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Like any other milestone in the WNBA, the 2022 All-Star Game will be about much more than basketball.Players rarely stay on the sidelines when it comes to a fight for human rights. As the league converges on Chicago for All-Star weekend, players carry with them the burden of a tumultuous year of advocacy for trans children, reproductive rights and gun control.AdvertisementBut the foremost issue for the league and its players is the imprisonment of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner, who pleaded guilty to drug possession charges in Russia earlier this week in an effort to possibly secure a prisoner exchange with the U.S. government.After assembling a letter co-signed by nearly 1,200 prominent Black women including Bernice King and Dawn Staley, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association will continue to plead with the Biden administration to negotiate for Griner’s release throughout the weekend.Advertisement“With a 99% conviction rate, Russia’s process is its own,” the WNBPA said in a statement Thursday. “You can’t navigate it or even understand it like our own legal system. What we do know is that the U.S. State Department determined that Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained for a reason and will continue negotiating her release regardless of the legal process. We’ll leave it at that.“The administration needs to know that this powerful collective is behind them and supports whatever needs to be done to get BG, Paul Whelan and other detained U.S. nationals home right away.”Griner’s absence will leave a gaping hole throughout All-Star weekend as the league plans to use the platform to hold attention to her imprisonment. But the scope of player activism will be wide-ranging as mass shootings and attacks on abortion and transgender rights swept through the country this season.In the wake of mass shootings in an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school and a Buffalo, N.Y., supermarket, players enacted media blackouts and used social media to demand stricter gun control legislation. Now the league’s All-Stars arrive in Chicago to a community still reeling from a mass shooting in Highland Park on the Fourth of July.“We have an issue in this country,” Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud said after the team announced a media blackout following the Uvalde shooting. “Not only white supremacy — we also have a gun violence issue. … We’re talking about our kids not being safe to go to school, and our government is still not implementing sensible gun laws.“This isn’t about taking people’s rights away from bearing arms, this is about putting sensible gun laws in so this doesn’t happen again.”The same political fervor spilled over following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last month, sparking protests that likely will continue this weekend.The Seattle Storm released a statement declaring the team was “furious and ready to fight.” The WNBPA echoed league-wide uproar against the decision in a statement on June 24.Advertisement“Are we in a democracy where guns have more rights than women?” the statement read. “This ruling provides a treacherous pathway to abortion bans that reinforce economic, social and political inequities and could lead to higher rates of maternal mortality while eviscerating rights to reproductive freedom for everyone. To protect our democracy, we must vote like our lives depend on it. Because they do.”In a league predominantly represented by Black and queer women, it never has been a surprise that WNBA athletes take their platforms seriously.But this year’s All-Star Game highlights a continued shift in the power given to the voices of women’s athletes.“For people that are standing up and being the voice — I think it’s really important,” Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot said on WGN in June. “The fight’s not over. People need voices and I think the WNBA and the Chicago Sky is a great platform.”

The season is months away, but Chicago Bulls fans can get their first taste of the 2022-23 team Friday when the Bulls begin play in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.The tournament began with two games Thursday and will run through July 17. A Bulls team consisting mostly of rookies — including first-round draft pick Dalen Terry — and second-year players will face the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets in the first round.AdvertisementHere are five storylines to track throughout the summer league.Assistant coach John Bryant will lead the Bulls in the summer league for the first time. After two seasons in Chicago focused mostly on working with centers and forwards, Bryant got the nod from Bulls coach Billy Donovan to guide this summer’s group of young players.AdvertisementBryant will be inspired on and off the court by the memory of his father, John, who died last year after battling COVID-19.