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When he makes his head coaching debut in the Chicago Bulls’ first NBA Summer League game Friday, John Bryant will have one person at the front of his mind — his father, John.Bryant didn’t travel to Las Vegas with the Bulls last year for summer league. Instead, he spent the time with his father, who was battling COVID-19.Advertisement“It was the best decision of my life,” Bryant said.Bryant’s father died later that year, but Bryant said the time together was invaluable. A year later, Bryant said his father’s guidance affects the way he approaches each day as a Bulls assistant coach.Advertisement“I can hear him,” Bryant said. “I talk to him every day. He’d be so proud of me.”This summer will mark Bryant’s first outing as a head coach after being selected by head coach Billy Donovan to lead a Bulls team headlined by 2022 draftee Dalen Terry and second-year center Marko Simonović.Although Donovan has been on hand to oversee summer practices, Bryant said he has been impressed with the amount of responsibility afforded him in the role. Bryant described Donovan as a “wise old sage” — before jokingly backtracking to make sure the head coach didn’t think he was actually being called “old” — who offered only occasional advice from the sidelines.Stepping into a head coach position comes with its challenges. Bryant was a bit hoarse after his first four days of practice, gobbling down cough drops to soothe his voice.“I never talk this much — not even with my wife,” Bryant said. “I’m finding my voice.”Bryant is intent on honing the Bullsfor a strong outing in Las Vegas, but he feels his role off the court is equally important. Even though players share lives together in the locker room and on the court, Bryant believes emotional vulnerability can still be a challenge between teammates.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Each day before and after practice, he gathers players together at half court to share about themselves and one another. This includes giving out a “Warrior” award for putting in the most effort in practice, the nomination for which requires a player to explain why he admires his teammate.Bryant began this process on the first day of practice, sharing his experience with the loss of his father and how it impacted the way he viewed basketball.Advertisement“I let them into a part of my life and got real with them,” Bryant said. “And then they could be real with me. As much as I can do that, I think that to me is real coaching. “Of course, I’ve got to get paid and everyone needs to win and all that, but to me real coaching is coaching these young men to be better men to their communities, better fathers, better brothers, better cousins, better friends. I think I’m doing my best to do that every day.”Bryant and the Bulls will travel to Las Vegas on Thursday to begin the four-game first round of the summer league tournament.Although he won’t be in the stands, Bryant knows his father will be present throughout his debut.“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.”

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden spoke Wednesday with the wife of detained WNBA player Brittney Griner, who is on trial in Russia, and assured her that that he is working to win Griner’s freedom as soon as possible, the White House said.Biden’s conversation with Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, followed Brittney Griner’s personal appeal to the president in a handwritten letter from the basketball player the White House received on Monday. In the letter, Griner acknowledged her fears that she would spend forever in detention in Russia and asked Biden not “forget about me and the other American Detainees.”AdvertisementGriner has been detained for four months and is currently on trial in Russia, accused of possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.“The President called Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible, as well as the release of Paul Whelan and other U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world,” the White House said in a statement. “He also read her a draft of the letter the President is sending to Brittney Griner today.”AdvertisementBiden offered his support to the family and committed to making sure they receive “all possible assistance” while the administration pursues steps to win Brittney Griner’s release, the White House said.Griner is in the midst of a trial in Russia that began last week after she was arrested on Feb. 17 on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for her Russian team. The trial is scheduled to resume Thursday.Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in U.S. courts, acquittals can be overturned.Cherelle Griner told “CBS Mornings” in an interview Tuesday that it was “disheartening” to her that she had yet to hear from Biden during Brittney Griner’s detention.Brittney Griner’s wife Cherelle says it is “very disheartening” that she still has not heard back from the White House — after Brittney penned a handwritten letter to Pres. Biden from a Russian prison pleading for help. pic.twitter.com/MTyQqCJIBj— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) July 5, 2022

