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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who will play in England's back row?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sussex 150 for 1 (Salt 78*, Wright 56) beat Glamorgan 146 for 9 (Lloyd 50, Topley 3-20) by nine wickets

Sussex's fifth win out of six - they also tied against Surrey - moved last year's beaten finalists above Kent Spitfires and they were always in control against a Glamorgan side still looking for their first win of the campaign.

After they restricted Glamorgan, who won the toss, to 146 for 9, openers Luke Wright and Philip Salt launched the reply with a withering assault which brought 130 in 12 overs, Sussex's fourth highest partnership in the format and their biggest against Glamorgan.

The pair rattled along at more than ten an over from the start, matching each other shot for shot against a toothless Glamorgan attack which lacked variety compared to Sussex. Salt reached his fifty with a six into the top tier of the pavilion off Andrew Salter and the offspinner was hit for boundaries off the next two deliveries.

Salt won the game off the fifth ball of the 13th over with an uppercut over third man which brought him his eighth boundary, he also hit three sixes as he finished on 78 not out from 42 balls - his third half-century of this season's competition.

It looked as if the Sussex pair might win the game on their own but Wright fell to a superb diving catch in the 13th over by wicketkeeper Chris Cooke after making 56 off 35 deliveries with five fours and two sixes. There were 6.1 overs left when Sussex eased to victory.

Such a one-sided contest had seemed unlikely with Glamorgan in good shape at 55 for 1 in the ninth over and opener David Lloyd going well. But they lost eight wickets for 87 and were never the same after Lloyd departed to the next ball after reaching his second fifty of this season's Blast.

The 27-year-old hit nine fours from 37 balls faced but he holed out to deep midwicket to give left-arm spinner Danny Briggs his second wicket and Glamorgan struggled for momentum thereafter against some accurate and disciplined Sussex bowling. Skipper Colin Ingram, Kiran Carlson and Chris Cooke all threatened but Sussex maintained a happy knack of taking a wicket just when Glamorgan threatened to put together a decent partnership.

Briggs was taken for 18 in his final over and Tymal Mills' last over cost 11 runs, but Glamorgan lost wickets too regularly to build any momentum and set a challenging total. Ollie Robinson removed Graham Wagg and Cooke with successive balls in the 17th over and finished with 2 for 27 but the pick of their bowlers was Reece Topley, who finished with 3 for 20. Sussex's fielding was excellent with Salt taking two superb diving catches in the deep to complete an excellent evening.

LAS VEGAS -- Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he thinks all the time about gun violence and mass shootings and how any day someone could walk into a basketball gym and shoot NBA players.

Following mass shootings in Gilroy, California, El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio that killed 34 people in just over a week, Kerr and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich criticized lawmakers for not doing nearly enough about gun control on Tuesday following the USA's practice.

"When you have 97 percent of the people in the country who want universal background checks and the Senate, not only, not won't pass it, won't even vote on it because [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell won't allow them to vote on it because the NRA has bought him off, then you got problem," said Kerr, who is an assistant coach for the USA. "I think that's the issue. We have to have elected leaders who are willing to value human life over their own jobs and their contributions from the NRA."

Popovich, the USA head coach, also called for action.

"It'd be a lot better if the people in power got off their asses and got something done... in a lot of different areas," Popovich said. "I think they're on vacation right now.

"Nothing going on, so they just take a break," Popovich added sarcastically. "They'll come back and fix the gun situation, the environment, inequality, pay, they'll fix all that when they come back, I'm sure."

Popovich and Kerr are among the most vocal sports figures when it comes to political issues and social inequality. Kerr has been personally impacted by gun violence. His father was a diplomat who was assassinated in Lebanon in 1984.

"I think about it all the time. Somebody could walk in the door in the gym right now and start spraying us with an AR-15," Kerr told the Bay Area News Group on Monday. "They could. It might happen because we're all vulnerable, whether we go to a concert, a church, the mall or go to the movie theater or a school. It's up to us as Americans to demand change from the gutless leadership that continues to allow this to happen and continues to somehow claim the second amendment is doing its job."

On Tuesday, Kerr was asked what he would say if he could talk to President Donald Trump right now.

"Nothing," Kerr said. "I wouldn't bother talking with him."

Kerr, though, believes this is a time to act and force change.

"I've always been outspoken in terms of gun safety and gun measures," Kerr said. "That is something that has been very important to me for a long time. I've gotten very involved with some of the gun safety groups, like the Brady Campaign and the Sandy Hook Promise and March For Our Lives, the Gifford's group. These are all wonderful groups that are doing a lot of good things.

"I think there is a lot of momentum now that is building."

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs placed their best reliever, Brandon Kintzler, on the 10-day injured list Tuesday after the right-hander hurt his right pectoral against the Oakland Athletics the previous night.

"I don't think there's anything spectacularly wrong with him, but it's there," manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday. "The guy has been a rock for us. We want him to continue to be a rock for us. Why push it right now and find out we're wrong? It's a conservative route."

Kintzler has a 2.33 ERA in 49 appearances while stranding 79 percent of his inherited runners this season.

Maddon thinks the 35 year-old veteran injured himself on a pitch to Matt Olson in the eighth inning Monday when he came out of his delivery to "manufacture velocity or movement."

"That's what occurred," the manager said. "Whether it was knowingly or unknowingly on his part ... He's been probably our most consistent relief pitcher all year. To push it right now, we just didn't think it's wise."

In the corresponding roster move, the Cubs activated Pedro Strop from the injured list. The right-hander was struggling before being sidelined by a neck injury, so Maddon said he will try to avoid a high-leverage moment for his return.

"I don't think it's wise to put Pedro in at the end of the game," Maddon said of Strop, who has a 5.32 ERA in 32 appearance for the Cubs.

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers placed rookie outfielder Alex Verdugo on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain and sent rookie starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin back to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, one day after Gonsolin helped shut out the St. Louis Cardinals.

Left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson and corner infielder Edwin Rios were called up to take their places on the active roster.

Verdugo, batting .294/.342/.475, was scratched from Monday's lineup with what was announced as back tightness, an ailment that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not initially anticipate requiring an IL stint. The Dodgers are suddenly thin in their outfield, with Cody Bellinger now being required to play more first base and A.J. Pollock recently nursing a sore groin.

Tuesday's outfield included Joc Pederson in right field, Matt Beaty in left and Kristopher Negron in center.

Gonsolin, 25, was sent to the minors as part of a roster crunch. Fellow starting pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu and Ross Stripling, each nursing minor neck injuries, are expected back shortly, a development that could also send Dustin May back to Triple-A.

Gonsolin could soon start preparing to help the Dodgers out of the bullpen in the postseason.