Season could be over for Posada

Jorge Posada hasn't ruled out surgery. Hideki Matsui has. The Yankees placed Posada on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with an injured right shoulder, leaving the catcher's season in doubt. Outfielder Matsui, out with a sore left knee, was examined again and decided against surgery, according to Yankees manager Joe Girardi. Posada was scheduled to see New York Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek today to get an MRI and to have his throwing shoulder examined. He missed more than a month earlier this season with right rotator cuff tendinitis, and could opt to have season-ending surgery . . . Mets closer Billy Wagner will have his tight shoulder re-evaluated today to determine if there is an injury to his pitching arm . . . Oakland designated hitter Frank Thomas, sidelined almost two months because of right quadriceps tendinitis, has been cleared to start a running program Friday . . . Tampa Bay Rays minor league pitcher Matthew Walker was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for an amphetamine . . . Jerome Holtzman, a longtime baseball writer who was honored by the Hall of Fame, created the saves rule, and became Major League Baseball's official historian, died Saturday at 81 after a long illness.

Disgraced Olympic star Marion Jones asked President Bush to commute her six-month prison sentence for lying to federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing drugs and a check-fraud scam, the Justice Department confirmed. A commutation reduces or eliminates a person's sentence.

Former Chelsea resident John Ruiz will attempt to win a third World Boxing Association heavyweight title when he meets fellow former titleholder Nikolai Valuev for the vacant WBA title Aug. 30 in Berlin, ESPN.com reported. Valuev (48-1, 34 KOs) won a majority decision against Ruiz (43-7-1, 29 KOs) in 2005.

Fresh off a disqualification on the LPGA Tour, Michelle Wie has decided to tee it up against the men . . . again. Wie will play next week in the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, the first time she'll play on the PGA Tour this year, tournament organizers said. It will be her eighth time playing on the PGA Tour, and she has yet to make a cut . . . Sarah Whitney of South Shore Country Club was the medalist, shooting a 74 in the qualifying round of the WGAM Amateur championship at Salem CC . . . Jorge Fernandez Valdes, a 15-year-old from Argentina, shot a 7-under-par 65 to take a three-stroke lead over Seth Reeves after the first round of the US Junior Amateur in Shoal Creek, Ala.

Providence Bruins coach Scott Gordon is one of the candidates for the New York Islanders' coaching job, according to Newsday. The Islanders' list reportedly also includes former Toronto coach Paul Maurice and former Bruins coach Mike Sullivan . . . Forward Joffrey Lupul and the Flyers agreed to a four-year extension. . . The Detroit Red Wings re-signed former Maine goaltender Jimmy Howard to a three-year deal . . . "Hockey Night in Canada" is welcoming an American. Former Bruins defenseman and coach Mike Milbury will join the CBC show's broadcast team this season as an analyst and a regular on a between-periods panel discussion.

A month after former referee Tim Donaghy alleged past wrongdoing by other referees and the NBA, the league continued with its officiating program overhaul. Bernie Fryer was named vice president and director of officials and Joe Borgia was named vice president of referee operations . . . The New Jersey Nets acquired guard Keyon Dooling from the Orlando Magic. In exchange, the Nets gave the Magic cash and the trade exception they got in the deal that sent Jason Kidd to Dallas . . . Sean Carter transferred from Oregon State to UMass-Amherst. The forward/center will sit out next season and will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2009-10.

After teaming with Martina Navratilova in mixed doubles to give the Boston Lobsters an early lead, Amir Hadad collaborated with men's doubles partner Jan-Michael Gambill to finish off an 18-16 World TeamTennis overtime victory over the host Newport Beach (Calif.) Breakers. At 7-6, the Lobsters are in contention for a wild-card berth . . . Serena Williams plans to keep playing through a left knee injury despite advice from a doctor that she rest with less than three weeks before the Beijing Olympics . . . Robinho was dropped from the Brazilian Olympic team after Real Madrid said a medical examination discovered the striker has a groin injury. The Brazilian football confederation criticized the Spanish club, saying the superstar would have had time to heal before the Olympic tournament . . . Former Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Dominique Moceanu told HBO that former coach Martha Karolyi should be removed from her role as US team coordinator, and that other athletes agree with her.