 4:36; C Stephenson 4:38

M50 (4x1M): 1 NYM 20:51 (P McClean 5:12, D Watkins 5:15, A Tatham 5:04, A Adderley 5:20): 2 Richmond 20:57; 3 Darlington 21:33

Fastest: C Jones (R&Z) 4:49; Clifford (Darl) 5:03; Tatham 5:04; D Spencer (R&Z) 5:08; P Gilsenan (Darl) 5:11; McLean 5:12

Women (4x1M): 1 Darlington 22:10 (Z Jones 5:21, S Tarn 5:40, F Talman 5:47, M Kelly 5:22); 2 Allerton Juniors 23:00; 3 Stockton 24:04

Fastest: Jones 5:21; Kelly 5:22

W40 (4x1M): 1 Darlington 24:16 (A Picksworth 5:54, B Forrest 6:27, B Caygill 6:00, L Talman 5:55); 2 NYM 24:18; 3 NYM B 25:58

Fastest: S Hunter (NYM) 5:53; Picksworth 5:54; S Bulman (NYM)/Talman 5:55

CHASE THE SUN 10km & 5km, Hyde Park, London, May 24

Overall (10km):
1 M McCarthy (M40) 33:42; 2 M O’Sullivan (Harrow) 34:45; 3 S Farmer (M45) 34:49

M55: 1 S Townsend (Dac) 38:22

Women:
1 K O’Malley 37:34; 2 G Holden 41:08; 3 G Palazzi 43:22

Overall (5km):
1 O Garrod (S Lon) 15:24; 2 J Blaiklock 15:58; 3 H Mills 16:38

Women:
1 K Thornton (High) 19:09; 2 L Baston (Baildon) 19:21; 3 L McGillivray (Ruislip, W40) 21:42

W50: 1 M Audhlam-Gardiner (High) 22:10

LEVENS 10km, Kendal, May 24

Overall:
1 P Stock (Helm H) 33:34; 2 F Barker (Amble) 34:26; 3 B Proctor (Leven, M40) 35:35

Women:
1 H Gordon (Amble) 43:28; 2 A Pearman (Kendal, W40) 44:30; 3 K Bridge (Eden, W50) 45:04

WESHAM SUMMER 10km, Preston, Lancashire, May 24

Salford’s Eleanor Bolton was fifth overall in 35:05

Overall:
1 A Wilding (Wesh) 34:03; 2 S Hall (B’burn, M45) 34:54; 3 M Crichton 34:57

M50: 1 N Gaskill (B’burn) 35:00

Women:
1 E Bolton (Salf) 35:05; 2 J Robinson (Preston, W35) 38:10; 3 A Braithwaite (P’wich, W35) 39:33

DUNHAM MASSEY 5km, Altrincham, May 23

Overall:
1 A Dight (Vale R) 15:39; 2 M Cooper (Traff) 15:53; 3 M Devin (Chorl) 16:14

M50: 1 B Archbold (Wilm) 17:19; 2 T Store (Lymm) 17:44

M70: 1 A Qatts (Wilm) 22:03; 2 P Pickwell (Alt) 22:09

M75: 1 A Jenkinson (Styal) 27:53

Women:
1 M Reece (Wilm, W40) 18:38; 2 J Rosenberg (Alt, W45) 18:49; 3 S Maule (Alt) 20:54

W50: 1 H Smith (Vale R) 20:58; 2 S Harrison (Wilm) 21:21; 3 J Reynolds (Sale) 22:39; 4 L Marsden (Swint) 22:40; 5 J Ellis (Wilm) 22:43

W55: 1 T Bown (Wilm) 22:22

W60: 1 J Cordingley (Sale) 21:40; 2 K Suitton (Wilm) 22:27

W65: 1 A Jones (Macc) 24:08

THRUXTON 10km, Hampshire, May 23

Overall:
1 A Rudge (And) 35:04; 2 A McKinnon (And, M40) 35:15; 3 J Sherman (Shinfield, M50) 36:26

M50: 2 M Webber (And) 37:50; 3 M Grantham 37:58

Women:
1 J Goulding (Pewsey, W50) 52:44

MOTA-VATION SERIES Race 2, Bletchington, Oxfordshire, May 26

It was all change at the front as Matthew Lock overturned his defeat by Mattieu Marshall in the opening race of the series, Martin Duff reports.

