Thursday, June 2, 2016

Blue Angels pilot killed in Tennessee crash


Briefing on the Blue Angels crash in Tennessee

The Navy said the Blue Angels pilot died from injuries suffered in the crash in Tennessee.

The Thunderbirds pilot safely ejected before the plane went down in Colorado, officials said.

"I looked up and saw it coming down, and I thought maybe they were doing dips," Burgess told the Nashville station. "Then I saw a huge ball of orange fire, and I"m like, "Oh my G*d, he"s crashed. I cried. I mean, the first thought was fear for the pilot."

A Navy statement said the service was in the process of notifying the pilot"s family and the pilot"s name was being withheld.

The crash occurred at the beginning of practice, just after the pilot took off, the Navy said. The plane went down about 2 miles from the Smyrna airport.

None of the five other Blue Angels jets was involved in the incident.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the Blue Angels after this tragic loss," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said. "I know that the Navy and Marine Corps team is with me. We will investigate this accident fully and do all we can to prevent similar incidents in the future."

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels F/A-18 crashed while preparing for The Great Tennessee Air Show, Navy spokeswoman Cmdr. Jeanette Groeneveld said.

Smyrna Fire Chief Bill Culbertson said there were already units on the flight line so his crews were able to respond to the crash scene within minutes.

The crash occurred near a former plantation called the Sam Davis Home that is a tourist site, and it also wasn"t far from an apartment complex, Culbertson said.

Robert Hendrix told WKRN he was at the swimming pool at the apartments.

"They were doing their stunts and they were twirling," he said. "Well, when they split, the one on the right, he done about four or five twirls right, and he was coming by to go back to the airport. All of a sudden, he hit, and the next thing you seen was flames. We were so close you could feel the heat from the flames."

Just a few hours earlier and about 1,150 miles away, the Thunderbirds F-16 crashed south of Colorado Springs, Colorado, after it and other Thunderbirds flew over a graduation ceremony attended by President Barack Obama.

Lt. Col. Christopher Hammond, commander of the Air Force"s Thunderbirds demonstration team, told reporters that the pilot, Maj. Alex Turner, experienced an unspecified problem as he was trying to land after the flyover and ejected.

"He had already put his gear down, and that"s when the incident occurred," Hammond said, adding that Turner radioed that he was maneuvering so he wouldn"t hit any houses. "He made a conscious effort to direct his aircraft away from some of the local neighborhoods."

Turner is in his first air-show season with the Thunderbirds, having joined the team in October. He has flown in 22 shows so far, Hammond said. Turner has more than 1,500 hours in F-16s and was a very experienced pilot before joining the Thunderbirds, Hammond said.

The crash occurred 5 nautical miles south of Peterson Air Force base, well away from the stadium where the military branch"s ceremony was taking place, officials said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. The $36 million jet, which came to rest in a field, looked largely intact from the air despite not having a pilot guiding it.

"I can"t explain it other than it depends on the flight profile at impact. It was slow speed. It was close to the ground. ... It looks like it impacted the ground, skidded a little bit," Hammond said

Hammond added he expects the plane will be considered totaled.

A helicopter carrying Secret Service agents in support of the President"s detail was close by and one of the agents tended to the downed pilot.

President Obama later met with the pilot when he visited the air force base.

"The President thanked the pilot for his service to the country and expressed his relief that the pilot was not seriously injured. The President also thanked the first responders who acted quickly to tend to the pilot," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.

The crashes cast a pall over the air show season, which began in March and now sees the aerobatics teams at an event each weekend. The Blue Angels have 22 of 36 shows left on their schedule, though it is doubtful they will return to the skies this weekend.

The crash was the first for the Blue Angels since April 2007, when Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis was killed when he crashed during an air show at a Marine Corps air station in Beaufort, South Carolina.

Hammond said the Thunderbirds crash was the squadron"s first since September 2003 when Capt. Chris Stricklin ejected safely before his F-16 hit the ground. None of the 85,000 people at the air show in Mountain Home, Idaho, was injured.

The two demonstration team crashes on one day appear to be first time such a coincidence has occurred.

