Sports News Roundup: Raiders lose draft pick for repeated COVID-19 violations; Rangers re-sign forwards Strome and more

The team was fined $250,000 and Tomlin was fined $100,000 for failing to properly follow the league's COVID-19 protocols, per the report. Australia risk losing six London medals after swimmer tests positive Six Australian swimmers risk losing their Olympic medals after Brenton Rickard, who was part of the men's 4x100 metre medley team that won bronze at the 2012 London Games, tested positive for a banned substance, the Age reported on Friday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NFL: Raiders lose draft pick for repeated COVID-19 violations

The National Football League (NFL) has stripped the Las Vegas Raiders of a 2021 sixth-round draft pick and fined them $500,000 for repeated COVID-19 protocol breaches, NFL Network has confirmed https://www.nfl.com/news/raiders-jon-gruden-fined-lose-draft-pick-for-covid-19-violations. Raiders coach Jon Gruden was also fined $150,000 after the league placed the team under its "intensive protocol" measures last month following offensive tackle Trent Brown's positive test ahead of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Rangers re-sign forwards Strome, Lemieux

The New York Rangers re-signed restricted free agent forwards Ryan Strome and Brendan Lemieux, avoiding arbitration with the deals announced Friday. The club did not release the financial details, but multiple reports said Strome signed for two years and $9 million and Lemieux for two years and $3.1 million.

Roglic strengthens Vuelta lead as Nielsen wins stage 16

Magnus Cort Nielsen won a sprint finish at the end of the 16th stage of the Vuelta a Espana as race leader Primoz Roglic claimed some precious bonus seconds. Denmark's Cort Nielsen continued a strong race for the EF Education team with a powerful burst in the final 100 metres of the 162km ride from Salamanca to Cuidad Rodrigo.

Federer targeting 'big' Australian Open, says Ljubicic

Roger Federer's recovery from a knee injury is going well and the Swiss great expects to be able to play a "big" Australian Open, his coach Ivan Ljubicic says. Federer, 39, has not played a competitive match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-final, since when the COVID-19 pandemic and surgery has sidelined him.

Maradona sedated to help ease recovery from alcohol dependency

Argentina soccer great Diego Maradona has been sedated by doctors to help him cope with withdrawal symptoms from alcohol dependency, his personal doctor said on Friday. Alfredo Cahe said Maradona, who underwent emergency surgery on Tuesday for a subdural haematoma, a blood clot on the brain, had been sedated after suffering from "episodes of confusion" linked to withdrawal symptoms.

'Not like prison' – gymnasts content with COVID restrictions before Tokyo test

At an upscale hotel in Tokyo, gymnasts from the United States, Russia, China and Japan are getting a taste of what more than 11,000 athletes might experience when the city hosts the postponed Olympic Games next year. They are preparing for Sunday's meet, which will be the first international event to be held at an Olympic venue since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Games' postponement.

Steelers, Tomlin fined $350K over masks: report

The NFL fined the Pittsburgh Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin a total of $350,000 for mask violations during Sunday's win against the Baltimore Ravens, ESPN reported Friday. The team was fined $250,000 and Tomlin was fined $100,000 for failing to properly follow the league's COVID-19 protocols, per the report. Boston brings back Cora as manager: reports

The Boston Red Sox have brought back manager Alex Cora for a second stint with the team, according to multiple reports Friday morning. The Boston Globe previously reported that Cora had met in person with the team's chief baseball officer, Chaim Bloom, and general manager Brian O'Halloran, about returning to the job he held in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Binder's success stands out even in MotoGP's crazy year

Brad Binder went into his rookie MotoGP season expecting to crash and learn from his mistakes, possibly with some pain involved. What the 25-year-old had not bargained for was becoming the first South African to win in MotoGP in only his third race in the top category and after a 13th place and retirement in the previous outings.

Australia risk losing six London medals after swimmer tests positive

Six Australian swimmers risk losing their Olympic medals after Brenton Rickard, who was part of the men's 4x100 metre medley team that won bronze at the 2012 London Games, tested positive for a banned substance, the Age reported on Friday. A re-analysis of the sample Rickard gave eight years ago revealed what his lawyers said was an "exceedingly small concentration" of Furosemide, a banned masking agent, the report in the Melbourne newspaper said.