BASEBALL: Dodgers’ payroll peril

Major League Baseball believes the Dodgers do not have enough money to make their end of May payroll, a person familiar with the team’s finances told the Associated Press.

The person spoke yesterday on condition of anonymity because MLB’s investigation of the team’s finances under owner Frank McCourt is ongoing. The person said that if the Dodgers don’t have the money, MLB would step in and make payroll.

* Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya will have surgery on his right elbow and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

FOOTBALL: Mendenhall ‘clarifies’

Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall wrote a “clarification” of his comments made Monday on Twitter regarding the death of Osama bin Laden.

In a tweet posted yesterday, he linked to an in-depth blog post. In that entry, he wrote that he does not support bin Laden, saying, “I understand how devastating 9/11 was to this country and to the people whose families were affected.”

* Boise State officials are imposing cuts in football scholarships and practices over the next two seasons and additional sanctions in men’s and women’s tennis and track and field for a series of NCAA violations. An NCAA inquiry identified 22 infractions made by coaching staffs in those sports from 2005-10.

* The Justice Department wants to know why the NCAA doesn’t have a college football playoff system and said there are “serious questions” about whether the current format to determine a national champion complies with antitrust laws.

Critics who have urged the department to investigate the Bowl Championship Series contend it unfairly gives some schools preferential access to the title championship game and top-tier end-of-season bowls.

NBA: Hornets want to extend Paul

Hornets general manager Dell Demps said he intends to talk to Chris Paul about a contract extension when rules allow for it this summer and that he believes the franchise has regained the All-Star point guard’s confidence.

* Commissioner David Stern said he hopes the NBA does not follow the NFL’s lead and keeps its labor dispute with the union out of the courts. Stern said litigation is “not appropriate to making a deal.”

* Clippers forward Blake Griffin was named the Rookie of the Year after a landslide vote, becoming the NBA’s first unanimous choice for the award in 21 years.

GOLF: Sabbatini in hot water

Rory Sabbatini could face suspension from the PGA Tour for what was described as a profanity-laced argument with Sean O’Hair during last week’s Zurich Classic in New Orleans. According to multiple players and officials, it was the second time this year that Sabbatini has run into trouble because of his behavior on the golf course.

It was not clear what triggered the argument between Sabbatini and O’Hair on the 14th hole at the TPC Louisiana last week.

HOCKEY: Sweden tops U.S.

In Kosice, Slovakia, Patrik Berglund scored twice and Sweden had three second-period goals to wrap up the group stage of the ice hockey championship with a 6-2 win over the United States.