Nevertheless, it was a close-run thing as these two evenly matched runners finished within a few seconds of each other. Lock, the series champion last year, ran the 4-miles, 451 yards in 21:50.

Lieben Dickens moved up from second in the opening race of the series to take the women’s section in 25:39.

Overall (5M 451yds):
1 M Lock (Wit) 21:50; 2 M Marshall (Head RR) 21:57; 3 G Roberts (Oxf C) 22:15; 4 J Beech (Abing) 22:54; 5 P Fernandez (Abing, M40) 23:01; 6 A Herbert (Cher) 23:32

M40: 2 M Hill (Oxf C) 23:45

M45: 1 K Newell (Abing) 23:45

M50: 1 J Bolton (W’stock) 24:06; 2 F Campbell (Head RR) 25:10

M55: 1 B Reynolds (THH) 24:36

M60: 1 M Lewy (Abing) 27:32

M65: 1 B Green (Oxf C) 26:49

M70: 1 S Thorp (Oxf C) 30:28; 2 K Byrne (Head RR) 32:51; 3 G Le Good (Cher) 33:33

M75: 1 G Pritchard (Banb) 40:04; 2 D Parsons (Oxf C) 41:05

U20: 1 J Davies (Oxf C) 23:25

TEAM (6 to score): 1 Abingdon 80; 2 Head RR 120; 3 Alchester 141; 4 Oxford C 160; 5 Witney 202; 6 Woodstock 270; 7 Head RR B 320; 8 Cherwell 345

Standings after 2 matches:
TEAM: 1 Abingdon 148; 2 Head RR 281; 3 Oxford C 302; 4 Alchester 322; 5 Witney 352; 6 Woodstock 515; 7 Cherwell 595; 8 Eynsham 678

Women: 1 L Dickens (Radley) 25:39; 2 R Blake (Oxf C) 26:09; 3 A Scrivens (Wit, W35) 26:15; 4 C True (Alch) 26:48; 5 M Bannister (Kid) 27:07; 6 T Woods (Head RR) 27:25

W45: 1 S Rendell (Abing) 27:47; 2 S Davies (Oxf C) 29:03

W50: 1 L Holland (Wit) 32:38;

W55: 1 C Curnow (Cher) 32:15; 2 D Osborne (Cher) 32:29; 3 S Curswell (W’stock) 32:30

W60: 1 G Morris (Eynsh) 32;35

W65: 1 J Fabes (Abing) 32:58; 2 W Millatt (Abing) 35:38

TEAM (6 to score): 1 Head RR 74; 2 Alchester 125 3 3 Head RR B 165; 4 Banbury 220; 5 Witney 231; 6 Cherwell 266; 7 Head RR C 270; 8 Eynsham 327

Standings after 2 matches:

TEAM: 1 Head RR 152; 2 Alchester 271; 3 Head RR B 356; 4 Banbury 402; 5 Witney 457; 6 Cherwell 549; 7 Head RR C 612; 8 Abingdon 631

EMGP Banbury 5, Oxfordshire, May 23

The hosts’ Skip Nelson took the second race in the series with a near 100 yards victory in 24:45, Martin Duff reports.
Hayden Arnell, the winner of the opening event the previous week took second as Rachell Doherty took the women’s section in 30:17.

Overall:
1 S Nelson (Banb) 24:45; 2 H Arnall (R&N) 25:02; 3 D Brewis (Sphinx) 26:19; 4 J Chennell (Hatb) 26:56

M40: 1 D Ball (R&N) 27:15; 2 A Siggers (R&N) 27:29

M45: 1 J Wayland (W’boro) 27:49; 2 S Marks (R&N) 28:22; 3 S Turnock (Bucks & Stowe) 28:52

M50: 1 P Langer (Sphinx) 29:23; 2 P West (Kett) 29:27; 3 C Bell (North Tri) 29:32

