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Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges was charged with felony domestic violence stemming from an incident earlier this week, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Friday.The LAPD posted on Twitter that Bridges was arrested for “intimate partner violence with injury,” a felony, on Wednesday after an incident two days earlier in West Los Angeles.AdvertisementHe was released on $130,000 bond and has a July 20 court date. The LAPD said it does not release police reports on domestic violence arrests.Mychelle Johnson, the mother of Bridges’ two young children, addressed the incident on Instagram on Friday, posting several pictures of injuries and a medical report that read “adult victim of physical abuse by male partner; Assault by strangulation, Brain concussion; Closed fracture of nasal bone; Contusion of rib; Multiple bruises; Strain of neck muscle.”Advertisement“I hate that it has come to this but I can’t be silent anymore. I’ve allowed someone to destroy my home, abuse me in every way possible and traumatize our kids for life,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “I have nothing to prove to the world, but I won’t allow anyone who could do something so horrible to have no remorse and paint a picture of something I’m not. I won’t allow the people around him to continue to silence me and continue to lie to protect this person.”Bridges’ agent, Rich Paul, did not return phone calls to the Associated Press, and it was unclear whether Bridges has an attorney. Attempts to reach Johnson also were unsuccessful, and AP could not locate an attorney of record for her.Bridges, 24, is a restricted free agent who is expected to command big money this summer following a breakout season.The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Bridges was the Hornets’ leading scorer, averaging 20.2 points and seven rebounds in his fourth NBA season.The Hornets extended Bridges a qualifying offer earlier this week, allowing them a chance to match any offer sheet made by another team. The team indicated earlier this week — before knowledge of Bridges’ arrest — that it wanted to re-sign him.The Hornets released a statement Thursday, indicating they are looking into the incident. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said “we are in the process of gathering more information.”

SAN FRANCISCO — In Johnny Cueto’s first start with the San Francisco Giants, the right-hander threw seven strong innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 5, 2016, allowing one run and striking out out four in a 2-1 road victory.Cueto earned the win, the first of his 18 that season.AdvertisementHe had an immediate impact with the Giants, making the National League All-Star team and finishing sixth in Cy Young Award voting while helping them reach the playoffs.Cueto’s impact also has been noticeable since joining the Chicago White Sox in May. He returned to San Francisco this weekend for a three-game series at Oracle Park.Advertisement“I felt like I pitched very well there,” Cueto said through an interpreter Wednesday afternoon at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. “The chemistry we had on that team was good. Teammates were very nice with me.”White Sox starter Johnny Cueto warms up during a game against the Cubs on May 28, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)Cueto, 36, said being back at the ballpark was an “honor.”“It was my house for six years,” Cueto said. “The fans have treated me very well there. I like the ballpark. It’s a big ballpark.”Cueto, who is 2-4 with a 3.33 ERA in nine outings (eight starts) this season, shared handshakes, hugs and laughs with some Giants before batting practice Friday.He isn’t the only player seeing familiar faces this weekend. Former Sox starter Carlos Rodón is 7-4 with a 2.62 ERA in his first season with the Giants.“Everybody’s pulling for him,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said of Rodón on Friday.Rodón, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Sox, and Cueto are not slated to pitch this weekend after both were on the mound Tuesday. Rodón allowed one run in six innings in a 4-3 victory against the Detroit Tigers, and Cueto allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings and earned the victory in an 11-4 win against the Los Angeles Angels.The Giants’ Carlos Rodón follows through on a pitch during the first inning against the Pirates on June 17, 2022, in Pittsburgh. Rodón, a former White Sox pitcher, is 7-4 with a 2.62 ERA in his first season in San Francisco. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)“It would be fun to have the chance to pitch there,” Cueto said.AdvertisementCueto went 39-27 with a 3.81 ERA in 104 appearances (103 starts) for the Giants from 2016-21. He went 7-7 with a 4.08 ERA last season.The Sox signed Cueto to a minor-league contract on April 8. After four starts at Triple-A Charlotte, Cueto made his Sox debut May 16 against another one of his former teams — the Kansas City Royals. Cueto allowed two hits and struck out seven in six scoreless innings.It was just the beginning of an impressive season.“I feel happy with how my season has been going,” Cueto said. “I’ve been able to pitch well, to help the team. And I feel good.”La Russa said Cueto “could not have been better for us.”“He’s very smart, he’s got a good memory, he knows how to get through a lineup,” La Russa said Friday. “He’s a worker. Guys like to be around him, and he likes to contribute what he knows.”AdvertisementCueto, in his 15th major-league season, has pitched at least six innings in seven of the eight starts.