Rays lose Crawford, possibly for season

Tampa Bay's pursuit of the franchise's first division title took another hit yesterday when the Rays announced Carl Crawford will undergo surgery on his right hand today and will be sidelined at least until the final series of the regular season - maybe longer. Crawford, a two-time All-Star and four-time AL stolen base champion, was injured on his final at-bat Saturday in Seattle. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday. Crawford has a problem with his right middle finger and will be sidelined six to eight weeks, however Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman remains hopeful that the left fielder is not done for the year. Crawford is batting .273 with eight homers, 57 RBIs, and 25 steals. The Rays placed All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria on the disabled list Monday with a broken right wrist and he'll be out for at least two weeks . . . Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya went back on the 15-day disabled list with soreness in the right shoulder that was surgically repaired during the offseason. Zumaya said his doctors believe the pain is not from a new injury, but from the tearing of scar tissue.

Major League Baseball is working out technical issues to start instant replay for boundary calls such as home runs, hoping to institute the system this year. Commissioner Bud Selig, once a staunch opponent, appears to be more comfortable with the use of replay. Agreements are needed with the players' association and umpires' union . . . Athletics outfielder Ryan Sweeney was placed on the 15-day DL with a sprained right thumb . . . Indians second baseman Josh Barfield (finger) and catcher Victor Martinez (elbow) will start injury rehab assignments at Double A Akron . . . Royals pitcher Juan Garcia and catcher Juan Fortuna, and Cubs pitcher Starling Peralta were suspended for 50 games each after testing positive under baseball's minor league drug program. All three tested positive for a metabolite of Boldenone. A total of 26 minor leaguers have received 50-game penalties since July 25.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting some help for LeBron James. High-scoring Milwaukee point guard Mo Williams is headed to Cleveland to join James as part of a three-team trade involving Milwaukee and Oklahoma City. The six-player deal reshapes the rebuilding Bucks while giving Cleveland an additional scoring threat and sends Desmond Mason to Oklahoma City. In exchange for Williams, who averaged 17.2 points per game last season in the first year of a six-year, $51.5 million contract, the Bucks will receive Damon Jones from Cleveland along with guard Luke Ridnour and forward Adrian Griffin from Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City will get veteran forward Joe Smith from Cleveland and Mason from Milwaukee . . . Atlanta signed free agent Ronald "Flip" Murray, a six-year veteran who can play both guard spots . . . Portland guard Brandon Roy will have arthroscopic knee surgery today to repair a tear in the meniscus of his left knee . . . Former University of Connecticut star Asjha Jones signed a three-year contract extension with the WNBA's Connecticut Sun. Terms of the deal weren't released.

If horse racing's two stars are going to meet, it won't be at the Spa. Michael Iavarone, co-owner of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, said he has no plans to enter his colt in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 30 despite a request by Jess Jackson, the majority owner of 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin, who was declared a definite starter for the race last week. "That was never under consideration at any point," Iavarone said. "We had always talked during the Triple Crown trail about wanting to end the season in the right way and that's in the Breeders' Cup Classic." Jackson offered to donate $50,000 to a nonprofit organization if Big Brown takes on Curlin in the 1 1/8-mile Woodward on the dirt.

The Southern 500 is back at Darlington Raceway. Track president Chris Browning said the historic name will return to Darlington for next May's Sprint Cup race, restoring at least part of more than a half-century of tradition to the old country track. The Southern 500 was first run Sept. 4, 1950, and became a Labor Day staple for the sport for five decades . . . Tony Stewart has hired Ryan Newman to drive the second car for his new team next season, sources familiar with the deal told the Associated Press . . . Josh Jarboe, a highly regarded wide receiver recruit who was kicked off the team at Oklahoma two weeks ago, has decided to enroll at Troy. Jarboe pleaded guilty in May to charges of bringing a gun to Cedar Grove High School in Georgia and carrying a pistol without a license. Sooners coach Bob Stoops dismissed Jarboe Aug. 1 after an Internet video surfaced of the teenager rapping about guns and shooting people . . . Steven Whitney (Wakefield) scored a shorthanded goal and added three assists but the United States fell to Finland, 6-5, in the Under-18 Memorial hockey tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic . . . Unseeded Nathalie Dechy rolled through a third-set tiebreaker to beat fourth-seeded Katarina Srebotnik, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7-1), earning a berth in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Women's Open in Mason, Ohio.