FOOTBALL

ROETHLISBERGER LIKELY TO PLAY THIS SEASON Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could be out of the hospital in a few days and appears likely to play this season after a bloody motorcycle accident in which his helmetless head shattered a car windshield. The Steelers’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback was upgraded to fair condition at Mercy Hospital yesterday, a day after the accident.

Despite being tossed high into the air after his made-for-speed motorcycle rammed into a car, causing him to smack his head on the car’s windshield, Roethlisberger escaped career-threatening injuries.

Doctors did not discuss Roethlisberger’s condition in detail, at the request of his family, but the quarterback’s only major injuries were to his face: a broken upper and lower jaw, a loss of two teeth, a broken nose, broken facial bones, and various cuts and bruises.

Jaw injuries can vary greatly in nature and, because of the rather limited protection provided by a football helmet, have the potential to sideline a player for a lengthy period. But the surgeons who operated on Roethlisberger for seven hours Monday said all of his fractures were successfully repaired. If that is the case, then Roethlisberger might miss part or most of training camp but could be ready for the September 7 opener against Miami.

BASEBALL

DIAMONDBACKS CUT TIES WITH ORTIZ The Arizona Diamondbacks decided yesterday they would rather eat the remaining $22 million of Russ Ortiz’s contract than keep him on their roster. Ortiz is believed to be the most expensive player to be cut loose in baseball history.

The club designated the struggling right-hander for assignment, which means it has 10 days to trade, waive or release him. The team is on the hook for the balance of the $33-million, four-year contract Ortiz signed in December 2004. The 32-year-old Ortiz was 0-5 with a 7.54 ERA in six starts for Arizona this season.

– Associated Press