Dye on DL with separated shoulder
OAKLAND, Calif., July 9 (UPI) -- Oakland Athletics right fielder Jermaine Dye is back on the disabled list.
Dye suffered a separated right shoulder after being involved in a collision with Anaheim Angels catcher Bengie Molina in the fourth inning Sunday and is expected to be sidelined at least three weeks.
He entered Sunday's game in an 0-for-14 slump and had two hits before leaving with the injury. Trying to tag up from third on a flyout, Dye put his right shoulder into Molina, who held onto the ball for an inning-ending double play.
The 29-year-old Dye spent time on the 15-day disabled list in April and May with torn cartilage in his right knee. He is batting just .160 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 42 games.
Dye began last season on DL and batted .252 with 24 home runs and 86 RBI in 131 games.
James impressive in summer league debut
ORLANDO, Fla., July 9 (UPI) -- LeBron James' professional debut was an unqualified success.
The high school phenomenon made his summer league debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers and led his team to a 107-80 romp over the Orlando Magic.
James, playing mostly at point guard, had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 23 minutes. He had 10 of his points in the opening half, including a dunk for his professional points.
The 6-8, 240-pound James, the second high school player taken with the top pick, will be in Orlando for three games. James and the Cavaliers will participate in the Boston summer league, starting next week.
Top seed Blake upset, Dent withdraws
NEWPORT, R.I., July 9 (UPI) -- James Blake of the United States was one of the top three seeds to fall Tuesday in the first round of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
In the upset of the day, unheralded Frenchman Gregory Carraz eliminated the top-seeded Blake, 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-4. A No. 1 seed has not been able to win the title at Newport in 27 years.
Defending champion and second-seeded Taylor Dent of the United States, who beat Blake in last year's final, withdrew with a tendon injury in his right hand before his first-round match against Swiss George Bastl.
Jeff Salzenstein replaced Dent and beat Bastl, 6-1, 6-3. American Alex Kim will be Salzenstein's second-round opponent after bouncing Japanese qualifier Thomas Shimada, 7-5, 6-3.
No. 3 American Mardy Fish lost to Serbian qualifier Dusan Vemic, 6-7 (3-7), 5-7.
Payton to sign with Lakers
LOS ANGELES, July 9 (UPI) -- Gary Payton reportedly has reached a verbal agreement to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
ESPN reported Tuesday that the veteran point guard will accept the team's mid-level exception, believed to be Los Angeles' limit of $4.9 million. Nothing can become official until July 16 when teams can begin signing free agents.
The Lakers are well over the NBA's salary cap of $40-plus million, but Payton's agent - Aaron Goodwin - told ESPN that his client still will sign a multi-year deal.
Goodwin told ESPN that Payton has chosen to accept less money to join the Lakers. He said Portland was interested in acquiring his services in a sign-and-trade deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Payton split the 2002-03 campaign between the Seattle SuperSonics and Bucks but became a free agent at the end of the season.
Payton has been a member of the All-NBA Team seven times.
