Sports News Roundup: Argentines get soccer kicks at social distance; Newton in New England for physical, finalize deal and more

Baseball: Freeman among four Braves players to test positive for COVID-19 Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was among four players from the Major League Baseball (MLB) outfit to test positive for COVID-19, team manager Brian Snitker said.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Argentines get soccer kicks at social distance with 'human foosball'

Soccer-mad Argentines in the country's farm belt city of Pergamino have devised a clever way to keep playing while avoiding risk of spreading COVID-19: a human foosball pitch with zones for each player to avoid physical contact. The innovative approach has captured the imagination in the South American nation famed for producing soccer legends Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, even as the country has seen cases of the novel coronavirus spike in recent weeks.

Report: Newton in New England for physical, finalize deal

Quarterback Cam Newton is in New England to complete his physical and finalize his one-year, $1.75 million contract, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday. Newton's deal with the Patriots reportedly is worth up to $7.5 million, provided he hits all of his incentives.

NBA releases restart scrimmage schedule

The NBA on Saturday released the scrimmage schedule for the upcoming 22-team restart. From July 22-28, each team will compete in three inter-squad scrimmages at the ESPN Wide of Sports Complex near Orlando to prepare for the resumption of the season on July 30.

Baseball: Freeman among four Braves players to test positive for COVID-19

Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was among four players from the Major League Baseball (MLB) outfit to test positive for COVID-19, team manager Brian Snitker said. In a statement https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/freddie-freeman-tests-positive-for-covid-19, Snitker said pitchers Touki Toussaint and Will Smith, as well as shortstop Pete Kozma, had caught the virus.

Tiafoe tests positive for COVID-19, withdraws from Atlanta event

Frances Tiafoe has tested positive for COVID-19 and been forced to withdraw from the All-American Team Cup exhibition tournament in Atlanta, the American said on Saturday. Tiafoe played in the first session on Friday and beat Sam Querrey in straight sets at the event in which the top eight American players are participating.

Romania's Halep hopes to play in Palermo next month

Romanian women's world number two Simona Halep hopes to take part in next month's Palermo Open, the first WTA event to be held after the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, she said on Sunday. "I have not yet made a clear decision but I hope to start with Palermo," last year's Wimbledon champion Halep told reporters in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca before her return to the court after a four-and-a-half-month absence.

Leclerc says Ferrari's pace 'not even close' to expectation

Ferrari had warned their car was off the pace but Charles Leclerc said Saturday's qualifying for the season-opening Austrian Formula One Grand Prix was not even close to expectations. The Monegasque was on pole at the Red Bull Ring last year but this time qualified seventh, his quickest flying lap nearly a second slower than Valtteri Bottas who took the top slot for Mercedes.

Reports: Burns out of UFC 251, Masvidal could replace

Gilbert Burns is "not feeling well" and has been removed from the UFC 251 main event on July 11, multiple outlets reported Saturday. Later Saturday, ESPN reported that while Burns will not fight welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC's Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, there are "active negotiations" to book Usman and Jorge Masvidal as the new main event.

Yankees' Tanaka released from hospital after line drive to head

New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of teammate Giancarlo Stanton on Saturday, has been released from hospital, the Major League Baseball team said on Saturday. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tanaka had concussion-like symptoms before leaving for the hospital but they have since dissipated and a CT scan returned negative.

Washington's Rivera hopes for name change before season

Washington Redskins head coach Ron Rivera said Saturday he has been working for more than a month with owner Dan Snyder on renaming the team, and he hopes a change can be made before mid-September. "If we get it done in time for the season, it would be awesome," Rivera told the Washington Post in a phone interview.

(With inputs from agencies.)