Steelers rush to fill depleted running backs corps

Down to one healthy running back, the Pittsburgh Steelers brought back two players from last season by re-signing Najeh Davenport and promoting Gary Russell from the practice squad on Wednesday.

The Steelers lost Pro Bowl running back Willie Parker to a sprained knee last week and first-round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall to a season-ending fractured shoulder Monday night against Baltimore.

The earliest that Parker will play again is Oct. 19 at Cincinnati.

Mewelde Moore, normally the Steelers’ third-down back, is expected to start Sunday night in Jacksonville.

Davenport was released June 28, or two months after Mendenhall was drafted, because the Steelers owed him $1 million if they kept him this season.

•Taylor likely out: Washington Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor appears likely to miss a second straight game as he recovers from calf surgery.

Baseball

Police seek Mets pitcher

New York Mets pitcher Ambiorix Burgos was driving an SUV when it slammed into two women who later died of their injuries, police in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic said.

Local police still were searching for Burgos on Wednesday.

Although a relative of the right-hander, Edwin Silvestre Sanchez, told police investigators he was the driver at fault, police indicated Sanchez likely will be considered an accomplice.

•No surgery for Carpenter: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter will not have surgery for a nerve problem in his shoulder, hoping he’ll be ready for spring training after therapy and rest.

•Astros decline option: The Houston Astros declined the club contract option on Doug Brocail, though general manager Ed Wade said the team would try to re-sign the 41-year-old reliever for next season.

•Attendance drops slightly: Major League Baseball’s attendance dropped by 1.1 percent this year, ending a streak of four straight record seasons.

Baseball finished with 78.6 million total fans, the commissioner’s office said. That was down from 79.5 million in 2007.

Miscellany

No quit in De La Hoya

Oscar De La Hoya said that he wants to fight at least a couple of more times after taking on Filipino hero Manny Pacquiao on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas, in what is sure to be the biggest fight of the year.

•Guzman won’t be penalized: Unbeaten Dominican boxer Joan Guzman will not be penalized by the WBA for forfeiting a title fight last month when he didn’t make weight.

•Federer withdraws: Roger Federer has withdrawn from next week’s Stockholm (Sweden) Open, saying he needs to rest.

•Williams upset: Serena Williams’ game collapsed after she swept the first set at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, leading to a 0-6, 6-1, 6-4 loss to China’s Li Na that will cost her the No. 1 ranking.

•Armstrong challenged: The French anti-doping authority has thrown down a challenge to seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, proposing he agree to retesting of his 1999 urine samples to see whether a French newspaper was right when it reported they contained traces of EPO, a banned blood-boosting hormone.

•Logano won’t drive: Joey Logano will stop driving Sprint Cup Series races this season for Hall of Fame Racing. The 18-year-old phenom is set to replace Tony Stewart in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 next season.

•Radcliffe will defend: World record-holder Paula Radcliffe will defend her title at the New York City Marathon on Nov. 2. She has been hampered by injuries since the Olympics.