Sports

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer METAIRIE, La. (AP) — New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis says he values stability and that influenced the club’s decision to retain coach Dennis Allen after finishing this season at 7-10 and outside the playoff picture. Loomis says the franchise is unsatisfied with the season’s results but that

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United has moved to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo by signing Netherlands striker Wout Weghorst on loan from Burnley until the end of the season. United manager Erik ten Hag was determined to bolster his attack following Ronaldo’s exit in November. Weghorst

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball is on track to expand its experiment with robot umpires to all 30 Triple-A ballparks this season. MLB used the Automatic Ball-Strike system at five Triple-A stadiums for parts of last season and will go ahead with the wider use this year if owners approve of it next

SAN DIEGO (AP) — All-Star outfielder Juan Soto has agreed to a $23 million, one-year contract with the San Diego Padres. That’s a raise from his $17.1 million salary last season. San Diego also reached a $14.1 million, one-year agreement with Josh Hader, the largest salary for an arbitration-eligible relief pitcher. The 24-year-old Soto hit

By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer Actor Frankie Muniz, best known for his leading role in “Malcolm in the Middle,” is planning to compete full time as a race car driver. He will drive the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing in the ARCA Menards Series. It’s a low-level feeder series for NASCAR and

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Outfielder Juan Soto has agreed to a $23 million, one-year contract with the San Diego Padres. That’s a raise from his $17.1 million salary last season. San Diego also reached a $14.1 million, one-year agreement with Josh Hader, the largest salary for an arbitration-eligible relief pitcher. The 24-year-old Soto hit .242

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury has been cleared to return to the starting lineup. He missed the last five games of the regular season with a back injury. Coach Kevin O’Connell announced that Bradbury would start against the New York Giants in the wild card round playoff game. Austin Schlottman started

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida forward CJ Felder has left the team for personal reasons, although coach Todd Golden left the door open for his return later this season. Felder, who is averaging 2.5 points and 3.1 rebounds this season, sat out of Florida’s last game at LSU and played just two minutes against Georgia

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen is returning to the Pittsburgh Pirates. A person with knowledge of the agreement tells the Associated Press the veteran centerfielder has agreed to a one-year deal with the club. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement is pending

By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer Actor Frankie Muniz, best known for his leading role in “Malcolm in the Middle,” is planning to compete full time as a race car driver. He will drive the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing in the ARCA Menards Series. It’s a low-level feeder series for NASCAR and

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi State has hired former Oklahoma assistant athletic director Zac Selmon as its AD. Selmon is the son of former OU football great Dewey Selmon and nephew of fellow Sooner legends Lucious and Lee Roy Selmon, the latter a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Zac Selmon previously worked as Oklahoma’s deputy

CHICAGO (AP) — Tyler Adams was voted the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Male Player of the Year for the first time after becoming the youngest captain at last year’s World Cup. Adams received 71.6% of votes, followed by three-time winner Christian Pulisic (14.7%), Matt Turner (8.2%), Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream. A 23-year-old midfielder from Wappinger,

By KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Robbie Knievel, an American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father — including at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1989 and a Grand Canyon chasm a decade later — has died in Nevada, his brother

ALTENBERG, Germany (AP) — Host Germany won four of six available medals on Friday in a pair of World Cup skeleton races, led by Tina Hermann’s second win of the season and 15th victory of her career. Hermann was dominant and won by more than a full second over German teammate Susanne Kreher. Kimberley Bos

By GARY B. GRAVES AP Sports Writer LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky All-American forward Oscar Tshiebwe is wondering whether the Wildcats’ walk-ons should play at this point in a frustrating season, just to show some fire. For college basketball’s reigning player of the year to challenge his talented teammates speaks volumes of the crisis within

By PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports Writer COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Brad Brownell and the unranked Tigers are off to their best Atlantic Coast Conference start in their history. Clemson is the league’s only undefeated team in ACC play at 6-0 after getting picked to finish 11th in the conference this preseason. Brownell said

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Quandre Diggs spent as much time this season teaching as playing free safety. While that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, this season was challenging in a different way for the anchor of the Seattle Seahawks defensive backfield. There were the challenges on the field

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Outfielder Juan Soto has agreed to a $23 million, one-year contract with the San Diego Padres. That’s a raise from his $17.1 million salary last season. The 24-year-old hit .242 with 27 homers, 62 RBIs and a major league-leading 135 walks for Washington and San Diego last season. The Padres acquired

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer Mike Williams will miss the Los Angeles Chargers’ AFC wild-card round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a lower back fracture. The sixth-year wide receiver was downgraded to out on Friday after further rests. The Chargers said the X-ray on Sunday and an MRI on Monday both were