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BASEBALL
Scutaro’s back surgery might end his career
SAN FRANCISCO >> San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro underwent back surgery that could end his career.
Giants general manager Brian Sabean announced during a conference call Monday that Scutaro had the fusion procedure performed by Dr. Michael Wang in Miami on Friday to alleviate the troublesome area at level L-2/L-3 of his spine. It will be four-to-six months before doctors determine whether Scutaro can play baseball again.
The 39-year-old Scutaro, a journeyman infielder who became the surprising 2012 NL Championship Series MVP, played in only five games last season — all in July — because of recurring back problems that landed him on the disabled list for good July 25. He is now resting at home and will soon begin rehab.
Scutaro has known he might need the operation in order to give him a quality of life even just in his day-to-day schedule off the baseball field.
In parts of 13 major league seasons with the Giants, Oakland, New York Mets, Boston, Toronto and Colorado, Scutaro is a career .277 hitter with 77 home runs and 509 RBIs with 269 doubles and 21 triples.
Hughes, Twins agree to $58M, 5-year contract
MINNEAPOLIS >> Phil Hughes and the Minnesota Twins agreed Monday to a $58 million, five-year contract that adds $42 million in guaranteed money from 2017 to ’19.
The 28-year-old right-hander went 16-10 with a 3.52 ERA and led the major leagues among qualifying pitchers with an 11.63 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He had been scheduled to make $8 million each of the next two seasons as part of a $24 million, three-year contract he signed as a free agent after leaving the New York Yankees.
He will make $9.2 million in each of the next two years and $13.2 million annually from 2017 to ’19.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Memphis tops BYU in Miami Beach Bowl
MIAMI >> Paxton Lynch threw four touchdown passes and rushed for three more scores, Jake Elliott kicked a 54-yard field goal to end the first extra session and Memphis wasted a pair of double-digit leads before rallying to beat BYU 55-48 in double overtime at the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl on Monday.
“This is probably the craziest game, most emotional game I’ve ever been a part of,” said Lynch, who threw for 306 yards. He’s the first player at the FBS level with at least four TD throws and three TD runs in a game since Clemson’s Tajh Boyd in 2012.
Roderick Proctor caught an 11-yard TD pass from Lynch to put Memphis (10-3) up in the second overtime. After DaShaughn Terry sealed the win by picking off BYU quarterback Christian Stewart in the second OT, tensions and emotions took over. Dozens of people from both sidelines spilled toward the middle of the field, many punching and grabbing. Cameras caught defensive back Kai Nacua of BYU (8-5) — who had blood streaming from his face — coming from behind to punch in the head Memphis tight end Alan Cross, who was being restrained by someone from the Tigers’ staff.
Elliott’s 54-yard kick was the longest field goal in overtime at the FBS level, according to STATS.
HOCKEY
Penguins being tested for mumps
PITTSBURGH >> The Pittsburgh Penguins sent backup goaltender Thomas Greiss and forwards Brandon Sutter and Steve Downie home from Florida on Monday to undergo testing for the mumps virus.
All three will remain in isolation until results are returned. Teammates Sidney Crosby, Beau Bennett and Olli Maatta have already dealt with the illness, which has affected more than a dozen players across the league.
Also Monday, New York Rangers right wing Lee Stempniak tested positive for mumps, the team said.
GOLF
90 have ticket punched to the 2015 Masters
augusta, ga. >> Rory McIlroy was among 90 players who already have qualified and are expected to compete in the 2015 Masters.
A total of 97 players started the 2014 tournament. Augusta National prefers the field to be less than 100 players.
Players still can qualify by winning a PGA Tour event (except for the Puerto Rico Open) or getting into the top 50 in world ranking one week before the Masters.
The Masters is April 9-12.
SKIING
Germany’s Neureuther takes World Cup lead
MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy >> Felix Neureuther won a World Cup slalom race Monday and took the lead in the discipline standings from Austrian rival Marcel Hirscher, who finished seventh.
Leading after the opening leg, Neureuther clocked a two-run combined time of
1 minute, 40.57 seconds to edge German teammate Fritz Dopfer by 0.82 seconds.
