Braves give Hudson three-year extension

Last update: November 12, 2009 - 11:39 PM

Tim Hudson agreed to a three-year, $28 million, contract with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, giving the team a wealth of starting pitching.

Hudson, 34, could have returned to the Braves under a $12 million option, but the sides focused on a longer deal after the righthander showed he had overcome major elbow surgery. He returned at the end of this past season and went 2-1 with a 3.61 ERA in seven starts.

"I did all I could do to get healthy and show them they could have confidence in me," Hudson said. "They came to me with an opening offer than was more than fair. They showed me they really wanted to get something done."

The Braves now have six starters under contract for next season: Hudson, Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami. Lowe and Vazqiez were 15-game winners.

• The Washington Nationals kept Jim Riggleman on as manager, after promoting him from bench coach to interim manager midway through last season.

• Former All-Star closer John Wetteland was taken to a Texas hospital after a 911 call Thursday and treated for an irregular heartbeat. Wetteland was resting at home Thursday night, but Denton County Sgt. Roger Griggs told the New York Daily News that Wetteland's wife said "he was complaining of being depressed and contemplating suicide." Wetteland, 43, is the Seattle Mariners' bullpen coach.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Buckeyes rout James Madison

Evan Turner followed up a season-opening triple-double with 24 points and 17 rebounds for No. 16 Ohio State, which surged past James Madison 72-44 in the 2K Sports Classic in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes (2-0) advanced to meet North Carolina in the semifinals next week.

• Freshman forward Mason Plumlee, a projected starter for No. 9 Duke, is out indefinitely because of a broken left wrist. Team officials said the 6-10 Plumlee was injured when he fell hardduring practice Wednesday. They say the injury will not require surgery.

TENNIS

Murray ousted in Paris

Andy Murray lost to Radek Stepanek 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the third round of the Paris Masters. The fourth-seeded Murray couldn't overcome a lack of sleep following his three-set victory over James Blake that ended at 1:45 a.m. Thursday.

"It's obviously limited recovery after a long match," Murray said. "It's 4 a.m. by the time you get to bed. So it's not perfect preparation for a match. But you still come out and you try and give it your best shot. Wasn't good enough."

Stepanek will next play Fernando Gonzalez or U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal survived another three-setter, overcoming fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Novak Djokovic and defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won in straight sets. Nikolay Davydenko, the 2006 champion, lost to French Open runner-up Robin Soderling but secured one of the two last spots in the tour finals in London.

AROUND THE HORN

Soccer: Chivas USA will not renew the contract of Preki, two years after he was chosen Major League Soccer's coach of the year. ... MLS selected Los Angeles' Omar Gonzalez, a 6-5 defender, as its Rookie of the Year.

Boxing: Former champion Mike Tyson, who was arrested in a scuffle with a photographer, could be sent to jail if he's found to have violated probation from a 2007 drug case. Tyson, 43, and photographer Tony Echeverria, made citizens' arrests of each other following a confrontation at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Los Angeles International Airport. Each man claimed the other struck him, police said.

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