Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jay Bruce has been reinstated from the injured list, the team announced Thursday.

Bruce has not played since suffering a right oblique strain against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 16. He is playing left field and is batting fifth against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.

Acquired from the Mariners in June after Andrew McCutchen went down with a season-ending ACL injury, Bruce is hitting .256 and slugging .564 with the Phillies and has 10 home runs and 29 RBIs.

To make room on the roster, the Phillies optioned Adam Haseley to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

CINCINNATI -- On the road again. I just can't wait to get on the road again.

It was good enough for Willie Nelson, but it might not be for the Chicago Cubs as they take their act on the road, where the results have been decidedly different than at home this season. It's a pattern that has repeated itself over and over again, frustrating and confounding their manager.

"To be two different teams, completely, is very awkward," Joe Maddon said recently. "I don't have any solid answers. The process has been the same. The work has been the same. Their attitude has been good."

The Cubs' attitude might be good, but the results have not been. In fact, they've been downright awful away from home. Going into the four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds that begins Thursday, Chicago hasn't won a road series since May 17-19 and is the only team in baseball that owns such a dubious streak during that time. That's a span of 10 road series in which the Cubs have either split or lost. It has led to a 21-33 road mark -- compared to their stellar 41-19 record at home. Wrigley Field is the reason the Cubs are in first place. The road could be the reason they drop out of it.

The Cubs, who finished 5-1 on their just completed homestand, wouldn't be the first or second or even third team to win a division despite having a road record of 10 games under .500 or worse. In fact, the 1987 Minnesota Twins went 29-52 on the road -- and won their division.

"I have no explanation for how a good team plays well at home and then goes on the road and struggles as badly as we did in '87 -- and as bad as we're struggling this year on the road," Cubs assistant general manager Randy Bush, who played on that Twins team, said this week. "We're going on the road here, and I fully expect us to have a great road trip, and I know that our players have been talking about going out and having a great road trip. It's on their mind."

The 1987 Twins made the postseason thanks to a 56-25 home record. The Cubs are on pace to become the fourth team since divisional play was introduced in 1969 to win their division despite being 10-plus games under .500 on the road. The 2006 Cardinals and 2008 White Sox also won division crowns with subpar road records.

"I remember saying we should wear our home uniforms on the road," said Ozzie Guillen, the White Sox manager in '08. His team was 35-46 on the road that season but won the AL Central by a game over Minnesota. You might think a Type-A personality such as Guillen would try anything -- besides changing uniforms -- to alter his team's fortunes on the road, but he said staying the course is actually what's best.

"When you do that, you panic," Guillen said of changing the road routine. "And your players see that. You have to stay the same no matter what it is, good or bad."

Keeping even-keeled is one of Maddon's strengths, so the Cubs are covered there. Like Bush's Twins, Maddon's team simply keeps believing that the next trip will be a winning one.

"We had a passionate home crowd, and we thrived off of that," Bush said. "And we played really well. Then we would go on the road and have great expectations -- every time -- and every time we would really struggle. And kept repeating it over and over."

What Bush describes sounds eerily similar to the Cubs this season. Homestand after homestand, they produce big wins and victorious series, averaging 5.62 runs per game at Wrigley. But all that excitement gets flushed down the toilet once the team hits the road, where the Cubs average 4.96 runs per game. The results on the mound are even more pronounced: 3.83 given up per game at home, 4.89 on the road.

"There was always that feeling that we would win that ballgame at home," 2006 Cardinals outfielder Brad Thompson said. "We just knew it was going to happen. For some reason on the road, we didn't have that."

Thompson points to injuries to major stars as one reason those Cards -- who were 34-47 on the road -- kept coming up short away from home. But those players also missed time at Busch Stadium. Perhaps it comes down to a team's flaws being more of an issue on the road, where the challenges are a little greater. In the Cubs' case, the team isn't as deep as it once was. It's possible that lack of depth is showing up more away from home, which then leads to players pressing. At some point, the struggles become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"We get here [home], and we relax," Javier Baez said earlier in the week. "We let the game come to us. With the record we have, we go on the road, and there's pressure to win the game before it's over."

Bush, Thompson and Guillen all said similar things. Now the Cubs have to combat the narrative as well as their opponents.

"It's a story now," first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "We have to answer questions about it because we haven't played well on the road."

Rizzo is just one of many good players on the team who has pronounced home and road splits. He's hitting .322 at Wrigley Field and .244 away from the friendly confines. Pitcher Kyle Hendricks has a 4.32 road ERA compared to a 1.98 mark at home. The list goes on and on.

