Sports News Roundup: Rockies' Desmond to sit out MLB season; Renault retain Sirotkin as F1 reserve and more

Motor racing-McLaren happy with F1's COVID response since Melbourne McLaren withdrew from Formula One's doomed Australian season-opener in March when an employee tested positive for COVID-19, but team boss Andreas Seidl is confident this weekend's second attempt in Austria will be very different.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Rockies' Desmond to sit out MLB season citing host of concerns

Colorado Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond has said he will sit out the Major League Baseball (MLB) season, citing the risks of playing during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as concerns over the lack of Black representation in the sport. "The COVID-19 pandemic has made this baseball season one that is a risk I am not comfortable taking," Desmond wrote https://www.instagram.com/p/CCCp7aSptTr on his Instagram account.

Motor racing: Renault retain Sirotkin as F1 reserve

Russian Sergey Sirotkin will be on standby in Austria this weekend after Renault announced on Tuesday they had retained him as their Formula One reserve driver. The role has come into the spotlight more as the sport finally starts its season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the possibility of drivers being ruled out by the virus.

Horseracing: O'Brien seeking eighth Oaks win with 11/8 favorite Love

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien's Love has been listed as an 11/8 favorite with Unibet for the Investec Oaks, which will take place at Epsom Downs on July 4. Love, who won the 1000 Guineas in June, is bidding to become the first filly since the O'Brien-trained Minding in 2016 to complete the 1000 Guineas-Oaks double.

FIFA bans former top official Kattner for 10 years

Soccer's world governing body FIFA has banned Markus Kattner, a former leading official in the Zurich organization, for 10 years and has fined him one million Swiss francs ($1.06 million) after a probe into bonus payments. "The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Markus Kattner, former FIFA Deputy Secretary General and Acting Secretary General, guilty of conflicts of interest and having abused his position, in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics," FIFA said in a statement on Tuesday.

Motor racing-McLaren happy with F1's COVID response since Melbourne

McLaren withdrew from Formula One's doomed Australian season-opener in March when an employee tested positive for COVID-19, but team boss Andreas Seidl is confident this weekend's second attempt in Austria will be very different. The March 15 race in Melbourne was cancelled before a wheel had turned, and Formula One has had to wait more than 100 days for another opportunity to go racing after countries went into lockdown.

UEFA says Champions League final tournament still on but 'we'll adapt if we have to'

UEFA currently sees no need for a plan B for the Champions League final tournament due to be held in Lisbon, despite several suburbs of the Portuguese capital preparing to go back into lockdown as coronavirus cases surge again. "UEFA is in permanent contact with the Portuguese Football Association and the local authorities," the governing body told French sports daily L'Equipe.

Brooklyn Nets duo Jordan, Dinwiddie test positive for COVID-19

Brooklyn Nets duo DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie said on Monday they have tested positive for COVID-19, the news coming as the NBA prepares to resume the 2020 season next month. Jordan confirmed his positive test on Twitter and said he would not return to action when the season resumes on July 30 at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

NHL: League says 26 players test positive for COVID-19

The National Hockey League (NHL) said on Monday that 26 players have tested positive for COVID-19, including 15 who reported to team facilities for "Phase 2 activities." Under the league's Phase 2 plan, clubs that met safety criteria were allowed to reopen training facilities for voluntary workouts with groups of no more than six players at a time, as of June 8.

Players can stay in locker rooms during anthem: U.S. women's soccer league

The U.S. National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has said players can choose to remain in the locker room or express their individual views on the pitch while the national anthem is being played at the Challenge Cup. The NWSL said the decision to provide additional flexibility by revising pre-game ceremonies followed discussions with players, club officials and other stakeholders.

Motor racing: McLaren's Formula One future was never a doubt, says Seidl

McLaren's Formula One future was never in doubt despite a cash crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and now resolved by a fresh injection of funds, team principal Andreas Seidl said on Tuesday. The National Bank of Bahrain announced on Monday a 150 million pound ($184.26 million) financing facility for the McLaren Group, which includes the team and supercar manufacturer.