“We knew it was possible that he had that upside,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said on June 20. “It was a matter of health. He was going to give us everything that he had at that point. The question was just going to come down to what he had left. So far, he’s been fantastic.”One of Cueto’s standout performances didn’t come in a start. Scheduled to pitch the June 13 series opener in Detroit, Cueto volunteered to work out of the bullpen the day before when starter Michael Kopech exited after two-thirds of an inning with right knee discomfort.Cueto entered in the third and pitched five solid innings against the Texas Rangers.Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Johnny Cueto heads out from the bullpen before the start of a game against the Orioles on June 23, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)“What he did when Kopech went down for him to essentially, I mean literally get out of the hot tub and wander over and say he was able to go, we don’t do what we did in Detroit (sweep a three-game series) without Johnny Cueto stepping up and eating up those innings,” Hahn said. “Our bullpen leading up to that Detroit series was extremely taxed. And quite candidly, we weren’t sure how we’d get through that game (against the Rangers) only getting two outs from our starter. And Cueto saved the bullpen, saved the staff and set us up for a successful road trip.”Cueto followed that outing with seven shutout innings against the Astros on June 18 in Houston.Advertisement“It’s good (playing behind Cueto) because he likes to pitch fast and he usually gets quick outs,” Sox center fielder Luis Robert said Tuesday.Asked about his path to the Sox, Cueto said there were a few teams interested in him, “but they weren’t offering a good deal. And they were offering me just a spot for the bullpen.“I’ve been a starter for my whole career. I have my routine as a starter. I know what I have to do to prepare for the games. Once you know you aren’t able to make it as a starter, then you go to the bullpen. That’s not my case.”White Sox closer Liam Hendriks celebrates after closing out the Cubs in the ninth inning on May 3, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)The Sox closer pitched a simulated game Friday afternoon at Oracle Park and anticipates being reinstated from the injured list Monday.Hendriks has been on the IL retroactively since June 11 with a right forearm strain.“Ball came out well (Friday), and that’s all that really matters,” Hendriks said. “The plan is to be active on Monday, right in time for that (Minnesota) Twins series.”AdvertisementHendriks has a 2.81 ERA and 16 saves.

Christopher Morel got a belt-high pitch and launched it toward Waveland Avenue for a long two-run homer.It was another big moment for the Chicago Cubs rookie from the Dominican Republic. And he has had a few lately — at the plate and in the field.AdvertisementMorel homered in his third consecutive game, and the Cubs rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox 6-5 on Friday at Wrigley Field.The Cubs took advantage of 10 walks by five pitchers and came back after falling behind 4-0.AdvertisementMorel came up big again when he launched a tying two-run drive to left against Hansel Robles (1-3) with two outs in the sixth.The Cubs’ Christopher Morel hits a two-run home run during the sixth inning against the Red Sox on Friday at Wrigley Field. (Nam Y. Huh / AP)Christopher Morel, right, celebrates with Andrelton Simmons after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning against the Red Sox on Friday at Wrigley Field. The Cubs won 6-5. (Nam Y. Huh / AP)Willson Contreras then walked and later scored on a Jake Diekman wild pitch to Nico Hoerner to make it 6-5 and cap a three-run inning. That sent the Cubs to their fourth win in five games.Morel playing a big role is becoming the norm for the Cubs.He had five hits Thursday in a 15-7 rout of the Cincinnati Reds. He also went deep Wednesday and made a terrific throw from center field to nail a runner at the plate, helping lift the Cubs to an 8-3 win against the Reds.Against the Red Sox, Morel started at second base. And as far as he’s concerned, that’s just fine. He’ll play wherever manager David Ross wants.“That’s why I work on it every single day. Every position,” Morel said. “Anywhere they need me, that’s what I’m there for, the team. Wherever they need me, I’ll be there.”The Red Sox looked ready to roll to an easy win after going 20-6 in June.Jarren Duran, back in the lineup after missing a three-game series in Toronto because he’s unvaccinated, drove the game’s first pitch from Adrian Sampson to the center-field bushes for a home run.AdvertisementJackie Bradley Jr. made it 4-0 with a three-run double in the second. Rich Hill breezed through four innings before exiting with a sprained left knee in a three-run fifth.The 10 walks were the most the Red Sox issued since 11 against the Los Angeles Angels in a 15-inning game on Aug. 30, 2019.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Hill, who debuted with the Cubs in 2005, gave up three runs and three hits in 4⅔ innings. He walked four and struck out three.Red Sox starting pitcher Rich Hill reacts in the dugout after he left the game against the Cubs because of an injured left knee in the fifth inning Friday at Wrigley Field. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)Hill appeared to be shaking his leg at one point in the fifth and was visited by an athletic trainer. The 42-year-old left-hander exited after hitting Patrick Wisdom to load the bases with two outs.Tyler Danish came in and walked Rafael Ortega, cutting the gap to 4-3.Hill said he “felt great” before the fifthAdvertisement“Unfortunately I put us in a tough position, and that’s what makes me sick to my stomach,” Hill said. “But overall, before that point, the ball was coming out well.”Ian Happ had three hits for the Cubs.Sampson gave up five runs and eight hits in 5⅓ innings. Brandon Hughes (1-0) got three outs and earned his first career win, and David Robertson worked the ninth for his 10th save in 13 chances.

