KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs and Entercom have announced the play-by-play broadcast team for the 2020 season on the 70-station Chiefs Radio Network.

Anchored by the flagship station, 106.5 The Wolf (WDAF-FM), the Chiefs Radio Network will feature "Voice of the Chiefs" Mitch Holthus, who returns for his 27th season as the club's play-by-play personality. He has called a team-record 433 career regular and postseason games for the club and has earned eight Kansas Sportscaster of the Year awards.

A pair of newcomers will join Holthus in the booth for the 2020 season as former Chiefs wide receiver and current Ambassador Danan Hughes will begin his inaugural campaign as the network's color commentator. Hughes has been broadcasting football and baseball as part of the Big Ten Network since 2008, as well as Chiefs pregame and postgame shows on local television since 2014.

Entering his first season as the network's sideline reporter is Josh Klingler, a morning show host on 610 Sports Radio (KCSP-AM) who has been broadcasting collegiate athletics as a sideline reporter for the University of Kansas for more than 14 years and has been part of the local sports talk radio landscape for more than 16 years. Veteran sportscaster Art Hains will also return as host of 106.5 The Wolf's pregame and postgame show coverage.

"We are very excited to begin defending our Super Bowl championship in a few short weeks and are thrilled to have Mitch, Danan and Josh bringing the game action to Chiefs fans throughout the Kingdom, while Art anchors the pre- and postgame coverage on 106.5 The Wolf," Chiefs Executive Vice President of Business Operations Tyler Epp said. "The Chiefs Radio Network is adding talented individuals to the booth, and we know they will provide the excitement and insight that Chiefs fans have come to expect when tuning in."

"Like all of Chiefs Kingdom, we're eagerly awaiting the return of the defending Super Bowl champions and look forward to another great season," said Dave Alpert, Regional President and Market Manager, Entercom Kansas City. "As the new flagship station of the team, we look forward to providing fans unrivaled coverage of everything Chiefs, including a marquee radio team delivering rich gameday analysis and exciting calls of the action."

Listeners can tune in to Chiefs games on 106.5 The Wolf (WDAF-FM) in Kansas City, as well as any number of Chiefs Radio Network affiliates throughout Chiefs Kingdom including KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm in Hutchinson. Gameday radio broadcasts are also available on the Chiefs Mobile app.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs and Entercom have announced the play-by-play broadcast team for the 2020 season on the 70-station Chiefs Radio Network.Anchored by the flagship station, 106.5 The Wolf (WDAF-FM), the Chiefs Radio Network will feature "Voice of the Chiefs" Mitch Holthus, who returns for his 27th season as the club's play-by-play personality. He has called a team-record 433 career regular and postseason games for the club and has earned eight Kansas Sportscaster of the Year awards.A pair of newcomers will join Holthus in the booth for the 2020 season as former Chiefs wide receiver and current Ambassador Danan Hughes will begin his inaugural campaign as the network's color commentator. Hughes has been broadcasting football and baseball as part of the Big Ten Network since 2008, as well as Chiefs pregame and postgame shows on local television since 2014.Entering his first season as the network's sideline reporter is Josh Klingler, a morning show host on 610 Sports Radio (KCSP-AM) who has been broadcasting collegiate athletics as a sideline reporter for the University of Kansas for more than 14 years and has been part of the local sports talk radio landscape for more than 16 years. Veteran sportscaster Art Hains will also return as host of 106.5 The Wolf's pregame and postgame show coverage."We are very excited to begin defending our Super Bowl championship in a few short weeks and are thrilled to have Mitch, Danan and Josh bringing the game action to Chiefs fans throughout the Kingdom, while Art anchors the pre- and postgame coverage on 106.5 The Wolf," Chiefs Executive Vice President of Business Operations Tyler Epp said. "The Chiefs Radio Network is adding talented individuals to the booth, and we know they will provide the excitement and insight that Chiefs fans have come to expect when tuning in.""Like all of Chiefs Kingdom, we're eagerly awaiting the return of the defending Super Bowl champions and look forward to another great season," said Dave Alpert, Regional President and Market Manager, Entercom Kansas City. "As the new flagship station of the team, we look forward to providing fans unrivaled coverage of everything Chiefs, including a marquee radio team delivering rich gameday analysis and exciting calls of the action."Listeners can tune in to Chiefs games on 106.5 The Wolf (WDAF-FM) in Kansas City, as well as any number of Chiefs Radio Network affiliates throughout Chiefs Kingdom including KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm in Hutchinson. Gameday radio broadcasts are also available on the Chiefs Mobile app.

Chiefs and Entercom Finalize Radio Network Broadcast Team for 2020 Season

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump awarded the nation's highest civilian honor Friday morning to Jim Ryun, a former Kansas congressmen who was the first high school runner to clock a mile in under 4 minutes.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3npwSbOYZpU">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the ceremony&nbsp;

Trump honored the three-time Olympian with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House.&nbsp;

 The Wichita native entered the record books in 1964 at age 17 by becoming the first high school runner to break the 4-minute barrier in the mile with a time of 3 minutes, 59 seconds. 

He competed in the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics and earned a silver medal in the 1,500 meters in 1968. He was the last American runner to hold the world record in the mile with a time of 3:51.1, set in 1967.

He graduated from KU in 1970 and later served as a 4-term congressman from Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595605618937.png" alt="President Trump presents the Presidential medal of Freedom to Jim Ryun during a White House Ceremony Friday morning -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump presents the Presidential medal of Freedom to Jim Ryun during a White House Ceremony Friday morning -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump awarded the nation's highest civilian honor Friday morning to Jim Ryun, a former Kansas congressmen who was the first high school runner to clock a mile in under 4 minutes.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3npwSbOYZpU">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the ceremony&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595003758174.png" alt="Image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>Trump honored the three-time Olympian with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House.&nbsp; The Wichita native entered the record books in 1964 at age 17 by becoming the first high school runner to break the 4-minute barrier in the mile with a time of 3 minutes, 59 seconds. He competed in the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics and earned a silver medal in the 1,500 meters in 1968. He was the last American runner to hold the world record in the mile with a time of 3:51.1, set in 1967.He graduated from KU in 1970 and later served as a 4-term congressman from Kansas.

🎥  Kansas legend Jim Ryun awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom 

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AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Friday

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Denny Hamlin raced to his series-leading fifth NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season Thursday night, passing Kevin Harvick in the closing laps and holding off Brad Keselowski to make it back-to-back victories at Kansas Speedway. Hamlin had struggled the past three weeks, failing to finish better than 12th. But after showing good speed early, his Joe Gibbs Racing team made all the right calls during a crash-filled final stage to win in front of empty grandstands. Keselowski finished second and Martin Truex Jr. came across third. Harvick wound up sliding to fourth and Erik Jones, who hadn't been quiet all night, rounded out the top five to cap a banner night for the Gibbs boys.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer will make his big league debut on the mound for the Kansas City Royals in their second game Saturday in Cleveland. But unlike the thousands of players who have made it to the pinnacle of the sport, and were celebrated by tearful mom and dad and family in the stands, the culmination of Singer's lifelong dream will only be shared by his teammates. When the decision was made to play an abbreviated 60-game major league season without fans, it meant that anybody making their debut this season would do so without their support system there to enjoy it.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have placed right-hander Chance Adams and left-hander Randy Rosario on the injured list and right-hander Jesse Hahn on the bereavement list as they pared their roster down to 30 players ahead of opening day. Backup catcher Meibrys Viloria was reinstated from the injured list and recalled, along with right-hander Ronald Bolanos and outfielder Franchy Cordero. Both of them were acquired in a recent trade with San Diego. Left-handers Foster Griffin and Gabe Speier and right-hander Kyle Zimmer also were recalled.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have recalled outfielder Austin Dean, right-hander Junior Fernandez, catcher Andrew Knizner and infielder Edmundo Sosa as they finalized their roster for opening day against the Pirates. St. Louis also announced that right-hander Kodi Whitley made the initial 30-man roster for the start of the season. The moves came one day after the Cardinals released reliever Brett Cecil, who pitched just 100 innings across 113 games since signing a four-year contract with the club.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A man who provided massages for female athletes at the University of Kansas is facing six new misdemeanor charges of sexual battery. The amended charges come after 49-year-old Shawn O'Brien was charged in February with a child sex crime, prompting Kansas to cancel its contracts with him. The university said in March that six female athletes told investigators they had experienced "unwarranted" touching during massages provided by O'Brien. The Kansas News Service reports the amended charges filed July 14 &nbsp;do not specify the alleged victims' genders or if they are current of former Kansas students or student-athletes. O'Brien's attorney declined to comment on the new charges.

UNDATED (AP) — Pending free agents face the risk of injury by resuming the NHL season. Prominent players like St. Louis captain Alex Pietrangelo, Boston defenseman Torey Krug, Washington goaltender Braden Holtby and Arizona winger Taylor Hall are all willing to accept that risk for a chance of winning the Stanley Cup. In an ordinary year, they would've already cashed in when free agency opened July 1. They now must try to stay healthy after several months off the ice with a potentially big payday awaiting in October. Even then, they might make less because of the effects the pandemic had on the league's salary cap.

DETROIT (AP) — This is the final year of Jordan Zimmermann's contract with Detroit and also his last chance to make a good impression before free agency arrives again. Now that opportunity may be gone. After going on the 45-day injured list with an arm problem, his best-case scenario is to return for a bit at the very end of the season. This truncated 2020 campaign is also important for a number of other free-agents-to-be. Rick Porcello and Didi Gregorius have a lot to prove this year before they can return to the open market, and they don't have a lot of time to showcase themselves.

Yanks open MLB season with win over champs...Dodgers whip Giants

UNDATED (AP) — The New York Yankees have opened the Major League Baseball season by defeating the defending World Series champs, thanks in part to first-inning thunder and a sixth-inning storm.

Giancarlo Stanton and newcomer Gerrit Cole led the Yanks to a 4-1, rain-shortened win at Washington. Stanton opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the first inning off Max Scherzer, who struck out 11 over 5 1/3. Cole tossed one-hit ball over five innings and blanked the Nationals after Adam Eaton's solo shot in the first. 

The Yankees had runners on first and third with one out in the sixth when the game was called. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci had the honor of throwing out the first pitch, a toss that skipped between home plate and the Nationals' dugout. 

Washington had to begin the season without slugger Juan Soto. The outfielder tested positive for COVID-19 and was put on the injured list hours before gametime. 

