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MLB-SCHEDULE

Several pitchers make long-awaited returns; Urena a late scratch

UNDATED (AP) — Miami Marlins starter Jose Urena is a late scratch against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Marlins did not disclose the reason. Urena was Miami’s opening day starter in 2018 and 2019.

The Marlins will start right-hander Robert Dugger against Philadelphia’s Vince Velasquez in the series finale. Dugger made seven starts last year as a rookie. He made the Marlins this season as a long reliever/spot starter.

Elsewhere around the majors Sunday:

— Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani (SHOH’-hay oh-TAH’-nee) is set to make his first appearance on the mound since Sept. 2, 2018, after not pitching all last season following elbow surgery. Ohtani is under no restrictions when he faces the Athletics in Oakland. Ohtani was the Angels’ designated hitter in the season opener Friday night and didn’t play Saturday. Mike Fiers (FY’-urz) will start for the A’s in his first appearance since revealing to The Athletic in November that his former team, the Houston Astros, had stolen signs using a camera in center field during their run to the 2017 World Series championship.

— Carlos Carrasco’s inspirational comeback reaches another milestone as the Cleveland right-hander makes his first start since May 30 last season, shortly before he was diagnosed with leukemia. Carrasco will face the Kansas City Royals in the finale of a three-game series in Cleveland. Despite undergoing medical treatments that kept him away from the club, Carrasco was able to return last season and made 11 relief appearances. He wanted to start again, however, and secured a spot in Cleveland’s rotation this spring. The 33-year-old understood he might be at greater risk this season because his immune system has been compromised due to the disease. But after talking to his family and Cleveland’s medical personnel, he felt comfortable enough to play.

— Two-time AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber (KLOO’-bur) makes his first major league start in 15 months when debuts for the Texas Rangers at home against the Colorado Rockies. Kluber’s last big league start was for Cleveland on May 1, 2019, when he suffered a broken right forearm struck by a comeback liner in Miami. He hurt an oblique during rehab and never started again for Cleveland, which traded him to Texas in December. Kluber won 20 games for Cleveland in 2018, capping a five-year stretch with at least 203 innings pitched and 222 strikeouts each season. He went 98-58 with a 3.16 ERA in 208 games with Cleveland.

— The Washington Nationals are waiting to see how World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg reacts to an injection to help his right hand heal. The right-hander was scratched from what was supposed to be his first start of the season on Saturday night because of a nerve issue. Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced about four hours before the scheduled first pitch against the visiting New York Yankees that Strasburg would be replaced.

— Rick Porcello makes his Mets debut against Atlanta at Citi Field. He won the 2016 AL Cy Young Award with Boston and went 14-12 last season. Porcello signed a $10 million, one-year deal with New York in December. Left-hander Sean Newcomb goes for the Braves in the nationally televised night game.

NBA-NEWS

Clippers’ Williams will serve 10-day quarantine, miss games

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The NBA said Sunday that Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers is being quarantined for 10 days because of his trip out of the league’s bubble last week to attend a family member’s funeral.

He will miss at least two of the Clippers’ seeding games, including their July 30 opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s possible he could miss more than two since his likely release will be Aug. 4, the day of the Clippers’ third seeding game.

The issue was not that Williams left the bubble but that he also went to a club on that trip to Atlanta, and photographs of that visit appeared on social media. That prompted an investigation by NBA security, and ultimately the 10-day ruling.

Williams visited a club that he has often described as being his favorite restaurant. The establishment has chicken wings that are named for him on the menu.

In other NBA news:

— Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) is hurting, and that’s a cause for concern as the Philadelphia 76ers get set to restart their season this week. The All-Star starting center sat out Philadelphia’s scrimmage against Oklahoma City on Sunday with right calf tightness, something 76ers coach Brett Brown hopes is merely a minor blip. Embiid has an extensive injury history. He has never appeared in more than 64 games in a regular season and missed 21 of Philadelphia’s 65 games this season before the March 11 shutdown.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS

Baseball fans return in South Korea, cricket fans in England

UNDATED (AP) — Masked fans hopped, sang and shouted cheers in baseball stadiums in South Korea on Sunday as authorities began allowing spectators to return to professional sports amid the coronavirus pandemic. South Korea’s delayed 2020 baseball season began in early May without fans in the stands. On Sunday, the Korean Baseball Organization allowed a limited number of fans - 10% of the stadium capacity - to watch games live. They entered stadiums after their temperatures and smartphone QR codes were checked. During the games, they were required to wear masks and sit at least a seat apart while being banned from eating food and drinking any alcoholic beverages in line with the KBO guidelines.

Two of the five baseball games Sunday were held without fans because they were held in area where stricter social distancing guidelines are in place. South Korea has seen an uptick in virus cases since it eased its rigid social distancing rules in early May

In other news related to the coronavirus pandemic:

— Spectators have been allowed into a sporting event in England for the first time since March when coronavirus prevention measures were tested at a cricket match between Surrey and Middlesex at The Oval ahead of a planned wider reopening of stadiums in October. Alternate rows were used across two stands and advisory signs were on show for the friendly match being watched by 1,000 people. A limited number of members were in assigned seats in the stadium in south London. Surrey chief executive Richard Gould said the club received 10,000 calls for the available places within an hour of the tickets being made available to members.

— The Spanish soccer league says a second-division game postponed because of an outbreak of coronavirus cases will not be played. The league has made the announcement after new test results this weekend took the total number of COVID-19 cases at club Fuenlabrada to 28. The team’s final-round match against Deportivo La Coruña had been suspended last Monday after six people at the club had tested positive just hours before kickoff. The league says the club accepted the decision to have the match canceled as it was virtually impossible to try to reschedule another date for it. The club said it “was not renouncing” the playoff spot and wants other soccer entities to weigh in.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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