Once Tina Sloan Green took over the lacrosse program at Temple University in the years after the passage of Title IX, the landmark gender-equity law, she never stopped thinking about the girls who weren’t playing.At practices during the 1970s, Sloan Green, the first Black woman to coach a college lacrosse team, noticed neighborhood kids peering through the fences at her players as guards kept them out. And when high school athletes were welcomed on the university’s fields for training camps, most were white and from predominantly white suburban schools.Advertisement“That was very, very disturbing to me to see that,” she said. “And that was — that was the reality that I had to face … Title IX was a complete help for women in sports but in my mind, there were still disparities.”For girls of color, some women’s college sports, such as lacrosse, equestrian, rowing or even softball, are ones they are unlikely to be exposed to in grade school. The reasons vary, though availability and costs can be major challenges for youth programs.AdvertisementJune 23 marked the 50th anniversary of Title IX and in the years since the landmark law was passed, profound strides have been made in women and girls’ participation in sports. Women now make up 44% of all NCAA athletes, compared to just 15% in 1971, according to the Women’s Sports Foundation. Nearly 3.5 million high school girls play sports, compared to less than 300,000 in 1972.For Black women and other women of color in sports, those gains have not been equally shared, reflecting the limitations of a policy that only addresses equity on the basis of sex and gender.“We say very often that sport is a microcosm of society,” said Karen Issokson-Silver, vice president of research and education at the Women’s Sports Foundation. “Whenever systemic racism occurs in the broader society, in addition to gender discrimination, it’s reflected in the sport ecosystem.”An early barrier to pursuing athletic opportunities in college and beyond is as simple as exposure to the sport.Natasha Watley, a Black woman who is a two-time Olympic medalist in softball, started playing when she was 5. She did not have a Black teammate until she was a teenager and said there were so few girls of color who played with her and went on to college teams that she could count them on one hand.After the UCLA graduate returned from the 2008 Olympics, Watley recalled speaking to young girls about her experience.“This one young girl I’ll never forget — a young little African American girl, she raises her hand and she’s like, ‘Ms. Natasha, your story sounds amazing, but what is softball?’” Watley said. “She had no idea what softball was.”According to the U.S. Census Bureau, median household income in 2020 for white, non-Hispanic families was $74,912 compared to $55,321 for Hispanic families and $45,870 for Black families. Factors like income contribute to a racial clustering phenomenon where women of color are overrepresented in sports like track and field that have a lower entry cost, said Courtney L. Flowers, associate professor of sport management at Texas Southern University.Advertisement“Even middle class families aren’t sending their kids to schools that have access to an equestrian team,” she said. “We typically are pushing African American women to women’s basketball and track and field because of those reasons.”FILE – U.S. softball player Natasha Watley runs during practice Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008, at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Watley, a Black woman and two-time Olympic medalist in softball, started playing when she was 5. She did not have a Black teammate until she was a teenager and said there were so few girls of color who played with her and went on to college teams that she could count them on one hand. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File) (Elaine Thompson/AP)The inequities carry over into leadership roles. While 34% of head coaches for women’s teams are white women, just 7% are women of color. Among athletic directors, just 4% are women of color compared to 20% for white women.Candice Storey Lee, the first Black woman to be athletic director at Vanderbilt University, said that a single policy like Title IX, without subsequent action, could not be expected to bring equity to the field.“We know a law alone does not change behavior,” she said. “You have to have people who are committed at every level to get the outcome you want. And so I wouldn’t blame Title IX for that, but I would say we still have work to do in our own communities to ensure that there is access for everyone.”Those disparities in leadership and college athletic opportunities begin early in life, said Neena Chaudhry, general counsel and senior advisor for education at the National Women’s Law Center. A study published by the center found that 40% of the country’s public high schools are highly segregated, serving either 90% students of color or 90% white students.At schools that predominantly serve students of color, there are far fewer opportunities to play sports, and disparities between boys and girls are more stark — 40% of high schools that predominantly serve students of color have large opportunity gaps for girls in sports, compared with 16 % of heavily white schools. The opportunity gap is the difference between the percentage of spots on teams allocated to girls and the percentage of students who are girls, with differences of more than 10 points considered a large opportunity gap.AdvertisementResearch shows that in addition to physical health, girls who play sports are more likely to have higher levels of self-esteem, stronger collaborative skills, and greater academic achievement. But disparate access to athletics, through both community centers and the rising cost of youth sports, makes schools a key place to engage young girls of color in athletics, Chaudhry said.