The Dodgers began their campaign by scoring seven times over their final two at-bats to thump the Giants, 8-1 in Los Angeles.

Kike (KEE'-kay) Hernandez was the hitting star for the Dodgers, going 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and five RBIs. Hernandez delivered a two-run single while Los Angeles scored five times in the seventh.

Mookie Betts was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts in his first game since signing the second-richest contract in major league history. Betts scored the tiebreaking run in the seventh on a fielder's choice.

Dustin May allowed one run over 4 1/3 innings of his first opening-day start. He was given the opportunity when Clayton Kershaw went on the injured list with back spasms. 

Like the Nationals and Yankees, the Dodgers and Giants took a knee before the national anthem as a sign of unity for social justice. 

— Major League Baseball and the players' union have agreed to expand the playoffs from 10 teams to 16 for the pandemic-delayed season. According to MLB, each of the 16 teams will participate in a best-of-three first round before heading into a best-of-five Division Series. A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that MLB agreed to guarantee a postseason pool that would be $50 million if the entire postseason is played. 

— Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez will be shut down from all baseball activities for at least a week after he experienced a setback in his return from COVID-19. Manager Ron Roenicke (REHN'-ih-kee) says Rodriguez hasn't had another positive test after testing positive for the coronavirus before the start of summer camp. But he said the left-hander did experience some minor complications that the team's medical staff felt were serious enough to restrict him from activities for now. 

— The White Sox have reinstated Yoán Moncada from the injured list. That clears the way for their star third baseman to open the season in the lineup after missing the start of summer camp because he contracted COVID-19. Moncada, hit .315 in a breakout season last year. 

— The Cubs have placed left-hander José Quintana on the 10-day injured list because of a thumb injury suffered before the start of summer camp. The 31-year-old Quintana wasn't expected to be ready for opening day after cutting himself washing dishes at his home in Miami last month. The Cubs also placed infielder Daniel Descalso on the 45-day injured list with a sprained left ankle and announced that outfielder Mark Zagunis opted out for the season. 

— The Cardinals have recalled outfielder Austin Dean, right-hander Junior Fernandez, catcher Andrew Knizner and infielder Edmundo Sosa on Thursday as they finalized their roster for opening day against the Pirates at Busch Stadium. St. Louis also announced that right-hander Kodi Whitley made the initial 30-man roster for the start of the season. 

— The Twins set their opening day roster on Thursday, with right-hander Jake Odorizzi (oh-duh-REE'-zee) on the 10-day injured list due to mild soreness in his upper back. Rich Hill will take Odorizzi's place the first time through the rotation, scheduled to start on Saturday in Chicago against the White Sox. José Berríos will take the mound for the opener on Friday. 

— Nate Pearson was not included on the Toronto Blue Jays' 30-man roster for Friday's opener at Tampa Bay, a move that likely will delay free-agent eligibility of the hard-throwing right-hander by a year until after the 2026 season. He was 5-4 with a 2.30 ERA in 25 starts across three minor league levels last season that included three starts at Triple-A Buffalo. 

— The Orioles placed left-hander John Means on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder fatigue. Means was originally scheduled to start the opener Friday night in Boston but has been replaced by Tommy Milone (mih-LOHN'), who pitched for Seattle last season. Dwight Smith Jr. is on the Brids' roster after recovering from COVID-19. 

— The Cleveland Indians will consult with Native American leaders as they consider changing the name of their franchise for the first time since 1915. Owner Paul Dolan gave more details on the steps the team is taking toward a potential name change amid a national movement to remove racist symbols and monuments. 

— The Indians' drummer won't be silenced on opening day. Although John Adams won't be allowed in Progressive Field on Friday because of COVID-19 protocols, he'll be there in spirit and sound. The Indians are placing a cardboard cutout of their famed drummer in the ballpark and playing a recording of his familiar beat. Adams hasn't missed a home opener since 1955, when he was 4. 

Redskins become Washington Football Team for 2020 season 

UNDATED (AP) — The NFL team formerly known as the Redskins will go by the Washington Football Team for the 2020 season. The temporary name gives the organization time to choose a new moniker. 

Washington will keep its burgundy and gold colors and replace the Indian head logo on helmets with a player's jersey number. 

Owner Dan Snyder recently dropped the Redskins name amid pressure from sponsors and after decades of criticism from Native American advocacy groups. 

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys and rookie receiver CeeDee (SEE'-dee) Lamb have agreed to a four-year, $14 million contract with $7.8 million guaranteed. 

Lamb joins a young receiving corps led by 26-year-old Amari Cooper and third-year player Michael Gallup, who is coming off his first 1,000-yard season. 

The Oklahoma product was the third receiver taken behind Alabama teammates Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy (JOO'-dee). 

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Denny Hamlin was the winner of a crash-filled race at Kansas Motor Speedway, giving him five NASCAR Cup victories already this season. Hamlin avoided two major wrecks and later passed Kevin Harvick in the closing laps before holding off Brad Keselowski. Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman were among the drivers to wreck. 

Martin Truex Jr. came across third, Harvick wound up sliding to fourth and Erik Jones rounded out the top five to cap a banner night for Joe Gibbs Racing. JGR made all the right calls during a crash-filled final stage to win in front of empty grandstands. 

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Richy Werenski sank a short birdie putt on the par-5 18th for an 8-under 63 and a one-shot lead over Michael Thompson through one round of the PGA's 3M Open in Minnesota. 

The 24-year-old Werenski is winless in on the PGA Tour and ranked 248th in the world. He broke a tie with Michael Thompson with his ninth and last birdie on the warm, windy afternoon at the TPC Twin Cities. 

Dustin Johnson withdrew because of a back injury after a 78. Johnson's departure comes after he posted back-to-back 80s last week at the Memorial for the highest 36-hole score of his pro career. 

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes All-Star defenseman Dougie Hamilton didn't practice today after leaving Wednesday's workout early "in some visible discomfort. Hamilton's status is unclear as the team prepares for the return to play next week. He hasn't played a game since breaking his left leg in January, but he had returned for the beginning of training camp. 

Release the Kraken: Seattle unveils name for NHL franchise 

SEATTLE (AP) — The NHL's newest team finally has a name: the Seattle Kraken. 

The expansion franchise unveiled its nickname Thursday, ending 19 months of speculation about whether the team might lean traditional or go eccentric with the name for the league's 32nd team. 

Seattle bypassed options like Sockeyes, Evergreens or Metropolitans, the last of which would have been a nod to Seattle's hockey history.The primary logo is a tentacle shaped into an "S" in the style of the old Seattle Metropolitans jersey and logo. The Metropolitans were the first American team to win the Stanley Cup in 1917. 

UNDATED (AP) — Former Oklahoma football player and head coach John Blake has died at age 59. 

Blake became the Sooners' first Black head coach in any sport when he was hired in December 1995. He had a 12-22 record in three seasons, but his recruiting success laid the foundation for the program's resurgence. 

Blake's wife, Freda, said he had a "heart-related emergency" at his home in Dallas on Thursday morning. She said attempts to revive him at home failed and he died at Baylor University Medical Center. 

