Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Draft notebook: SEC stars Washington, Williams enter draft

Kentucky standout sophomore PJ Washington declared for the NBA draft on Tuesday and will hire an agent, the school announced. "This place has been my home for two years and it's hard for me to put in words how much I've grown in my time at Kentucky. The staff challenged me from day one to become the best version of myself and to work hard to become one of the best players in college basketball. I feel like I've done that," Washington said in a statement posted on the Wildcats' website. Dykstra sues ex-Mets teammate Darling, alleges defamation

Former New York Mets outfielder Lenny Dykstra has sued ex-teammate Ron Darling, alleging defamation over comments Darling made about him in his new book. TMZ Sports reported Tuesday that the lawsuit was filed in New York. Dykstra wants Darling to pay damages for "defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress." YouTube to stream live NBA 2K esports matches

The NBA 2K League, a professional esports league for players of the basketball video game, said on Tuesday that YouTube will stream live broadcasts of all its games this season. The coverage includes the league's more than 230 regular-season, playoff and finals games. Games take place at the league's studio in the New York City borough of Queens. Mullin steps down at St. John's; Hurley next?

Chris Mullin stepped down as St. John's head coach on Tuesday, with speculation falling on Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley as his replacement. "This has been an extremely emotional decision, but after a recent personal loss, I took time to reflect upon my true values and believe this is the right time to make a change," Mullin said in a statement issued by the school. "I am extremely grateful to the administration, which has supported me and our basketball program on every level. Sounders brace for angry Rapids

The Colorado Rapids were left seeing red after their last match Saturday at Orlando City. Only not the type of red they wanted. NFL releases 2019 preseason schedule

The NFL released the 65-game 2019 preseason schedule Tuesday, kicking off with the Hall of Fame game between the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio. After the Broncos-Falcons clash (NBC, 8 p.m. ET), there are four nationally televised games scheduled for Week 2 of the preseason and three more for Week 3. Report: Nationals nearing deal with RHP Norris

The Washington Nationals reached an agreement Tuesday with right-handed reliever Bud Norris on a minor league deal, pending results of a physical, according to The Athletic. Norris, 34, spent spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays, posting a 9.00 ERA in three innings of work before injuring his forearm and getting released on April 2. Golf: Spieth rates his Masters chances but not everyone agrees

Jordan Spieth visited the Augusta National media interview room almost unnoticed for his assigned rendezvous with the press on Tuesday, like a guest invited to make up the numbers. Only a handful of journalists bothered turning up to hear what the 2015 Masters champion had to say, a far cry from the not-so-long ago days when he packed out the house, seemingly destined to become an all-time great. Meadows helps Rays knock off White Sox

Austin Meadows had a career-high four hits, including a two-run home run, and drove in four runs, and the visiting Tampa Bay Rays continued to match their best start in team history with a 10-5 win against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday afternoon. Avisail Garcia had three hits and Brandon Lowe had two, each hitting solo home runs for the Rays, who improved to 9-3 while clinching their fourth consecutive series to start the season. Report: Patriots agree to two-year deal with Gostkowski

The New England Patriots and kicker Stephen Gostkowski have agreed to a two-year contract, ESPN reported Tuesday. The 35-year-old Gostkowski has been the club's kicker since 2006. He replaced Adam Vinatieri, who had departed to the Indianapolis Colts as a free agent.