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CROMWELL, Conn. — Brooks Koepka, one of the first players to denounce a rival league for only 48 players, is the latest PGA Tour player to sign on with Saudi-funded LIV Golf series, The Associated Press has learned.A person briefed on Koepka’s decision told the AP said he still would be able to compete on the PGA Tour until he hits a shot on the LIV Golf circuit. The person spoke on condition of anonymity without authorization to speak on behalf of the tour.AdvertisementThe Daily Telegraph in the UK first reported Koepka’s decision.Koepka remained in the field for the Travelers Championship, though he was not at a player meeting Tuesday morning at the TPC River Highlands. The next LIV Golf event starts June 30 outside Portland, Oregon.AdvertisementKoepka was second player, behind Rory McIlroy, who speak out against a rival league in March 2020 when he told the AP, “I have a hard time believing golf should be about just 48 players.”“Money isn’t going to change my life,” Koepka said at the time.The proposed rival league was different from LIV Golf, presented as the “Premier Golf League” though still relying on Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Greg Norman and LIV Golf took the idea of 48-man fields, no cuts with a team component.LIV Golf has not announced Koepka’s signing amid speculation that a few others were soon to join. ESPN Deportes reported over the weekend that Abraham Ancer of Mexico also was signing. Ancer is No. 20 in the world with one PGA Tour victory.Koepka gives LIV Golf a big name with his four major titles — back-to-back in the U.S. Open (2017-18) and PGA Championship (2018-19), though his game has been in decline since then because of a series of injuries.His last victory was the Phoenix Open in February 2021 and he has fallen to No. 19 in the world. In the majors this year, he missed the cut at the Masters and has finished out of the top 50 in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.

What channel is it on? Who are the top prospects? Where do the Chicago Bulls pick — and which players might they target?Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 NBA draft.AdvertisementThe draft begins at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Barclays Center in New York. It’s the ninth time the home of the Brooklyn Nets is host to the event.Malika Andrews speaks during an NBA game between the Warriors and the Suns on Dec. 3, 2021, in San Francisco. (Jeff Chiu/AP)ESPN is broadcasting the draft for the 20th straight year, with former Chicago Tribune reporter Malika Andrews hosting for the first time. College basketball analyst Jay Bilas, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski and NBA draft analysts Bobby Marks and Mike Schmitz will join Andrews on the main set.AdvertisementFor the second year in a row, ABC-7 is airing the first round. Kevin Negandhi returns as the host and will be joined by analysts Stephen A. Smith, Chiney Ogwumike and Jalen Rose. Monica McNutt is the event reporter and will conduct interviews with draftees after their selection.For those who like this sort of thing, ESPN also will air a red-carpet pregame show from 4-5 p.m., hosted by Cassidy Hubbarth with analysts Perkins and Richard Jefferson. The three will preview the draft and interview prospects, team personnel and celebrities.The Bulls have the No. 18 pick in the first round but have no second-round selection because of the 2021 sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs for DeMar DeRozan. They didn’t have a first-round pick last year, having dealt it to the Orlando Magic for Nikola Vučević. They selected Illinois and Morgan Park product Ayo Dosunmu in the second round at No. 38, and he was named to the All-Rookie second team.The Bulls’ last first-round pick was Patrick Williams at No. 4 in 2020, the first selection of the Artūras Karnišovas-Marc Eversley regime.LSU forward Tari Eason celebrates a basket during a game against Mississippi on Feb. 1, 2022, in Baton Rouge, La. (Matthew Hinton/AP)Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Of 14 mock drafts listed below, six have the Bulls taking LSU forward Tari Eason. Here’s a sampling of “expert” opinions.The Athletic: Tari Eason, F, LSUBasketball News: EasonBleacher Report: E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio StateCBS Sports: Jalen Duren, C, MemphisESPN: Jalen Williams, F, Santa ClaraNBADraft.net: EasonNBC Sports: Ochai Agbaji, SG, KansasThe Ringer: LiddellSB Nation: EasonSports Illustrated: LiddellStadium: WilliamsTankathon: EasonUSA Today: AgbajiYahoo Sports: EasonWith championship trophies gleaming, B.J. Armstrong is all smiles as he tells the media that he “is the veteran on this young Bulls team”, on Sept. 1, 1999. (DAVID TROTMAN-WILKINS)Once. In 1989, they drafted Iowa guard B.J. Armstrong at that spot. He was the second of the Bulls’ three first-round picks that year — they took Stacey King of Oklahoma at No. 6 and Jeff Sanders of