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Denny Hamlin raced to his series-leading fifth NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season Thursday night, passing Kevin Harvick in the closing laps and holding off Brad Keselowski to make it back-to-back victories at Kansas Speedway. Hamlin had struggled the past three weeks, failing to finish better than 12th. But after showing good speed early, his Joe Gibbs Racing team made all the right calls during a crash-filled final stage to win in front of empty grandstands. Keselowski finished second and Martin Truex Jr. came across third. Harvick wound up sliding to fourth and Erik Jones, who hadn't been quiet all night, rounded out the top five to cap a banner night for the Gibbs boys.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brady Singer will make his big league debut on the mound for the Kansas City Royals in their second game Saturday in Cleveland. But unlike the thousands of players who have made it to the pinnacle of the sport, and were celebrated by tearful mom and dad and family in the stands, the culmination of Singer's lifelong dream will only be shared by his teammates. When the decision was made to play an abbreviated 60-game major league season without fans, it meant that anybody making their debut this season would do so without their support system there to enjoy it.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have placed right-hander Chance Adams and left-hander Randy Rosario on the injured list and right-hander Jesse Hahn on the bereavement list as they pared their roster down to 30 players ahead of opening day. Backup catcher Meibrys Viloria was reinstated from the injured list and recalled, along with right-hander Ronald Bolanos and outfielder Franchy Cordero. Both of them were acquired in a recent trade with San Diego. Left-handers Foster Griffin and Gabe Speier and right-hander Kyle Zimmer also were recalled.ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have recalled outfielder Austin Dean, right-hander Junior Fernandez, catcher Andrew Knizner and infielder Edmundo Sosa as they finalized their roster for opening day against the Pirates. St. Louis also announced that right-hander Kodi Whitley made the initial 30-man roster for the start of the season. The moves came one day after the Cardinals released reliever Brett Cecil, who pitched just 100 innings across 113 games since signing a four-year contract with the club.LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A man who provided massages for female athletes at the University of Kansas is facing six new misdemeanor charges of sexual battery. The amended charges come after 49-year-old Shawn O'Brien was charged in February with a child sex crime, prompting Kansas to cancel its contracts with him. The university said in March that six female athletes told investigators they had experienced "unwarranted" touching during massages provided by O'Brien. The Kansas News Service reports the amended charges filed July 14 &nbsp;do not specify the alleged victims' genders or if they are current of former Kansas students or student-athletes. O'Brien's attorney declined to comment on the new charges.UNDATED (AP) — Pending free agents face the risk of injury by resuming the NHL season. Prominent players like St. Louis captain Alex Pietrangelo, Boston defenseman Torey Krug, Washington goaltender Braden Holtby and Arizona winger Taylor Hall are all willing to accept that risk for a chance of winning the Stanley Cup. In an ordinary year, they would've already cashed in when free agency opened July 1. They now must try to stay healthy after several months off the ice with a potentially big payday awaiting in October. Even then, they might make less because of the effects the pandemic had on the league's salary cap.DETROIT (AP) — This is the final year of Jordan Zimmermann's contract with Detroit and also his last chance to make a good impression before free agency arrives again. Now that opportunity may be gone. After going on the 45-day injured list with an arm problem, his best-case scenario is to return for a bit at the very end of the season. This truncated 2020 campaign is also important for a number of other free-agents-to-be. Rick Porcello and Didi Gregorius have a lot to prove this year before they can return to the open market, and they don't have a lot of time to showcase themselves.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>MLB-NEWS Yanks open MLB season with win over champs...Dodgers whip GiantsUNDATED (AP) — The New York Yankees have opened the Major League Baseball season by defeating the defending World Series champs, thanks in part to first-inning thunder and a sixth-inning storm.Giancarlo Stanton and newcomer Gerrit Cole led the Yanks to a 4-1, rain-shortened win at Washington. Stanton opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the first inning off Max Scherzer, who struck out 11 over 5 1/3. Cole tossed one-hit ball over five innings and blanked the Nationals after Adam Eaton's solo shot in the first. The Yankees had runners on first and third with one out in the sixth when the game was called. Dr. Anthony Fauci had the honor of throwing out the first pitch, a toss that skipped between home plate and the Nationals' dugout. Washington had to begin the season without slugger Juan Soto. The outfielder tested positive for COVID-19 and was put on the injured list hours before gametime. The Dodgers began their campaign by scoring seven times over their final two at-bats to thump the Giants, 8-1 in Los Angeles.Kike (KEE'-kay) Hernandez was the hitting star for the Dodgers, going 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and five RBIs. Hernandez delivered a two-run single while Los Angeles scored five times in the seventh.Mookie Betts was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts in his first game since signing the second-richest contract in major league history. Betts scored the tiebreaking run in the seventh on a fielder's choice.Dustin May allowed one run over 4 1/3 innings of his first opening-day start. He was given the opportunity when Clayton Kershaw went on the injured list with back spasms. Like the Nationals and Yankees, the Dodgers and Giants took a knee before the national anthem as a sign of unity for social justice. In other MLB news: — Major League Baseball and the players' union have agreed to expand the playoffs from 10 teams to 16 for the pandemic-delayed season. According to MLB, each of the 16 teams will participate in a best-of-three first round before heading into a best-of-five Division Series. A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that MLB agreed to guarantee a postseason pool that would be $50 million if the entire postseason is played. — Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez will be shut down from all baseball activities for at least a week after he experienced a setback in his return from COVID-19. Manager Ron Roenicke (REHN'-ih-kee) says Rodriguez hasn't had another positive test after testing positive for the coronavirus before the start of summer camp. But he said the left-hander did experience some minor complications that the team's medical staff felt were serious enough to restrict him from activities for now. — The White Sox have reinstated Yoán Moncada from the injured list. That clears the way for their star third baseman to open the season in the lineup after missing the start of summer camp because he contracted COVID-19. Moncada, hit .315 in a breakout season last year. — The Cubs have placed left-hander José Quintana on the 10-day injured list because of a thumb injury suffered before the start of summer camp. The 31-year-old Quintana wasn't expected to be ready for opening day after cutting himself washing dishes at his home in Miami last month. The Cubs also placed infielder Daniel Descalso on the 45-day injured list with a sprained left ankle and announced that outfielder Mark Zagunis opted out for the season. — The Cardinals have recalled outfielder Austin Dean, right-hander Junior Fernandez, catcher Andrew Knizner and infielder Edmundo Sosa on Thursday as they finalized their roster for opening day against the Pirates at Busch Stadium. St. Louis also announced that right-hander Kodi Whitley made the initial 30-man roster for the start of the season. — The Twins set their opening day roster on Thursday, with right-hander Jake Odorizzi (oh-duh-REE'-zee) on the 10-day injured list due to mild soreness in his upper back. Rich Hill will take Odorizzi's place the first time through the rotation, scheduled to start on Saturday in Chicago against the White Sox. José Berríos will take the mound for the opener on Friday. — Nate Pearson was not included on the Toronto Blue Jays' 30-man roster for Friday's opener at Tampa Bay, a move that likely will delay free-agent eligibility of the hard-throwing right-hander by a year until after the 2026 season. He was 5-4 with a 2.30 ERA in 25 starts across three minor league levels last season that included three starts at Triple-A Buffalo. — The Orioles placed left-hander John Means on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder fatigue. Means was originally scheduled to start the opener Friday night in Boston but has been replaced by Tommy Milone (mih-LOHN'), who pitched for Seattle last season. Dwight Smith Jr. is on the Brids' roster after recovering from COVID-19. — The Cleveland Indians will consult with Native American leaders as they consider changing the name of their franchise for the first time since 1915. Owner Paul Dolan gave more details on the steps the team is taking toward a potential name change amid a national movement to remove racist symbols and monuments. — The Indians' drummer won't be silenced on opening day. Although John Adams won't be allowed in Progressive Field on Friday because of COVID-19 protocols, he'll be there in spirit and sound. The Indians are placing a cardboard cutout of their famed drummer in the ballpark and playing a recording of his familiar beat. Adams hasn't missed a home opener since 1955, when he was 4. NFL-WASHINGTON-TEMPORARY NAME Redskins become Washington Football Team for 2020 season UNDATED (AP) — The NFL team formerly known as the Redskins will go by the Washington Football Team for the 2020 season. The temporary name gives the organization time to choose a new moniker. Washington will keep its burgundy and gold colors and replace the Indian head logo on helmets with a player's jersey number. Owner Dan Snyder recently dropped the Redskins name amid pressure from sponsors and after decades of criticism from Native American advocacy groups. NFL-COWBOYS-LAMB Lamb gets his 1st NFL contract FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys and rookie receiver CeeDee (SEE'-dee) Lamb have agreed to a four-year, $14 million contract with $7.8 million guaranteed. Lamb joins a young receiving corps led by 26-year-old Amari Cooper and third-year player Michael Gallup, who is coming off his first 1,000-yard season. The Oklahoma product was the third receiver taken behind Alabama teammates Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy (JOO'-dee). NASCAR-KANSAS Hamlin gets 5th Cup win of season KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Denny Hamlin was the winner of a crash-filled race at Kansas Motor Speedway, giving him five NASCAR Cup victories already this season. Hamlin avoided two major wrecks and later passed Kevin Harvick in the closing laps before holding off Brad Keselowski. Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman were among the drivers to wreck. Martin Truex Jr. came across third, Harvick wound up sliding to fourth and Erik Jones rounded out the top five to cap a banner night for Joe Gibbs Racing. JGR made all the right calls during a crash-filled final stage to win in front of empty grandstands. PGA-3M Open Werenski has 3M lead BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Richy Werenski sank a short birdie putt on the par-5 18th for an 8-under 63 and a one-shot lead over Michael Thompson through one round of the PGA's 3M Open in Minnesota. The 24-year-old Werenski is winless in on the PGA Tour and ranked 248th in the world. He broke a tie with Michael Thompson with his ninth and last birdie on the warm, windy afternoon at the TPC Twin Cities. Dustin Johnson withdrew because of a back injury after a 78. Johnson's departure comes after he posted back-to-back 80s last week at the Memorial for the highest 36-hole score of his pro career. NHL-HURRICANES-HAMILTON Hurricanes' Hamilton doesn't practice RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes All-Star defenseman Dougie Hamilton didn't practice today after leaving Wednesday's workout early "in some visible discomfort. Hamilton's status is unclear as the team prepares for the return to play next week. He hasn't played a game since breaking his left leg in January, but he had returned for the beginning of training camp. NHL-SEATTLE KRAKEN Release the Kraken: Seattle unveils name for NHL franchise SEATTLE (AP) — The NHL's newest team finally has a name: the Seattle Kraken. The expansion franchise unveiled its nickname Thursday, ending 19 months of speculation about whether the team might lean traditional or go eccentric with the name for the league's 32nd team. Seattle bypassed options like Sockeyes, Evergreens or Metropolitans, the last of which would have been a nod to Seattle's hockey history.The primary logo is a tentacle shaped into an "S" in the style of the old Seattle Metropolitans jersey and logo. The Metropolitans were the first American team to win the Stanley Cup in 1917. COLLEGE FOOTBALL-BLAKE-OBIT UNDATED (AP) — Former Oklahoma football player and head coach John Blake has died at age 59. Blake became the Sooners' first Black head coach in any sport when he was hired in December 1995. He had a 12-22 record in three seasons, but his recruiting success laid the foundation for the program's resurgence. Blake's wife, Freda, said he had a "heart-related emergency" at his home in Dallas on Thursday morning. She said attempts to revive him at home failed and he died at Baylor University Medical Center.

Friday Sports Headlines

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

Final Vancouver 2, Chicago 0	Vancouver	2	Chicago	0	

Final Houston 1, LA Galaxy 1, tie	Houston	1	LA Galaxy	1	

Final Portland 2, Los Angeles FC 2, tie	Portland	2	Los Angeles FC	2	

<h2>Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:</h2>___INTERLEAGUEFinal	N.Y. Yankees	4	Washington	1	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	L.A. Dodgers	8	San Francisco	1	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER		Atlanta	at	Miami	8 p.m.	(Canceled)Final Vancouver 2, Chicago 0	Vancouver	2	Chicago	0	Final Houston 1, LA Galaxy 1, tie	Houston	1	LA Galaxy	1	Final Portland 2, Los Angeles FC 2, tie	Portland	2	Los Angeles FC	2	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		San Diego	at	Kansas City	8:05 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Boston	at	N-Y Yankees	7:05 p.m.			Oakland	at	Baltimore	7:05 p.m.			Detroit	at	Tampa Bay	7:10 p.m.			L-A Angels	at	Texas	8:05 p.m.			Cleveland	at	Houston	8:10 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Chi White Sox	8:10 p.m.			Toronto	at	Seattle	10:10 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Colorado	at	Cincinnati	6:40 p.m.			Atlanta	at	Washington	7:05 p.m.			N-Y Mets	at	Philadelphia	7:05 p.m.			L-A Dodgers	at	Miami	7:10 p.m.			Pittsburgh	at	Milwaukee	8:10 p.m.			Chi Cubs	at	St. Louis	8:15 p.m.			Arizona	at	San Francisco	10:15 p.m.	___

Scores from Thursday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs (25-5) spotted the league leading Cheney Diamond Dawgs 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning capped by a Tresten Kennard blast with 2 Dawgs on base&nbsp; to take an early 3-0 in Thursday nights Sunflower League game at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park. 

