Sports Briefs

BASEBALL

Choo Sin-soo gets sidelined because of back soreness

The Texas Rangers’ Choo Shin-soo was sidelined from the starting lineup for two days straight due to soreness in his back.

During a road game against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, Choo remained in the dugout throughout the entire game. He’s been complaining about back pain for more than a week before the All-Star break and hoped the break would be sufficient enough to remedy his condition. But the pain didn’t subside and he’s been doing light practice since July 14.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Choo went through an MRI scan but doctors found no abnormalities. The report also added “the discomfort is most pronounced when he throws.”

The Rangers lost to the Cubs 1-3 and fell into a four-game skid, two after the All-Star break.

Elsewhere in the majors, another Korean big leaguer who has been struggling with injuries, Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles, is expected to be back on the Orioles’ starting lineup soon after being sidelined since July 11.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Kim said about his condition, “[The hamstring] feels much better than the time I got injured. It feels great. If I could, I would want to play today, but this has to be agreed upon by the trainers. We’re talking with the trainers to make sure when would be the best time for me to come back. I don’t exactly have a timetable now.”

The local newspaper suggested that Kim is confident about avoiding the disabled list.

“This has happened before and the former trainers I had in Korea were also surprised by the [quick] pace by which I recovered,” the Sun reported Kim as saying. “So hopefully, that will happen again this time.”

By Choi Hyung-jo

TENNIS

Safin and Henin inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame

NEWPORT, R.I. - Marat Safin enjoyed life as a tennis player, calling it like living the life of a rock n’ roll star.

That fun-filled journey brought him to the pinnacle of his sport - induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Safin and Justine Henin were inducted on Saturday during a center-court ceremony on Newport’s grass courts.

They were presented by Hall of Famers Jimmy Connors and Monica Seles.

Connors, a 1998 Hall of Famer, said Safin was “emotional and played with passion. That’s what drew me to him.”

Seles, inducted in 2009, touched on Henin’s classic one-handed backhand, saying it was “without question one of the signature shots in tennis history. To be honest, I hated it.”

Henin is the first Belgian player to be inducted. She captured four French Open titles from 2003-07 and said she was inspired by watching Seles play.

AP