Six Dodgers file for free agency

A handful of Dodgers filed for free agency, including infielders Ronnie Belliard, Orlando Hudson and Doug Mientkiewicz and pitchers Randy Wolf, Jon Garland and Eric Milton.

Thursday was the first day of a 15-day window in which players can file for free agency. They cannot negotiate with other teams until the window closes.

Garland became a free agent after the Dodgers declined the mutual option on the 30-year-old right-hander’s contract. Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 31 for a player to be named who turned out to be infielder Tony Abreu, Garland was 3-2 with a 2.72 earned-run average in six regular-season starts for the Dodgers.

Belliard, acquired in an Aug. 30 trade with the Washington Nationals, batted .300 in the postseason and by September had taken over second base from Hudson.

-- Bill Shaikin

and Dylan Hernandez

Six front-office employees who were hired by former Dodgers vice president Charles Steinberg were fired. They were public relations officers Mark Rogoff and Drew Merle, vice president of creative services Tom Catlin, graphics manager Courtney Cowsill, fan services and hospitality director Jahaan Blake and supervisor of the Ambassadors program Alyssa Shuman.

Steinberg, who was hired by Jamie McCourt, was essentially fired by the team last month by her estranged husband, owner Frank McCourt.

Former Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was hired as the hitting coach for the Texas Rangers. . . . Mark Kotsay agreed to a $1.5-million contract to remain with the Chicago White Sox. . . . Pitcher Tim Hudson and the Atlanta Braves are nearing agreement on a three-year contract. Atlanta holds a $12-million option on the 34-year-old right-hander. . . . The Boston Red Sox acquired outfielder Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins for left-handers Jose Alvarez and Hunter Jones.

TENNIS

Murray reaches quarterfinals

Top-seeded Andy Murray reached the Valencia Open quarterfinals in Spain, where a match with defending champion David Ferrer was averted when the Spaniard withdrew because of a hamstring injury. Murray defeated Leonardo Mayer of Argentina, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, and will face Albert Montanes today.

U.S. Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer was suspended for one year by a Belgian anti-doping tribunal, accused of failing to report her whereabouts to drug-testing officials three times.

JURISPRUDENCE

Lincecum faces marijuana charges

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges after a traffic stop in his home state.

Washington State Patrol spokesman Steve Schatzel said that the charges stemmed from when the 2008 Cy Young Award winner was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 5 in the town of Hazel Dell on Oct. 30.

Sacramento Kings forward Andres Nocioni was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of drunk driving. Nocioni was booked into the Sacramento County jail at 3:26 a.m. and released later in the day.

A Jacksonville, Fla., jury convicted Tyrone Hartsfield of attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier in 2008.

Former Vikings first-round pick Erasmus James was arrested early Thursday after punching a friend in the face at a bar in Madison, Wis.

ETC.

Real Salt Lake in conference finals

Javier Morales and Robbie Findley scored first-half goals and Real Salt Lake advanced to its second straight conference finals with a 3-2 victory over the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew at Columbus, Ohio.

The victory, combined with a 1-0 home win Saturday, gave Salt Lake a 4-2 aggregate win in the two-game series. After setting an MLS record with a 24-game home unbeaten streak, Columbus finished the season with three straight losses at home.

Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has been stricken with the mononucleosis virus and will not defend his title against Shane Carwin in January. Anderson Silva, scheduled to defend his middleweight belt against Vitor Belfort, is also off the card because of an injury.

-- Lance Pugmire

Torah Bright of Australia and Kazuhiro Kokubo of Japan won season-opening World Cup snowboarding events in Saas-Fee, Switzerland.