Hutchinson got the last laugh winning the game 9-6 to jump back to tie the Sunflower League race with the Diamond Dawgs.&nbsp; When all the dust settled, the Monarchs showed that they had home run hitters also.&nbsp; Hutchinson stormed back with 1 run in the 3rd, 2 in the 4th and 5 runs in the 5th as the Monarchs hit 3 home runs in the 5th to regain the lead 8-5.&nbsp; Dylan Nedved led off the bottom of the 5th inning with a solo shot to right center on a 3-2 pitch to get everything going for Hutch. Fielder's choice, a Cheney error led to a Luke Sartori 3 run shot over the left field fence as well as a Clayton Chadwick solo shot to right that might be in Burrton by now.&nbsp; Hutch finished the bottom of the 5th with 5 runs on 4 hits, 2 Cheney errors and 1 left on base to take control of the game.

Chadwick was outstanding at the plate and in right field as he made a sliding catch in foul territory that brought the fans to their feet in the middle innings.&nbsp; He was 3 for 4 at the plate with 2 homers and 2 RBI's on the night. Sartori also had a great night at the plate going 3 for 4 with a homer and 4 RBI's while scoring 3 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the Monarch 7th, Sartori singled by legging out an infield hit, stole 2nd to tie a team record 93 steals.&nbsp; Then stole 3rd for a team record 94 steals.&nbsp; That was Sartori's 21st steal of the season.&nbsp; That set up the final run for the Monarchs as Tanner Schrag flied out to right for a sacrifice fly and RBI

Hutchinson's Ryan Stuempfig from Wichita State by way of Flower Mound, Texas got the win going 3 innings in relief, giving up 4 hits, 0 runs and struck out 3 in a great effort after joining the club just last week.&nbsp; Aaron Haase got the save after 2 spectacular innings pitched in the 8th and 9th innings to shut the door on Cheney only giving up 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 4.

The Monarchs have a few days off as the Sunflower League All-Star game is Saturday night at Eck Stadium in Wichita.

Hutchinson begins a 4 game series with the Sunflower Seeds on Monday, July 17 at Hobart-Detter.&nbsp; Hutchpost.com will video stream the final game of the series on Thursday, July 30th.

Saturday's All-Star game will be video streamed on the Sunflower League YouTube channel with the home run derby beginning at 6 pm.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs (25-5) spotted the league leading Cheney Diamond Dawgs 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning capped by a Tresten Kennard blast with 2 Dawgs on base&nbsp; to take an early 3-0 in Thursday nights Sunflower League game at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park. Hutchinson got the last laugh winning the game 9-6 to jump back to tie the Sunflower League race with the Diamond Dawgs.&nbsp; When all the dust settled, the Monarchs showed that they had home run hitters also.&nbsp; Hutchinson stormed back with 1 run in the 3rd, 2 in the 4th and 5 runs in the 5th as the Monarchs hit 3 home runs in the 5th to regain the lead 8-5.&nbsp; Dylan Nedved led off the bottom of the 5th inning with a solo shot to right center on a 3-2 pitch to get everything going for Hutch. Fielder's choice, a Cheney error led to a Luke Sartori 3 run shot over the left field fence as well as a Clayton Chadwick solo shot to right that might be in Burrton by now.&nbsp; Hutch finished the bottom of the 5th with 5 runs on 4 hits, 2 Cheney errors and 1 left on base to take control of the game.Chadwick was outstanding at the plate and in right field as he made a sliding catch in foul territory that brought the fans to their feet in the middle innings.&nbsp; He was 3 for 4 at the plate with 2 homers and 2 RBI's on the night. Sartori also had a great night at the plate going 3 for 4 with a homer and 4 RBI's while scoring 3 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the Monarch 7th, Sartori singled by legging out an infield hit, stole 2nd to tie a team record 93 steals.&nbsp; Then stole 3rd for a team record 94 steals.&nbsp; That was Sartori's 21st steal of the season.&nbsp; That set up the final run for the Monarchs as Tanner Schrag flied out to right for a sacrifice fly and RBIHutchinson's Ryan Stuempfig from Wichita State by way of Flower Mound, Texas got the win going 3 innings in relief, giving up 4 hits, 0 runs and struck out 3 in a great effort after joining the club just last week.&nbsp; Aaron Haase got the save after 2 spectacular innings pitched in the 8th and 9th innings to shut the door on Cheney only giving up 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 4.The Monarchs have a few days off as the Sunflower League All-Star game is Saturday night at Eck Stadium in Wichita.Hutchinson begins a 4 game series with the Sunflower Seeds on Monday, July 17 at Hobart-Detter.&nbsp; Hutchpost.com will video stream the final game of the series on Thursday, July 30th.Saturday's All-Star game will be video streamed on the Sunflower League YouTube channel with the home run derby beginning at 6 pm.

Monarchs use long ball to outlast Cheney

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Three straight finishes outside the top 10 for Denny Hamlin these days counts as a rough patch.

He was once again smooth as they get Thursday night.

Hamlin hung around the front of the pack all night, avoiding trouble that cost several playoff contenders in the final stage, then breezed past Kevin Harvick for the lead in the closing laps. Hamlin then held off charging Brad Keselowski for his NASCAR Cup Series-leading fifth victory of the season and 42nd overall. He also won for the second straight time at Kansas Speedway.

“I don’t know we had the best car. We definitely had a top-three car all day,” Hamlin said after his burnout in front of the empty grandstands. “We just went for it there at the end. The pit crew did an amazing job getting us out there in front.”

Hamlin had struggled the past three weeks, failing to finish better than 12th. But after showing good speed early, his Joe Gibbs Racing team made all the right calls during a crash-filled final stage. Keselowski finished second and Martin Truex Jr. came across third. Harvick wound up sliding to fourth and Erik Jones capped a big day for the Gibbs boys in fifth.

William Byron led the race as he chased his first career race, but he slide backward after a late caution and wound up finishing 10th. Alex Bowman also made a charge to the lead but finished behind Aric Almirola and Cole Custer in eighth.

The youngsters wound up leaving it to the veterans to battle it out over the final laps.

“We got to the lead but we just went dead sideways after about four or five laps,” said Harvick, who had been tied with Hamlin with four wins. “We were just holding on hoping for another restart, because we could hang for a couple laps.”

Truex may have had the fastest car on the track by the end of the night, which began with temperatures in the mid-90s and a heat index approaching triple digits. But he ran out of time trying chase down his teammate.

“It would have been difficult to pass him,” Truex said about Hamlin. “It was a battle all night just to get track position. These things are so difficult in traffic. You lose a few more spots than you hope on a restart and you just have to dig.”

Joey Logano led early before his night really ended in disaster — and took some playoff contenders with him.

His problems began when a tire got loose on pit road during the first stage, sending him to the back. He was working his way forward early in the final stage when his left front tire went down, sending Logano into the outside wall. Matt DiBenedetto and Jimmie Johnson, the last two drivers on the good side of the playoff cut line, sustained heavy damage as the field checked up. So did Austin Dillon, who was the surprise winner last weekend at Texas.

“I’m pretty freaking irritated. We’ve had garbage luck the last few weeks,” DiBenedetto said. “We have no horsepower. It takes us 45 minutes to get going. The restarts as just wild. But that’s what is happening.”

Logano said he felt his tire going down just before green but thought “it wasn’t bad.”

“Maybe it was bad judgment on my part,” Logano said, “and I didn’t want to lose any track position for something that wasn’t bad. It’s one of those judgment calls. I just feel bad for everyone else.”

Another wreck during the next always-chaotic Kansas restart collected Ryan Preece, Chris Buescher, Ryan Newman and Christopher Bell. Preece hit the inside wall with such force that his car leaped several feet into the air.

It would have been an exciting show for fans if there was any. After about 20,000 wore masks and braved stifling heat in Texas, the grandstands were again empty at Kansas. Soaring numbers of positive COVID-19 tests forced speedway officials to run this weekend — including upcoming races in the Xfinity, Truck and ARCA series — without any fans.

The next race at New Hampshire can have about 19,000 fans. The following doubleheader at Michigan will not have any.

Kyle Busch finally had something go right during his frustrating season. The defending series champ, whose only win in his last 41 starts in the Cup Series came in last year’s finale, held off Hamlin and Truex to win his first stage this year.

It was another race between teammates on Stage 2. This time, it was Keselowski getting around Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney — who was dominant at Texas but failed to win — on the penultimate lap to take the stage.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s challenging year continued when he went to the garage early with a mechanical problem. It also was a rough night for Bubba Wallace, who spun early in the race coming out of Turn 4 and then plowed into Matt Kenseth when he spun in the middle of the same turn early in the final stage.

“We’ve had some really bad weeks,” Stenhouse said. “Lost the balance a little bit but felt like we were pretty close. But I don’t know, a fire started in the cockpit. Something electrical in the dash.”