Georgia Southern at No. 20.Joe Dumars, whom the Detroit Pistons drafted in 1987, is the lone Hall of Famer. According to Basketball Reference, of the 20 players drafted at No. 18 to have at least 20 career win shares, Mark Jackson (1987, New York Knicks) tops the list at 91.8, followed by Dumars (86.2), David West (2003, New Orleans Hornets, 85.9), Ricky Pierce (1982, Pistons, 72.2) and Vern Fleming (1984, Indiana Pacers, 52).Other notables in the top 20 are Armstrong (10th with 45), Dave Corzine (1978, Washington Bullets, 13th with 37.3) and Quentin Richardson (2000, Los Angeles Clippers, 14th with 32.8).AdvertisementAuburn forward Jabari Smith (10) reacts after making a 3-pointer against Alabama on Feb. 1 in Auburn, Ala. (Butch Dill/AP)The consensus No. 1 is Auburn forward Jabari Smith going to the Orlando Magic (full draft order). Most mock drafts have Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey and Iowa’s Keegan Murray among the top selections.Other than Ivey, who is the son of Notre Dame women’s coach Niele Ivey, and Liddell, a two-time Mr. Basketball of Illinois winner out of Belleville West High School, draft hopefuls with area connections include:Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee (son of ex-Northwestern player and assistant Pat Baldwin)Max Christie, Michigan State (Rolling Meadows HS)Kofi Cockburn, IllinoisAJ Griffin, Duke (son of former Bulls player and assistant Adrian Griffin)Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers (son of former Bull Ron Harper)Scotty Pippen Jr., Vanderbilt (son of former Bull Scottie Pippen)Blake Wesley, Notre DameTrevion Williams, Purdue (Chicago native/Mount Carmel HS before moving to Detroit as a sophomore)NBA free agency — a big concern for the Bulls considering two-time All-Star Zach LaVine is an unrestricted free agent — begins at 5 p.m. Aug. 2.

The 50th anniversary of Title IX is a chance not only to celebrate the girls and women who compete in today’s world, but also to acknowledge that we are on a long journey.The gains are elusive if not appreciated and recognized as a foundation for what comes next. We girls, no matter where we are in life, must support and help one another to keep this going.AdvertisementI was a tomboy before it was fashionable and, fortunately, had parents who encouraged me when school offered nothing. In the pre-Title IX days, I had a scholarship to the University of Missouri from the Missouri Girls Golf Association and played intercollegiate golf, softball and basketball when the university’s contribution to uniforms was to buy us shirts and we did the rest. Bitter still? Maybe just a little.[ [Don’t miss] Illinois women who led programs through Title IX reflect on the growth — and continued challenges: ‘They need to know how it was fought for’ ]As a WNBA fan in general and a Chicago Sky fan in particular, I am so happy to see young fans at games. There’s a saying that you have to see it to be it. It matters that WNBA athletes embrace a leadership role and know that young people — boys and girls — are watching as they model success and civic responsibility. That is also the case for our local college teams. I feel so blessed to have had sports be such a big part of my life. Sports have greatly enriched my career and my life.AdvertisementYes, there is progress, but it has been difficult. There is a tendency for the change resisters to conflate issues and people, lashing out at the women they resent for what is happening. If only, they think. Their resistance to change can be ugly and personal. That was true 50 years ago and throughout my journalism career. Even if things are better now, that strain still surfaces.Fans celebrate during a parade and rally for the WNBA champion Chicago Sky at Pritzker Pavilion on Oct. 19, 2021. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)Women in sports media still have to deal with things that are amplified by the nastiness of social media trolls. Women talk about microaggressions, as if they feel that somehow they might be overreacting. Uh, no. Those slights are significant, just as they are in other arenas where diversity is playing out.We all benefit as the young women who grew up under Title IX prosper now. Title IX has always been about more than sports. We need to support women and realize that it’s still tough.As part of its coverage of Title IX’s impact, The Associated Press recently conducted a poll in partnership with the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the National Women’s History Museum. The AP reported that 61% of men say the country has made a great deal or a lot of progress toward gender equality, while only 37% of women said the same.On a continuum, we have made significant progress from the early days of Title IX, and that’s good. But the gains are fragile, and there is more to do in the next 50 years.Holt was the first female sports editor at the Chicago Tribune from 1993-95. The former standards editor, she left the Tribune in January 2022.