The Chicago White Sox are looking to receive an offensive boost, reinstating left fielder Eloy Jiménez from the injured list before Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins.Jiménez has been on the IL since April 24 with a right hamstring tendon tear. He suffered the injury the previous day trying to beat a throw to first base in the second inning of a game against the Twins at Target Field.AdvertisementJiménez is slashing .222/.256/.333 this season with one home run and seven RBIs in 11 games. He slashed .246/.317/.351 with two homers and seven RBIs in 17 games during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte.The Sox also made several other moves Wednesday, placing infielder Jake Burger (bone bruise) on the 10-day IL and right-hander Vince Velasquez (blister) on the 15-day IL. Pitcher Jimmy Lambert was recalled from Charlotte. AdvertisementInfielder Danny Mendick, who tore his right ACL last month, was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

You’d think someone running his first NHL draft might tread lightly, but the Chicago Blackhawks’ new director of amateur scouting sees it as an opportunity for a big I-told-ya-so.Come one, come all, Hawks trolls. Mike Doneghey welcomes you.Advertisement“I hope we see the fruits of (Thursday’s draft) in three or four years (and) I’m able to pull up how many people bashed me the day after the draft, saying, ‘Who’s this guy they’re picking? Who’s that guy they picked? He stinks, he can’t do this,’” Doneghey told the Tribune. “Then in four or five years, I want apologies.”In fact, he has a venue for his dream scenario.Advertisement“I want to do like a public address announcement at the United Center. Give me the microphone,” Doneghey said with a laugh. “I just think it would be funny. … I love (that) the fans are dialed into it, the chatter and who we might pick. I love that, I think it’s great. The fan base is awesome.”Doneghey is no stranger to rabid fan bases.He grew up in Boston’s West Roxbury neighborhood playing goalie and rooting for the Bruins’ Ray Bourque, Cam Neely and Andy Moog.He boasts — in his thick Boston accent — that his current residence in North Attleboro, Mass., is “eight miles from the mecca of Foxborough and Gillette Stadium.”But Doneghey is just as surprised as anyone that he’s in charge of drafting the next generation of Hawks, though it’s a bittersweet turn of events for him. He credits predecessor Mark Kelley for giving him a chance, though Doneghey got this opportunity because general manager Kyle Davidson fired Kelley in early March.Said Doneghey of being named amateur scouting director: “It was like season tickets to the Red Sox. Like, you can’t get season tickets to the Red Sox until somebody passes away. People just don’t give them up.”[ Column: Chicago Blackhawks’ clock hinges on Alex DeBrincat’s status — and trading him could have huge repercussions ]Doneghey said he was excited and struck by how Davidson presented the opportunity to him.Advertisement“He was like, ‘Hey, when you’re going into a rebuild, one of the most important positions is the guy who’s drafting the players,’” Doneghey said.“Now, it’s not just on me — I’ve got a great staff, guys in management, they watch games — so I wasn’t like, ‘Oh, my god.’ Then a couple days go by and you’re like, ‘OK, we’ve got to build this thing up, how do we do it?’“Then you start thinking if you do have success, then your name’s there for being a part of building a championship team.”Doneghey spoke to the Tribune about the Hawks’ draft strategy and some little-known aspects of the job. The following has been edited slightly for brevity and clarity.Who do you think the Hawks can target in the second round?Owen Beck, Paul Ludwinski, Ryan Greene, Cam Lund, Noah Warren (are) players we would be looking at in the second round who might be available. … All of them are very good skaters and busy players and have a good motor.AdvertisementCam Lund is a 6-2 winger that’s going to Northeastern (University) who can really skate. He can score, he’s got a little bit of the whole package — size, skating, competitiveness.Owen Beck and Paul Ludwinski are just about 6 feet, two-way centers … very competitive, very smart players.Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson takes questions after an event at the United Center Concert Club on May 16, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)Ryan Greene is a little bit taller, 6-1½; he’s going to Boston University. He’s fast — he’s not like a super burner — but he’s a very good skater, very powerful skater. He’s competitive and has a very good brain.Noah Warren on defense, he’s a 6-5 right shot. Got to have a little bit of upper value as a right-shot defenseman, especially with his size. He’s super athletic, can really skate, ultra-competitive. Erik Černák-type of player comes to mind.David Goyette, I wouldn’t be surprised if he leads the OHL in scoring next year. He’s got a high IQ, super skill set as far as hands, one-on-one passer. And it’s really not an issue (but) he’s not a burner and there’s a little question if he is going to be a center or a wing going forward. But it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s gone in the first 25 picks.Where is the draft deep and where is it deficient?AdvertisementI think it’s deficient in the amount of franchise or generational players. There are some good players. I don’t know that there may be defining franchise players right now, i.e. the (Cale) Makars, (Nathan) MacKinnons, Patrick Kanes. Where it’s deep is in the international pool. There could be 15 to 17 players — and by international I mean Europe and Russia, not Canada — that could go in the first round. … The