CNN"s Karan Olson, Jason Hanna, Joe Sutton, Dave Alsup and Antoine Sanfuentes contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/politics/military-plane-crash/

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How overlooked prospects became playoff stars for the Penguins


Bonino nets late winner to propel Penguins in Game 1

The coaching change in the middle of December that saw the Pittsburgh Penguins replace Mike Johnston with Mike Sullivan is an obvious turning point in their season. Everything from their style of play, to their record, to their current run this postseason reflects that.

But Sullivan"s promotion from the Penguins" AHL team in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton isn"t the only one that has helped spark their turnaround. In the month that followed the coaching change, the Penguins started making a series of call-ups from the AHL to help bring some much needed speed and youth to their lineup.

It was at that point that Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl were given an opportunity to regularly play in the NHL. It was clear from the very beginning that Sullivan trusted them, believed in them, and was going to give them an opportunity to succeed.

Just a few months later, Sullivan and the Penguins are being rewarded for that trust. They are not only playing in the NHL, they are scoring massive goals in the playoffs.

It was Sheary that scored the overtime goal in Game 2 on Wednesday, which came after he scored a goal in Game 1 of the series. Rust has six goals this postseason, including one in the Stanley Cup Final and both tallies in the Penguins" Game 7 win in the Eastern Conference finals.

Together, the trio of Sheary, Rust and Kuhnhackl has 12 goals this postseason, and that does not even begin to get into the contribution of the biggest AHL callup, goaltender Matt Murray.

It has been fascinating to watch the development of the forwards over the course of the season.

At the start of the year they were barely a blip on the radar outside of the Penguins" organization (and maybe even in it).

Sheary was an undersized, undrafted free agent that had a promising debut season in the AHL in 2014-15 and continued it through the first part of this year. Rust and Kuhnhackl were mid-round draft picks in 2010 that had put up decent numbers in the AHL, but nothing that would have indicated they would be major players on a Stanley Cup contending team. They were probably starting to reach a point in their career"s where their status as prospects was starting to run out.

Conor Sheary is one of the young players making a surprising impact for the Pittsburgh Penguins USATSI

But almost as soon as they arrived in Pittsburgh you could see the potential. The production wasn"t always there (and early on that was a concern), but their speed was an immediate issue for opposing teams to defend. It is a trait that Sullivan has repeatedly referred to this season as their "competitive advantage," and it has become the Penguins" calling card over the past five months. Not only because of the callups, but also the additions of Carl Hagelin and Trevor Daley in trades.

Together, they helped give the Penguins a balanced lineup where all four lines could actually play and complement their superstars at the top of the roster, something they had not had in years and had been one of their biggest failings as an organization.

But what has really stood out about players like Sheary and Rust is they are not just bottom-six depth players. They are playing on top-lines, next to some of the best players in the world, and making meaningful contributions. They are not just along for the ride.

Sheary has found a spot this postseason on the Penguins" top line next to Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist, a trio that has combined to score nine goals when they are on the ice together during 5-on-5 play. Even though his hands can"t always catch up with his feet, Sheary"s speed and ability to come away with possession of the puck against bigger, stronger player is always noticeable.

Rust has been a recent addition to a line with Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz, a line that has outscored its opponents by an 8-0 margin since they started playing together just a couple of weeks ago. He was a constant thorn in the side of the Lightning in the previous round, not only scoring three goals in Game 6 and 7 of the series (including both Penguins goals in their Game 7 win) but by blowing past Victor Hedman, one of the NHL"s best defenseman, on multiple occasions to help create goals and chances. Like this play in Game 5.

If there is a lesson here, again, it is that speed and skill can overcome a lot of other shortcomings, and more teams are going to start realizing this. It is hard to imagine players like Sheary or Rust with their skillset and physical build getting an opportunity and having this type success in the NHL 15 years ago.

In a lot of ways it is fitting that these guys are making these plays for the Penguins because they are a perfect representation of what this team has become. Fast players that for one reason or another were counted out, overlooked, or had simply fallen out of favor in some way and have simply found a way to make everything work (and this also applies to a lot of the veteran additions on the team, whether it"s Hagelin, Daley or even Phil Kessel).

After they arrived in Pittsburgh and started to get their opportunity it had been common to simply refer to them as "the Wilkes-Barre guys."

