Prince Fielder tearfully confirmed Wednesday his career is over and will not be able to come back after a second neck surgery. The 32-year-old Texas Rangers slugger wept as he said health issues forced him to end his 12-season major league career. He was still wearing a neck brace 12 days after his second cervical fusion in just over two years. “The doctors told me that with two spinal fusions, I can’t play anymore,’’ said Fielder, who sat flanked at the podium by his two young sons, Jadyn and Haven, who grew up around the game much like he did when he followed around his father, Cecil Fielder, during his 13-year career with five different teams. “I just want to thank my teammates and coaches. I’m really going to miss being around them. It was a lot of fun. I’ve been in a big league clubhouse since I was little. Not playing is tough. I’m happy I got to enjoy my career.’’ The six-time All-Star hit .283 for his career with 319 home runs (the same number his father hit) and 1,028 RBIs playing for the Brewers, Tigers and Rangers.
Cubs pitcher banned again
Chicago Cubs pitcher Luiz Escanio was suspended for 144 games for a positive test for a metabolite of Boldenone, his second violation of baseball’s minor league drug program. Escanio, a righthander who turned 24 on July 1, was suspended for 72 games on June 18 last year following a positive test for Stanozolol metabolites . . . The National League’s only living seven-hit men met in Miami before the San Francisco Giants victory over the Marlins. Rennie Stennett, 65, and a South Florida resident, stopped by Marlins Park to meet with Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford, who had seven hits in Monday’s 14-inning victory at Miami. Stennett went 7 for 7 for the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field in 1975. ‘‘It was cool to meet him,’’ Crawford said. ‘‘We talked about the game he had a little bit and how he’ll never forget it. I said, ‘I’m sure I won’t either.’ ’’
NFL
Bills rookie LB out for year
Bills rookie linebacker Reggie Ragland, the team’s second-round pick out of Alabama, will have surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee and is expected to miss the entire season. Ragland was the second of Buffalo’s top two draft picks to be sidelined by injury after defensive end Shaq Lawson, a first-round pick from Clemson, was expected to miss the first month of the season recuperating from shoulder surgery in May. Said Bills coach Rex Ryan, “Obviously, we think they’re rare talents and that’s not going to change either based on an injury. It’s just unfortunate that we’ve got to be a little more patient than maybe we wanted to.’’ . . . The Seahawks activiated tight end Jimmy Graham from the physically unable to perform list. Graham went through a light practice with the team in Renton, Wash., marking another step in his recovery from a torn right patellar tendon suffered in a Week 12 game against Pittsburgh . . . The Broncos named Mark Sanchez as the starting quarterback for Denver’s preseason opener in Chicago on Thursday night. Sanchez got the starting nod from coach Gary Kubiak over Trevor Siemian, who is listed as the co-No. 1 quarterback on the team’s depth chart and rookie Paxton Lynch, who is slotted to play the second half.
COLLEGES
Briles: ‘We’ll learn from it’Former Baylor football coach Art Briles, 60, was confident he will get another chance after losing his job over allegations that his program mishandled complaints of sexual assault. “Things happen and that happened and it’s unfortunate for a lot of people, not myself, being at the last, a lot of other people involved, victims first and foremost,’’ Briles said during a visit Tuesday to the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp in Oxnard, Calif. “Then when you break down, assistant coaches that are involved, support staff, players, recruits, it’s unfortunate but that’s the path that was taken so we’ll all learn from it and be better for it. That’s going to be my goal.’’. . .Wichita State basketball coach Gregg Marshall was suspended for the last game of an exhibition tour in Canada after receiving two technical fouls and getting kicked out of a game Tuesday night against McGill University. Marshall complained several times about physical play that resulted in one of Wichita State’s players sustaining a concussion and had to be restrained from chasing after two referees.
Miscellany
Devils re-sign LW Boucher
The New Jersey Devils re-signed restricted free agent left wing Reid Boucher to a one-year, two-way contract. Boucher, 22, had eight goals and 11 assists in 39 games with the Devils last season . . . Kyle Vance and Travis Vick shared the second-round lead in the Junior PGA Championship at Wannamoisett in Rumford, R.I., while the girls’ round was washed out. The 16-year-old Vick, from Houston, shot a 4-under 65 to match the 17-year-old Vance, from Audubon, Pa., at 2-under 136. Vance had a 67 . . . A sore left wrist forced the withdrawl of Novak Djokovic, who was upset in straight sets by Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, from playing in an ATP Masters event in Cincinnati.
