Sports News Roundup: Billionaire Steve Cohen's purchase of New York Mets gets approval; Galaxy part ways with head coach Schelotto and more

The 64-year-old Cohen, who is a New York native and a lifelong Mets fan, signed an agreement with Sterling Partners to buy the New York Mets baseball team in September.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Billionaire Steve Cohen's purchase of New York Mets gets approval from MLB owners

Major League Baseball (MLB) said on Friday that the owners of the Major League Clubs have voted in favor of the sale of the New York Mets to billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen. The 64-year-old Cohen, who is a New York native and a lifelong Mets fan, signed an agreement with Sterling Partners to buy the New York Mets baseball team in September.

Galaxy part ways with head coach Schelotto

LA Galaxy have parted ways with head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto as the club sit last in the Western Conference with three games left in the 2020 campaign, the Major League Soccer (MLS) team said on Thursday. The former Boca Juniors coach joined MLS's most successful club in January 2019 and led them to a 21-26-6 record, including 5-11-3 during the 2020 regular season.

Zverev denies ex-girlfiend's abuse accusations

U.S. Open runner-up Alexander Zverev denied accusations that he abused former girlfriend Olga Sharypova. The 23-year-old Sharypova alleges that Zverev tried to strangle her with a pillow and slammed her head into the wall in a New York hotel room in August of 2019 shortly before the start of the U.S. Open. She said she fled the room barefoot and in fear for her life.

Ex-Astros manager Hinch hired by Detroit after suspension

Former Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who was suspended for the 2020 MLB season in the wake of the team's sign-stealing scandal that engulfed the league, has been named as the next manager of the Detroit Tigers. MLB in January stripped the Astros of four draft picks and fined the team $5 million for the cheating scheme, which unfolded during the 2017 season and involved employees using a live game feed to attempt to decode and transmit opposing teams' pitch sign sequences.

Top two seeds Djokovic, Thiem ousted in Vienna Open quarters

World number one Novak Djokovic and U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem crashed out of the Vienna Open in the quarter-finals on Friday, with both top seeds beaten in straight sets by Lorenzo Sonego and Andrey Rublev respectively. Djokovic, who had a 39-2 record this year, failed to convert a single break point in a 6-2 6-1 loss while Sonego broke the Serb five times for the biggest win of his career.

Jordan's new NASCAR team partners with Gibbs

23XI Racing, the new NASCAR team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, announced a technical partnership Thursday with Hamlin's longtime team, Joe Gibbs Racing. Bubba Wallace will drive the No. 23 car, which will be a Toyota Camry when it debuts for the start of the 2021 season.

Two-time World Cup winner Rapinoe, WNBA champ Bird announce engagement

Two-time soccer World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe and 11-time WNBA All-Star Sue Bird are getting hitched. The sports power couple announced their engagement with a photo posted to Bird's Instagram account on Friday and a representative for Rapinoe confirmed the news to Reuters, as congratulations for the couple poured in across social media.

Hernandez eyes Olympic comeback after years of turmoil

Laurie Hernandez is determined not be defined by the mental abuse she suffered under her former coach and having relocated from New Jersey to California, the American gymnast is hoping the fresh start will allow her to win more Olympic medals. After winning two medals at the 2016 Rio Games, Hernandez opted to take a break from the sport that had dominated her young life. But two years into her hiatus, she realised the psychological abuse she had faced from coach Maggie Haney had nothing to do with gymnastics.

Armour, Clark share lead after wind-rattled second round at Bermuda

Americans Ryan Armour and Wyndham Clark were tied at the top of the Bermuda Championship leaderboard on Friday, playing the second round through rough and roaring winds that rattled flagsticks - and some competitors. On the hunt for his first PGA Tour title, the 26-year-old Clark drained a 35-foot-long putt for an eagle at the par-five second. However, he stumbled with back-to-back bogeys on the seventh and eighth.

He redeemed himself with three birdies on the back nine for a three-under-par 68. Ravens, Stanley agree to five-year extension

Left tackle Ronnie Stanley agreed to a five-year extension with the Baltimore Ravens on Friday. The team announced the deal which reports pegged at a $98.75 million total value with a $22.5 million signing bonus.

(With inputs from agencies.)