“All students are required to go to school, and that’s really a place to provide opportunities that some students wouldn’t otherwise get,” she said. “Not everybody can afford to pay for sports outside of school … It’s really important to provide those opportunities through school equally. It’s both important and it’s the law.”Sloan Green, who in 1992 co-founded the Black Women in Sport Foundation, said that expanding access to young girls of color, especially between pre-kindergarten and eighth grade, is crucial. At Temple, she expanded her camps and recruiting to communities that had been overlooked, including the children in the neighborhood. Having role models that reflect girls of color and widely sharing their successes is also critical to getting girls onto the playing field, Sloan Green said.In Southern California, Watley started the Natasha Watley Foundation to introduce girls in marginalized communities to softball, which serves about 1,000 girls each year. Beyond the cost, the main concern she hears from parents is that they aren’t sure the sport would welcome their daughters. Watley said she wanted young girls to know that the sport could be a place for them to thrive, in college and beyond.“More than anything, I wanted to make sure that girls were getting introduced to the game, that they understood that the game was for them, that it was a place for them,” she said. “There are opportunities far beyond their imagination that this game can take them.”Ma, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, writes about education and equity for AP’s Race and Ethnicity team. Brunt reported from Oklahoma City. AP Sportswriter Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report. AdvertisementFor more on Title IX’s impact, see AP’s full package: https://apnews.com/hub/title-ix 

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will present the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including actor Denzel Washington, gymnast Simone Biles and the late John McCain, the Arizona Republican with whom Biden served in the U.S. Senate.Biden will also recognize Sandra Lindsay, the New York City nurse who rolled up her sleeve on live television in December 2020 to receive the first COVID-19 vaccine dose that was pumped into an arm in the United States, the White House announced Friday.AdvertisementBiden’s honors list, which the White House shared first with The Associated Press, includes both living and deceased honorees from the worlds of Hollywood, sports, politics, the military, academia, and civil rights and social justice advocacy.The Democratic president will present the medals at the White House next week.AdvertisementBiden himself is a medal recipient. President Barack Obama honored Biden’s public service as a longtime U.S. senator and vice president by awarding him a Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2017, a week before they left office.The honorees who’ll receive medals from Biden “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come,” the White House said.The honor is reserved for people who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal public or private endeavors, the White House said.Biles is the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history, winning 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. She is an outspoken advocate on issues that are very personal to her, including athletes’ mental health, children in foster care and sexual assault victims.Lindsay became an advocate for COVID-19 vaccinations after receiving the first dose in the U.S.McCain, who died of brain cancer in 2018, spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona in both houses of Congress and was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. Biden said McCain was a “dear friend” and “a hero.”Washington is a double Oscar-winning actor, director and producer. He also has a Tony award, two Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a longtime spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.The other 13 medal recipients are:Advertisement— Sister Simone Campbell. Campbell is a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former executive director of NETWRK, a Catholic social justice organization. She is an advocate for economic justice, overhauling the U.S. immigration system and health care policy.— Julieta Garcia. A former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville, Garcia was the first Latina to become a college president, the White House said. She was named one of the nation’s best college presidents by Time magazine.— Gabrielle Giffords. A former U.S. House member from Arizona, the Democrat founded Giffords, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence. She was shot in the head in January 2011 during a constituent event in Tucson and was gravely wounded.— Fred Gray. Gray was one of the first Black members of the Alabama Legislature after Reconstruction. He was a prominent civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr.— Steve Jobs. Jobs was the co-founder, chief executive and chair of Apple Inc. He died in 2011.— Father Alexander Karloutsos. Karloutsos is the assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America. The White House said Karloutsos has counseled several U.S. presidents.Advertisement— Khizr Khan. An immigrant from Pakistan, Khan’s Army officer son was killed in Iraq. Khan gained national prominence, and became a target of Donald Trump’s wrath, after speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.— Diane Nash. A founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Nash organized some of the most important 20th century civil rights campaigns and worked with King.— Megan Rapinoe. The Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup soccer champion captains the OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice and LGBTQI+ rights who has appeared at Biden’s White House.— Alan Simpson. The retired U.S. senator from Wyoming served with Biden and has been a prominent advocate for campaign finance reform, responsible governance and marriage equality.— Richard Trumka. Trumka had been president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO for more than a decade at the time of his August 2021 death. He was a past president of the United Mine Workers.— Wilma Vaught. A brigadier general, Vaught is one of the most decorated women in U.S. military history, breaking gender barriers as she has risen through the ranks. When Vaught retired in 1985, she was one of only seven female generals in the Armed Forces.Advertisement— Raúl Yzaguirre. A civil rights advocate, Yzaguirre was president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years. He served as U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic under Obama.