M55: 1 T Letts (Northampton) 30:26; 2 A Green (Northants Tri) 30:42

M60: 1 T Hughes (Leic C) 29:46

M65: 1 J Chapman (Stops) 34:38

M70: 1 J Skelton (Mil K) 33:20; 2 R Searle (Kett) 35:33; 3 S Knennas (R&N) 36:23

TEAM: 1 R&N 1:47:56; 2 Banbury 1:53:53; 3 Bucks & Stowe 1:55:50

M40 TEAM: 1 R&N 1:52:54; 2 Wellingborough 1:59:54; 3 Bucks & Stowe 2:01:13

Women:
1 R Doherty (Higham) 30:17; 2 K Barnett (Dav) 30:19; 3 R Cooke (Bucks & Stowe, W50) 31:39; 4 F Molossi-Murphy (W’boro) 31:44

W40: 1 H Gibbs (Shenly) 32:46

W45: 1 Z Kemp (Human E) 32:21; 2 S Ghisu (Bucks & Stowe) 34:09

W55: 1 S Davies (Higham) 34:32

W60: 1 K Bond (Dav) 37:00

W75: 1 A Copson (R&N) 41:12

TEAM (3 to score): 1 Bucks & Stowe 1:40:22; 2 R&N 1:45:46; 3 Wootton RR 1:53:15

W35 TEAM: 1 Bucks & Stowe 1:40:22; 2 Wootton RR 1:53:15; 3 R&N 1:54:20

BLAST AT THE MEADOWS 5km, Edinburgh, May 23

Overall: 1 M Ryan (PH Racing, M40) 17:03; 2 B Davie (C’gie, M45) 18:29; 3 J Murray (Gars, M45) 19:52

Women: 1 K McIntosh (Dund RR) 19:58; 2 L Calder (Edin, W40) 21:45; 3 F Atkinson (No running club) 23:24

YORK AND DISTRICT SUMMER 10km LEAGUE, Easingwold, May 23

Overall: 1 J Howe (York PH) 32:09; 2 J Eaton (Tadcaster, M40) 33:38; 3 J Firth (Tadcaster) 33:52

Women: 1 B Penty (Knaves, W35) 36:46; 2 J Rawes (Knaves) 37:27; 3 R Mather (Knaves) 37:34

W65: 1 K Dickinson (Knaves) 47:20

TRUNDLE VIEW MT, Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex, May 24

Overall (5M hilly):
1 L Briscoe (Fitt) 29:05; 2 H Alcock (Hay H, U20) 30:14; 3 N Hutchison (Worth) 30:25

Women:
1 L Bourne (Hove) 34:52; 2 N Haarer (Chich R) 36:31; 3 F Cripps (Chich R, W45) 37:26

TRUNCE SERIES, Oxspring, Sheffield, May 22

Overall (4.25M/550ft):
1 M Jones (Dark Pk) 26:04; 2 R Cottam (P’stone FPR, M40) 27:17; 3 M Catchpole 27:17; 4 A Turner (W’sop) 27:38; 5 J Wade (Dark Pk) 27:55; 6 D Wainer (Askern) 28:04; 7 M Gilford 28:21; 8 R Gill (Tues) 28:27

M50: A Frost (Dark Pk) 28:55

M60: S Bennett (Bowl) 33:26

M70: K Yewlett (Holm) 37:53

Women:
1 S Evans (Steel) 31:47; 2 E Bullock-Lynch (Dark Pk|) 33:27; 3 Ellie Crownshaw (Bradf) 34:31; 4 S Cromwell (Holm) 34:42; 5 J Wilson (Hallam, W50) 35:01

W60: A Middleton (Denb DT) 41:16

W70: B Hague (P’stone FPR) 49:19

U16 (2M/250ft approx):
1 T Kunicki-Holda (P’stone FPR) 12:45; 2 E Reed 12:56; 3 E Frost (Dark Pk, W) 13:52

U16 women:
1 Frost 13:52; 2 S Ellis (Denb DT) 15:10; 3 B-M Minichello (Dark Pk) 16:08

