New deal keeps Finley in San Antonio

Free agent guard Michael Finley, who attracted interest from the Celtics and several other teams, re-signed yesterday with the San Antonio Spurs. Terms of the deal were not released. The 35-year-old started 61 games last season, with Sixth Man Award winner Manu Ginobili providing a spark for San Antonio behind him. Finley averaged 10.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, playing in all 82 games in his 13th NBA season . . . The Nuggets re-signed restricted free agent J.R. Smith to a multiyear contract. The 22-year-old guard averaged 12.6 points for Denver over the past two seasons. He shot nearly 40 percent from 3-point range, the best percentage in team history for players with at least 100 3-pointers . . . The Hornets turned to a familiar face to fill an opening in the backcourt, signing Devin Brown. Brown, formerly of the Cavaliers, played with New Orleans two seasons ago and was brought back to bolster the backcourt depth. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

MLB owners and players are close to finalizing an agreement on instant replay, and an announcement on the start of the innovation likely will be announced next week. Management and the umpires' union signed an agreement Wednesday, leaving a deal with players as the next step. That process was just about wrapped up . . . Yankees cochairman Hank Steinbrenner expects hard-throwing righthander Joba Chamberlain to pitch again this season. Whether it's as a starter or out of the bullpen remains to be determined. "I don't know yet," Steinbrenner said at the Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa. "It's up to [manager Joe ] Girardi and [pitching coach Dave] Eiland, how they want to do it. They know what they're doing, and the doctors obviously know." Chamberlain has been on the 15-day disabled list since Aug. 6 because of rotator cuff tendinitis in his pitching shoulder. He is scheduled for his first bullpen session this weekend . . . The Rangers activated infielder Hank Blalock from the 15-day DL. He went on the DL after tearing his left hamstring while running out a double against the Twins April 25 . . . The Padres activated catcher Josh Bard (strained right triceps) from the DL . . . The Rockies activated outfielder Scott Podsednik from the DL after he missed 23 games with a fractured left pinkie finger . . . The Royals placed reliever Ron Mahay (plantar fasciitis on left foot) on the 15-day DL . . . The Pirates activated first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz from the bereavement list. He was placed on the list Monday to be with his wife, Jodi, for her pacemaker procedure.

Caroline Wozniacki moved into the final of the Pilot Pen with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over seventh-seeded Alize Cornet in New Haven. Wozniacki broke Cornet in the 12th game to take the first set, but dropped the first three games of the second set before rallying. She broke Cornet at love in the final game to advance to today's title match against Anna Chakvetadze, who beat Amelie Mauresmo, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. In the men's draw, Mardy Fish upset top-seeded Fernando Verdasco, 6-0, 1-6, 6-3, to advance to his second straight Pilot Pen final. He will face Marin Cilic, who beat qualifier Luka Gregorc, 6-3, 6-3 . . . Jeff Rees, a former Scotland Yard detective who helped review potential match-fixing in tennis, has been picked by the sport's governing bodies to head the new integrity unit.

Vitali Klitschko's long-awaited comeback against World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Samuel Peter (30-1, 23 KOs) will take place in Berlin Oct. 11. Klitschko (35-2, 34 KOs), who lost his WBC title to Lennox Lewis by knockout in June 2003, hasn't fought since reclaiming the WBC title by knocking out Danny Williams in December 2004 . . . United States midfielder Maurice Edu completed his move to Scotland's Glasgow Rangers after being granted a work permit. MLS' Toronto FC agreed last week to sell the 22-year-old for $5 million, and Edu signed a five-year contract with Rangers . . . Real Salt Lake filled its 28-man MLS roster by acquiring the rights to 21-year-old forward Will Johnson from the Chicago Fire, who received SuperDraft picks in 2009 and 2011 . . . North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien named redshirt freshman Russell Wilson his starting quarterback . . . Notre Dame tight end Mike Ragone will miss the season following surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee . . . The US Under-17 Select Team lost to the Czech Republic, 3-0, in its third game of the Five Nations hockey tournament in Prievidza, Slovakia.