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Three straight finishes outside the top 10 for Denny Hamlin these days counts as a rough patch.He was once again smooth as they get Thursday night.Hamlin hung around the front of the pack all night, avoiding trouble that cost several playoff contenders in the final stage, then breezed past Kevin Harvick for the lead in the closing laps. Hamlin then held off charging Brad Keselowski for his NASCAR Cup Series-leading fifth victory of the season and 42nd overall. He also won for the second straight time at Kansas Speedway.“I don’t know we had the best car. We definitely had a top-three car all day,” Hamlin said after his burnout in front of the empty grandstands. “We just went for it there at the end. The pit crew did an amazing job getting us out there in front.”Hamlin had struggled the past three weeks, failing to finish better than 12th. But after showing good speed early, his Joe Gibbs Racing team made all the right calls during a crash-filled final stage. Keselowski finished second and Martin Truex Jr. came across third. Harvick wound up sliding to fourth and Erik Jones capped a big day for the Gibbs boys in fifth.William Byron led the race as he chased his first career race, but he slide backward after a late caution and wound up finishing 10th. Alex Bowman also made a charge to the lead but finished behind Aric Almirola and Cole Custer in eighth.The youngsters wound up leaving it to the veterans to battle it out over the final laps.“We got to the lead but we just went dead sideways after about four or five laps,” said Harvick, who had been tied with Hamlin with four wins. “We were just holding on hoping for another restart, because we could hang for a couple laps.”Truex may have had the fastest car on the track by the end of the night, which began with temperatures in the mid-90s and a heat index approaching triple digits. But he ran out of time trying chase down his teammate.“It would have been difficult to pass him,” Truex said about Hamlin. “It was a battle all night just to get track position. These things are so difficult in traffic. You lose a few more spots than you hope on a restart and you just have to dig.”Joey Logano led early before his night really ended in disaster — and took some playoff contenders with him.His problems began when a tire got loose on pit road during the first stage, sending him to the back. He was working his way forward early in the final stage when his left front tire went down, sending Logano into the outside wall. Matt DiBenedetto and Jimmie Johnson, the last two drivers on the good side of the playoff cut line, sustained heavy damage as the field checked up. So did Austin Dillon, who was the surprise winner last weekend at Texas.“I’m pretty freaking irritated. We’ve had garbage luck the last few weeks,” DiBenedetto said. “We have no horsepower. It takes us 45 minutes to get going. The restarts as just wild. But that’s what is happening.”Logano said he felt his tire going down just before green but thought “it wasn’t bad.”“Maybe it was bad judgment on my part,” Logano said, “and I didn’t want to lose any track position for something that wasn’t bad. It’s one of those judgment calls. I just feel bad for everyone else.”Another wreck during the next always-chaotic Kansas restart collected Ryan Preece, Chris Buescher, Ryan Newman and Christopher Bell. Preece hit the inside wall with such force that his car leaped several feet into the air.It would have been an exciting show for fans if there was any. After about 20,000 wore masks and braved stifling heat in Texas, the grandstands were again empty at Kansas. Soaring numbers of positive COVID-19 tests forced speedway officials to run this weekend — including upcoming races in the Xfinity, Truck and ARCA series — without any fans.The next race at New Hampshire can have about 19,000 fans. The following doubleheader at Michigan will not have any.Kyle Busch finally had something go right during his frustrating season. The defending series champ, whose only win in his last 41 starts in the Cup Series came in last year’s finale, held off Hamlin and Truex to win his first stage this year.It was another race between teammates on Stage 2. This time, it was Keselowski getting around Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney — who was dominant at Texas but failed to win — on the penultimate lap to take the stage.Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s challenging year continued when he went to the garage early with a mechanical problem. It also was a rough night for Bubba Wallace, who spun early in the race coming out of Turn 4 and then plowed into Matt Kenseth when he spun in the middle of the same turn early in the final stage.“We’ve had some really bad weeks,” Stenhouse said. “Lost the balance a little bit but felt like we were pretty close. But I don’t know, a fire started in the cockpit. Something electrical in the dash.”

Hamlin holds off Keselowski for fifth Cup victory of season

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs (24-5)&nbsp; will host the Cheney Diamond Dawgs Monday night at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park at 7 pm.&nbsp; This the final game of the four game series with Cheney.&nbsp; Cheney holds a 1 game lead in the Sunflower League standings.&nbsp;

Catch all the action on Hutchpost.com as the Eagle Sports team will provide live streaming video tonight. &nbsp;Sports Director Glen Grunwald and KWBW Radio Program Director Rob Dreher will have the call and Sarah Peterson will provide video coverage on Hutchpost.com.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs (24-5)&nbsp; will host the Cheney Diamond Dawgs Monday night at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park at 7 pm.&nbsp; This the final game of the four game series with Cheney.&nbsp; Cheney holds a 1 game lead in the Sunflower League standings.&nbsp;Catch all the action on Hutchpost.com as the Eagle Sports team will provide live streaming video tonight. &nbsp;Sports Director Glen Grunwald and KWBW Radio Program Director Rob Dreher will have the call and Sarah Peterson will provide video coverage on Hutchpost.com.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ftb87fKIGhU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🎥 LIVE VIDEO STREAM: Hutchinson Monarchs host Cheney Diamond Dawgs tonight at 7pm

<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/863032453&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/hutchpost" title="HutchPost.com" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HutchPost.com</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hutchpost/eagle-sports-july-23-2020" title="Eagle Sports July 23 - 2020" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Sports July 23 - 2020</a></div></div>

AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Like many other teams not originally considered contenders in a normal season, the Royals believe they now can make some noise in a 60-game sprint.

The Royals have bolstered their lineup with the addition of free-agent third baseman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/596748" target="_blank">Maikel Franco</a>&nbsp;and the return of All-Star catcher&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/521692" target="_blank">Salvador Perez</a>&nbsp;from Tommy John surgery and shortstop&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/609275" target="_blank">Adalberto Mondesi</a>&nbsp;from left shoulder surgery.

Kansas City can now boast a batting order one through nine that shows no obvious holes.

The big question, though, is starting pitching. The Royals came into camp with only four proven starters --&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/518633" target="_blank">Danny Duffy</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/641745" target="_blank">Brad Keller</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/596001" target="_blank">Jakob Junis</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/543557" target="_blank">Mike Montgomery</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/brad-keller-will-not-be-ready-for-opening-day" target="_blank">Keller is just getting back</a>&nbsp;from a stint on the injured list for COVID-19, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/jakob-junis-on-injured-list" target="_blank">Junis went on the IL on Monday.</a>

That leaves the door open for youngsters Brady Singer and perhaps Foster Griffin to step into the rotation.

What needs to go right? The bullpen could be much better with the additions of Trevor Rosenthal and possibly non-roster invitee Greg Holland. It’ll have to be better, considering the uncertainty surrounding the rotation in the early going. The back end of the 'pen -- with Rosenthal, Scott Barlow, Josh Staumont, Holland and Randy Rosario setting up closer Ian Kennedy -- should be a strength.

The lineup will need to produce plenty of offense to compensate for a rotation that may be introducing two rookies to start the season. Middle relievers Jorge López and Glenn Sparkman, who struggled in Summer Camp, need to be effective because the starters may go only five innings or so to begin the season.

Big question The rotation. Duffy will be the Opening Day starter on Friday, and the Royals’ No. 2 prospect Brady Singer is scheduled to make his MLB debut on Saturday. But there are plenty of “ifs” after that.

Keller just recently came off the IL and is slowly building up his pitch count. He could possibly be available to start during the four-game series in Detroit that follows the Cleveland series.

But the Royals will have to get bold and creative with the other two spots, especially because their first off-day isn’t until Aug. 10. That means Singer will be seeing his first big league action, and Griffin could as well.

Prospect to watch The Royals have a lot of faith in Singer, their first-round Draft pick in 2018. He was still in camp in March when MLB shut down due to the pandemic, and he impressed manager Mike Matheny and the staff in Summer Camp as well. Singer’s best outing probably came Friday night when he threw four scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and no walks in an intrasquad game. Singer’s sinker-slider repertoire is simple and effective, and he has added a changeup as a swing-and-miss pitch, too.

On the schedule The Royals will play the Twins, right now the class of the American League Central, 10 times during a 17-day stretch in August. If the Royals are to show improvement from back-to-back seasons of more than 100 losses, that stretch against Minnesota likely will show what they’re made of.

Team MVP will be ... Shortstop Adalberto Mondesi. Now that he’s 100 percent healed from left shoulder surgery, Mondesi can show off his elite skill set. He has power from both sides of the plate, he is a premier basestealer and he is a stellar defender. He is the whole package.

Team Cy Young will be ... Left-hander Danny Duffy. Considering the uncertainty of the rotation, the Royals need Duffy to step up and claim ownership of the ace role. He certainly has the ability. He is healthy, confident and ready to go at max effort for 12-14 starts in a shortened season.

Bold prediction After a somewhat slow start because of injuries to the rotation, the Royals eventually will take off in August, spurred on by a solid lineup and a bullpen bolstered by flame throwers Staumont and Rosenthal. The Royals will stay in the playoff hunt all the way to the end of September.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Like many other teams not originally considered contenders in a normal season, the Royals believe they now can make some noise in a 60-game sprint.The Royals have bolstered their lineup with the addition of free-agent third baseman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/596748" target="_blank">Maikel Franco</a>&nbsp;and the return of All-Star catcher&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/521692" target="_blank">Salvador Perez</a>&nbsp;from Tommy John surgery and shortstop&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/609275" target="_blank">Adalberto Mondesi</a>&nbsp;from left shoulder surgery.Kansas City can now boast a batting order one through nine that shows no obvious holes.<h2>Salvador Pérez's 3-run HR</h2>The big question, though, is starting pitching. The Royals came into camp with only four proven starters --&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/518633" target="_blank">Danny Duffy</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/641745" target="_blank">Brad Keller</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/596001" target="_blank">Jakob Junis</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/543557" target="_blank">Mike Montgomery</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/brad-keller-will-not-be-ready-for-opening-day" target="_blank">Keller is just getting back</a>&nbsp;from a stint on the injured list for COVID-19, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/jakob-junis-on-injured-list" target="_blank">Junis went on the IL on Monday.</a>That leaves the door open for youngsters Brady Singer and perhaps Foster Griffin to step into the rotation.What needs to go right? The bullpen could be much better with the additions of Trevor Rosenthal and possibly non-roster invitee Greg Holland. It’ll have to be better, considering the uncertainty surrounding the rotation in the early going. The back end of the 'pen -- with Rosenthal, Scott Barlow, Josh Staumont, Holland and Randy Rosario setting up closer Ian Kennedy -- should be a strength.The lineup will need to produce plenty of offense to compensate for a rotation that may be introducing two rookies to start the season. Middle relievers Jorge López and Glenn Sparkman, who struggled in Summer Camp, need to be effective because the starters may go only five innings or so to begin the season.Big question The rotation. Duffy will be the Opening Day starter on Friday, and the Royals’ No. 2 prospect Brady Singer is scheduled to make his MLB debut on Saturday. But there are plenty of “ifs” after that.<h2>Brady Singer on 2020 preperation</h2>Keller just recently came off the IL and is slowly building up his pitch count. He could possibly be available to start during the four-game series in Detroit that follows the Cleveland series.But the Royals will have to get bold and creative with the other two spots, especially because their first off-day isn’t until Aug. 10. That means Singer will be seeing his first big league action, and Griffin could as well.Prospect to watch The Royals have a lot of faith in Singer, their first-round Draft pick in 2018. He was still in camp in March when MLB shut down due to the pandemic, and he impressed manager Mike Matheny and the staff in Summer Camp as well. Singer’s best outing probably came Friday night when he threw four scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and no walks in an intrasquad game. Singer’s sinker-slider repertoire is simple and effective, and he has added a changeup as a swing-and-miss pitch, too.On the schedule The Royals will play the Twins, right now the class of the American League Central, 10 times during a 17-day stretch in August. If the Royals are to show improvement from back-to-back seasons of more than 100 losses, that stretch against Minnesota likely will show what they’re made of.Team MVP will be ... Shortstop Adalberto Mondesi. Now that he’s 100 percent healed from left shoulder surgery, Mondesi can show off his elite skill set. He has power from both sides of the plate, he is a premier basestealer and he is a stellar defender. He is the whole package.<figure>
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 </figure><h2>Mondesi, Soler's top moments</h2>Team Cy Young will be ... Left-hander Danny Duffy. Considering the uncertainty of the rotation, the Royals need Duffy to step up and claim ownership of the ace role. He certainly has the ability. He is healthy, confident and ready to go at max effort for 12-14 starts in a shortened season.Bold prediction After a somewhat slow start because of injuries to the rotation, the Royals eventually will take off in August, spurred on by a solid lineup and a bullpen bolstered by flame throwers Staumont and Rosenthal. The Royals will stay in the playoff hunt all the way to the end of September.

