Sports News Roundup: Back better but game lacks sharpness, says Woods; Win or go home for Sounders in MLS is Back and more

Canada government rejects Blue Jays plan to play in Toronto over COVID-19 fears The Toronto Blue Jays will have to find a new home this season after the Canadian federal government on Saturday rejected a plan by the Major League Baseball team to use the Rogers Centre over fears of spreading the novel coronavirus.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Canada government rejects Blue Jays plan to play in Toronto over COVID-19 fears

The Toronto Blue Jays will have to find a new home this season after the Canadian federal government on Saturday rejected a plan by the Major League Baseball team to use the Rogers Centre over fears of spreading the novel coronavirus. The Blue Jays have been under strict quarantine while holding a training camp at their home stadium ahead of the restart of the MLB season on July 23.

Golf: Back better but game lacks sharpness, says Woods

Tiger Woods said his back was feeling better but his game remained a little out of sorts after carding a third-round one-under 71 at the Memorial Tournament in steamy Dublin, Ohio on Saturday, leaving him 11 shots off the overnight leaders. Competing in a PGA Tour event for the first time in five months, Woods has looked both good and bad with a second-round four-over 76 on Friday sandwiched between 71s.

Tennis: Healthy competition key to Russian success, says Kafelnikov

Russians Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov are ranked in the top 15 of men's ATP Tour and the healthy competition between among the trio is helping them excel, according to their compatriot and former world number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov. The 24-year-old Medvedev is the oldest of the three and ranked the highest at fifth, while Rublev, 22, is world number 14. Khachanov is a year older than Rublev and placed a spot below in the rankings.

Win or go home for Sounders in MLS is Back

The Seattle Sounders are well aware they need a victory to advance in the MLS is Back Tournament when they battle the rival Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday night near Orlando, Fla. The Sounders (1-1-2, 5 points overall) are 0-1-1 (1 point) in Group B play and a tie or setback will send the defending MLS champions back to the Pacific Northwest.

Olympics: Organisers announce schedule for rearranged Tokyo Games

The Tokyo Olympics next year will use the same venues and follow an almost identical competition schedule as the one originally planned for this year before the event was postponed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, organisers said on Friday. However, organisers told an IOC session held by video conference that it was too early to give details on coronavirus prevention measures during the Games or on whether events would be in full or partly-full stadiums, or behind closed doors.

Sports leagues mourn death of civil rights icon John Lewis

Members of the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Soccer mourned the passing of civil rights leader and long-time United States congressman Rep. John Lewis, who died Friday of pancreatic cancer. He was 80. Lewis sustained a fractured skull by an Alabama state trooper on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma during a march for voting rights to Montgomery, Ala. He was the last surviving speaker from the March on Washington in 1963.

Yankees INF LeMahieu might not be ready for opener

The New York Yankees continue remain unsure of the status of infielder DJ LeMahieu for Opening Day next week after the infielder returned to the team Friday following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. The veteran of nine seasons says he had as many as 11 more COVID-19 tests before he was finally cleared to join his team. He did not travel across town Saturday evening as the Yankees faced the New York Mets in a tune-up game but did get in some work at Yankee Stadium with teammates.

Rahm grabs four-shot lead at Memorial, eyes number one ranking

Jon Rahm used a sizzling finish on a steamy hot afternoon at the Memorial Tournament to power four shots clear at the top of the leaderboard at Muirfield Village on Saturday, setting himself up for a run at the number one world ranking. Chasing a fourth career PGA Tour win, the big-hitting Spaniard got his day off to a quiet start by mixing a birdie and a bogey on his outward nine but he caught fire after the turn to card four straight birdies from the 13th for a four-under 68.

Canada's Woods wins stage five of virtual Tour de France

Canada's Michael Woods won stage five of the men's virtual Tour de France on Saturday after turning in a strong performance on Mont Ventoux to finish ahead of NTT Pro Cycling duo Domenico Pozzovivo and Louis Meintjes. The virtual race is being held on the popular Zwift training platform after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the actual annual July race until the end of August.

Olympics: Australia mourns death of 20-year-old Alexandrovskaya

Australia's winter sports community has been forced back into mourning with the sudden death of 20-year-old Olympic figure skater Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya in Moscow. The Australian Olympic Committee on Saturday confirmed the passing of Alexandrovskaya, who competed in the pairs with Harley Windsor at the 2018 PyeongChang Games in South Korea.