HUTTON ROOF CRAGS FELL RACE, Kirkby Lonsdale, May 17

Overall (7M/1300ft):
1 A Norman (Alt, M40) 50:42; 2 E Bland (Bowl) 50:44; 3 M Likeman (C‘land F, M40) 51:41; 4 J Concha (Helm H) 53:45; 5 A Osborne (Calder V, M40) 54:16; 6 P Mather (Lons) 55:25; 7 D Clarke (Bowl) 55:38; 8 J Addison (Helm H) 56:13

M50: R Lawrence (Bing) 58:49

M60: D Griffin (Helm H) 63:25

M70: I Smith (Ribb) 82:45

TEAM: 1 Helm H 22; 2 Bowl 24; 3 C’land F) 49

Women:
1 V Wilkinson (Bing, W40) 56:51; 2 P Addison 58:05; 3 R Pilling (P&B, W40) 63:31; 4 N Russell (Bowl, W40) 70:27; 5 C Cullinane (Helm H, W50) 70:54

W60: S Budgett (Horw) 78:47

TEAM: 1 Helm H 27; 2 C’land F 32; 3 Bing 55

Britons Neal Skupski, Lloyd Glasspool and Jamie Murray have all reached the second round of the men's doubles competition at the French Open.

Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara of Finland beat Austrians Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-3.

Murray and New Zealand partner Michael Venus won in straight sets in Paris.

The 13th-seeded Murray and Venus beat Spain's David Vega Hernandez and Ecuadorian Diego Hidalgo 7-6 (7-5) 6-4, and will next face Colombia's two-time major winners Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.

World number ones Skupski and Koolhof are aiming to win their first major title together after losing to Britain's Joe Salisbury and American Rajeev Ram in last year's US Open final.

They will meet Argentine Pedro Cachin and China's Wu Yibing in round two.

Fifth seeds Glasspool and Heliovaara will play either Argentine pair Francisco Cerundolo and Federico Coria or Australian Alexei Popyrin and Belarusian Ilya Ivashka.

Second seeds Salisbury and Ram begin their tournament against Argentine Guido Pella and Bolivia's Hugo Dellien on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, defending champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Marcelo Arevalo, of the Netherlands and Argentina respectively, overcame Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas - seeded fifth in the men's singles - and his younger brother Petros Tsitsipas in a match tie-break 6-3 3-6 7-6 (10-6).

American sixth seed Coco Gauff told herself she "should not freak out" before fighting back to avoid a shock early exit at the French Open.

Seventh seed Ons Jabeur has struggled for court time because of injury but beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-4 6-1.

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina won 6-4 6-2 against Brenda Fruhvirtova.

Kazakhstan's Rybakina is seeded fourth after winning the Rome title, where she proved she could be a threat on clay as well as the other quicker surfaces.

But Poland's world number one Swiatek remains the favourite to win a third title at Roland Garros, despite suffering a thigh injury in the build-up.

Swiatek, who also won the US Open last year, took time to find her rhythm in her first match since retiring from her Rome quarter-final against Rybakina because of the problem.

But she remained patient, found her range and then clinically brushed aside Spanish world number 70 Bucsa, needing just 22 minutes to win the second set.

Asked whether she feels the pressure in Paris, Swiatek said: "Of course I feel pressure. I think we all feel pressure. I would be lying if I said I don't.

"But I'm trying to work with it and play my game no matter the circumstances and the expectations from the outside.

"It's not easy but I think it's the most important thing in tennis right now to cope with that properly, and I already know how to do that."

Gauff uses Heat as inspiration to win

Gauff was the Roland Garros runner-up last year, losing to Swiatek in her first major singles final, but found her progress at the first hurdle this year not straightforward against 71st-ranked Masarova.

However, she demonstrated a mental resilience which she said was inspired by the Miami Heat beating the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals to reach the NBA finals.

Heat, who the 19-year-old Floridian supports, led 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, were pegged back to 3-3 but won the decider on Monday.

"I told myself if Jimmy Butler [Heat star] didn't freak out when up 3-0 and all of a sudden it was 3-3, then I shouldn't freak out when losing the first set," said Gauff, who did not watch the game because of the time-zone difference.

