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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins placed Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve Tuesday after the quarterback was diagnosed with his third concussion in two years.

Tagovailoa will be sidelined for at least four games. He will be eligible to return in Week 8 when the Dolphins host Arizona, but has to complete a series of tests and assessments required by the NFL’s concussion protocol before he can return to the field.

Tagovailoa was hurt last Thursday night when he collided with Buffalo defensive back Damar Hamlin. He ran for a first down and then initiated the contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding.

Players from both teams immediately motioned that Tagovailoa was hurt, and as he lay on the turf the quarterback exhibited some signs typically associated with a traumatic brain injury. He remained down on the field for a couple of minutes, got to his feet and walked to the sideline. The Dolphins diagnosed him with a concussion a few minutes later.

Coach Mike McDaniel has since cautioned against speculation on the quarterback’s future, stressing that he’s more focused on Tagovailoa getting healthy than what this latest concussion means for the team or for his career. Tagovailoa this week began the process of consulting neurologists about his health amid reports that he has no plans to retire.

Others around the NFL have offered their opinions on Tagovailoa’s future, including Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, who suggested he should retire.

“As far as Tua’s career is concerned, I think it’s an utmost priority of mine for Tua to speak on Tua’s career,” McDaniel said Monday. “Reports are reports. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just worried about the human being and where that’s at day to day. I’ll let Tua be the champion of his own career.”

McDaniel said Tagovailoa was at the team’s practice facility on Monday, greeting teammates and working with trainers.

“He’s doing good, man. Talked to him, he’s in good spirits,” receiver Jaylen Waddle said Monday. “(He’s) got the team in good spirits and everybody praying for him and hoping (for his) health.”

Head injuries have become a familiar, scary occurrence throughout Tagovailoa’s career.

In a September 2022 game against the Bills, he took a hit from linebacker Matt Milano, which caused him to slam to the ground. He appeared disoriented afterward and stumbled as he tried to get to his feet. He was cleared to return to that game and later said it was a back injury that caused the stumble. He was not diagnosed with a concussion.

Four days later, he got hit again during a Thursday night game at Cincinnati in which he was briefly knocked unconscious and was taken off the field on a stretcher. As he lay on the turf, his fingers appeared to display the “fencing response,” an involuntary motion typically associated with a brain injury. That time, he was placed in the concussion protocol.

The NFL and the players’ union made changes to the concussion protocol after those two incidents with Tagovailoa. Players who have problems with balance or stability are now prohibited from returning to a game.

Tagovailoa briefly considered retirement, but instead returned and studied ways to better protect himself on the field, including taking jiu-jitsu classes ahead of the 2023 season.

Tagovailoa has said he spoke to numerous neurologists who told him they did not believe he would be more susceptible to head injuries than any other player moving forward, nor would he be at a higher risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the brain disease associated with repeated blows to the head. He was also diagnosed with a concussion while in college at Alabama.

With Tagovailoa sidelined, the Dolphins will go with backup Skylar Thompson when play at Seattle on Sunday. Miami also signed Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad.

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ARLINGTON, Texas – The Toronto Blue Jays have reinstated shortstop Bo Bichette from the 10-day injured list, but infielder Will Wagner will miss the remainder of the season and outfielder Daulton Varsho has been placed on the IL.

Bichette, 26, has missed two months with a right calf strain. The two-time all-star hit .286 (4-for-16) with two runs batted in over a four-game rehab assignment with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

Bichette is batting .222 with four home runs and 30 RBIs with Toronto this season. The Jays activated him ahead of their game at Texas on Tuesday.

Wagner was placed on the 60-day injured list with left knee inflammation. He missed the last two games of Toronto’s three-game sweep of St. Louis last weekend.

Wagner, who had eight hits over his first four Major League games after making his debut Aug. 12, hit .305 with two homers and 11 RBIs over 82 at-bats. He had a five-hit game in a 15-0 win over Minnesota on Aug. 31.

Varsho was placed on the 10-day IL retroactive to Saturday with a right shoulder strain. He is batting .214 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs.

The Blue Jays also recalled outfielder Steward Berroa from the Bisons and claimed right-handed pitcher Nick Robertson off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels and assigned him to Buffalo.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

OTTAWA – Thousands of Ottawa students could face suspensions for out-of-date vaccination records as the local health unit resumes enforcement after a two-year pause.

Ottawa Public Health says students born in 2007 and 2017 whose immunization records are out-of-date could face up to 20 days suspension.

A report presented to the Ottawa Board of Health on Monday says about 14,500 students in that cohort, or just under two-thirds, are behind on their immunization records.

The health unit says it will first send out notices to families in December with information on how to get their child vaccinated and update their records, before issuing suspension notices in the new year if they are still out-of-date.

Before the pandemic, the report says about 17 per cent of students started the year with overdue records, coming down to five per cent by the end of the year, once the health unit sent out notices and immunization information.

But last year, 66 per cent of 7- and 17-year-old students who had their records checked were overdue for vaccines to start the year, only coming down to 38 per cent once the health unit had completed its surveillance efforts.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches told the board Monday the health unit needs immunization records information to determine what children may be at-risk in the event of an outbreak.

“The goal with this immunization surveillance is to promote population level immunization coverage rates that protect individuals and school populations,” she said.

Students in Ontario must be vaccinated against several diseases, including polio, measles, whooping cough and tetanus.

Studies have noted how COVID-19 related disruptions to routine immunization programs, such as school-based clinics, have contributed to a drop in student vaccination rates.

Others have also pointed to how the pandemic drove an increase in vaccine hesitancy fuelled by misinformation circulating on social media.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.