The Maine mens basketball team will wear rainbow-themed warm-up shirts before its game Saturday against No. 5?Duke?in Durham as a way to protest North Carolinas controversial House Bill 2 law.?That law, signed in March by Gov. Pat McCrory, effectively prevents transgender people from using a bathroom of their identity, rather than of the gender on their birth certificate.The warm-up shirts are black with a rainbow-colored America East logo and print. They are in coordination with You Can Play, a social activism organization dedicated to eradicating homophobia and transphobia through the sports world. The team also has the support of the America East Conference, of which Maine is a member.?Maine considered cancelling its trip to Durham but decided the television audience could draw attention to its cause.Its one thing to boycott or not show up because of the financial impact and the message that would send, You Can Play vice president Chris Mosier?told USA Today Sports. ?But they wanted to be visible, and the biggest thing is they want to take the next step. Its not just wearing a pin or a patch or a shirt, Mosier added, who as a duathlete became the?first known out transgender athlete to qualify to a U.S. national team. ?They want to be better allies. And they would have done this whether it was Duke or any North Carolina institution because [HB2] doesnt align with their values.The law applies only to bathrooms in government buildings, schools and public universities. Duke is a private institution and is not subject to the measure, but has come out against it.Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski condemned the bill, telling USA Today Sports in July its an embarrassing bill.Duke athletic director Kevin White told ESPN in July the bill is most unfortunate. As an institution, if not personally, we have gone on the record indicating that our state position on this is very troubling, if not embarrassing.?Maine is not the first America East program to take action in response to the law. ?The Albany mens basketball team canceled its Nov. 12 matchup with the Blue Devils, as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order banning publicly funded and nonessential travel to North Carolina. And the Vermont womens basketball team canceled its road game against North Carolina.The conference partnered with You Can Play back in 2012 with all nine conference members hosting a You Can Play Night throughout the fall, winter and spring sports seasons.Had we not had the groundwork from 2012, I dont think Maine would be taking such an assertive effort for the Duke game, said America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen. We havent issued an official statement on HB2, but our actions have spoken pretty loud and clear of where we stand. When people turn on the TV on Saturday, the message can speak for itself.The law has caused ramifications in other sporting events in the state. In February, the NBA decided to move its All-Star Game from Charlotte to New Orleans. In September,?the ACC decided to move all neutral-site conference championship games out of North Carolina. 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Its a stunning setback for the Yankees, who hoped Eovaldi would be a key cog in their rotation for several seasons when they acquired him from the Miami Marlins in a December 2014 trade.A huge blow, Eovaldi said outside the clubhouse. When I got the MRI and got the results, I was really surprised.One of the hardest-throwing starters in the majors, the inconsistent Eovaldi was 9-8 with a 4.76 ERA in 124 2/3 innings this year. It seems unlikely New York will keep him on the roster as he rehabs next year, knowing he could become a free agent following the season.After receiving a second opinion on his ailing elbow, Eovaldi said he has a torn flexor tendon and a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. The torn UCL will necessitate a second Tommy John surgery for the 26-year-old, who had the procedure nine years ago when he was a high school junior.It hurt. I mean, this is a guy we were counting on, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Tuesday night after his bullpen blew a six-run lead in a 12-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays that was delayed 42 minutes by rain in the fifth inning.Hes got to go through 14 months of rehab, and you feel for the kid. But hell be back, and his toughness will get him back.Eovaldi was removed from his start Wednesday night in Boston after one inning with right elbow discomfort. His fastball averaged 93.91 mph, down from 97.16 mph in his previous outing, according to Brooks Baseball.I felt like I couldnt really let my fastball go and if I did, something bad would happen, he said. My off-speed stuff felt fine.Eovaldi said he actually experienced more pain late last season when he was shut down with elbow inflammation. But he had an MRI last Thursday and was evaluated by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad before seeking a second opinion from Dr. David Altchek, the New York Mets medical director.Meanwhile, the Yankees put Eovaldi on the disabled list and promoted right-hander Chad Green from Triple-A to start Monday night against Toronto.Green struck out 11 over six innings in a 1-0 victory andd will remain in the rotation.dddddddddddd Joining him will be rookie right-hander Luis Cessa, scheduled to make his first major league start Saturday at the Los Angeles Angels after New York demoted Luis Severino to the minors this week.Cessa is 2-0 with a 5.30 ERA in eight relief appearances. He went 6-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 15 games, including 14 starts, at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He and Green were both acquired from Detroit in December for lefty reliever Justin Wilson after the Mets sent Cessa to the Tigers with Michael Fulmer for Yoenis Cespedes at the 2015 trade deadline.We just want him to pitch like hes capable of pitching, Girardi said. We dont want to put too much on his plate. We think hes earned a right to start in this spot.Even as theyve discarded several veteran stars and turned to a youth movement, the Yankees have picked up their play and remained in the playoff hunt. But the injury to Eovaldi will put pressure on unproven arms -- perhaps next season, too.Eovaldi said he is optimistic hell be back in 2018 and is leaning toward selecting Ahmad to perform the operation. The flexor tendon procedure normally has a recovery time of about three to six months, but the Tommy John surgery could require at least 14-18 months of rehabilitation, according to Eovaldi.Its the second one, so its a big deal, he said. Hopefully everything goes well with the surgery and Ill work hard to get back.Eovaldi was 14-3 with a 4.20 ERA in 27 starts last season, his first with the Yankees. He got demoted to the bullpen last month but was 2-2 in four starts after returning to the rotation. He threw a cutter in his last five starts (beginning July 19 vs. Baltimore) after not using the pitch since 2012.Eovaldi is making $5.6 million this year and will be eligible for arbitration again in the offseason. But rather than carry an injured pitcher for about $7 million or so, the Yankees probably wont offer him a 2017 contract, which would make Eovaldi a free agent one year earlier than expected.Combined with the exits of Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran, Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Ivan Nova, that means New York projects to have about $65 million coming off its payroll after this season. ' ' '