NASCAR race rained out…Players pondering MLB offer…Basketball Hall ceremony postponed

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Wednesday’s NASCAR Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was rained out and rescheduled for Thursday night. The starting order for the second Cup race at Charlotte this week was set based on the finishing order of the Coca-Cola 600 but with an inversion. Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman will start from the pole, while Coca-Cola 600 winner Brad Keselowski will start 20th.

UNDATED (AP) — Baseball players will take at least a few days and possibly until next week to respond to Major League Baseball’s proposed sliding scale of salary slashing. But people familiar with their deliberations tell The Associated Press that players appeared likely to propose increasing the number of regular-season games this year while holding to their demand for full prorated salaries. One of the people said many players were angered by the proposal teams made Tuesday.

UNDATED (AP) — Basketball Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo told ESPN that the enshrinement ceremony for Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and five others will be delayed until the spring of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony was to have taken place in Springfield on Aug. 29. Bryant, Garnett and Duncan all got into the Hall in their first year as finalists, as did WNBA great Tamika Catchings.

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is keeping coach Jeff Blashill  despite missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Yzerman told reporters his previously announced plans to keep Blashill behind the bench have not changed. The Red Wings won an NHL-low 17 games this season and are 153-194-52 under Blashill.

UNDATED (AP) — The final deadline to nominate horses to the rescheduled Triple Crown series is June 3. Owners and trainers can make 3-year-old thoroughbreds eligible for the three-race series at a cost of $3,000. That’s half the original price as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which is forcing the series to be run out of order for the first time since 1931. The late nominations were originally due March 30 but were postponed until the Triple Crown races were rescheduled.