Zach LaVine reportedly will remain a Bull after inking a five-year $215.2 million deal to return to Chicago after his first summer as an unrestricted free agent.The news was first reported Friday by NBA insider Shams Charania.AdvertisementDespite hearing offers throughout the league, LaVine wasn’t featured much in the NBA rumor mill as free agency opened Thursday evening. The guard emphasized his loyalty — sticking with losing programs in Minnesota and Chicago to lead long-term rebuilds — during his media exit interview in April.LaVine has been the heartbeat of the Bulls roster since he was acquired in a 2017 trade with the Timberwolves. Averaging 24.4 points per game across five seasons in Chicago, LaVine provided the bulk of the highlights through four brutal seasons before the arrival of DeMar DeRozan. With a prodigious scoring partner and an improved supporting cast, LaVine helped lead the Bulls to their first postseason berth in five years — his first trip to the playoffs.AdvertisementThis offseason was marred by a familiar concern for LaVine — arthroscopic surgery for a left-knee injury, which sidelined and slowed the guard for most of the latter half of the season. LaVine previously tore the ACL in the same knee in 2016 and injuries have hounded him throughout his career.LaVine’s health will remain a focus as the Bulls build toward the season. Executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas said the surgery and recovery have been a smooth process for LaVine and the team expects him to be fully available for the upcoming season.“I think he’s going to be healthy and he’s now progressing great,” Karnišovas said.

Jaylon Ferguson, the Ravens outside linebacker found unresponsive last month in a North Baltimore home, died from the combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine, according to a spokesman for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.Bruce Goldfarb, the agency’s spokesman, said the death had been ruled an accident following an autopsy of the 26-year-old.AdvertisementGoldfarb said no written autopsy report was available yet, but the agency’s goal is to have one 90% completed within 90 days.Baltimore Police said previously that investigators had not ruled out the possibility of an overdose, but that there were no signs of trauma or foul play. The agency did not immediately respond to questions sent Friday about the status of the investigation.AdvertisementIn a statement, the Ravens said: “Our priority is focused on the man Jaylon was and the positive impact he made on so many as a father, son, fiancé, friend and teammate. It would be inappropriate for us to comment further while we continue to support his family and teammates, who are mourning the tragic loss of a loved one and will celebrate his life tomorrow.”Ferguson’s family issued a statement following his death calling it “one of the darkest moments in our lives.” It went on to ask for privacy during this “difficult time.”A viewing and funeral service for Ferguson is scheduled for Saturday in St. Francisville, Louisiana, according to a post from his fiancee, Doni Smith.An online fundraiser for Ferguson’s three children described a prior house fire that took away some personal belongings. Ferguson, it said, “desperately tried to put out the fire in order to save his children’s possessions to the point where his own toes were burned in the process.“Jaylon was a provider for his family and in times like this we have to come together and help where we can,” it said.Ferguson, who was entering his fourth NFL season in Baltimore, was set to report to training camp in Owings Mills in late July. A third-round draft pick from Louisiana Tech, where he earned the nickname “Sack Daddy,” Ferguson holds the Football Bowl Subdivision record for career sacks (45).Over his 38 games and 10 starts with the Ravens, Ferguson had 67 tackles, 4 ½ sacks and three forced fumbles. Ravens coaches and teammates, who said Ferguson was poised for a breakthrough season, described him as genuine and supportive.“Jaylon was a good-hearted, gentle person who loved his family and his team,” coach John Harbaugh said in a statement released by the team last month. “He was a joy to talk with and be around every day. You always wanted to see and talk to ‘Ferg.’ Our prayers and our help go to his family. Our hearts are with his Spirit. R.I.P., Jaylon.”AdvertisementBaltimore Police previously said officers responded around 11:30 p.m. June 21 to a home in the 400 block of Ilchester Avenue in Baltimore’s Harwood neighborhood on a report of a questionable death.Police found Ferguson unresponsive and receiving treatment from medics, police said. He never regained consciousness and died at the scene, spokeswoman Niki Fennoy said.