international pool of players this year is very deep. There are quite a bit of centers that are really good on faceoffs. … You might be a bottom-six guy, but if you’re that good on faceoffs, when the team goes to two centers in the last minute of the game to defend the lead, you might be one of the guys on the ice.There are a lot of young defensemen in your pipeline. Does that affect your draft strategy or do you stick to the best available?You have to go best available because the defensemen we’ve drafted the last few years projected to be middle pairing to bottom pairing who can really skate and defend and they’re all big. So if there’s a couple of defensemen that are puck-moving defensemen that can be on a power play, maybe be in a top pairing, then just because we’ve been taking defensemen the last few years doesn’t mean we’re going to eliminate that type of defenseman.Why do you prioritize speed over skill, size, etc.?AdvertisementYou look at the final series of the year, Tampa and Colorado, it was as fast a hockey series as I’ve (ever) seen. If you can play fast and you can play fast down the middle, it forces your wingers, they’ve got to play fast. … If you’re fast down the middle, you’re fast up front, you get in on the forecheck quicker, you’re able to backcheck quicker, just your overall team speed is brought up to another level. …If you’re a defenseman and you can play fast — and I think (coach) Luke (Richardson) alluded to it — when you defend, it’s not just sitting in the zone for two minutes and blocking shots. He made a very good point when he said that you want to be able to defend fast. If your defensemen can skate fast, they can get pucks fast and they can transition it faster up to the forwards. You could take away — if you’re a fast-skating defenseman — time and space in the neutral zone and stop the rush before it even enters the zone. There might be some players in this draft and in next year’s draft that might be really fast, their skill package is just a little bit behind as far as development. Maybe you have to work a little bit on the shot or a little bit on the hands or a little bit on the passing, but if the speed is there you can work on the other stuff.Is it better to have a high pick next year to get into the Connor Bedard sweepstakes?There is some franchise (potential) at the top of the draft next year where you can build around them. (Along with Bedard, there’s center) Adam Fantilli, who’s from (the University of) Michigan. (Matvei) Michkov, the winger out of Russia — they’re the three that come to mind.[ 5 things we learned about Luke Richardson, including why you might see the new Chicago Blackhawks coach in purple ]Someone else will (emerge). We don’t know who it is but historically you have your eye on these players a year in advance. And some of these good players, with a summer of strength and maturity, they become really good players. It wouldn’t surprise me that two or three other names are pushing in that conversation as well.AdvertisementWith you and Kyle Davidson running the draft instead of Mark Kelley and Stan Bowman, how will things be different?I guess the difference is we haven’t experienced it yet. I haven’t had the GM look at me and say, “Hey, we just traded this pick for two later picks and now we’re not picking.” You never know how you’re going to react until you’re in that particular situation.Kyle hasn’t sat in that chair. (Associate GM) Norm (Maciver) is the one who has sat in that chair as an assistant GM when he was here with Stan. I’d like to think I’m prepared for a lot of the scenarios that we’d come across, whether we get more picks, trade up or trade down, we lose some picks. Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.It’s my first time in the decision-making role. I’ve been in drafts since 2010, different seats at the table as you get different positions, but it’s the first time the eyes will be on Kyle and me.After the draft, what is your life like as someone who works in the scouting world?(Doneghey checks an app on his phone) … 731,000 air miles. That’s just on United. I also fly Delta, Lufthansa, JetBlue. Not quite sure what those would be. My Marriott app: 1,373 nights. Divided by 365, that’s 3.76 years in the last 12 years that I’ve been in a hotel room. AdvertisementYou obviously spend a lot of alone time. And again it goes back to your support staff at home because you’re on the road a lot. (Doneghey’s “support staff” is wife Lori and children Hayley, 23, Christian, 21, and Casey, 19.) Sometimes, it’s six, seven, eight days at a time. Especially when you have younger children, to be taken out of your home, at times it’s easier for some of us to be on the road to get away from diaper changing and the rides to sports and the parent-teacher meetings. So you’ve got to have a strong home life.Do you feel pressure because the Hawks are in a rebuild?I don’t know if pressure is the right word. There are a lot of pressures in life greater than picking hockey players. I look forward to the challenge of being an integral part of helping build the Blackhawks into a Stanley Cup contender again. I’m really happy that Kyle and Norm and Jeff (Greenberg) trust me in this position, and our amateur staff, to lead the charge. I get it, how good we want to be. … I was part of the Blackhawks’ three Stanley Cup teams. I know what it is to win, I know what that feeling is, so I want that feeling back again. If it’s pressure, then so be it.