After a game in the middle of February, right around when the Penguins were showing signs of putting everything together on the ice, Ben Lovejoy, one of the more respected veteran players on the team, was asked about "the Wilkes-Barre guys" and their contributions to the team.

His response: "They are not Wilkes-Barre guys. They are Penguins now. Pittsburgh Penguins."

And they have proven to be more important Pittsburgh Penguins than anybody could have ever imagined at the start of the year.

Source: http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/how-overlooked-prospects-became-playoff-stars-for-the-penguins/

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Addiction expert questions recently approved anti-opioid implant


Virtual Opioid (V.3) | Create Feelings of Euphoria | Binaural/Monaural Fusion | Meditation Audio

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first-ever implant to fight opioid abuse last week, offering hope amid an epidemic that killed nearly half a million Americans between 2000 and 2015. But some addiction experts are arguing that making the implant commercially available is premature, as questions remain over whether it would do more harm than good.

The matchstick-size implant, Probuphine, was developed by Braeburn Pharmaceuticals and Titan Pharmaceuticals, and is designed to release buprenorphine over a period of six months.

Buprenorphine is used to treat opioid dependence including narcotic painkillers and heroin. It"s part of a class of medications called opioid partial agonist-antagonists and works to prevent withdrawal symptoms when someone stops taking opiod drugs by producing similar effects to these drugs.

Probuphine developers say the rod-like device is designed to make the drug less susceptible to abuse or illicit resale, which is a common issue with oral drugs currently on the market. However, Probuphines four rods must be surgically implanted into a patients arm, and thats just one area where Dr. Indra Cidambi, an addiction expert and detox specialist, sees problems arising.

Doctors of osteotherapy, internists and psychiatrists are three-fourths of the prescribers, Cidambi told FoxNews.com. That means these are the offices which dont have a setup to perform a minor surgical procedure.

This barrier brings a divided-care component into play, raising questions over which doctor will be responsible for overseeing the patients care, she said.

It should be that the prescriber and implanter are in the same office, but its difficult to get two doctors in the office in the same time frame, Cidambi said.

Another concern is whether patients will continue with psychiatric care and lifestyle changes after receiving the implant, Cidambi said. Patients prescribed oral buprenorphine may be prone to mixing the drug with another opioid obtained illegally to achieve a high, but therapy can help dissuade patients from taking part in such behavior.

When you mix buprenorphine with opioids, there is an increased risk of respiratory depression. Thats what you see when a parent goes into a childs room and theyre not audible, Cidambi said. When someone is on these four rods, theyre not following therapy theyre easily combining the drugs, and that can lead to death.

Patients may also forget the drug is helping them achieve their sobriety, leaving them under the false impression that they dont need to attend therapy or adjust their lifestyle changes. In turn, rather than addressing the problem, the device could lead to co-abuse and eventually relapse after the six-month period of Probuphine ends, Cidambi said.

According to the Centers for Human and Health Services, fewer than half of the estimated 2.2 million Americans who need treatment for opioid abuse are receiving help. Those who are receiving care are typically prescribed either methadone, which is available only in government-endorsed clinics, or buprenorphine, which is available as a pill or a strip of film. Probuphine works to release 8 milligrams of buprenorphine, which means potential candidates would need to require a low dose.

Its really for those doing well on buprenorphine and dont need a high dose, Dr. Adam Gordon, a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and member of the advisory panel who voted in favor of approving Probuphine, told NPR in January. Will they need to be on it six more months, maybe many times over their entire life? When is a good time to stop treatment? These are unanswered questions.

Cidambi also questioned the removal process. She cited a clinical trial in which, despite following proper procedure, only seven of 15 participating surgeons successfully removed all four rods.

Im not saying that they shouldnt come up with a new medication to address the problem, but we need to be more practical, Cidambi said. Every medication has its pros and cons. Im questioning, why complicate it more than what it is right now?

Despite concerns from experts like Cidambi, Braeburn Chief Executive Behshad Sheldon told Reuters ahead of the devices FDA approval that the company has high hopes for the implant.

I intend to make this the most successful implant thats ever been marketed and I think its absolutely possible given the unmet need, Sheldon said.