“I know he’d be proud of me,” Bryant said. “I’m trying to do it the best way that I can every day. When I played, he just was like: ‘Hustle. Try your best. Do your best. Work hard.’ And I’m trying to do that for not only our players and our staff but to be a reflection of what he taught me to do. I know he’s smiling.”Read more here.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 17The Bulls introduce first-round draft pick Dalen Terry on June 27, 2022, at the Advocate Center. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)After the Bulls selected him with the No. 18 pick, Terry will get his first chance to prove himself against fellow NBA players. With Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams not competing in summer league games this year, Terry’s performance will be the most important to track for the Bulls.Terry has been working on his shooting and fitness this summer to make the leap to the NBA. It’s unclear how many minutes he can expect as a rookie, but the summer league will provide a beneficial challenge to see how he sizes up against pros.The Bulls’ Marko Simonovic (19) defends the Spurs’ Nate Renfro during an NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas on Aug. 10, 2021. (Chase Stevens / AP)A second-round pick in the 2020 draft, Simonović struggled to crack the Bulls rotation as a rookie. He appeared in only nine games, averaging 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in garbage time. But his performance in the G League for the Windy City Bulls — he averaged 17 points and 9.9 rebounds in 28 games — bolstered optimism about his future potential.The 6-foot-11 Simonović packed on 25 pounds in his rookie season and is focusing on strength this summer to prepare for his second season. It won’t be make or break, but his performance in the summer league could help the Bulls determine whether the young center is prepared to take a bigger role behind Nikola Vučević and newly acquired backup Andre Drummond. Read more here.Howard’s Makur Maker defends VCU’s Nah’Shon Hyland during the NBA draft combine on June 24, 2021, at Wintrust Arena. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Maker became the highest-ranked modern-era recruit to sign with a historically black college or university when the consensus five-star picked Howard in 2020, but his college career was cut short after he suffered a groin injury two games into his freshman season.AdvertisementThe 6-11 Maker withdrew his name from the 2021 draft and spent last season playing with the Sydney Kings in Australia. After going undrafted last month, he’s making another bid to reach the NBA as a summer league player with the Bulls.DePaul’s Javon Freeman-Liberty puts up a shot against Marquette on Jan. 11, 2022, in Milwaukee. (Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)The summer league roster is filled with former college standouts who are hoping to impress in Las Vegas and earn G League or rookie contracts.After coming off the bench as a freshman at Marquette, Justin Lewis averaged 16.8 points in his sophomore season. Bryant said Lewis impressed the Bulls coaching staff with his energy and competitiveness in his first practices ahead of summer league.Javon Freeman-Liberty averaged 21.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a senior at DePaul last season. A Chicago native and Young graduate, Freeman-Liberty transferred to DePaul in 2020 after two years at Valparaiso. He was mentored by his uncle, “Flyin’ Illini” legend and former NBA player Marcus Liberty. Friday: Dallas Mavericks, 3 p.m., ESPNUSunday: New York Knicks, 4 p.m., ESPN2Tuesday: Toronto Raptors, 4 p.m., NBATVThursday: Charlotte Hornets, 5 p.m., ESPN2Guards/wingsNo. 9, Ethan Thompson, rookie (Oregon State)No. 21, Malcolm Hill, second yearNo. 25, Dalen Terry, rookie (Arizona)No. 26, Carlik Jones, second yearNo. 50, Javon Freeman-Liberty, rookie (DePaul)No. 55, Justin Wright-Foreman, second yearNo. 72, Perrion Callandret, rookie (Idaho)No. 95, Sindarius Thornwell, fourth yearCenters/forwardsNo. 19, Marko Simonovic, second-yearNo. 34, Justin Lewis, rookie (Marquette)No. 76, Akoldah Gak, rookie (Illawarra)No. 83, Henri Dell, rookie (Estonia)No. 99, Makur Maker, rookie (Howard)