The Chicago Cubs’ June swoon has cemented the direction of their season.The Cubs finished 10-17 (.370), their worst month so far, as they approach the midpoint of the season. Although the Cubs leave behind a 10-game losing streak in early June as they enter July having won two consecutive series, the clubhouse will be facing increased trade speculation.AdvertisementHere is a breakdown of what to take away from the Cubs’ June performance.Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner rounds the bases en rout to scoring on a double by teammate Yan Gomes in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field, June 30, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Hoerner’s potential for stardom has been on display this season with his upside never looking higher than it did in June.AdvertisementHe already impressed with his glove at shortstop behind the work he put in during the offseason. But his offensive production went to a new level in June. Hoerner finished the month with a .344/.392/.452 slash line. There is still room to increase his power numbers (six extra-base hits over 25 June games). But his ability to get on base via hits is a reliable attribute that had been missing from the Cubs’ power-heavy lineups the last couple years.“I felt like I showed some bits and pieces last year when I played but never really got into the full swing of things,” Hoerner said. “So to have a chance to play every day and just kind of roll with the season and all that comes with it, I think it’s been a great experience.”And, importantly, he’s not swinging and missing very much while putting the ball in play a lot. He struck out only six times in June, including just three times over a 22-game stretch (88 plate appearances) to begin the month. He rode a career-high eight-game hitting streak into July during which he went 17-for-32 (.531) with three extra-base hits.The key for Hoerner the rest of the season is staying healthy. Injuries have thwarted him in the past, particularly last year. Chicago Cubs starter Justin Steele (35) walks to the dugout after pitching during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field, June 29, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)A successful Cubs rebuild will require the organization to develop or acquire quality starting pitchers.Ideally, Thompson and Steele represent two of those arms the Cubs can count on. Consistency is important, though, and both closed out June pitching well. Thompson has allowed five runs in 18⅓ innings over his last three starts while Steele finished June with a 3.03 ERA, allowing two runs or less in four of his five starts.Steele has noticeably been filling the zone with strikes and going after hitters with his fastball. Thompson pitched into the seventh in two of his last three starts. Now it’s about finishing off those outings.“They’re attacking the zone more often,” catcher Willson Contreras said of the two pitchers. “When they struggle, their mechanics are a little off, now they find a way to make adjustments right away and I’m really proud of the work they’ve done lately.”AdvertisementOne key going forward is how well Thompson and Steele maintain consistency into July and over the final three months. It’s their first extended starting opportunity in the majors. Finding a way to grind through it is a must for every player at some point in 162 games.Chicago Cubs center fielder Christopher Morel (5) hits a two-run homer during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field, June 29, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)The Cubs rookie could have let his June struggles send him into a prolonged slump or affect other areas of his game. Morel’s strikeouts started piling up in June, recording 41 strikeouts in his first 24 games in the month. His average (.240) and on-base percentage (.283) dipped in the process.Manager David Ross dropped Morel to ninth in the Cubs batting order Wednesday, and the 23-year-old responded how the Cubs hoped he would in his last two games: 7-for-9 with two home runs, two RBIs and nine runs scored.“I try to come in with a positive attitude, it doesn’t matter if I’m doing well or I’m not doing that well,” More said through an interpreter. “It’s just about having that attitude, that effort, rub off on the other players and then in turn, I might not have a good game at the plate, but I might have a good game helping others and inspiring the team.”Maybe his last two games are merely a blip before his struggles continue. Regardless, Morel showed how he responds to getting knocked down. Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Morel was expected to face adversity at some point after a sizzling start to his big-league career, and this won’t be the only time he experiences a slump. But the organization must be happy with how well he embraced the lineup change and continued to maintain a good attitude. His five-hit night Thursday marked a career high and made him the youngest Cubs rookie to accomplish the feat since Ken Hubbs in 1962.AdvertisementChicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8) hits an RBI double during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field, June 29, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Happ’s first four months in 2021 were so bad that wondering if the Cubs would non-tender him in the offseason wasn’t an outrageous question to ponder. His stellar 2022 campaign went to another level in June when he hit .327 with a .417 on-base percentage and .948 OPS in 27 games.The switch hitter has given the Cubs an important mix of hitting for power and average to complement Contreras, Patrick Wisdom and Hoerner. If Contreras, currently well positioned to earn his third All-Star Game start behind the plate, has his way, Happ will be joining him in Los Angeles this month for the Midsummer Classic.Happ’s defense shouldn’t be overlooked in left field, either. All of it is setting up for Happ to earn a big payday from the Cubs or in free agency after next season. He will need to prove it wasn’t merely a streaky three-month hot stretch. But his peripherals, including a career-best 19.3% K% that is 10% lower than last year, suggest this is what the 27-year-old can be.Seiya Suzuki talks with reporters before the Chicago Cubs play the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field, May 31, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)The Cubs have been trying to survive without three veteran starters the last three weeks. Then add Frank Schwindel’s back issues and Seiya Suzuki’s lingering finger strain and, well, the Cubs weren’t close to their whole version in June.But that is expected to change soon. Right-hander Marcus Stroman (right shoulder inflammation) and left-hander Drew Smyly (right oblique strain) were scheduled to throw bullpens Friday. If they come out of those well, a rehab start is not out of the question to put both in play to return around the All-Star break. In Smyly’s case, a couple good starts could put him in play to get traded before the Aug. 2 deadline.Schwindel is getting back into baseball activities. Meanwhile, Suzuki began his rehab start at Triple-A Iowa Thursday with a bang. Suzuki started in right field and played five innings, hitting a solo home run and an RBI single. He will provide the Cubs lineup with a boost after missing more than a month. This year is all about learning and getting comfortable in a new league so the Cubs want him to log as many at-bats as he can as he continues to adjust.

