Sports

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer Major league pitchers and batters aren’t the only ones going on the clock this season. Big league broadcasters have also been using spring training to adjust to baseball’s new rhythm amid a series of rules changes. When the season opens Thursday, Major League Baseball will usher in an age

By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Padres third base coach Matt Williams has colon cancer and will have surgery on Friday. Former St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Schildt will fill in as third base coach Thursday, when the most eagerly anticipated season in Padres history begins with a home

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR has fined Daniel Suarez $50,000 for hitting another vehicle on pit road following the race at Circuit of the Americas. The fine was classified as a behavioral penalty and NASCAR cited “contact with another vehicle on pit road after the race.” Suarez hit both his Trackhouse Racing teammate Ross Chastain

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers center fielder Leody Taveras will start the season on the injured list while still recovering from a strained oblique sustained during a batting practice session at spring training. General manager Chris Young says Taveras has made significant progress, but the team didn’t want to rush him. With Taveras on

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona and Arsenal have reached the semifinals of the Women’s Champions League. Barcelona cruised into the last four for the fifth straight year by routing Roma 5-1 in the second leg of the quarterfinals. Barcelona advanced 6-1 on aggregate and will face defending champion Lyon or Chelsea in April’s semifinals. Arsenal

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers have operated the last handful of seasons under the philosophy that they want to contend for as long as possible rather than going all-in during a particular season. But a look at their roster indicates that championship window might not stay open much

LONDON (AP) — The draw for the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals set up a possible meeting between No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Novak Djokovic as Spain and Serbia were placed in the group. Spain will host Group C in Valencia in September. It also includes the Czech Republic and South

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A NASCAR appeals panel has rescinded hefty points penalties levied against Hendrick Motorsports drivers Kyle Larson, William Byron and Alex Bowman. The three-person panel restored 100 points to each of the three drivers following a hearing but upheld fines and suspensions for four Hendrick crew chiefs. With the points returned, Bowman

By BEN WALKER AP Baseball Writer A major shift in how Major League Baseball is played. About time, too. Aaron Judge aiming at his own home run record, Shohei Ohtani trending with every pitch and swing, Dusty Baker trying to win another World Series ring. All-Stars in different spots, a new scheduling concept featuring each

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent defensive end Calais Campbell. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed, says Campbell has

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he’s hopeful that a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players can get done by the end of this week, though he stopped short of predicting that a deal would actually get struck. The league and the

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jacob deGrom will be limited to about 65 pitches when he makes his debut for the Texas Rangers on opening day. But just having the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner on the mound for the opener is a positive start after the pitcher’s

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports Writer Penn State is hiring VCU’s Mike Rhoades to be its new men’s basketball coach, a person involved in the decision tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the seven-year contract for Rhoades still needed final approval from the school’s board of trustees.

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — Former Met Daniel Murphy has agreed to a contract with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. The 37-year-old Murphy last played in 2020, his second season with Colorado. He hit .236 with three homers and 16 RBIs. A three-time All-Star, Murphy has a .296 average, 138 homers

By JOSH DUBOW AP Sports Writer BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — California is hiring a former Stanford star to revive its struggling basketball program. The Golden Bears have announced that Mark Madsen was signed to replace Mark Fox, who was fired following the worst season in school history. Madsen played at Stanford from 1996 to 2000

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports Writer A congressional hearing targeting what one lawmaker called “NIL chaos” in college sports drifted into the consequences of college athletes being deemed employees. A subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held the first hearing Wednesday related to college sports in the House or Senate

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona has cruised into the last four of the Women’s Champions League for the fifth straight year by routing Roma 5-1 in the second leg of the quarterfinals. Barcelona advanced 6-1 on aggregate and will face defending champion Lyon or Chelsea in April’s semifinals. Fridolina Rolfö scored twice in the first

By The Associated Press Major League Baseball has introduced a slate of new rules for the 2023 season. The pitch clock aims to speed the pace of play by eliminating down time between pitches. Pitchers may only disengage from the pitching rubber — either to call timeout or to attempt a pickoff throw — twice

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer PHOENIX (AP) — The NFL took another step at the owners meetings to increase diversity throughout the league while continuing to face criticism and a lawsuit for lack of representation among head coaches. Each team is now required to have a person in charge of diversity, equity and

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina State sophomore guard Terquavion Smith says he’s entering the NBA draft. Smith announced his decision in a social-media post, saying he was eager to pursue “a lifelong dream of mine.” The 6-foot-4 guard was a first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference pick for The Associated Press after averaging a team-best 17.9