Last fall, the Chicago Sky won its first WNBA title in a 80-74 victory over the Phoenix Mercury at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Fans were ecstatic, declaring the win a victory for both the team and women’s sports as a whole. But at the time, basketball-loving Chicagoans reported challenges finding merchandise to celebrate the city’s hottest sports team. Months later, Sky merchandise is a little easier to find but access could still be improved, retailers and fans say. That’s something that may be of note to the fans planning to descend upon Wintrust Arena this weekend for the WNBA All-Star Game, which will be played at noon Sunday .AdvertisementFour Sky players are set to make appearances at the All-Star Game. Sky star Candace Parker was the first draft pick. She’ll be joined in the arena by Chicago teammates Kahleah Copper, Emma Meesseman and Courtney Vandersloot, all of whom are reserves.AdvertisementOutside the arena, it may be a little easier for fans to access merchandise in bricks-and-mortar stores than it was in the immediate aftermath of the team’s championship win. But lags in the time it takes for merchandise to arrive after retailers order it means there’s generally more availability online — though online purchases require fans to wait for shipping and delivery.Jason Caref, co-owner of Clark Street Sports, which has a number of locations in the Chicago area, said he wants to sell “as much Sky merchandise we can get our hands on.” Caref said he ordered Candace Parker bobbleheads after the team won the WNBA championship last year. The bobbleheads came in about a month ago, he said. They are the only Sky merchandise he has in stock right now, and they sell.Clark Street Sports co-owner Jason Caref with Candace Parker bobbleheads for sale on July 7, 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)A man who identified himself as one of the managers of Chicago Sports & Novelty on Michigan Avenue said the store sells kids Sky T-shirts, as well keychains, can huggies and lanyards. The store ordered adult Sky merchandise before the team’s season started, but it still hadn’t arrived, the manager said.Caref said Clark Street Sports orders merchandise far in advance — he placed an order this week for more Sky products that will arrive next spring. He also plans to order Sky items on “chase,” meaning merchandise that is made domestically and can be shipped more quickly than the store’s typical orders, which are produced internationally.The chase products, he said in a text message, are “for when Sky win the championship again!”Caref said that last year, global supply chain issues related to COVID-19 scrambled retailers’ ability to place orders for chase product.“You think about a business like mine, our niche is we carry Chicago teams,” Caref said. He pointed to the records of the city’s other sports teams, including the Cubs, White Sox, Bears and Blackhawks.“The only good teams right now are the Sky and the Bulls,” he said.AdvertisementBrian Panganiban, creator of social media fan account The Sky Show Chi, said Sky merchandise availability had improved online, though it can still be difficult to find products in person.And Panganiban said that, despite the increased availability, he thinks there is still a gap between the amount of merchandise available for Sky fans and the amount fans of men’s sports teams have access to.“I think, just Bulls merchandising you have so options, so many different kinds of jerseys out there. Any fan of any sort — like an adult fan, a women’s fit, a youth, a toddler, even pets and stuff — they all kind have the opportunity to get whatever Bulls merchandise they’re kind of looking for,” he said.Peyton Moriarity, a spokesperson for Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is the official sporting goods retail partner of the WNBA, said the company has 16 stores in the Chicago market that carry Sky merchandise. The company carries Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, and Kahleah Copper T-shirts, as well as adult Parker jerseys and youth Parker and Vandersloot jerseys, she said. It does not carry Emma Meesseman products. All-Star Game specific T-shirts are available on the Dick’s website, Moriarity said.Moriarity said that in Chicago, Dick’s locations in the South Loop and Lincoln Park will carry all-star merchandise.AdvertisementFanatics, one of the largest sports retailers in the U.S., did not list any Sky jerseys in its online store in October. Now, it sells customizable Chicago Sky and 2022 All-Star Game jerseys, which retail for $129.99 and $139.99, respectively.And as far as representation from the Sky’s 2022 All-Stars goes, the company also sells two women’s Candace Parker jerseys. It sells a Courtney Vandersloot 2021 All-Star jersey, an Emma Meesseman T-shirt from her time on the Washington Mystics and no Kahleah Copper merchandise. Fans can also choose from a host of general Sky merchandise, such as slides and sweatshirts.Caref said demand for Sky products was highest right around the Sky’s championship win but he was still hearing from fans who wanted to buy team merchandise.“It’s why I really want to carry it,” he said.