The company is aiming to implant a patient with Probuphine by June 21.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/06/02/addiction-expert-questions-recently-approved-anti-opioid-implant.html

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Rookies Lift Penguins to Another Win in Stanley Cup Finals


Tampa Bay Lightning @ Pittsburgh Penguins. Round 3 Game 7
Photo Conor Sheary, second from right, after scoring in overtime to give Pittsburgh the win. Credit Matt Kincaid/Getty Images

PITTSBURGH The Penguins moved another win closer to claiming the Stanley Cup on Wednesday night, and again it was rookies that helped get them there.

Conor Sheary scored 2 minutes 35 seconds into overtime, and goaltender Matt Murray made 21 saves to give the Penguins a 2-1 home victory over the San Jose Sharks and a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series. Forty-four of the 49 teams that have lost the first two games in previous Cup finals have lost the series.

The Sharks will host Game 3 on Saturday.

Sharks Coach Peter DeBoer took heart in the closeness of both games.

Game 1 was decided in the last two minutes, he said. Tonight was an overtime game. I think well hold off on the funeral. Weve got a lot of hockey left to play.

Shearys wrist shot from the high left slot off a feed from Kris Letang beat Martin Jones high to the far side. It was the fourth goal of the postseason for Sheary, a 23-year-old rookie.

It usually doesnt work out like that when you draw up a play or even talk about a play, Sheary said. But I think they just lost me when I came off the wall there, and I had a lot of time to shoot, and it just worked out.

Murray, 22, became just the fourth rookie in N.H.L. history to win as many as 13 postseason games even if he was not tested much over the first two periods. The Sharks Justin Braun scored with 4:05 left in regulation to ruin Murrays shutout bid.

Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan, speaking of his teams response to Brauns goal, said: One of the things I really liked about our team and this is something I think weve evolved with over the last five months or so our guys just play. And thats what we told them on the bench when it went into the net: You know what? San Jose is a good team; theyre going to get scoring chances. We liked how our team was playing, we felt like we carried the majority of the play.

Phil Kessel scored 8:20 into the second period for Pittsburgh, which outshot its opponent for the 11th consecutive game. Following a 41-26 advantage in a 3-2 victory in Game 1 on Monday, the Penguins had 23 of the first 32 shots on goal in Game 2. San Jose went without a shot for a span of more than 11 minutes late in the second until it had two during a power play over the final 1:08 of the period.

Although the Sharks did not score during that power play, it did provide a springboard into the third period. San Jose played with a desperation befitting a team that was on the verge of falling into a two-game hole. The Sharks tenacity was rewarded when Brauns slap shot from along the boards just above the right-wing circle made its way through traffic deflecting at least once during its path to the net and beat Murray inside the near post on his glove side. Joel Ward provided a good screen in front of the net.

At that point, it appeared as if Murray was to be outplayed by Jones, who stopped 67 of 70 shots in this series until Shearys winning tally.

Murray said: I thought in this game, we were the better team for the most part of the game. We stuck with what we needed to do, and we got the huge goal from Conor. So, we got the job done.

While the Penguins roster is built on the stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Letang, rookies such as Sheary, Murray and Bryan Rust have played starring roles as the franchise seeks its fourth Stanley Cup, the second of the Crosby era and its first since 2009.

Crosby did have the secondary assist on the winner, winning the face-off from the left wing side back to Letang. Crosby also assisted on a Sheary goal in Game 1 that came minutes after Rust had scored Pittsburghs fourth consecutive goal spanning the final two games of the Eastern Conference final.

Kessels goal came 8:20 into the second period and was the result of a dreadful turnover by defenseman Roman Polak and a deflection of the puck off the skate of Sharks forward Tomas Hertl.

The tally was the 10th time in the Penguins past 10 games that a member of their H.B.K. line scored a goal. Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Kessel all had a hand in a sequence that began when Polak inadvertently set up Kessel for a wide-open chance.

Although the puck bounced over Kessels stick, Hagelin stripped defenseman Brenden Dillon of the puck as soon as Dillon corralled it. Hagelin fed Bonino who had the winning goal in Game 1 and Boninos shot hit the stick of a sliding Hertl, allowing the puck to trickle past Jones.

