Der Fremde » Kipnis injured his oblique during

ROME -- Former Juventus manager Antonio Conte was confirmed as the new coach of Italy after signing a two-year contract on Thursday. Minnesota Timberwolves Gear . The Italian football federation announced the appointment, three days after new president Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio and Conte spoke on the phone early Thursday. Conte will be presented at a news conference in Rome on Tuesday. His contract was to July 31, 2016, following the European Championship in France. Contes first match in charge will be a friendly at home to the Netherlands, in Bari on Sept. 4. Italy kicks off its Euro 2016 qualifying campaign away to Norway, five days later. It also plays Croatia, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan and Malta in Group H. The 45-year-old Conte replaces Cesare Prandelli, who resigned -- along with former FIGC president Giancarlo Abete -- immediately after Italys early elimination from the World Cup in Brazil. The FIGC said Contes deal, which will be in line with what Prandelli earned, also included bonuses for qualifying for Euro 2016, reaching the final, and improving the Azzurris world ranking by five or more places. His job also includes co-ordinating the national youth teams, replacing Arrigo Sacchi. Conte quit Juventus last month, shortly after steering the club to a third successive Serie A title. "Juventus wishes Antonio Conte all the best with his new role as coach of the Italian national side," the club tweeted. Custom Minnesota Timberwolves Jerseys . 1 status and was unable to prevent a late season collapse, James Reimer said he wants to put the past behind him and is looking forward to spending the next two years in a Maple Leaf uniform. Craig Smith Jersey . The (14-15-5) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 33 points. They trail sixth place Nashville and fifth place Dallas by two points. https://www.cheaptimberwolves.com/780j-robert-covington-jersey-timberwolves.html . The Major League Soccer teams were scheduled to play on Saturday night, but their game was rescheduled after Stu Tudor was hit during a pregame storm. The 54-year-old lieutenant in the Columbus Fire Department is in critical condition in the intensive care unit of the Ohio State Medical Center. CLEVELAND -- After going through a rocky April, the Cleveland Indians got more bad news before even playing a game in May. All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained side muscle prior to Fridays game against the Chicago White Sox. Kipnis injury is expected to sideline him from three to five weeks. Losing Kipnis is yet another setback for a team thats struggled in several areas. Cleveland has lost six straight and is in last place in the AL Central. The Indians have yet to resemble the club that made the playoffs as a wild-card team in 2013. While one poor month doesnt guarantee a losing season, general manager Chris Antonetti knows its time to see some improvement. "There is obviously urgency," he said. "We want to try to turn things around as quickly as possible. Regardless of what the immediate results are, we need to play better as a team, really in all facets. Im confident well do that." Kipnis injured his oblique during an at-bat in the fourth inning of Tuesday nights loss to Los Angeles. He had an MRI on Thursday that showed the injury was more serious than originally thought. "Its not one of those ones you can play through," Kipnis said. "You have to let it fully recover because if you push it and re-injure it, youre right back at step one." The 27-year-old Kipnis is hitting .234 with three homers and 12 RBIs for the slumping Indians, who went 0-6 on a West Coast trip against the San Francisco Giants and Angels. "Trust me, watch how much this training staff hates me after about a week,"; he said. Jordan McLaughlin Jersey. "As a player, you never like watching the game and not be able to help out the team. Hopefully, Ill get back out there as soon as possible." Kipnis signed a six-year, $52.5 million contract at the start of this season. His injury was the low point of a trip during which the Indians scored 13 runs and batted .183. "That probably wasnt our most fun road trip," manager Terry Francona said. "Unfortunately, we managed to do some things every game that didnt help us win." In an effort to break the slump, pitchers Corey Kluber and Cody Allen wore chicken outfits while standing in the outfield during batting practice Friday, but the Indians numbers havent provided many laughs. Cleveland is 12th in the AL in runs scored and leads the league with 26 errors, resulting in 17 unearned runs. Opening day starter Justin Masterson is winless in six starts, and several key hitters, including Carlos Santana, Nick Swisher and Asdrubal Cabrera, have struggled. Catcher Yan Gomes, who signed a six-year, $23 million contract in spring training, has made seven errors after committing three last season. "Teams are going to go through stretches of the season where they dont play great," Antonetti said. "There are going to be ebbs and flows to the season." "I believe well find a way to dig ourselves out of what weve dug," Francona said. The Indians recalled infielder Jose Ramirez from Triple-A Columbus. Ramirez has a .319 average with four homers and 17 RBIs in 23 games for the Clippers. ' ' '