Eloy Jiménez ripped a liner to begin the fifth inning Thursday against the Detroit Tigers that looked destined for left field. But third baseman Jeimer Candelario made a diving catch, robbing the Chicago White Sox left fielder of a hit.AdvertisementThe play kept Beau Brieske’s no-hitter intact.The Sox would finally get their first hit an inning later when Josh Harrison singled to left leading off the sixth. But the Sox produced little else until a rally in the ninth inning fizzled in a 2-1 loss to the Tigers in front of 21,876 at Guaranteed Rate Field.Advertisement“(Brieske) stayed out of the middle of the zone (and) got ahead of hitters,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “All the stuff good pitchers do. Hopefully the next time we see him we have a better chance. He pitched well.”Brieske allowed two hits, walked one and struck out four in 6⅓ scoreless innings, silencing the Sox bats in the opener of a four-game series.[ [Don’t miss] ‘Blessed to get into this position’: Chicago White Sox SS Tim Anderson in the running for All-Star Game start ]“He executed his off-speed pretty well,” Sox right fielder AJ Pollock said. “He gave me one pitch to hit, and I missed it. Sometimes that’s all you get. He executed his pitches well. Obviously we get a couple of things to fall, it might be a different ballgame. But we didn’t have that happen.”The Sox trailed 2-0 heading to the bottom of the ninth. Tim Anderson singled with one out and Pollock walked. Luis Robert drove in Anderson with a double to right.The tying run was on third base and the winning run on second, but Gregory Soto got out of the jam, striking out José Abreu and getting Eloy Jiménez to ground out to shortstop Javier Báez.“It’s a tough ballgame,” Pollock said. “The numbers aren’t saying it’s a slam dunk to get that runner in no matter how good you are. Especially against the closer out there. We put ourselves in position to tie it up and it just didn’t work out.”Dylan Cease took the loss, allowing one run on three hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in six innings.“I thought I threw pretty good,” Cease said. “I would have liked to limit the walks, but sometimes it happens. It was pretty solid.”AdvertisementCease came into the outing 10-0 with a 1.91 ERA in 11 career starts against the Tigers.“I thought he was really good,” La Russa said. “He worked out of tough jams, he finished strong. I thought he was outstanding. Didn’t deserve to be the losing pitcher.”Báez, the former Cubs shortstop, was booed by the Sox fans but homered to left leading off the fourth for the game’s first run.“It was not too bad,” Cease said of the pitch. “From what I remember, it seemed to be down and away.”The Sox had one base runner, a one-out walk by Harrison in the third, before he singled to start the sixth. The Sox elected to bunt him to second, and Reese McGuire executed it well.Anderson grounded out to Báez. He initially was ruled safe when first- base umpire Andy Fletcher said Kody Clemens didn’t stay on the bag. But the call was reversed after a replay review.AdvertisementHarrison advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Pollock lined out to Báez to end the threat.“At that time, how many hits did we have?” La Russa said when asked about deciding to bunt. “And you get him at second base and you’ve got (Anderson) and Pollock to tie the game. Yeah, I thought the smell of that game was low scoring, and both guys hit the ball hard, hard ground ball, line drive.“We hit the ball hard enough to have gotten something, but not to take away from how well the guy pitched.”The Tigers added a run in the ninth when pinch hitter Spencer Torkelson drove in Eric Haase with a two-out single against reliever Tanner Banks.That became a big run as the Sox mounted a comeback in the bottom of the ninth that came up short. The team couldn’t build on Wednesday’s 9-8 10-inning win against the Minnesota Twins and is 39-42 at the midway point of the season.“Honestly it’s hard to explain, it’s not really our job to explain,” Pollock said. “We’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to fix stuff. We’ve got to put our good routines out there and keep working. You hope it turns.Advertisement“We had a good day (Wednesday) and it feels like a letdown (Thursday), but you’ve just got to keep working.”

ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 25Chicago White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez heads to the locker room after grounding out to end the game in 2-1 a loss to the Tigers on Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

LOS ANGELES — The Chicago Cubs have gained some insight into Kyle Hendrick’s right shoulder strain.An MRI showed no structural damage, and he will not need surgery, manager David Ross said Thursday. But the Cubs don’t know when Hendricks will be back on the mound.AdvertisementThe team wants to get through the four-game series at Dodger Stadium — which opened Thursday night — and return home before getting a better idea of Hendricks’ timeline.“You knew he was dealing with something, so it’s unfortunate,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said Thursday. “But he’s such a gamer. He was going to keep trying to go out there and grind it for the guys. He knew where we were. But it’s unfortunate for Kyle.”AdvertisementThis is the second time Hendricks is dealing with a shoulder issue since early June, when he went 12 days between starts because of fatigue. That makes Hendricks’ situation more concerning. Asked whether it would be unrealistic to expect Hendricks to need only a minimum stint on the injured list, Hottovy replied, “I don’t know, to be honest.”Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks wipes the sweat from his face during a game against the Cardinals on May 20 at Wrigley Field. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)Hendricks did not travel with the Cubs to Los Angeles, staying in Chicago to get treatment on his shoulder. The layoff in June enabled Hendricks to make five starts until shoulder discomfort caused him to exit Tuesday’s start in Milwaukee after three innings.“I just know we tried the 15 days last time without putting him on the IL, we kind of tried to give it to him thinking that was right thing to do, and obviously it didn’t quite work (except) for a couple of weeks,” Hottovy said. “So we’ve got to take that into consideration.“Now we’re kind of back to that same spot so how do we reevaluate moving forward what the next steps are going to be to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”The Cubs are being cautious while they await to get a fuller picture of Hendricks’ injury. But if anything can be gleaned from left-hander Wade Miley’s situation in which he reaggravated his injury, Hendricks’ return could be measured in weeks, not days.Miley, who has been out since June 11 with a left shoulder strain, played catch Thursday. He is still working through a throwing progression. Miley needs to get to a point at which he is feeling strong and repeating good long-toss days, Hottovy said, before he works up to throwing a bullpen.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The Cubs rotation should get a boost this weekend, though. Right-hander Marcus Stroman and left-hander Drew Smyly are expected to be activated from the IL and start against the Dodgers. They both threw a typical prestart bullpen Thursday, and if they feel good coming out of it, they will slot back in the rotation. The Cubs have not yet announced who will start Saturday and Sunday. Justin Steele would have been in line to start Saturday, but he is in Chicago awaiting the birth of his child.Hottovy is optimistic Smyly and Stroman will be ready to go against the Dodgers.Advertisement“Anytime you get reinforcements, it’s always refreshing,” Hottovy said. “The last thing you want to do is push guys just because you feel like, oh, my gosh, we need them and making decisions that’s not best for them. But both of those guys are feeling great.”The Cubs still have one potential arm to help them during the final two months of the season. Right-hander Adbert Alzolay has worked up to long toss and a 10-15 pitch touch-and-feel throwing session, though he is still in the early stages of ramping up, Hottovy noted. Hope remains that Alzolay will return at some point this season from his right shoulder strain.Left-hander Brailyn Márquez’s status remains unclear. Hottovy said he hasn’t been getting many reports on Márquez and that the goal is to get him feeling good. Márquez has not pitched in a minor-league game since 2019. He made his big-league debut in September 2020 and did not pitch last season because of a shoulder injury and dealt with myocarditis after a bout with COVID.Hottovy said Alzolay is “starting to trend in the right direction,” though the Cubs want to make sure he builds up the right way and they don’t rush him back.“Anytime we can get him to compete this year, it’s going to be a bonus for next year,” Hottovy said. “Because if you start getting too far into the season where he doesn’t have those innings, now you’re talking about next year: What’s the workload going to be like? How much can we expect? So I think whatever we can get this year, even if it’s for the last month this season and he throws 35-40 innings, that’s a bonus.”

INDIANAPOLIS — Emma Meesseman scored 20 points, Candace Parker had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists and the Chicago Sky beat the Indiana Fever 93-84 on Thursday night to secure home court for the Commissioner’s Cup game.The Sky (16-6) will host the Las Vegas Aces on July 26 for the Commissioner’s Cup.AdvertisementJulie Allemand beat the third-quarter buzzer with a long 3-pointer to extend the Sky’s lead to 77-57. The Fever scored 18 of the opening 27 points of the fourth, but the Sky held on in their last game before the All-Star break.The All-Star Game is at noon Sunday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Advertisement[ The WNBA All-Star Game is this weekend at Wintrust Arena. Here’s everything you need to know about the festivities. ][ Candace Parker’s Revenge Tour: The Chicago Sky All-Star keeps proving doubters wrong — one milestone at a time ]Azura Stevens scored 16 points and Allie Quigley added 13 for the Sky, while Courtney Vandersloot had seven points and six assists.Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points and rookie NaLyssa Smith had her sixth double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Fever (5-19).Tiffany Mitchell added 15 points, Victoria Vivians was held scoreless on 0-of-9 shooting and Danielle Robinson was 1 of 10 for four points.The Fever made just one their first of 10 shots through four-plus minutes. Smith scored the Fever’s opening 10 points.