Michael Kopech allowed five home runs in his first 14 starts this season.The Minnesota Twins hit four of their five homers Tuesday off the Chicago White Sox right-hander.AdvertisementThe Sox couldn’t recover from the long balls, falling 8-2 in front of 18,566 at Guaranteed Rate Field.“It’s not a good day, but unfortunately that’s how baseball goes sometimes,” Kopech said. “Made some bad pitches over the heart of the plate and they hit them hard. I’ve just got to be better than that. That’s something that’s easy to fix from start to start. It’s just executing pitches better.”AdvertisementJose Miranda and Jorge Polanco hit two-run homers and Max Kepler and Alex Kirilloff had solo home runs against Kopech. Kirilloff also hit a two-run homer against Vince Velasquez for the Twins, who have taken the first two rounds of a critical three-game series for the Sox.The Sox, who are in third in the American League Central, trail the division-leading Twins by 6½ games. The Sox are 0-5 against the Twins this season.Kopech allowed six runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and four walks in 4⅔ innings.[ [Don’t miss] Column: A tragic event in Highland Park became just another day at the ballpark — and in America ]“Obviously it’s a big series, we want to beat these guys, so it’s tough right now,” Kopech said. “But I think everybody is looking forward to turning it around, however it comes. The effort and energy has been there from the guys on and off the field in the clubhouse.“As a starter, I’ve got to do my part to set the tone and that goes a long way. It’s not how we want to play, especially the first two in a series against these guys, but we’re capable of turning it around.”Kopech got out of a bases-loaded jam without allowing a run in the first, striking out Kirilloff to end the inning.Kepler homered with two outs in the third. Kirilloff singled leading off the fourth and Miranda followed with his two-run homer, making it 3-0.Polanco hit the first pitch in his fifth-inning at-bat over the right-field wall for a two-run homer. Kirilloff made it back-to-back for a 6-1 lead.Advertisement“I had some close misses in the first inning,” Kopech said. “I was happy with some pitches I threw. They were just being really patient with me and I was being a little too aggressive at the time. Changed my approach later in the game, being reactive to what they were doing, and then I started throwing more strikes and then they changed their approach to me.“They seemed like they were playing proactively out there and I was playing a little reactively, which is never a good spot. I’ve just got to set the tone a little earlier.”Kirilloff’s two-run homer in the seventh against Velasquez made it 8-2.[ [Don’t miss] White Sox’s costly mistake on the bases puts fundamentals in the spotlight: ‘We’re a work in progress’ ]The Sox had 10 hits, but their only extra-base hits were doubles by Yoán Moncada and Josh Harrison. A run scored on Moncada’s double in the fourth.“First of all, (the Twins) had pitches to hit and they didn’t miss them,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “That’s to their credit. From our side, I don’t like talking about home runs because you get that in their minds and we’ll do less, not more.“We just want to be good hitters. When we hit the ball well — and we centered a few of them today, (Andrew) Vaughn hit two line drives — when we center the ball more consistently, we’ll get production we need, whether it’s home runs or runs scored or whatever.”AdvertisementHarrison — who pitched a scoreless ninth — had two hits. His single in the seventh was his 1,000th big-league hit.As of today, there has been 22,734 total MLB players. Only 5.8% of them have reached 1,000 career MLB hits. Today, Josh Harrison joins that exclusive list of players.Congrats to client @jhay_da_man on joining some of baseball’s best in achieving this rare feat! #msmfamily pic.twitter.com/yofytkSiHz— MSM (@MSMsports) July 6, 2022

“Truly a blessing,” Harrison said of the milestone. “We put on this uniform and try to play as long as we can and never set out for individual accolades. But sometimes it’s nice to take a step back and appreciate the work I’ve put in to know I’ve been here this long.“It’s something I don’t take lightly. I’m definitely grateful.”Reese McGuire had three singles. But little else went right for the Sox, who will try to avoid being swept Wednesday.“At the end of the day it’s not about who is on the other side,” Harrison said. “We have to take care of what we do in here and that’s showing up every day and keep plugging away.”

