Aaron Rodgers get his new deal: $134 million extension
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is getting another big deal.
The two-time NFL MVP and Green Bay Packers agreed to terms Wednesday on a four-year extension that would keep Rodgers under contract through the 2023 season.
The four-year deal is worth $134 million, with more than $100 million in guaranteed money. Rodgers’ former teammate, NFL Network analyst James Jones, first reported the agreement.
Rodgers’ new annual average salary of $33.5 million per year would eclipse Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan’s five-year extension worth $30 million a year.
Rodgers turns 35 in December. He signed his previous extension, a five-year deal worth $110 million, before the 2013 season.
Neither Rodgers nor the Packers expressed concern through this preseason that they couldn’t get a new deal done.
“I talk with my agent daily, so I’m aware of conversations,” Rodgers said when training camp opened last month. “But I’m really not too worried about it … like I said, there’s more than mutual interest on both sides.”
Rodgers is healthy again after being limited to seven games last year because of a right collarbone injury. Green Bay flopped without him.
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Indians’ Miller back on disabled list with shoulder issue
CLEVELAND (AP) — Andrew Miller’s start-and-stop season has been disrupted again.
The Cleveland Indians placed the invaluable reliever on the 10-day disabled list with shoulder soreness, an injury the AL Central leaders hope gets better in time for the postseason.
Manager Terry Francona said Miller complained about his shoulder Tuesday and, after consulting with the team’s medical staff, received a cortisone injection.
“It was the right thing to do for him,” Francona said. “We’ve talked about it before, even when it’s maybe not convenient you need to do the right thing. Andrew is going to pitch for a long time and he’s carried such a big load for us that we need to look out for him a little bit, too.”
Francona said Miller be completely shut down while the shot takes affect and there’s no timetable on when the 32-year-old will pitch again.
“We’re just going to go off of Andrew,” Francona said Wednesday before the Indians hosted the Minnesota Twins. “We’re going to do what’s right by him. We’ll update you as we go. We just don’t know what that is.”
This is Miller’s third trip to the DL this season. He was previously sidelined with a hamstring issue and then inflammation in his right knee. It’s just been that kind of year for the two-time All-Star.
“Sometimes things happen so you just do the best you can,” Francona said. “He’s not going to quit and we’re not going to quit either.”
One of baseball’s best relievers when healthy, Miller is 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA in just 27 games this season. He made 57 appearances in 2017, his first full season with the Indians, who acquired him in a trade with the New York Yankees in July 2016.
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Frazier hits grand slam, drives in 5 as Mets pound Cubs 10-3
CHICAGO (AP) — Todd Frazier hit a grand slam and drove in a season-high five runs to lead the New York Mets to a 10-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday and avenge a tough loss earlier in the day.
Frazier gave New York a 4-0 lead in the first inning with his drive against Alec Mills and added an RBI single in a two-run ninth.
Jason Vargas (5-8) won his third straight start. The Mets pounded out 16 hits and avoided a season sweep after dropping the first six games against the NL Central leaders.
The Cubs had won a season-high seven in a row after pulling out a 2-1 victory earlier Wednesday on Ben Zobrist’s RBI single with the bases loaded in the 11th. That game was suspended in the top of the 10th because of rain the previous night.
Vargas gave up one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking two. The veteran left-hander has a 1.62 ERA in his past three outings.
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White’s 9th inning shot powers Astros over A’s 5-4
HOUSTON (AP) — Tyler White homered with one out in the ninth inning to give the Houston Astros a 5-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday.
White, who also homered Monday, sent a pitch from Jeurys Familia (4-1) to the seats in left field. The Astros won two of three games in the series to move 2 1/2 games ahead of Oakland atop the AL West.
George Springer and Alex Bregman added two hits apiece and both drove in a run to help the Astros to their seventh win in eight games. Roberto Osuna (2-2) allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth for the win.
The Astros lost the lead in the seventh when Brad Peacock took over for starter Dallas Keuchel and struggled with location. Peacock walked Matt Chapman, Jed Lowrie and Khris Davis to load the bases before plunking Stephen Piscotty on the arm to tie it at 4.
Keuchel allowed eight hits and three runs with five strikeouts in six innings.
Trevor Cahill started for the Athletics and yielded five hits and four runs — three earned — while walking a season-high six in 3 1/3 innings in the 300th appearance of his career.
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