The Chicago White Sox haven’t had a shortstop start the All-Star Game since Luis Aparicio in 1970.Tim Anderson is in the running to update that list.AdvertisementAnderson and Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays are the finalists to start at shortstop in the American League for this year’s All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.Anderson held a 55%-45% edge after Thursday’s voting update, according to MLB.com.Advertisement“Definitely a blessing,” Anderson said before Thursday’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field. “We understand it’s a grind. And just to see, from the time I jumped into this organization, to see where I’m at now, it’s been great.“I’ve been thankful, I’ve been blessed to get into this position. And to be leading the starting (vote), it’s cool, it’s pretty cool. I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of people that would want to be in that position, and for it to be me, I don’t take anything for granted. I’ll always be thankful and I’ll definitely appreciate the moment if it does happen.”Voting available at MLB.com ends at 1 p.m., and the results will be announced at 6 p.m. on ESPN.Anderson appreciated the support from the fans.“It definitely says a lot about that they’re paying attention to what’s really going on,” Anderson said. “Just being thought about and being voted for, I’m definitely thankful for that. I appreciate them and I thank them for rooting and voting.”Keep those votes coming for TA7. 🗳Vote now through 1:00 p.m. CT tomorrow to make sure Tim Anderson is a starter for the MLB All-Star Game!— #VoteTA7 (@whitesox) July 7, 2022

Anderson earned his first All-Star selection as a reserve last season. He was one of four Sox on the AL roster in the game at Coors Field in Denver. Anderson entered at shortstop in the eighth and was in the on-deck circle in the top of the ninth when the inning’s final out was recorded.“To finally get that first one, I have to continue to keep working year after year,” Anderson said Saturday in San Francisco. “But definitely was a blessing and definitely was a dream come true as well. Just another great accomplishment.”Pitchers and reserves, added via a combination of player-ballot choices and picks from the Commissioner’s office, will be announced at 4:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN.AdvertisementDylan Cease, who started Thursday, is among the pitchers who could represent the Sox. He was 7-3 with a 2.51 ERA in his first 16 starts. Cease is third in the majors with 125 strikeouts.Despite a recent cold spell — slashing .167/.216/.188 (8-for-48) with one extra-base hit in his last 11 games entering Thursday — Anderson still would be sixth in the AL in batting average (.314) if he had the required plate appearances.His 10 three-hit games rank second in the majors behind Xander Bogaerts (11) of the Boston Red Sox.“Just continue to keep grinding,” Anderson said of his approach. “You understand it’s a long season, but you’ve got to grind it out and keep learning, keep growing. I’m just at a point where you keep learning to identify yourself. You just keep grinding out, that’s all you can do.“The days aren’t going to stop, everything’s going to keep going. All you can do is grab hold to it and keep pushing.”The Sox are trying to make a push in the AL Central. They began Thursday in third place in the division, 5½ games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins.AdvertisementThe Sox received a lift Wednesday when Eloy Jiménez returned from the injured list. The left fielder had a two-run homer and an RBI single, helping the Sox beat the Twins 9-8 in 10 innings. It was his first game since April 23, when he suffered a torn right hamstring tendon.“Good to have his energy back,” Anderson said. “He swung the bat real well. Hopefully he can keep going. But it’s good to bring more energy in and get him back. I’m excited for him. Hopefully we can keep pushing and keep having fun and turn things around.“(He) bring another personality. We’d like more wins with more fun. But we understand the process and understand the grind. We’ve just got to stay the course and keep working and try to get better.”Catcher Yasmani Grandal began an injury rehab assignment with Double-A Birmingham on Thursday, serving as the designated hitter against Tennessee.Grandal has been on the injured list retroactive to June 12 with lower back spasms.“He’s an amazing guy,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said Thursday. “Last year (when he missed time with a torn left knee tendon) and this year when he went down, you think down and out. But he was down but not out.Advertisement“Every day that guy’s dedication to the craft is impressive. He’s getting his body ready but mentally there’s no days off.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong has earned a notable honor in his first full professional baseball season.A torn labrum in his right shoulder ended his year six games into the 2021 season before the New York Mets traded him to the Chicago Cubs for shortstop Javier Báez. Crow-Armstrong has shown why the Mets drafted him 19th overall in 2020 as he quickly has risen the prospect rankings.AdvertisementAmid a great performance this year in the Cubs system, Crow-Armstrong on Thursday was named to the All-Star Futures Game as the team’s lone representative. The 20-year-old outfielder owns a .315/.382/.523 slash line with eight doubles, seven triples, nine home runs and 53 runs scored in 56 games between Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend. His offensive production complements stellar defense in center field.Baseball America ranks Crow-Armstrong at No. 43 among all minor-league prospects and sits third in the organization behind Brennen Davis and Seiya Suzuki. He also is one of four Cubs prospects in MLB.com’s latest prospect rankings, at No. 80, joining Davis (No. 30), Cristian Hernandez (No. 69) and Kevin Alcantara (No. 99), who is the latest addition.AdvertisementThe White Sox are represented in the Futures Game by outfielder Oscar Colás. The 23-year-old Cuban native is slashing .316/.374/.487 with 13 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 42 RBIs in 56 games at High-A Winston-Salem.Colás is rated sixth in the Sox organization by Baseball America while MLB.com puts him second overall behind shortstop Colson Montgomery.