MILWAUKEE — Something seemed off with Chicago Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks early in his start Tuesday night.The veteran is known for his command and doesn’t light up the radar gun, but when Hendricks threw a sinker clocked at 83.8 mph in the first inning, it was notable. He exited after the third because of right shoulder soreness.AdvertisementHendricks went 12 days between starts in early June because of shoulder/arm fatigue, describing it then as similar to a dead arm that pitchers can experience during spring training. He wasn’t able to get adequately loose, prompting the layoff, though he avoided the injured list.Hendricks looked good coming off the extended break. In his four starts leading up to Tuesday, he allowed nine runs in 22⅔ innings — six runs coming in one start — with 25 strikeouts and three walks.AdvertisementHowever, Hendricks’ average velocity during Tuesday’s start against the Milwaukee Brewers was 1 mph slower than his season mark. Right-hander Matt Swarmer started warming up in the bullpen during the second inning and again in the third. Manager David Ross made a mound visit to chat with Hendricks after a two-out walk in the second. Swarmer replaced Hendricks to start the fourth.The Brewers scored two runs and recorded two hits off Hendricks, who threw 69 pitches, including 29 in the first. He issued two walks, struck out four and allowed a home run by Rowdy Tellez that gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead in the first.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Four baseball fans were injured by bullet fragments from outside the Coliseum while attending a postgame July 4 fireworks show, Oakland Police and the Athletics said Tuesday.None of the injuries were life-threatening, police and the A’s said.AdvertisementBecause the A’s 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays lasted just 2 hours, 27 minutes, it wasn’t dark enough for the fireworks show to start. Fans from a season-high crowd of 24,403 were allowed onto the playing field just after 9 p.m. local time.“The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is investigating firearm-related injuries that occurred on July 4, 2022, after 9:30 p.m., in the 7000 block of Coliseum Way,” police and the A’s said in a joint statement.AdvertisementPolice initially were notified of a possible shooting victim inside the ballpark, and officers located three fans struck by bullet fragments “from what appears to be celebratory gunfire occurring throughout the city of Oakland,” the statement said. An additional victim walked into a hospital.“I think if it wasn’t Fourth of July, it would be more alarming,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said before the series resumed Tuesday night. “Any time during Fourth of July, I can remember this growing up, it’s never safe but people tend to do things that aren’t in the ordinary. That’s firing weapons in the air in terms of celebration.“It’s really unfortunate that we had that happen here in the Coliseum and there were people injured. I know we’ve reached out to those people.”An investigation is ongoing and Oakland Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland offered a reward up to $20,000 for information leading to an arrest or arrests.Police reiterated their joint efforts with the A’s and the team’s security to keep everyone attending games in the venue safe.“From a safety standpoint, I think the Coliseum is a safe environment,” Kotsay said. “It’s just unfortunate that on a holiday with the fireworks show that people were injured.”