After not winning back-to-back matches on the European clay this season, Gauff endured a difficult opening set where she lacked trust in her shots and was unable to take any of eight break points.

But she began to grow in confidence from the start of the second set and the increased aggression of her shots forced Masarova into more errors.

Having not won from a set down in her previous 15 matches, Gauff teed up a meeting with Austrian world number 61 Julia Grabher in the second round.

"You have the choice to dwell on it or reset, and I chose to reset," she said.

Jabeur still trying to get back to 100%

Like Gauff, Wimbledon and US Open finalist Jabeur came into the tournament lacking form.

Before facing Bronzetti, she had played one match since retiring injured against Swiatek in Stuttgart on 22 April.

Last year Jabeur was beaten in the first round on the Roland Garros clay but avoided the same fate by making strong starts to both sets against 65th-ranked Bronzetti.

"Obviously I'm trying to get back to my level 100%, and I think that will come match by match and by playing more matches," she said.

"I'm happy that I'm healthy and I'm moving well on the court."

Jabeur, 28, faces France's world number 122 Oceane Dodin in the second round.

Elsewhere, 2021 champion Barbora Krejcikova suffered her second straight first-round exit at Roland Garros since winning her first major singles title at the event.

Krejcikova, 27, was beaten 6-2 6-4 by 34-year-old Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko.

Meanwhile, Canada's Bianca Andreescu, 22, came back from a set down to defeat Belarusian 18th seed Victoria Azarenka 2-6 6-3 6-4.

The 2019 US Open champion, who tore two ligaments in her left ankle at the Miami Open in March, eventually clinched her fifth match point after two hours and 30 minutes on Court Simonne Mathieu.

Croatia's Petra Martic also produced a fightback to overcome American 32nd seed Shelby Rogers 3-6 6-3 6-2.

French 20-year-old Diane Parry defeated Ukrainian 25th seed Anhelina Kalinina 6-2 6-3, while Romanian 30th seed Sorana Cirstea fell 7-5 2-6 6-2 to Italy's Jasmine Paolini and Czech 31st seed Marie Bouzkova lost 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to China's Wang Xinyu.

Second seed Daniil Medvedev was stunned by qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild in a big French Open first-round shock.

Medvedev had arrived at Roland Garros in good form and in contention for the world number one ranking.

But 172nd-ranked Seyboth Wild pounced on Medvedev's inconsistency to book a first Grand Slam second-round spot.

"I watched Daniil play since I was a junior and beating him on such a court is a dream come true," the 23-year-old, who had not played a Tour-level match this year, said.

"I tried to use my forehand against his and it worked pretty well. I started cramping at the start of the second set but I used my mental strength to play my best tennis."

"I don't really have words to describe what I felt when I won the match. I was just super happy. It definitely was the happiest day of my life."

In a match lasting four hours 15 minutes, Seyboth Wild recovered from losing his opening service game to take the first set.

But when he missed an overhead to hand Medvedev the second set after he had led 6-4 in the tie-break, it looked as if his chance might slip away - especially when the Russian took the third, having had to stop for treatment on a nosebleed just before serving it out.

But Medvedev, who arrived at Roland Garros fresh from winning his first clay-court title in Rome, was repeatedly undone by his opponent's forehand at key moments, as well as registering 15 costly double faults.

Seyboth fought back in the fourth set, getting an early break to lead 3-0, and forced a deciding fifth set, where he broke the Medvedev serve three times.

He set up match point with yet another brilliant forehand before sealing the biggest victory of his career with - of course - a huge forehand down the line.

Medvedev 'happy' to see back of clay season

Medvedev has often said he used to "hate" clay, with a series of four consecutive first-round exits from Paris in his first four appearances doing little to change his mind.

But a run to the quarter-finals in 2021 and the fourth round last year, plus the title in Rome this month, had him declaring that while he did not quite "love" it, there was definitely now more of a "like" for it.

There was little of that on show on a gusty Philippe Chatrier court, where his frustration - with the umpire, the crowd and himself over his inability to deal with the power of a player whose game had clicked at the best time - was evident.

And there was even less after the match as he declared he was "happy" that his clay season was finished.