American basketball star Brittney Griner appeared in a Moscow-area court for trial Friday, about 4 1/2 months after she was arrested on cannabis possession charges at an airport while traveling to play for a Russian team.Griner was arrested in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Police said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. The Phoenix Mercury center and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs.AdvertisementFewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in the U.S., acquittals can be overturned.At a closed-door preliminary hearing Monday in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, Griner’s detention was extended for another six months, to Dec. 20.AdvertisementThe athlete’s detention and trial come at an extraordinarily low point in Moscow-Washington relations. Griner was arrested less than a week before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, which aggravated already high tensions between the two countries.The invasion led to sweeping sanctions imposed by the United States, and Russia denounced the U.S. for sending weapons to Ukraine.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday denied politics played a role in Griner’s detention and prosecution. .“The facts are that the famous athlete was detained in possession of prohibited medication containing narcotic substances,” Peskov told reporters. “In view of what I’ve said, it can’t be politically motivated,” he added.Griner’s supporters have kept a low profile in hopes of a quiet resolution, until May, when the State Department reclassified her as wrongfully detained and shifted oversight of her case to its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs — effectively the U.S. government’s chief negotiator.Griner’s wife, Cherelle, has urged President Joe Biden to secure her release, calling her “a political pawn.”“It was good to see her in some of those images, but it’s tough. Every time’s a reminder that their teammate, their friend, is wrongfully imprisoned in another country,” Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard said Monday.The coach hoped that Biden would “take the steps to ensure she comes home.”AdvertisementGriner’s supporters have encouraged a prisoner swap like the one in April that brought home Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy.Russian news media have repeatedly raised speculation that she could be swapped for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence on conviction of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization.Russia has agitated for Bout’s release for years. But the wide discrepancy between Griner’s case — which involves alleged possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil — and Bout’s global dealings in deadly weapons could make such a swap unpalatable to the U.S.Others have suggested that she could be traded in tandem with Paul Whelan, a former Marine and security director serving a 16-year sentence on an espionage conviction that the United States has repeatedly described as a setup.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when asked Sunday on CNN whether a joint swap of Griner and Whelan for Bout was being considered, sidestepped the question.“As a general proposition … I have got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home,” he said. But he said he could not comment “in any detail on what we’re doing, except to say this is an absolute priority.”

The Wrigley Field bullpens were on the field 10 years ago when Rich Hill and the Boston Red Sox came to town for an interleague series with the Chicago Cubs.Hill, who is scheduled to start at Wrigley on Friday for the Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series, was sitting in the visitor’s bullpen down the right-field line that day in 2012 when a few Cubs fans came down from their seats to scatter a relative’s ashes over the bullpen wall and onto the field.AdvertisementBut when they pulled out the baggie with the remnants from the dearly departed, the wind picked up and most of the ashes wound up falling into a bag filled with the baseballs that Red Sox pitchers used to warm up. It wasn’t sticky stuff on the balls. It was Grandpa.Advertisement“Guys would reach in for a ball and go ‘What’s going on here?’ ” Hill later recalled.Red Sox starting pitcher Rich Hill delivers against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning on June 16, 2022, at Fenway Park in Boston. (Mary Schwalm / AP)In Hill’s mind, having a dead relative’s ashes coat baseballs thrown by Red Sox pitchers was the ultimate tribute to Wrigley Field, where his major-league career began on June 15, 2005.