"I gauge the homers," Rizzo said. "It's about the same. Just the average isn't the same. It's been a team-wide thing."

Kyle Schwarber added: "I haven't thought about it. I guess that's a good thing."

Although three teams have won their divisions with poor road records, it's much more common for a decent team to miss out on the postseason due to road woes. Six teams since 1969 have compiled 50-plus-win seasons at home but come up short for the playoffs.

One thing working in the Cubs' favor is that every team in the NL Central is currently below .500 on the road. Still, they'd like to make things easier on themselves. It never did get easier for those '87 Twins.

"I still vividly remember clinching a postseason berth on the road, without too many games left in the season, and then losing every single game on the rest of that road trip, and [manager] Tom Kelly was so mad," Bush recalled with a laugh.

There is good news, lest you think sneaking into the playoffs with a woeful road record -- and without home-field advantage -- means a quick October exit. Those 1987 Twins won two of three on the road over the Detroit Tigers in the AL Championship Series. And although they went 0-3 on the road in the World Series, they still won a championship by going 4-0 at home against the St. Louis Cardinals. The 2006 Cardinals went 5-3 on the road in the postseason -- and also won the World Series. It can be done.

"It's all about getting there," Thompson said. "I remember having that feeling that once we got to San Diego [for the division series], it didn't feel like an 83-win team. It felt like a juggernaut."

It's a good message for Cubs fans who don't believe the team can go far in October. Once the playoffs start, home and road records during the regular season don't matter. "It's a clean slate," Thompson said. "That's how we looked at it."

But first the Cubs have to get there. A 10-game road trip is another chance for them to write a new script regarding their fortunes in ballparks not named Wrigley Field. They can't even blame hostile environments for their road issues.

"We also get a lot of fans on the road," Baez said. "It should be the same. We have to take this [good play] to a road trip."

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have been elected to the ATP player council following a turbulent year in the politics of the men's tour.

The pair, along with Jurgen Melzer, are elected after Jamie Murray, Robin Haase and Sergiy Stakhovsky resigned in June.

ATP president Chris Kermode was ousted in March, while board member Justin Gimelstob resigned in May after being sentenced for assault.

The player council, led by Novak Djokovic, was split on the issues.

Britain's Murray, who had been a council member for three years, said "vendettas" and "people out for their own gains" led to his resignation.

Swiss Federer, 38, and 33-year-old Spaniard Nadal, who have won 38 Grand Slam titles between them, voiced their concerns over some of the player representatives wanting to oust Briton Kermode.

Federer, Nadal and Austrian doubles player Melzer, 38, will begin their roles immediately and serve until the end of the existing term, which runs to next year's Wimbledon.

The player council, which is made up of 12 men across singles, doubles and coaching, will next meet in New York before the US Open.

Egypt comfortably through to final as hosts Malaysia made to work by Hong Kong
By KNG ZHENG GUAN, HOWARD HARDING and ALEX WAN – Squash Mad International Correspondents

It’s the top two seeds to contest the CIMB Foundation WSF World Junior Team Squash Championships final as Malaysia survived a nervy test against Hong Kong to set up a date with favourites Egypt.

The host nation, seeded second, got through after beating Hong Kong 2-0 in the semi-finals at the National Squash Centre, Bukit Jalil. It was however, far from a walk in the park as Hong Kong took the fight to Malaysia, especially in the first string match between Aifa Azman and Chan Sin Yuk.

Playing in front of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, the King of Malaysia, second string Chan Yiwen delivered the lead for the home team with a commanding performance in beating Kirstie Wong 11-2, 11-3, 11-0.

Then, despite a strong start, it was almost deja vu for Aifa against Sin Yuk as she let slip a healthy lead before squeezing through 11-2, 6-11, 14-12, 13-15, 11-9.

The pressure and nerves were apparent from the second game as she gave out eight errors to allow Sin Yuk a lifeline.

Then from a 9-2 lead in the fourth, Aifa somehow managed to squander four match ball opportunities, an eerily close reminder of how she lost in the individual semi-finals to Jana Shiha, to allow her opponent to force a deciding rubber.

Aifa nearly blew it again in the fifth as she allowed the Hong Kong player to catch up from a 9-4 lead before taking the win, much to the relief of the home crowd.

“This totally felt like the match against Jana. I was 9-2 up in the fourth and then 9-4 up in the fifth and all the thoughts of injuries clouded my focus since I took a few falls,” admitted Aifa.

“But I managed to overcome my fear in the end and I think I did well to finish it up.

“It was definitely a tough game as Sin Yuk is a player who doesn’t give up easily. It’s not so much about the pressure but more of my focus when I was just two points away from winning.