"Today, because [of the] wind, dry court, I had a mouthful of clay since probably the third game of the match, and I don't like it," he said.

"I don't know if people like to eat clay, to have clay in their bags, their shoes, the socks, white socks; you can throw them to garbage after clay season.

"Maybe some people like it. I don't."

Medvedev struggled particularly with his serve, winning just 46% of points on his second serve, and Seyboth Wild made the most of this to break twice in the decider. The Russian did retrieve those breaks but not the third and the Brazilian kept his composure while the red dirt was flying around the court to record the biggest upset of this year's tournament.

Seyboth Wild, who usually competes on the second-tier Challenger circuit and had won two titles on clay this year, will face Argentina's Guido Pella or Frenchman Quentin Halys for a place in the next round.

Zverev wins on return to Paris after bad injury

Germany's Alexander Zverev made a winning return to the tournament a year after leaving his Roland Garros semi-final in a wheelchair with a serious ankle injury.

The 26-year-old retired in the second set of his semi-final against Rafael Nadal last year and was out for six months with torn ligaments, but beat South African Lloyd Harris 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-0) 6-1 on his return to Paris.

"It's very, very nice to be back," he said in his on-court interview.

"I was obviously very disappointed with how that tournament finished for me [last year].

"That's why I appreciate it even more when I play in a full stadium and the crowd is behind me. It was just a lot of fun out there."

Zverev, seeded 22nd, will face Slovakia's Alex Molcan next as he bids for a first major singles title.

Also through to the second round is last year's runner-up Casper Ruud, with the Norwegian world number four beating Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer 6-4 6-3 6-2 with a commanding display of baseline power. He will face another qualifier, Italian Giulio Zeppieri, for a place in the third round.

Danish sixth seed Holger Rune was tested in an encounter with American Christopher Eubanks before coming through 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2. His next match features a tricky opponent in either French former top-10 player Gael Monfils or Argentine world number 42 Sebastian Baez.

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva says a text message from Andy Murray provided inspiration as she won the first Grand Slam match of her career.

After a stunning run in Madrid last month, Andreeva called Murray "beautiful" and said in Paris she had texted him before the clay-court major.

"He said 'Thank you, and good luck in Roland Garros'. Maybe that's why I'm playing that good now," she said.

Andreeva is the youngest player in the French Open main draw and needed just 56 minutes to reach the second round.

Her friendship with Murray began when she shot to prominence at the Madrid Open, where she also described the British former world number one as "amazing".

After reaching the last 16 on her 16th birthday, she was asked what it was like rubbing shoulders with the most recognisable stars of the sport.

"When you're here and take a lunch with all these stars, you see Andy Murray, you see his face and he's so beautiful in life. He is so amazing," she said.

Murray responded with typical humour, tweeting: "Imagine how good she's going to be when she gets her eyes fixed!"

After beating Riske-Amritraj, Andreeva revealed she had messaged 36-year-old Murray to congratulate him on winning the recent ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence.

"He actually answered me, so I was really happy about it," she smiled.

Tunisia's Ons Jabeur is another established player who Andreeva has been interacting with.

She described the Wimbledon and US Open finalist as one of her idols and says she would like to practise with the world number seven one day.

"Hopefully we can play each other," said Jabeur, although they would not be able to meet at Roland Garros until the semi-finals.

"I can give her a signed picture. She can put it in her bedroom. I don't know. This is the first time that somebody says that. But it's special."

French Top 14 side Pau have confirmed the signing of Exeter fly-half Joe Simmonds on a two-year deal.

He was one of a host of long-serving players to leave Sandy Park this summer due to the new lower £5m salary cap.

His brother Sam Simmonds is joining Montpellier while fellow Chief Jack Nowell will move to La Rochelle.

Simmonds scored more than 1,000 points in 178 games for Exeter and was awarded an MBE in December 2020 after the club's domestic and European double.

"I've been playing in the Premiership for a while now and the Top 14 is a championship that attracts me a lot, just like the Pau club," Simmonds told the Pau website.

"I think I can bring leadership to the team by giving a lot on the pitch and helping young players grow. It's a great opportunity to be able to play in the Top 14."