SPORTS DIGEST || Indians sign reliever Joba Chamberlain

Indians sign reliever Joba Chamberlain

CLEVELAND

The Indians have signed free agent reliever Joba Chamberlain to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.

Chamberlain spent last season with Detroit, Toronto and Kansas City. The 30-year-old pitcher has a 25-21 career record with a 3.87 ERA. He has seven saves in 365 appearances over nine seasons.

He debuted with the New York Yankees in 2007, when he pitched against the Indians in the AL playoffs. Chamberlain pitched in Game 2 at Cleveland, best remembered for the night small bugs called midges infested the playing field.

Source: Red Sox sign Price for $217 million

BOSTON

The Boston Red Sox and ace pitcher David Price have agreed to a deal worth $217 million over seven years, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal has not yet been signed and is pending a physical.

Price has a 3.09 ERA in eight major league seasons with 1,372 strikeouts and 104 wins. The left-hander was traded from Detroit to Toronto last season as the Blue Jays made a playoff push in the AL East. One year earlier, he was traded to Detroit from Tampa Bay, where he spent the early part of his career.

Tomlin, Roethlisberger differ on QB’s injury

PITTSBURGH

Ben Roethlisberger is blaming his early exit from last Sunday’s loss to Seattle on a headache. Mike Tomlin says his franchise quarterback has a concussion.

Either way, the Pittsburgh Steelers star will remain under the NFL-mandated concussion protocol this week as Pittsburgh prepares to face Indianapolis. So will linebacker Ryan Shazier, who left in the second quarter of the 39-30 defeat with symptoms.

“We will do what we always do with those guys,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “We will be very diligent about their care. We will lean on the expert advice of our medical team, who always does a great job. We will do what is appropriate at the end of the week, or whenever that decision-making time is.”

Tomlin’s remarks were in contrast to what Roethlisberger offered on his weekly radio appearance on 93.7 The Fan.

Roethlisberger described his condition as a “traumatic ocular migraine” that limited his peripheral vision, a symptom Roethlisberger said cleared up after about 30 minutes. Tomlin declined to speculate on whether Roethlisberger and the team were “splitting hairs” over his diagnosis.

NFL moves ref crew off Colts-Steelers game

NEW YORK

The NFL has moved referee Pete Morelli’s crew off the upcoming Sunday night game between Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.

Instead, the crew will work an afternoon game between the Eagles and Patriots.

Morelli’s group was heavily criticized by both sides after the 49ers-Cardinals game Sunday. Arizona coach Bruce Arians said the officials “can’t count to three.”

There were a combined 20 penalties in the game. During Arizona’s first series of the second half, San Francisco committed five penalties, including four pass interferences and an illegal hands to the face, as the Cardinals reached the end zone on their way to a 19-13 win.

The 49ers were flagged 13 times for 81 yards, including a costly roughing-the-passer flag during the winning drive.

Woods doesn’t sound optimistic about future

NASSAU, BAHAMAS

Tiger Woods is painting a bleak picture on his return to golf by saying he has no idea when his back will heal.

Woods has gone through three procedures in the same spot in his back in the last 19 months. He said Tuesday he has not started rehabilitation and does not know when his back will allow him to do that. He says his only exercise is to walk, and he occupies most of the day playing video games.

Woods is at the Hero World Challenge as the tournament host.

Associated Press