The Chicago Blackhawks traded star winger Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators for the Nos. 7 and 39 picks in this year’s NHL draft and a third-rounder in 2024.The Hawks closed the chapter on DeBrincat’s five-season run in which the 2016 second-round pick emerged into their top goal-producer and heir apparent to Patrick Kane.AdvertisementGeneral manager Kyle Davidson reportedly turned down several offers for DeBrincat, who scored 41 goals last season, until he got the wow deal he was looking for, which will serve as the building block for a yearslong rebuild.“We thank Alex for his tireless dedication to the Blackhawks organization over the last five seasons and wish him the best in Ottawa,” Davidson said in a team statement. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to trade a player of Alex’s caliber. We feel as if this move sets the Blackhawks up for future success by giving us additional flexibility and future talent. Securing this early of a first-round pick for tonight and an additional second-round selection tomorrow allows us to fortify our prospect base with high-end players who we expect to be a difference makers in the coming years.”AdvertisementOn the surface, it wasn’t the haul that Brandon Hagel’s trade fetched — two conditional first-round picks and two prospects from the Tampa Bay Lightning — but Davidson had been working furiously to get a first-round pick in this year’s draft.Several factors paved the way for the trade to happen.The Seth Jones trade in July, executed by Davidson’s predecessor, Stan Bowman, required the Hawks to send their first-round pick this year to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Since Davidson replaced Bowman in late October, he has lamented losing that pick — especially now that he has embarked on a rebuild.And with that decision to hit the reset button on the franchise, the Hawks extended the clock on returning to Stanley Cup contention.Another mitigating factor: The Hawks needed to find a trade partner that not only had the assets they wanted but the space to accommodate DeBrincat’s cap hit both now and in the future.Even at age 24, the Hawks might risk seeing DeBrincat pass his prime before they’re competitive again. Also, the Hawks have said they want to be cautious with their spending, and a qualifying offer to DeBrincat would cost them $9 million.The Hawks also are trying to build up picks and prospects, so trading DeBrincat now serves two purposes: adding a two more picks in the first two rounds this year and — with the loss of their most dynamic winger besides Kane — putting them firmly in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes in 2023.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Amateur scouting director described Bedard as a “generational” talent as well as Matvei Michkov and Adam Fantilli, giving the Hawks three chances at a franchise player if they lose enough games to end up in the top three of the lottery.AdvertisementBut that might be little consolation, at least in the early going, for Hawks fans who’ve embraced DeBrincat as the future of the franchise.The question is, is the return worth the cost?Part of Davidson’s self-imposed mandate was to restock with a lot of picks and/or prospects, so mission accomplished there.Now, the Hawks have seven picks in the first three rounds of this year’s draft.One first-rounder, No. 7 overallThree in the second roundThree in the third roundThe Hawks have two first-round picks (one of them top-10 protected) and two second-round picks in 2023 and two first-round picks (one, top-10 protected) and two third-round picks in 2024.If the Hawks don’t make any other moves, they could end up with 17 picks in the first three rounds over the next three seasons.