Royals ready to turn heads in 60-game sprint

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Royals outfielder Hunter Dozier has tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the injured list before the club played its final exhibition game against the Cardinals in St. Louis on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Dozier is coming off a breakthrough season in which he hit 26 homers with 84 RBIs and tying for the American League lead in triples. He is expected to play a big role for the Royals during their abbreviated 60-game season, which begins against the Indians on Friday night in Cleveland.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Clint Bowyer would usually be swamped by family and friends during the first of two trips to his home track this season. Instead, the Cup Series star will be running in front of mostly empty seats again at Kansas Speedway. The series has had limited fans for select races since returning fro the coronavirus pandemic, but hot spots in Kansas and neighboring Missouri forced officials to pull the plug on fans earlier this month. That doesn't take the pressure off Bowyer, though. He's still looking to secure a playoff spot for this season and a ride for next.&nbsp;

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Johnny Russell scored in the first minute, Gerso Fernandes added an insurance goal in the closing minutes and Sporting Kansas City secured its spot in the knockout round of the MLS is Back tournament with a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. Kansas City finished with six points after two wins in the group stage to secure a spot in the round of 16. Russell's goal was the fifth scored in the first minute in team history and the first since 2013. Real Salt Lake will also advance to the round of 16 as one of the top four third-place finishers in the group stage.

Betts lands huge contract...No Jays in Steel City 

UNDATED (AP) — Mookie Betts has said yes to a huge contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, while the state of Pennsylvania has said no to the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Betts and the Dodgers have struck baseball's first big-money deal since the coronavirus pandemic decimated the sport's economics. The 12-year, $365 million contract runs through 2032 and removes the top offensive player from next off-season's free-agent class. 

The 27-year-old outfielder was acquired by the Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox on Feb. 10, along with pitcher David Price for three players. His deal is baseball's second-largest in total dollars behind the $426.5 million, 12-year contract for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout covering 2019-30. 

The four-time Gold Glove winner captured the 2018 AL MVP award en route to Boston's World Series title. He hit .295 with 29 homers and 80 RBIs last year, down from a major league-leading .346 average with 32 homers and 80 RBIs in his MVP season. 

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania health officials won't allow the Blue Jays to play at PNC Park in Pittsburgh amid the coronavirus pandemic. The state is the latest jurisdiction to say no to the team as the baseball season begins this week. The state's secretary of health cited a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in southwestern Pennsylvania as the reason to bar the Blue Jays from playing their home games in the Steel City. 

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said this week his team has more than five contingency plans for a home stadium and was in talks with other teams. He declined to name them. Atkins said if the Blue Jays can't find a major league park, their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, New York, would be their most likely site for home games. 

— Mike Trout has decided to play for the Angels in the shortened baseball season, although his year will be interrupted in a few weeks by the birth of his first child. The three-time AL MVP confirmed his decision Wednesday before his team's exhibition game against the Padres at Angel Stadium. Trout expressed uncertainty earlier this month about the safety of this unique major league season, saying he wouldn't risk his growing family's health to participate. 

— Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman has a torn muscle in his left calf and will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. The All-Star right-hander was expected to follow two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom in a rotation that already will be without No. 2 starter Noah Syndergaard all year because of Tommy John surgery. He was 6-11 with a 2.96 ERA in 21 starts for Toronto last season before going 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA for the Mets. 

— Rockies reliever Scott Oberg will start the season on the injured list because of back soreness. Oberg was 6-1 with a 2.25 ERA and five saves in 49 games for the Rockies last season. He got a $13 million, three-year contract last winter. 

— Royals outfielder Hunter Dozier has tested positive for COVID-19 and been placed on the injured list. The 28-year-old is coming off a breakthrough season in which he hit 26 homers, drove in 84 runs and tied for the American League lead in triples. He is expected to play a big role for the Royals during their abbreviated 60-game season, which begins against the Indians on Friday night in Cleveland. 

— Freddie Freeman is back and ready to anchor the Braves' lineup after a scary battle with COVID-19 earlier in summer camp. The 30-year-old Freeman had career highs last season with 38 homers and 121 RBIs. The four-time All-Star hopes to lead Atlanta back to the top of the NL East for the third straight season. 

— Mets hitting coach Chili Davis hasn't decided if he will rejoin the team at any point this season because of concerns about the coronavirus. The 60-year-old Davis has been working remotely from his Arizona home during the pandemic. On a video conference call with reporters Wednesday, he said he's at risk due to underlying health conditions that he preferred to keep private. 

— MLB players have the option of having a patch with "Black Lives Matter" or "United For Change" on a jersey sleeve on opening day of the pandemic-delayed season. Teams have the option of stenciling an inverted MLB logo with "BLM" or "United for Change" on the back of the pitcher's mound during opening weekend games. 

— The Nationals are planning to raise a new 2019 World Series champions flag before Thursday night's opener against the New York Yankees. Other festivities include a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Dr. Anthony Fauci and a previously recorded Presidents Race to be shown during the fourth inning. The Nationals also say a Black Lives Matter stencil will appear on the pitcher's mound during games on opening weekend. 

— Umpire Angel Hernández will serve as an interim crew chief this season after a dozen umps decided to sit out amid the coronavirus pandemic. Hernández sued MLB in 2017, alleging race discrimination and cited that he hadn't be assigned to the World Series since 2005 and hadn't been promoted to head a crew. Eight crew chiefs and four other umpires have opted out of working this season. 

UNDATED (AP) — Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook is set to practice with the team for the first time since revealing that he tested positive for the coronavirus. Westbrook did not travel with the Rockets on July 9 when they flew to Florida for the NBA's restart. 

The nine-time All-Star revealed on social media that he had tested positive for the virus on July 14 and he did not arrive in Florida until Monday. Westbrook had to quarantine upon his arrival at Disney but was cleared to join the Rockets for their practice Wednesday. He said his only symptom was a stuffy nose. 

— Zion Williamson could still make reopening night of the NBA season. The New Orleans Pelicans said Wednesday that Williamson is being tested daily for the coronavirus and continues showing negative results. If that continues, Williamson may have to quarantine for only four days when he returns to the team. 

UNDATED (AP) — The NHL is prohibiting teams from disclosing injuries as a way to maintain player privacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It's an even thicker veil of secrecy for a sport that already uses vague terms like upper- and lower-body injuries. Players asked for the nondisclosure policy to prevent individual coronavirus tests results coming to light. Saying nothing has led to rampant speculation when prominent players like Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby or Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford are missing from practice. 

In other sports news related to the pandemic: 

— The NFL Players Association says 95 players are known to have tested positive for the coronavirus. That number is up from 72 in the union's last report on July 10. The NFLPA and the NFL reached agreement Monday on COVID-19 testing as rookies begin reporting to training camps. Most veterans come in next week, though some players rehabbing injuries could report this week. 

— The NCAA football oversight committee is asking the association's Board of Governors to avoid making a decision later this week on whether to conduct fall sports championships. The board is scheduled to meet Friday as college sports leaders try to find a path to play during the pandemic. There has been speculation the board could decide to call off NCAA championship events in fall sports such as soccer, volleyball and lower-division football. That could increase pressure for conferences to cancel their seasons. 

— Tulane says the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of its college basketball game scheduled in China this November. The Green Wave were slated to play against Washington in the Pac-12 China Game in Shanghai. A Tulane spokesman says the decision to cancel the event was made in coordination with Washington as well as Chinese-based partners in the event. 

— The International Tennis Federation plans to resume its lower-level World Tennis Tour the week of Aug. 17 and its junior and beach tennis tours two weeks later when the U.S. Open is scheduled to begin. All ITF tours have been suspended since March because of the coronavirus pandemic. The ITF also announced its COVID-19 protocols for its tournaments and players. 

— The PGA Tour Series-China season has been canceled. The China-based tour's executive director says attempts to move the qualifying tournaments to other sites in Asia were not practical and restricted access into mainland China made it too difficult to stage tournaments in 2020. 

— The head of the Tokyo Olympics says the delayed games could not be held next year if conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic remain as they are. But Yoshiro Mori says he expects conditions to improve and is hopeful a COVID-19 vaccine will be developed soon. The postponed Olympics open a year from now on July 23, 2021.

CONROE, Texas (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped the drunken driving and illegal handgun charges against Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver, who had been arrested in May during a traffic stop in Houston's northern suburbs. 

A spokesperson for the Montgomery County DA's Office says the decision was due to lack of evidence after blood test results showed no intoxication. 

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, England (AP) — David Law of Scotland shot a 7-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Oliver Fisher, Garrick Porteous and Renato Paratore in the opening round of the British Masters at Close House Golf Course near Newcastle on Wednesday. 

Aaron Cockerill, Rasmus Hojgard, Lee Slattery and Pedro Figueiredo were another shot back in a share of fifth, holding off a gaggle of nine players on 4 under. 

The tournament marks the start of the European Tour's "U.K. Swing," a series of six events played in England and Wales over the next six weeks devised primarily for ease of travel for players amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Women's British gets sponsorship extension, new branding 

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The Women's British Open is keeping its title sponsor and getting a slightly different name. 

The R&amp;A announced Wednesday that New York-based finance and insurance group AIG. 

And now that the R&amp;A is charge on running the event, it said its official title will be the AIG Women's Open. It previously was called the Women's British Open. 

Former Steeler, NCAA wrestling champion Haselrig dies at 54 

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Former Pittsburgh Steelers player Carlton Haselrig has died at age 54. Haselrig was a Pro Bowl right guard for the Steelers in the early 1990s and also the only wrestler in NCAA history to win six individual national championships. 

