ST. Chicago White Sox Shirts . LOUIS -- Typically, a Sam Bradford rehab update in early June is not a major media event. Blame it on the other Sam on the St. Louis Rams roster. Attention was super-sized Thursday because of rookie defensive end Michael Sam. "I figured thats where you guys would be," Bradford joked after a workout. Sam, the first openly gay player drafted in the NFL, meets with reporters on Friday. The team is hoping the hubbub will die down eventually and Sam will be treated like any other seventh-round pick. "I think the media doesnt give athletes enough credit for just accepting players as they are," said wide receiver T.J. Moe, who was Sams teammate at Missouri. "They just assume its a tough-guy culture, and How are they possibly going to handle it? I think maybe its the other way around. How are the media handling it?" Bradford, the first overall pick in 2010, is more than five months removed from left knee surgery and said everything is on schedule. The quarterback got a scheduled day off to allow for bounce-back time and is expected to practice Friday. "To be honest, throughout the process Ive felt really good and felt better than what Id anticipated," Bradford said. "Even when youre healthy you have good days with your arm and bad days with your arm, and now its kind of the same thing with my knee." During the rehab, Bradford has added upper-body strength and believes he has a "little more pop" on his throws. "Moving around great," coach Jeff Fisher said. "Yeah, he does everything. Hes doing all the drops and the footwork is really good." Rumours the Rams might draft Johnny Manziel were easy for Bradford to dismiss. He was kept in the loop by Fisher and general manager Les Snead during the off-season. "They made it very clear what their plan was," Bradford said. "They continue to make that clear." Neither Bradford nor Fisher believe the quarterback has anything extra to prove this season. The Rams drafted protection for Bradford, taking Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson with the second overall pick, and held onto guard Rodger Saffold. They added veteran wide receiver Kenny Britt to the mix, too, reuniting him with Fisher. Britt made a couple of nice catches and also was involved in a bit of a scuffle Thursday. "Right now Im actually taking this year as a rookie year and building my platform," Britt said. "Everything starts from scratch." Britt had little to say about a sexually explicit video posted to his Instagram account last month. "Thats something that touches home," he said. "Me and my wife have to deal with that. Were going to leave it at that." Notes: Fisher anticipates offensive tackle Jake Long, also rehabbing from knee surgery, will be ready to participate in the middle of training camp and was "on pace" to start the opener. Long was hurt at the end of the season and his operation was in January, about two months after Bradfords procedure. Chicago White Sox Pro Shop . PETERSBURG, Fla. White Sox Jerseys China . The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics finished their recent trek at 3-1 on Monday in Salt Lake City when Rajon Rondo made a key jumper with 24.1 seconds remaining, as Boston held off the Utah Jazz, 107-102, at EnergySolutions Arena. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/ .S. President Barack Obama saluted the Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks at the White House on Monday -- a rare moment for a president hungry to see more victorious teams from his hometown.WASHINGTON -- Denard Span will take the five hits, of course, especially with three of them coming off Johnny Cueto. Hell take greater satisfaction in the way he was able to create havoc the way a leadoff hitter should, using his speed to get the Cincinnati Reds to commit a pair of errors in the Washington Nationals 9-4 win Tuesday night. "I got more gratification just disrupting them and getting them to throw the ball away," Span said. "For me thats how I have to take over a game." And take over, he did. He finished 5 for 5 with two runs, two doubles, two RBIs and a stolen base as he and the Nationals accomplished a first for 2014: They made Cueto (4-3) look mortal. The Reds ace allowed more than two runs, more than five hits and failed to pitch at least seven innings -- all for the first time this season. His final line: 5 1-3 innings, six hits, eight runs (six earned), six strikeouts. He also hit two batters in the same inning -- the seven-run sixth when the Nationals blew the game open. "They played really well. And you know what? Im human. Im human," Cueto said through an interpreter. "I just got to keep my head up and keep working. Thats all I got to do." It was Cuetos shortest start since Sept. 16, 2013, and his most runs allowed since Sept. 22, 2010. His ERA rose from 1.25 to 1.86. He wasnt helped by a Reds defence that committed four errors -- twice as many as in any previous game this season. "He wasnt just the groundball machine, strikeout machine that hes been to this point," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "Its just the law of averages caught up with us today." Doug Fister (1-1), making his home Nationals debut, allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings with good movement on his fastball. He had a streak of 12 retired batters in a row, and he worked out of a jam in the sixth with the help of a diving stop by third baseman Anthony Rendon and a tiptoe stretch by first baseman Tyler Moore that turned Rendons throw into the third out. Above all, Span was the unstoppable agitator, and it paid off in the Reds calamitous third and sixth innings. Fister led off the third by reaching on an error when first basemann Todd Frazier couldnt backhand a grounder. Stitched White Sox Jerseys. Span then tried to bunt his way on and did even better, laying one down that prompted a wide throw from third baseman Ramon Santiago. Fister scored all the way from first, and Span ended up on third and scored on Rendons sacrifice fly to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead. In the sixth, Span led off with a single, then stole second and went to third when catcher Brayan Penas throw went into centre field. Span scored on Jayson Werths RBI single and eventually came around to bat again in the inning, bringing home two more runs with a double off lefty reliever Sean Marshall. "Thats a good sign. I hit a lefty like that, a breaking-ball lefty," Span said. "Stay back and drive the ball like that. I havent done that in a while." The evenings work raised Spans batting average from.239 to .263. Before the game, manager Matt Williams said he was sticking with Span when asked about a possible change in the leadoff spot. The big night might be the turning point that justifies Williams patience. "Looking back at last year, he started a really good streak in the second half," Williams said, "so certainly it can get him going." NOTES: Spans five hits tied a career high. ... The Reds have committed six errors thus far in two-game series -- they had only 13 all season before arriving in D.C. ... Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto missed his fifth straight game with a strained left quadriceps. Price said he hopes Votto will return when the Reds open a homestand Friday. "We just remain optimistic that Joeys going to be ready to play when we get back." ... Cincinnati RHP Mat Latos (left knee, right elbow) threw the equivalent of two innings in a simulated game and could be slotted for a minor league rehab start Sunday. ... Reds OF Jay Bruce (left knee) is eligible to return from the disabled list Wednesday. ... Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman (right thumb fracture) saw an occupational therapist to get a splint and that will allow him to start throwing the ball. Theres still no timetable for his return. ... Reds RHP Alfredo Simon faces RHP Tanner Roark in Wednesdays series finale. ' ' '