MILWAUKEE — Lower-body injuries have bothered Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras at times during his career.He was proactive in late May in coming out of a game when right hamstring tightness was bothering him. Although he missed three games, Contreras avoided the injured list.AdvertisementContreras is in a similar situation: day-to-day with left hamstring tightness after exiting Monday’s loss in the 10th inning. He felt a little better Tuesday and was not as sore, manager David Ross said. Contreras received pregame treatment on his hamstring and was seen riding an exercise bike outside the Cubs clubhouse Tuesday afternoon.Ross wanted to see how Contreras got through “some stuff” before determining whether he would be available off the bench against the Milwaukee Brewers.Advertisement“Very precautious,” Ross said. “It was smart on his behalf (to come out of the game).”Contreras clearly listens to his body, and the Cubs don’t want to push him and risk a more serious injury. Trade-deadline implications aside, Contreras has been the Cubs’ most valuable player and they can’t afford to lose him for an extended stretch.[ [Don’t miss] Which Cubs players are likely to get traded? Here’s where things stand with the deadline 1 month away. ]The Cubs still are formulating the returns of starting pitchers Marcus Stroman and Drew Smyly.Stroman (right shoulder inflammation) made a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Iowa, and Smyly (right oblique strain) made one Monday for High A South Bend.Ross indicated he planned to meet with both pitchers Tuesday to map out their next steps. Stroman previously told reporters he felt he would need only one rehab start.Whether either pitcher needs another rehab start before coming off the IL has not been decided, Ross said.“I view them as really similar,” Ross said of their potential readiness.The Cubs can shift around the rotation after their upcoming four-game series in Los Angeles thanks to a day off Monday. They might need a fill-in start for left-hander Justin Steele, who shared on social media during spring training that he and his fiancée are expecting the birth of their first child this month.AdvertisementChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Right-hander Adrian Sampson has been a solid addition to the rotation, while Mark Leiter Jr. pitched well Saturday in relief of Alec Mills, who exited with a back injury seven pitches into his start and was placed on the IL on Sunday.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Red Sox rookie’s 1-star review of Wrigley Field hits a nerve with the Cubs ]Nelson Velázquez had a message for Steele in the dugout after hitting his first big-league home run Monday.“I did it for you too,” Velázquez told Steele.Steele had been frequently telling Velázquez he was waiting to see the rookie outfielder hit his first homer. Velázquez delivered in his 14th MLB game, homering to left field in the second inning — to provide run support for Steele.Cubs outfielder Nelson Velázquez is congratulated after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Brewers on Monday, July 4, 2022, in Milwaukee. (Morry Gash/AP)Velázquez’s milestone baseball was returned to him, and the Puerto Rican native plans to give it to his parents so they can put it in the family home.Velázquez’s opportunities have been limited since he was recalled June 20, used mainly off the bench and for spot starts during the last two-plus weeks. His defense, particularly his arm, and baseball IQ have stood out. He nearly threw out a runner at third Tuesday night after the runner tagged up on a flyout.Advertisement“The guy’s got a hose,” Ross said. “I didn’t get to see him much in spring and I didn’t know what kind of outfielder he really was, to be honest, and he’s made a good impression. He’s made some plays going back on balls and plays over toward the line. Moves well.”

The Chicago White Sox were on the wrong side of major-league history Monday when AJ Pollock’s long fly to right-center went from a potential hit to an inning- and momentum-ending triple play.Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton made the catch at the wall for the first out of the seventh inning and fired back to the infield. Neither Adam Engel, who began the play on second base and raced to third, nor Yoán Moncada, who began the play at first, tagged up.AdvertisementThird baseman Gio Urshela tagged out Moncada between second and third, then stepped on second to complete the first 8-5 triple play in major-league history.At the time, the game was tied. The Sox went on to lose 6-3 in 10 innings.AdvertisementSox manager Tony La Russa said he reviewed the sequence “about 10 times” later that night.[ [Don’t miss] Column: A tragic event in Highland Park became just another day at the ballpark — and in America ]Asked before Tuesday’s game if the Sox are a good fundamental team, La Russa said, “We’re a work in progress, but I see progress.”“To be in the position that we are in,” he added, “if you take every game from the first three months into this one and you walk into that clubhouse and the guys are thinking about the next day, ready to compete, or you watch a game where you’re down for five or six innings, there ain’t no way that I’m negative about this team.“But you’re realistic that we’re a work in progress and we’ve got to be improved. But as a staff, as a manager — unless it’s not true — I’m never going to not recognize where their heart and souls are. If you make a mistake, it’s bad managing, bad coaching. We’ll fix it. That’s why I believe in these guys, and we’ll get better bit by bit. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”Engel told reporters Monday that “everyone did the right thing but me.”La Russa disagreed, saying Tuesday, “Responsibility starts with the manager.”He also noted that Buxton made an “outstanding” play.