Pittsburgh-Johnstown wrestling coach Pat Pecora said Haselrig had been in declining health in recent years. Pecora molded Haselrig into a multiple heavyweight division champion at both the NCAA Division II and Division I levels in the 1980s 

Haselrig didn't play a down of college football after suffering an injury during his freshman year at Lock Haven. He spent five years in the NFL after the Steelers took him in the 12th round of the 1990 draft. His career was cut short in the mid-1990s due to a battle with alcohol and substance abuse. 

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Royals outfielder Hunter Dozier has tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the injured list before the club played its final exhibition game against the Cardinals in St. Louis on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Dozier is coming off a breakthrough season in which he hit 26 homers with 84 RBIs and tying for the American League lead in triples. He is expected to play a big role for the Royals during their abbreviated 60-game season, which begins against the Indians on Friday night in Cleveland.KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Clint Bowyer would usually be swamped by family and friends during the first of two trips to his home track this season. Instead, the Cup Series star will be running in front of mostly empty seats again at Kansas Speedway. The series has had limited fans for select races since returning fro the coronavirus pandemic, but hot spots in Kansas and neighboring Missouri forced officials to pull the plug on fans earlier this month. That doesn't take the pressure off Bowyer, though. He's still looking to secure a playoff spot for this season and a ride for next.&nbsp;DETROIT (AP) — This is the final year of Jordan Zimmermann's contract with Detroit and also his last chance to make a good impression before free agency arrives again. Now that opportunity may be gone. After going on the 45-day injured list with an arm problem, his best-case scenario is to return for a bit at the very end of the season. This truncated 2020 campaign is also important for a number of other free-agents-to-be. Rick Porcello and Didi Gregorius have a lot to prove this year before they can return to the open market, and they don't have a lot of time to showcase themselves.LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Johnny Russell scored in the first minute, Gerso Fernandes added an insurance goal in the closing minutes and Sporting Kansas City secured its spot in the knockout round of the MLS is Back tournament with a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. Kansas City finished with six points after two wins in the group stage to secure a spot in the round of 16. Russell's goal was the fifth scored in the first minute in team history and the first since 2013. Real Salt Lake will also advance to the round of 16 as one of the top four third-place finishers in the group stage.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>MLB-NEWS Betts lands huge contract...No Jays in Steel City UNDATED (AP) — Mookie Betts has said yes to a huge contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, while the state of Pennsylvania has said no to the Toronto Blue Jays. Betts and the Dodgers have struck baseball's first big-money deal since the coronavirus pandemic decimated the sport's economics. The 12-year, $365 million contract runs through 2032 and removes the top offensive player from next off-season's free-agent class. The 27-year-old outfielder was acquired by the Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox on Feb. 10, along with pitcher David Price for three players. His deal is baseball's second-largest in total dollars behind the $426.5 million, 12-year contract for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout covering 2019-30. The four-time Gold Glove winner captured the 2018 AL MVP award en route to Boston's World Series title. He hit .295 with 29 homers and 80 RBIs last year, down from a major league-leading .346 average with 32 homers and 80 RBIs in his MVP season. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania health officials won't allow the Blue Jays to play at PNC Park in Pittsburgh amid the coronavirus pandemic. The state is the latest jurisdiction to say no to the team as the baseball season begins this week. The state's secretary of health cited a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in southwestern Pennsylvania as the reason to bar the Blue Jays from playing their home games in the Steel City. Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said this week his team has more than five contingency plans for a home stadium and was in talks with other teams. He declined to name them. Atkins said if the Blue Jays can't find a major league park, their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, New York, would be their most likely site for home games. In other major league news: — Mike Trout has decided to play for the Angels in the shortened baseball season, although his year will be interrupted in a few weeks by the birth of his first child. The three-time AL MVP confirmed his decision Wednesday before his team's exhibition game against the Padres at Angel Stadium. Trout expressed uncertainty earlier this month about the safety of this unique major league season, saying he wouldn't risk his growing family's health to participate. — Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman has a torn muscle in his left calf and will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. The All-Star right-hander was expected to follow two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom in a rotation that already will be without No. 2 starter Noah Syndergaard all year because of Tommy John surgery. He was 6-11 with a 2.96 ERA in 21 starts for Toronto last season before going 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA for the Mets. — Rockies reliever Scott Oberg will start the season on the injured list because of back soreness. Oberg was 6-1 with a 2.25 ERA and five saves in 49 games for the Rockies last season. He got a $13 million, three-year contract last winter. — Royals outfielder Hunter Dozier has tested positive for COVID-19 and been placed on the injured list. The 28-year-old is coming off a breakthrough season in which he hit 26 homers, drove in 84 runs and tied for the American League lead in triples. He is expected to play a big role for the Royals during their abbreviated 60-game season, which begins against the Indians on Friday night in Cleveland. — Freddie Freeman is back and ready to anchor the Braves' lineup after a scary battle with COVID-19 earlier in summer camp. The 30-year-old Freeman had career highs last season with 38 homers and 121 RBIs. The four-time All-Star hopes to lead Atlanta back to the top of the NL East for the third straight season. — Mets hitting coach Chili Davis hasn't decided if he will rejoin the team at any point this season because of concerns about the coronavirus. The 60-year-old Davis has been working remotely from his Arizona home during the pandemic. On a video conference call with reporters Wednesday, he said he's at risk due to underlying health conditions that he preferred to keep private. — MLB players have the option of having a patch with "Black Lives Matter" or "United For Change" on a jersey sleeve on opening day of the pandemic-delayed season. Teams have the option of stenciling an inverted MLB logo with "BLM" or "United for Change" on the back of the pitcher's mound during opening weekend games. — The Nationals are planning to raise a new 2019 World Series champions flag before Thursday night's opener against the New York Yankees. Other festivities include a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Dr. Anthony Fauci and a previously recorded Presidents Race to be shown during the fourth inning. The Nationals also say a Black Lives Matter stencil will appear on the pitcher's mound during games on opening weekend. — Umpire Angel Hernández will serve as an interim crew chief this season after a dozen umps decided to sit out amid the coronavirus pandemic. Hernández sued MLB in 2017, alleging race discrimination and cited that he hadn't be assigned to the World Series since 2005 and hadn't been promoted to head a crew. Eight crew chiefs and four other umpires have opted out of working this season. NBA-NEWS Westbrook set to return UNDATED (AP) — Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook is set to practice with the team for the first time since revealing that he tested positive for the coronavirus. Westbrook did not travel with the Rockets on July 9 when they flew to Florida for the NBA's restart. The nine-time All-Star revealed on social media that he had tested positive for the virus on July 14 and he did not arrive in Florida until Monday. Westbrook had to quarantine upon his arrival at Disney but was cleared to join the Rockets for their practice Wednesday. He said his only symptom was a stuffy nose. Also in the NBA: — Zion Williamson could still make reopening night of the NBA season. The New Orleans Pelicans said Wednesday that Williamson is being tested daily for the coronavirus and continues showing negative results. If that continues, Williamson may have to quarantine for only four days when he returns to the team. SPORTS-CORONAVIRUS NHL to be mum on injuries UNDATED (AP) — The NHL is prohibiting teams from disclosing injuries as a way to maintain player privacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's an even thicker veil of secrecy for a sport that already uses vague terms like upper- and lower-body injuries. Players asked for the nondisclosure policy to prevent individual coronavirus tests results coming to light. Saying nothing has led to rampant speculation when prominent players like Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby or Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford are missing from practice. In other sports news related to the pandemic: — The NFL Players Association says 95 players are known to have tested positive for the coronavirus. That number is up from 72 in the union's last report on July 10. The NFLPA and the NFL reached agreement Monday on COVID-19 testing as rookies begin reporting to training camps. Most veterans come in next week, though some players rehabbing injuries could report this week. — The NCAA football oversight committee is asking the association's Board of Governors to avoid making a decision later this week on whether to conduct fall sports championships. The board is scheduled to meet Friday as college sports leaders try to find a path to play during the pandemic. There has been speculation the board could decide to call off NCAA championship events in fall sports such as soccer, volleyball and lower-division football. That could increase pressure for conferences to cancel their seasons. — Tulane says the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of its college basketball game scheduled in China this November. The Green Wave were slated to play against Washington in the Pac-12 China Game in Shanghai. A Tulane spokesman says the decision to cancel the event was made in coordination with Washington as well as Chinese-based partners in the event. — The International Tennis Federation plans to resume its lower-level World Tennis Tour the week of Aug. 17 and its junior and beach tennis tours two weeks later when the U.S. Open is scheduled to begin. All ITF tours have been suspended since March because of the coronavirus pandemic. The ITF also announced its COVID-19 protocols for its tournaments and players. — The PGA Tour Series-China season has been canceled. The China-based tour's executive director says attempts to move the qualifying tournaments to other sites in Asia were not practical and restricted access into mainland China made it too difficult to stage tournaments in 2020. — The head of the Tokyo Olympics says the delayed games could not be held next year if conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic remain as they are. But Yoshiro Mori says he expects conditions to improve and is hopeful a COVID-19 vaccine will be developed soon. The postponed Olympics open a year from now on July 23, 2021.NFL-BILLS Charges dropped against Oliver CONROE, Texas (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped the drunken driving and illegal handgun charges against Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver, who had been arrested in May during a traffic stop in Houston's northern suburbs. A spokesperson for the Montgomery County DA's Office says the decision was due to lack of evidence after blood test results showed no intoxication. GOLF-BRITISH MASTERS Law and order at British Masters NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, England (AP) — David Law of Scotland shot a 7-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Oliver Fisher, Garrick Porteous and Renato Paratore in the opening round of the British Masters at Close House Golf Course near Newcastle on Wednesday. Aaron Cockerill, Rasmus Hojgard, Lee Slattery and Pedro Figueiredo were another shot back in a share of fifth, holding off a gaggle of nine players on 4 under. The tournament marks the start of the European Tour's "U.K. Swing," a series of six events played in England and Wales over the next six weeks devised primarily for ease of travel for players amid the coronavirus pandemic. . GOLF-WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN Women's British gets sponsorship extension, new branding ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The Women's British Open is keeping its title sponsor and getting a slightly different name. The R&amp;A announced Wednesday that New York-based finance and insurance group AIG. And now that the R&amp;A is charge on running the event, it said its official title will be the AIG Women's Open. It previously was called the Women's British Open. . OBIT-HASELRIG Former Steeler, NCAA wrestling champion Haselrig dies at 54 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Former Pittsburgh Steelers player Carlton Haselrig has died at age 54. Haselrig was a Pro Bowl right guard for the Steelers in the early 1990s and also the only wrestler in NCAA history to win six individual national championships. Pittsburgh-Johnstown wrestling coach Pat Pecora said Haselrig had been in declining health in recent years. Pecora molded Haselrig into a multiple heavyweight division champion at both the NCAA Division II and Division I levels in the 1980s Haselrig didn't play a down of college football after suffering an injury during his freshman year at Lock Haven. He spent five years in the NFL after the Steelers took him in the 12th round of the 1990 draft. His career was cut short in the mid-1990s due to a battle with alcohol and substance abuse.