“But I’m just relieved to lead the team through and I believe I won’t be so scared or nervous in the final since I will be the underdog. The plan is to give more than 100 percent for the team tomorrow,” added Aifa.

The win means Malaysia qualify for the final for the second straight edition since finishing second in 2017 and national assistant head coach Andrew Cross, who looked decidedly edgy at one point, believed the nervy win served as a good experience for his girls.

“It’s all credits to Sin Yuk. She never gave up and kept coming back. She’s had a good week but it’s also a good experience for the players – to never give up,” said Cross.

“It got a little edgy when Sin Yuk came back in the fourth and then in the fifth when Aifa tensed up a little and lost her focus. But it’s a lesson to her and we’ll take it on and regroup for the final.

“Additionally, it’s really good that we’re back in the final again. It shows good continuation for us in development to be constantly there every two years and not disappear after a good year.”
Meanwhile top seeds and defending champions Egypt showed their quality with a convincing 3-0 win over England.

Jana got the eight-time champions off to a brilliant start by beating Alice Green 11-7, 11-4, 11-4 before recently crowned world junior champion Hania El Hammamy powered past Elise Lazarus 11-2, 11-5, 11-5. Farida Mohamed completed the win by beating Evie Coxon 11-7, 11-5 in the dead rubber.

“I think physically and mentally, we’re all a bit tired and feeling a sore. I love to go home now but the team is important for the country and we’ll do everything we can to finish strongly,” said Jana Shiha.

Added Hania, “I think I performed well today and I’m happy with my performance. I think the final against Malaysia will be the toughest match, especially from a mental perspective.

“I think this is because I’m the only one in this team who played in the last team event two years ago. So hopefully, the rest of the team can be prepared mentally. We’re all pushing each other because we really hope to win tomorrow.”

Egypt will be gunning for the seventh straight title while Malaysia, in the final for only the fourth time, will looking to finally land the coveted title.

Meanwhile in the 5th-8th playoff, India downed Australia 2-0 and will meet USA, who defeated Switzerland 3-0, for fifth placing.

In the 9th-12th playoffs, Canada are looking good to finish in ninth after recording two wins so far and they just need to finish strongly against France.

In the 13th-18th playoff, Sweden downed Ireland and will face Japan for the 13th spot.
 

CIMB Foundation WSF Women’s World Junior Team Squash Championship, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Semi-Finals

[1] EGYPT bt [4] ENGLAND 3/0
Jana Shiha bt Alice Green 11-7, 11-4, 11-4 (17m)
Hania El Hammamy bt Elize Lazarus 11-2, 11-5, 11-5 (20m)
Farida Mohamed bt Evie Coxon 11-7, 11-5 (14m)
[2] MALAYSIA bt [3] HONG KONG CHINA 2/0
Chan Yiwen bt Kirstie Wong 11-2, 11-3, 11-0 (15m)
Aifa Azman bt Chan Sin Yuk 11-2, 6-11, 14-12, 13-15, 11-9 (44m)
Ainaa Ampandi v Lee Sum Yuet (not played)

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Pictures courtesy of #WSFWorldJuniors2019 and Regina Ho

Players at the 2023 Rugby World Cup would not be able to tackle above the waist if a trial of new laws, aimed at making the sport safer, is successful.

World Rugby will limit tackling to the waist and empower referees to warn players over their tackle technique in selected domestic tournaments.

The laws aim to reduce concussion, the most common injury in Premiership Rugby and a major concern in the game.

If successful, they would be tested globally before France 2023.

"World Rugby is unwavering in its commitment to ensuring rugby is as simple and safe to play as possible for all," said chairman and former England captain Bill Beaumont.

"While injury incidence in the sport is not increasing and concussion incidence is decreasing, we can and must do more to reduce injuries at all levels."

World Rugby's research of more than 1,500 elite-level matches showed that 76% of head injuries occur in the tackle, with the risk of injury more than quadrupling in a "high-contact" tackle compared to a "low-contact" tackle.

However, an experiment that lowered the tackle height from shoulder height to the level of the tackled player's armpit in the second-tier Championship Cup last season had to be abandoned after concussions increased rather than dropped.

While the number of concussions from upright tackles fell, there was a dramatic increase in the number of players suffering concussions in tackles close to the breakdown.

Federations in Australia, France, Georgia, Fiji, Romania and South Africa and have shown interested in implementing some of the experimental laws package in their domestic tournaments, along with the Americas Rugby Championship, a tournament that features the likes of Canada and the United States.

What else is in the laws trials?