It would have gone in anyway, but Kessel finished it into an open net for his team-leading 10th of the postseason.

Continue reading the main story

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/02/sports/hockey/pittsburgh-penguins-san-jose-sharks-stanley-cup-finals-game-2.html

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Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Kate Hudson"s wildly popular athleisure company is trying to shake its scam reputation


ONLINE SHOPPING HAUL!!! (JustFab shoes)

Facebook/FableticsKate Hudson"s wildly successful athleisure company, Fabletics, is turning over a new leaf by opening stores and changing some practices that led people tocall it a scam.

In September, a BuzzFeedreport shed light on how Fabletics" parent company, Just Fab, had thousands of complaints forbilling customers on a monthly cycle. It was the first sign of troublefor a company that says it"son track to make $650 million this year.

JustFab is one of many retailers that operate on a subscription model, a trend in the industry that has been criticized for misleading customersinto memberships that are notoriously difficult tocancel once you sign up. Many customers buy a single outfit without realizing they are locked into a membership.

After criticisms about memberships, Fableticsplanned an audit, and said it would examine how it did business.

Months after the scandal, the company has added more disclosures, including a video notification, so people realize they are signing up for a subscription,new CorporateMarketing Officer Shawn Gold said in an exclusive interview with Business Insider. It"s also added around-the-clock customer service and lets people return online orders.

Fabletics is also testing online cancellation that will roll out nationally in the next couple of weeks. Customers who wanted to cancel before had to call customer service during business hours.

The company has recentlyannounced plans to openup to 100 brick and mortar storesover the next three years.

Gold likens the stores to showrooms for the product that people see online, and CEO Goldenberg toldForbesit was a way to get more people to sign up for memberships.

Fabletics faces mounting competition.

The athleisure market becomes more saturated by the day to the point that there"s even an up-and-coming subscription athletic apparel brand called Fitbox that on the surface is very similar to Fabletics.

Goldsaid that the subscription business model can easily go awry.

"Its a new business model, so a lot of the companies that are executing this business model arestartups that are trying to figure out the business." This can lead to problems, from failing to properly disclose the membership billing cycle to not delivering the productsefficiently.

Gold says the product stands on its own, and that it is similar to Lululemon. In fact, the company uses the same mills, he said. But Fabletics is devoid of the culture and experience that Lululemon sells. (Fabletics has not been shy when it comes to jabbing Lululemon; it blatantly mockedthe athletic apparel company in a series of marketing videos.)

Lululemon happens to be one of the few companies that hasn"t fallen down the rabbit hole of offering extremely discounted apparel, proving that consumers are willing to pay if the goods are worth it.

For now, things are looking up for Fabletics.

CEO Goldenberg told Forbes inFebruary that complaints had dwindled to only a fewper month, from hundreds before.

"All these things are really from just listening to the consumer and trying to give them what they want," he said.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/fabletics-turnaround-story-2016-5

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Drake spotted out in L.A. with Justin Bieber"s ex Hailey Baldwin


Hailey Baldwin Prank Calls BFF Kendall Jenner | E! Live from the Red Carpet

If Justin Bieber is reading this it"s too late.

The popstar"s ex-girlfriend Hailey Baldwin may have found a new man in singer Drake.

Baldwin and Drake were spotted out together in L.A. over Memorial Day Weekend and sources claim the two "hooked up," Entertainment Tonight reported.

Hailey Baldwin says its hard dating Justin Bieber

The 19-year-old model and "Hotline Bling" rapper dined at Ysabel in L.A. on Tuesday night and were both spotted entering hotspot, The Nice Guy afterwards, according to TMZ.

Sources told ET that they sat at a private table while Drake"s always close by entourage sat at a table nearby and also that they hooked up at the rappers Memorial Day Party on Monday.

EXCLUSIVE: Hailey Baldwin defends ex Justin Biebers park antics

On Monday, the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin posted a video to Snapchat where she, Drake and singer Madison Beer made good use of the puppy filter.

Its no secret that Drake is rumored to be dating Rihanna and Baldwin was recently linked to Bieber who posted plenty of photos the pair getting cozy back in January.