“I think it speaks to the greatness of Wrigley Field,” he said. “That’s how special it is to everybody and symbolic of the history there. If you’re a Cubs player, just enjoying the moment, staying in the moment is the best thing you can do, wherever that may be.”Time flies, or in Hill’s case, it just kind of floats. It seems like yesterday that we watched him walk into the cramped Wrigley Field media room known as the dungeon after his opening start in 2008. He promptly hit his head on a drainpipe, one of those moments manager Lou Piniella dubbed a “Cubbie Occurrence.”Hill is still pitching at age 42, giving new meaning to the term ”journeyman” in his third stint with the Red Sox. He has pitched for 11 teams over 18 major-league seasons, not to mention the many minor-league stops at which he had to reinvent himself to get another job.When I was young, I always wondered why 40-something pitchers such as Hoyt Wilhelm hung on years after their best days had ended. Now that I’m much older than the players, I wonder why more of them don’t hang on for as long as they can — like Hill has. And I root for the old guys such as Hill who can still do the job well enough to stay in the rotation of a contending team.Hill was part of the 2006 Cubs rotation that included Carlos Zambrano, Greg Maddux, Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol, all of whom have long since called it quits. I can still see him consoling rookie starter Ryan O’Malley outside the Waveland Avenue firehouse after O’Malley suffered an arm injury in his second career game. No one knew it then, but O’ Malley’s career was over. Hill’s was only just beginning.The ‘06 Cubs lost 96 games and cost manager Dusty Baker his job. But is also was the season the lefty with the sweeping curve began to establish himself as a major-leaguer.AdvertisementPerhaps Hill’s most famous game was in 2016, when he threw seven perfect innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers before manager Dave Roberts lifted him after only 89 pitches. It was an opportunity to pitch the 24th perfect game in major-league history, but Roberts feared Hill was developing a blister and made a precautionary move that denied Hill a chance at history. It still ranks as one of the most tone-deaf baseball decisions of all time.But in Chicago, Hill always will be remembered as the Cubs pitcher who walked the bases loaded on May 20, 2006, at White Sox Park before Brian Anderson hit a fly ball to left. A.J. Pierzynski soon crashed into Cubs catcher Michael Barrett, who punched Pierzynski and set off the biggest brawl in Cubs-Sox history.Michael Barrett, right, punches White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski after Pierzynski plowed into the Cub catcher at the plate in the second inning during their interleague game on May 20, 2006, at U.S. Cellular Field. The Sox won 7-0. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)Hill defended Barrett’s actions after the game and called Pierzynski “gutless” and “pathetic.” Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told reporters to tell “that Triple-A (expletive) to shut the (expletive) up. Tell him to start throwing strikes or he’s going to get Dusty fired.”Hill was demoted to Triple-A Iowa the next day.“Sometimes a young man speaks more than he listens, which is a big part of the problem,” Baker said then. “Hopefully he’ll have learned something by his tenure here and hopefully he’ll be better when he gets back.”Hill returned at the end of July and finally got his act together in 2007, going 11-8 with a 3.92 ERA and helping Piniella’s Cubs win the National League Central. But Piniella pulled Zambrano too early in a Game 1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL Division Series, Ted Lilly slammed his glove to the ground Charlie Brown-style after serving up a home run in Game 2 and Hill was yanked early in the Game 3 loss at Wrigley that ended a dreamlike season.AdvertisementCubs starting pitcher Rich Hill delivers to the Diamondbacks in the first inning of Game 3 of the NL Division Series on Oct. 6, 2007, at Wrigley Field. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)The next season looked like the end for Hill, who struggled with control problems, was demoted to Iowa in May and began having back issues. Some in the organization wondered whether his problems were all mental, the kind of backward thinking that often stereotyped players back in the day. Hill had been one of the more cerebral players in the Cubs organization since being drafted out of Michigan in 2002 and often touted the self-help books he was reading, including “Thinking Body, Dancing Mind: TaoSports for Extraordinary Performance in Athletics, Business and Life.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.After the Cubs gave up on Hill and sold him to the Baltimore Orioles in February 2009 for next to nothing, he began a nomadic journey that saw his career teetering on extinction numerous times before another successful comeback. Hill became a wanted man and enjoyed success in Oakland, Los Angeles and other stops.The fact he’s still here after all the injuries, upheaval and recurring demands to prove himself all over again is a testament to his resilience. During his rookie season in 2005, Hill told me he had spent his offseason working on “the other part of the game,” trying to train himself to think positively.“Things such as positive attitudes, and building little phrases I was using like, ‘act as if,’ ” he explained. “ ‘Act as if you’re a big-leaguer — the way you carry yourself and the way you hinder yourself.’ It’s changed the way I approach the game.”Though Hill seems to be in no hurry to end his career, you never know if Friday will be his last dance at Wrigley.Hopefully he’ll get some closure at the ballpark where it all began, on a sunny afternoon with a full house.AdvertisementHill’s message is as timely now as when he first delivered it 17 years ago,Enjoy the moment.