Sports News Roundup: Braves, Nats set for first meeting in 2020; Halep withdraws from U.S. Open over COVID concerns and more

Braves, Nats set for first meeting in 2020 A pair of injury-stricken teams will meet for the first time this season when the Washington Nationals visit the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series beginning Monday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Braves, Nats set for first meeting in 2020

A pair of injury-stricken teams will meet for the first time this season when the Washington Nationals visit the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series beginning Monday. The Braves are coming off a 4-5 road trip, but won the last two of a three-game set against Miami. Washington is 4-3 on its current road trip and beat Baltimore on Sunday to take two of three from the Orioles.

Halep withdraws from U.S. Open over COVID-19 concerns

World number two Simona Halep of Romania will not travel to New York to play in the U.S. Open due to COVID-19 concerns, she said on Monday, leaving the women's draw at the Grand Slam tournament without six of the world's top-10 players. Romanian Halep joined world number one Ash Barty, defending champion Bianca Andreescu, Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens and Belinda Bencic in skipping the event at Flushing Meadows.

Washington names former player Wright as NFL's first Black team president

The Washington Football Team on Monday named former NFL running back Jason Wright as its president, making him the first Black person to be hired for such a role in National Football League history. Wright, who following his retirement in 2011 earned his MBA from the University of Chicago, will be responsible for leading the team's business divisions, including operations, finance, sales and marketing.

MLB roundup: White Sox hit four straight HRs, beat Cards

Yoan Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, Jose Abreu and Eloy Jimenez connected on four consecutive home runs in the fifth inning to tie a major league record, and Dallas Keuchel pitched 5 2/3 strong innings to lift the host Chicago White Sox to a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. Limited to two hits in four innings against St. Louis starter Dakota Hudson -- including a Jimenez RBI single in the first -- the White Sox erupted for six runs against rookie reliever Roel Ramirez.

Golf: Herman hits peak form for win in North Carolina

Jim Herman capped off a superb weekend of play with a win at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, shooting a seven-under par 63 in the final round of the Greensboro, North Carolina, tournament. Herman, who started the day tied for fifth after carding a nine-under 61 in Saturday's action, kept his hot streak going at Sedgefield Country Club, firing two birdies and an eagle in the first five holes of the final round.

Penguins' Malkin undergoes elbow surgery

Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin had surgery on his left elbow Monday and will need three to four weeks of recovery time, the team announced Monday. The 34-year-old forward should return in time for training camp before the 2020-21 season, which is scheduled to begin in December.

Report: WR Bryant to work out for Ravens

Wide receiver Dez Bryant, who hasn't played in an NFL game since 2017, is expected to work out this week for the Baltimore Ravens, NFL Network reported Monday. The Ravens are looking to add a veteran wide receiver to their young corps and reportedly considered bringing in another free agent, Antonio Brown, for a tryout.

Marlins, Mets ready to open four-game set

When the host Miami Marlins open a four-game series against the New York Mets on Monday night, there could be catching drama among the visitors. Wilson Ramos, who is in his second year as the Mets' starting catcher, is off to a slow start with a .571 OPS, far below his career mark of .755. He is hitting just .206 with one homer and four RBIs in 18 games.

Trail Blazers beat Grizzlies, advance to playoffs

CJ McCollum scored 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon, helping the Portland Trail Blazers rally from a late deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 126-122 in the Western Conference play-in game near Orlando. The win allowed the Trail Blazers to secure the eighth and final Western playoff berth and move on to a best-of-seven first-round series against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers beginning Tuesday night at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

NHL roundup: Isles' OT win puts Caps on brink

Mathew Barzal scored 4:28 into overtime to give the New York Islanders a 2-1 win over Washington and a commanding 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series in Toronto. Anders Lee scored in the first period and Semyon Varlamov made 22 saves for the Islanders, who are up 3-0 in the first round for the second straight year. They swept the Pittsburgh Penguins last April.