In April, Baldwin said its hard to date someone as famous as Justin Bieber so its unclear why dating Drake would be any easier.

Tags: drake justin bieber alec baldwin celebrity relationships Send a Letter to the Editor Join the Conversation: facebook Tweet

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/drake-spotted-justin-bieber-hailey-baldwin-article-1.2656949

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Marlon Byrd suspended 162 games for 2nd PED offense


Byrd opens the scoring with solo shot to left

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Indians outfielder Marlon Byrd has been suspended 162 games for testing positive a second time for a performance-enhancing drug.

MLB officials said Wednesday that Byrd tested positive for Ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide.

Byrd was suspended for 50 games in 2012 shortly after he was released by Boston. Major League Baseball increased its penalty for a second offense in 2014 from 100 games to a full season.

Byrd"s lawyer Jay Reisinger said in a statement that the positive test resulted from a tainted supplement. He says Byrd won"t appeal the suspension.

The 38-year-old Byrd signed as a free agent in March with Cleveland, which needed veteran outfield depth because both left fielder Michael Brantley and right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall were recovering from injuries.

Byrd is batting .270 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 34 games. He went 4 for 4 with a homer on Monday night against Texas, and then struck out three times in a loss Tuesday. He spent last season with Cincinnati and San Francisco.

To replace Byrd on the roster, the Indians recalled outfielder Tyler Naquin from Triple-A Columbus.

Mariners: Felix Hernandez (calf) placed on DLSAN DIEGO-- The Seattle Mariners have placed Felix Hernandez on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain, just the third time in his career the veteran right-hander has landed on the DL.

The Mariners announced the move Wednesday and recalled left-hander James Paxton from Triple-A Tacoma. Paxton joined the team in San Diego, where he was set to start Wednesday night.

Hernandez is 4-4 this season with a 2.86 ERA. The 30-year-old didn"t travel with the team to San Diego and was examined by Dr. Ed Khalfayan in Seattle on Wednesday morning before the roster move was made.

There"s been much attention placed on the decreased velocity of his fastball, but Hernandez has remained a highly effective pitcher, if not a bit inconsistent. Opponents are hitting just .217 against him.

Tigers: Francisco Rodriguez had Zika virusDetroit Tigers closer Francisco Rodriguez says he contracted the Zika virus over the offseason in his home country of Venezuela and advises potential Olympic athletes to educate themselves on the virus before heading to Rio de Janeiro.

Rodriguez told ESPN.com on Tuesday that he wouldn"t blame athletes for skipping the Olympics, and that "if they have plans to have kids in the future, you"ve got to think about it."

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults.

Rodriguez says he was bedridden for about two weeks with head and body aches, sore joints and other symptoms. It felt like he had a cold at first, but as symptoms worsened, he went for bloodwork that determined it was Zika. It took about two months until he felt normal again.

The World Health Organization last week rejected a call from 150 health experts to consider postponing or moving the Olympics due to Zika in hard-hit Brazil. WHO argued the shift would make no significant difference to the spread of the virus.

A number of possible Olympic participants have voiced concerns about Zika recently, including Pau Gasol, Serena Williams and Rory McIlroy. Gasol says he has considering skipping Rio altogether.

"It"s something people have to be careful with and worry about," Rodriguez said. "There"s no vaccine for it. It"s not like you take a shot and (improve). ... It could be global."

Brewers: Will Smith returns from DLMILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers have reinstated Will Smith from the 15-day disabled list, bolstering a solid bullpen with a hard-throwing left-hander.

Smith returned in time for Wednesday"s game against the St. Louis Cardinals. He takes the roster spot of right-hander David Goforth, who was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Tuesday night.

Smith sprained a ligament in his right knee while taking off a shoe in spring training. He was expected to be the co-closer with right-hander Jeremy Jeffress before the injury.

In 2015, Smith appeared in 76 games for Milwaukee, going 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA. Manager Craig Counsell said he would use Smith judiciously at first.

The Brewers on Tuesday also added Neil Ramirez to the bullpen after claiming the righty off waivers from the Cubs.

Source: http://www.csnphilly.com/philadelphia-phillies/marlon-byrd-suspended-162-games-2nd-ped-offense

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