Thursday Sports Headlines

CHENEY, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs (24-5) twelve game winning streak was snapped Wednesday night by the Cheney Diamond Dawgs 6-4 in Cheney.&nbsp; The loss puts the Monarchs one game back in the Sunflower League race behind Cheney.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Cheney finally pushed a run across to take a 1-0 lead. After that it was back and forth scoring with the Monarchs tying the game in the seventh inning when Garrett Stephens and Clayton Chadwick both homered to tie the game at 3-3.

The Diamond Dawgs answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead 4-3 plus 2 more runs in the eighth to finish their scoring.&nbsp; Hutchinson produced a run in the top of the ninth when Chadwick singled to score Luke Sartori to make the final score 6-4.&nbsp; Chadwick was 3 for 4 on the night with an RBI and scored a run.

Cheney's Rowan Arrant earned the win in relief while Caden Pogue to the loss for the Monarchs.

Same two teams tonight at the final game of the four game series returns to Hobart-Field in Hutchinson.&nbsp; Game time 7 pm as the game will be video streamed on hutchpost.com.

CHENEY, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs (24-5) twelve game winning streak was snapped Wednesday night by the Cheney Diamond Dawgs 6-4 in Cheney.&nbsp; The loss puts the Monarchs one game back in the Sunflower League race behind Cheney.The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Cheney finally pushed a run across to take a 1-0 lead. After that it was back and forth scoring with the Monarchs tying the game in the seventh inning when Garrett Stephens and Clayton Chadwick both homered to tie the game at 3-3.The Diamond Dawgs answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead 4-3 plus 2 more runs in the eighth to finish their scoring.&nbsp; Hutchinson produced a run in the top of the ninth when Chadwick singled to score Luke Sartori to make the final score 6-4.&nbsp; Chadwick was 3 for 4 on the night with an RBI and scored a run.Cheney's Rowan Arrant earned the win in relief while Caden Pogue to the loss for the Monarchs.Same two teams tonight at the final game of the four game series returns to Hobart-Field in Hutchinson.&nbsp; Game time 7 pm as the game will be video streamed on hutchpost.com.

Monarchs win streak snapped; drop 1 game back

A baseball season that was on the brink before it ever began because of the virus outbreak is set to start Thursday night when excitable Max Scherzer and the World Series champion Washington Nationals host prized ace Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees.

When it does get underway — the DC forecast calls for thunderstorms, the latest rocky inning in this what-can-go-wrong game — it’ll mark the most bizarre year in the history of Major League Baseball.

A 60-game season, stars opting out. Ballparks without fans, players wearing masks. Piped-in sound effects, cardboard cutouts for spectators. Spray-painted ads on the mound, pitchers with personal rosin bags.

And a rack of strange rules. DHs in the National League, well, OK. An automatic runner on second to start the 10th inning? C’mon, now.

“Gosh, it’s going to be fun,” Cole said. “It’s going to have fake crowd noise, and going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball.”

Plus, a poignant reminder of the world we live in. A Black Lives Matter stencil can be put on mounds throughout the majors during the opening weekend.

And still there’s a team that doesn’t know where it’s going to play — barred from Toronto because of health concerns, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays had hoped to roost in Pittsburgh or Baltimore or Buffalo or somewhere else.

“This is 2020 baseball,” Scherzer said.

To many fans, that will do. No other choice, really. Four months after the games were supposed to start, strange ball is better than no ball, right?

Opening day brings a tasty doubleheader: a marquee pitching matchup in Washington, followed by the nightcap at Dodger Stadium when star outfielder Mookie Betts, fresh off a $365 million, 12-year contract, and his new Los Angeles teammates take on the San Francisco Giants.

One player Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw won’t face: six-time All-Star, three-time champion and former MVP Buster Posey. The Giants catcher and his wife have adopted twin identical girls who were prematurely born, and he’s among about a dozen players who have chosen to sit out this year.

“From a baseball standpoint, it was a tough decision for me,” Posey said. “From a family standpoint, making a decision to protect children, our children, it was relatively easy.”

Dodgers pitcher David Price, Washington infielder Ryan Zimmerman and Atlanta outfielder Nick Markakis also are sitting out.

Other players won’t be ready by the weekend — on Wednesday, the Royals announced Hunter Dozier (26 home runs, 10 triples) had tested positive for the virus and was being put on the injured list.

For those are who healthy, it’s time to play. For how long, with the virus looming, we’ll find out soon enough.

Opening day, at last.A baseball season that was on the brink before it ever began because of the virus outbreak is set to start Thursday night when excitable Max Scherzer and the World Series champion Washington Nationals host prized ace Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees.When it does get underway — the DC forecast calls for thunderstorms, the latest rocky inning in this what-can-go-wrong game — it’ll mark the most bizarre year in the history of Major League Baseball.A 60-game season, stars opting out. Ballparks without fans, players wearing masks. Piped-in sound effects, cardboard cutouts for spectators. Spray-painted ads on the mound, pitchers with personal rosin bags.And a rack of strange rules. DHs in the National League, well, OK. An automatic runner on second to start the 10th inning? C’mon, now.MORE SPORTS STORIES:<ul>
 <li><a href="https://apnews.com/89e1b97adbea6e74c908b46b0df3db35">–&nbsp;Pennsylvania won't allow Blue Jays to play in Pittsburgh</a></li><li><a href="https://apnews.com/e63b77c170536ff1b721dbf0a2b5876b">–&nbsp;Tokyo head: Olympics not possible under current conditions</a></li><li><a href="https://apnews.com/83ddfac6b934446c54eebf724e3a4955">–&nbsp;MLB returns ball kids to lines after feedback from clubs</a></li>
 </ul>“Gosh, it’s going to be fun,” Cole said. “It’s going to have fake crowd noise, and going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball.”Plus, a poignant reminder of the world we live in. A Black Lives Matter stencil can be put on mounds throughout the majors during the opening weekend.And still there’s a team that doesn’t know where it’s going to play — barred from Toronto because of health concerns, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays had hoped to roost in Pittsburgh or Baltimore or Buffalo or somewhere else.“This is 2020 baseball,” Scherzer said.To many fans, that will do. No other choice, really. Four months after the games were supposed to start, strange ball is better than no ball, right?We’ll see.Opening day brings a tasty doubleheader: a marquee pitching matchup in Washington, followed by the nightcap at Dodger Stadium when star outfielder Mookie Betts, fresh off a $365 million, 12-year contract, and his new Los Angeles teammates take on the San Francisco Giants.One player Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw won’t face: six-time All-Star, three-time champion and former MVP Buster Posey. The Giants catcher and his wife have adopted twin identical girls who were prematurely born, and he’s among about a dozen players who have chosen to sit out this year.“From a baseball standpoint, it was a tough decision for me,” Posey said. “From a family standpoint, making a decision to protect children, our children, it was relatively easy.”Dodgers pitcher David Price, Washington infielder Ryan Zimmerman and Atlanta outfielder Nick Markakis also are sitting out.Other players won’t be ready by the weekend — on Wednesday, the Royals announced Hunter Dozier (26 home runs, 10 triples) had tested positive for the virus and was being put on the injured list.For those are who healthy, it’s time to play. For how long, with the virus looming, we’ll find out soon enough.Something that will be firmed up by the first pitch: how many teams will make the playoffs. A decision is due by then after renewed talks about expanding the postseason field.Tossing out the first ball at Nationals Park to begin a schedule clobbered by COVID-19 will be Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert.Full Coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/tag/apf-sports">Sports</a>“I used to play baseball as a young boy,” the 79-year-old Fauci told CNN. “I hope I don’t bounce it too much.”Don’t worry, Doc. Even before the first pitch, this season already has handled plenty of bad hops.“I think it will be emotional for fans that are huge fans of each team, but I think it will be emotional for sports fans, being able to see baseball return,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.Elsewhere around the bases this year:SOCIAL JUSTICEMLB players traditionally haven’t been as outspoken as those in the NFL and NBA on social issues. Until this year, former Oakland catcher Bruce Maxwell was the only baseball player to take a knee before the national anthem — he did that in 2017 and felt it cost him a future spot in the majors.New Giants manager Gabe Kapler and several of his players knelt during the national anthem before an exhibition game this week. A group of Reds did the same in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.“I wanted them to know that I wasn’t pleased with the way our country has handled police brutality and I told them I wanted to amplify their voices and I wanted to amplify the voice of the Black community and marginalized communities as well,” said Kapler, among 10 managers starting new jobs.Said Yankees star Aaron Judge: “That’s the beauty of America, is freedom of speech and freedom to express yourself.”“We got a special platform being athletes and being able to speak our mind and speak what’s going on in this world. Some people express it online. Some people express it with words. Some people kneel,” he said.MLB players can put a patch with “Black Lives Matter” or “United For Change” on a jersey sleeve during opening day.MASKED MENDidi Gregorius and Clint Frazier homered in exhibition games while wearing masks —those aren’t mandated on the field, but many other rules and guidelines are in place.Social distancing in the dugout. Skip tossing the ball around the infield after strikeouts. Keep the Phillie Phanatic and mascots off the field.No high-fives, either. Not a problem, Phillies slugger Bryce Harper said.“I think the air high-five is going to come back and be the coolest thing in baseball this year and be the coolest thing in sports,” he said.Still, a lot of protocols to keep in mind for players who’ve been doing things the same way since they were kids.“Is it going to be perfect the very first day?” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Probably not.”BOO WHO?All those hoots and hisses the Houston Astros heard in March, they’re gone now. Some fans will claim the guys who took part in that sign-stealing scam are getting off easy, not feeling the wrath of crowds on the road.MLB has issued stern warnings against any basebrawling this year. Even so, some Houston hitters might feel a little retribution — José Altuve, Alex Bregman and George Springer all got hit by pitches Tuesday night in Kansas City during the Astros’ final tuneup.