Sports

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer Major League Soccer is expanding its playoffs to include the nine top finishers from each of its two conferences, or 62% of the league’s teams. An opening “wild-card” round will feature matches between the eighth- and ninth-seeded teams in each conference at the stadium of the higher seed.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Authorities in Las Vegas are investigating the death of a 20-year-old UNLV football player after he was found unresponsive in bed in a studio apartment on Monday. The Clark County coroner said Tuesday that a cause and manner of Rebels defensive lineman Ryan Keeler’s death was pending. Medical examiner blood toxicology

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer Houston Astros All-Star Yordan Alvarez says he has a sore left hand that will keep him out of batting practice for a few days in spring training. Alvarez told reporters that soreness in the hand was an issue at times in the 2022 season and continued to “flare up

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich said he plans to be the team’s offensive play-caller before eventually handing the role over to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Reich, who called plays the past four seasons as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, has said it is

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — UNLV women’s basketball coach Lindy La Rocque might be the exception as the coach who stays at a mid-major even if Power Five athletic directors try to lure her away. La Rocque is in her third season at UNLV and keeps taking the program up

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte will miss Manchester City’s game at Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday because of illness. Neither were present at City’s open training session Tuesday and they did not travel to Germany for the round-of-16 first-leg matchup. They reported felling ill after playing in Saturday’s

By The Associated Press Often surrounded by drama, England’s soccer team is being turned into an actual show. London’s National Theatre said Tuesday that Joseph Fiennes will star as manager Gareth Southgate in “Dear England.” The new play by James Graham asks the question: Why can’t England’s men win at their own game? Graham says:

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls have ruled point guard Lonzo Ball out for the season because of lingering discomfort in his surgically repaired left knee. The team says the focus now will be on resolving the discomfort he feels performing “high level basketball-related activities” and making “a full return” for next season. Ball hasn’t

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Aroldis Chapman can earn up to $8.75 million as part of his one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals if he regains a job as a regular closer. The left-hander, who turns 35 on Feb. 28, is guaranteed $3.75 million under the deal announced Jan. 27. Chapman can earn $2.5 million

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Brittney Griner will be back in the WNBA this season, once again playing with the Phoenix Mercury. Griner, who was a free agent, re-signed with the team Tuesday. The 32-year-old Griner had said she would return to Phoenix in a social media post in December, after she returned home

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are closer to seeing their high-tech golf league become reality. The ceremonial groundbreaking for the arena that will house the league that’s being called TGL was held Tuesday at Palm Beach State College. Woods and McIlroy are among

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The American Athletic Conference has released its 2023 football schedule that includes the league’s six incoming teams. Each of the 14 AAC teams will play eight conference games in a single-division format. The top two teams in the standings will play in the conference championship game on Dec. 2. Charlotte, Florida

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — A guest of the Pittsburgh Pirates required emergency medical attention after suffering cardiac arrest while fielding fly balls on a practice field. The Pirates say the guest was shagging balls at the team’s spring training complex when he required immediate attention and caused practice to stop. Jacki Dezelski is president and

By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Of all of baseball’s tweaks under Commissioner Rob Manfred, the pitch clock might be the one that affects the most players. Whether you’re a pitcher, a catcher, a hitter or a baserunner, there’s no hiding from this rule change. The goal is to speed up

By CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Frankfurt police say violent Eintracht Frankfurt supporters have been trying to provoke Napoli fans in the run-up to the teams’ Champions League game on Tuesday. The police say there have been “several attacks on Italian visiting fans by supporters from the Frankfurt high-risk fans’ scene.”

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — To ask Michelle Wie West what she is up to these days is not likely to produce a short answer. The former U.S. Women’s Open champion will fully retire after she plays Pebble Beach this summer. But now Wie West is hosting a video series