“That’s one thing that makes you stop because the guy is out there and he and (Sox center fielder Luis) Robert, they’re like twins,” La Russa said.AdvertisementDescribing the actions Tuesday, Moncada said through an interpreter: “I saw the ball for a little bit and then I put my focus on the lead runner because that’s what we do. As soon as I saw him taking off, I just went after him. I didn’t see when the center fielder caught the ball.“It’s not worth it to point fingers and who to blame. Everybody wants to do their best and keep their focus on the game.”La Russa said the team concentrated on baserunning this spring.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Could White Sox be sellers at the trade deadline? Next 2 weeks vs. AL Central foes may tell the tale. ]“One of the things we were able to do in that shortened spring training (because of the lockout) was stress baserunning,” he said. “And (bench coach) Miguel Cairo, who was a very good baserunner, he was in charge of it. (Catcher) Seby (Zavala) had the play (getting tagged out venturing a little too far after rounding second on a hit June 27 against the Los Angeles Angels) and he almost had it again (later in the road trip).“And the day after he had it, we had guys out at second base reading balls. So that’s what you do. You make a mistake, you figure it out, you work on it and you turn the page.”La Russa stressed the importance of not taking away aggressiveness.Advertisement“That’s the worst thing you can do,” he said. “I’m much more upset when a guy doesn’t take the extra base because he’s sitting back on his heels. That happens more often, that’s more of a problem. When in doubt, be aggressive.“But there’s a point where you see, I can’t get the extra base and I stop. You mix in aggressiveness with good sense. If you’re afraid to make a mistake, then you lose.”Catcher Yasmani Grandal said he’s in line to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday with Double-A Birmingham.Grandal said he’ll be a designated hitter for the Barons “throughout the weekend” and then go to Triple-A Charlotte, where he’ll add catching. He said the schedule is to return to the Sox “right at the start of the second half.”Grandal has been on the injured list retroactive to June 12 with lower back spasms.Left fielder Eloy Jiménez has been on the IL since April 24 with a torn right hamstring tendon. He suffered the injury trying to beat a throw to first base against the Twins at Target Field.AdvertisementHe had been rehabbing with Charlotte but was back in the Sox clubhouse Tuesday.Injured White Sox left fielder Eloy Jiménez jokes with teammates before a game against the Cubs on May 4, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)“Looks in good shape,” La Russa said. “He played enough down there (17 games), they say he’s ready to go. We’re different when he’s around.”Jiménez wasn’t reinstated Tuesday, but La Russa said “yeah” when asked if Jiménez would be playing soon.“I talked to (assistant general manager/player development) Chris Getz (on Tuesday), and he did enough in the minor leagues to play in the outfield,” La Russa said when asked how often Jiménez would play the outfield or DH. “You just go day to day. I don’t know how realistic it is to play him three straight days in the outfield. (Wednesday is) a day game, so he may be activated, might play, not sure. I’m worried about (Tuesday).“Bottom line is he’s a very important guy to us. So whatever it takes to get him right, he’s a high priority.”

The Chicago Bulls offered support to victims of the Highland Park shooting and called for change after a gunman killed seven people and wounded more than 30 others during a Fourth of July parade.The Bulls hold close ties to the Highland Park community. They practiced for more than 20 years in Deerfield, less than 10 minutes from the site of the shooting, and Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were among many Bulls players and coaches to live in Highland Park during their tenure with the team.Advertisement“Over the years, Highland Park has been home to many members of Bulls nation, including a number of Bulls players and staff,” a team statement read. “Our connection with the community is personal, and it holds a particularly special place in our hearts. We are grieving with the community and everyone affected, and we support them as we all mourn this tragedy.”News of the shooting broke near the end of Bulls practice at the Advocate Center on Monday, prompting summer league coach John Bryant to cut the training session short.AdvertisementBryant said the team spent the opening minutes of Tuesday’s practice reflecting on the tragedy.“It’s hard because it’s in your backyard,” Bryant said. “I told the team just to reflect on their lives. How fortunate we are to wake up today. How fortunate we are to come in and play a game and get paid and really to think about the people who didn’t get that opportunity.“I think that put in perspective because we play a game, we kind of lose sight of that as young people. We think we’re invincible. And it’s hard because real life happens all the time outside of our bubble of basketball.”In its statement the team called for increased action to combat gun violence. The Bulls previously partnered with other city teams to form the Chicago Sports Alliance, which directs grants to organizations such as the Chicago Crime Lab.“Gun violence inflicts pain on our friends, neighbors, families, businesses and communities,” the statement concluded. “This situation is one that we’ve been in too many times, saying what feels like the same words and expressing the same sentiments. The Chicago Bulls are committed to change and using the resources in our power to make a difference and help solve this epidemic of gun violence.”