sports digest for thurs.

Culpepper to have surgery today

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper will have arthroscopic surgery today to repair his sprained left knee.

Culpepper hurt his knee Nov. 25 against Chicago and started the following week against Pittsburgh but couldn't finish. His condition worsened the next week in practice, and Todd Bouman played in his place the last two games.

The average recovery time from the surgery is two or three weeks, but the Vikings haven't ruled out his return for the regular season finale -- Jan. 7 at Baltimore.

Bouman has a sprained ligament in the thumb on his passing hand and is listed as probable on the injury report. He took it easy in practice Wednesday.

Rockies trade Reese to Red Sox for Hatteberg

BOSTON -- Second baseman Pokey Reese was traded for the second time in two days when the Colorado Rockies sent him to the Boston Red Sox for catcher Scott Hatteberg on Wednesday.

A day earlier, the Cincinnati Reds traded Reese and pitcher Dennys Reyes to the Rockies for pitchers Gabe White and Luke Hudson.

Reese hit .224 with nine home runs, 40 RBIs and 25 stolen bases last season for the Reds.

Reese, 28, had his best season in 1999, when he hit .285 with 37 doubles, 10 home runs and 38 stolen bases. He won Gold Gloves in 1999 and 2000.

He is a career .250 hitter in five seasons, and once was considered a key to the Reds' future.

Holmes probable for Chiefs on Sunday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- NFL rushing leader Priest Holmes was held out of practice Wednesday with a groin injury but will probably get back on the field on Thursday, Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil said.

Holmes, who also leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage, pulled the groin muscle in the final minutes of last week's 26-23 overtime victory over Denver.

A bigger concern as the Chiefs prepared to play host to the San Diego Chargers was safety Greg Wesley, who was held out with a turf toe.

Vikings' Carter hedges on retirement

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter once again hedged on his retirement plans Wednesday, leaving open the possibility of playing for another team next season.

The Vikings' final home game is Sunday against Jacksonville.

"I'm going to tell you," Carter said. "It's a good chance this could be my last game."

He was referring to his final performance in front of the Vikings' fans who have watched him climb to second place on the NFL's career list for receptions (1,080) and touchdown catches (129) during 12 seasons with Minnesota.

But Minnesota (5-8) has struggled this season, and Carter has become much less involved in the offense in recent weeks.

Carter has 60 receptions for 712 yards and six touchdowns but only one 100-yard game and no scores in his last four.

Woods, Doyle, Campbell named players of year

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Tiger Woods, Allen Doyle and Chad Campbell have been selected as golf's Players of the Year on the PGA Tour, Senior Tour and Buy.com Tour.

For Woods, the selection as Player of the Year is his third in a row and fourth in five full seasons on the Tour. He beat out David Duval, Phil Mickelson and David Toms.

Woods, who turns 26 on Dec. 30, won five tournaments in 2001 and led the Tour for the third consecutive season with $5,687,777. His Masters victory made him the first player to hold all four professional major championships at once.

Doyle, 53, won twice and posted 25 top-10 finishes in 34 starts. He led the Senior Tour in earnings with $2,553,582.

Campbell, a rookie on the Buy.com Tour, won three times and earned an automatic promotion to the PGA Tour. He set a single-season earnings record for the Buy.com Tour with $394,552.

-- From wire reports