Andrew Vaughn was aware he needed a triple for the cycle when he came to bat in the sixth inning Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays.“You’ve got to keep it out of the back of your head,” Vaughn said.AdvertisementVaughn didn’t get the triple, but he did single to match a career high with four hits in the Chicago White Sox’s 8-7 victory in front of 22,482 at Guaranteed Rate Field.Vaughn had an RBI double in the first, singled and scored in the third and hit a solo homer in the fourth. His sixth-inning at-bat finished with a single to left.Advertisement“His stroke (Monday) was as pure as it could be,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “(Blue Jays starter José) Berríos, we hit some good pitches. We stayed on the ball good because that guy’s tough.“But we talked about it before, that’s what (Gavin) Sheets has shown, (Jake) Burger, they’re hungry hitters. They go up there every at-bat trying to make something happen, and Vaughn, he’s got that nailed.”It’s the third time Vaughn has had four hits in a game. He has five multi-hit performances in his last seven games.“Just learning from last year,” Vaughn said. “Learned how to take care of my body better. It’s 162 games. It’s long. Just being smart and being proactive about it.”Vaughn’s home run was the third of the night for the Sox. Josh Harrison’s two-run homer in the second gave them a 3-2 lead. Luis Robert made it 5-2 with a two-run homer one inning later.The Sox had production up and down the lineup, finishing with 13 hits. Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit. Leadoff batter Tim Anderson singled twice and scored a run in his return from the injured list.[ [Don’t miss] Tim Anderson is ‘excited to be back’ from the injured list for the White Sox, but Yoán Moncada heads to the IL ]“I was seeing the ball real well,” said Anderson, who last played for the Sox on May 29, when he suffered a strained right groin. “If I just stay right there where I’m at, just continue to keep pushing, I’ll be in a good spot.”La Russa said of Anderson: “His stroke is a thing of a beauty. I mean, he can get to anything.”AdvertisementHarrison was getting to almost anything defensively. He made several impressive plays, including a tremendous diving stop and throw from his knees to get Gabriel Moreno for the first out of the fifth.“He had a great game,” La Russa said of Harrison. “A clutch home run, he hit a couple of balls hard, but the defensive plays — every time you take an out away from that club is a huge step in the right direction.”Lance Lynn benefited from the defense in his second start of the season and his first at home. The right-hander allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks in five-plus innings.There was a questionable ball four to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the sixth. Teoscar Hernández followed with a two-run double, getting the Blue Jays within 8-4. That was Lynn’s final batter.Asked about the progress from his first start to his second after returning from right knee surgery in the spring to repair a torn tendon, Lynn said: “I don’t know. I gave up five runs in five innings. It’s still horse(bleep).”La Russa had a slightly different assessment.Advertisement“The ball was coming out great,” La Russa said. “He was very aggressive. I watched him closely in that sixth. That lineup is tough. You saw what they’ve done all year long. And he was very sharp. Didn’t get bothered by the first two (runs on a homer by Raimel Tapia in the second) and kept shutting them out until the end.”White Sox reliever Reynaldo López celebrates after getting the last out in the top of the seventh inning against the Blue Jays on Monday, June 20, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Reynaldo López followed Lynn and struck out two in the sixth. He came back for the seventh and stranded a runner on second with another strikeout.With closer Liam Hendriks on the injured list, the Sox opted for Kendall Graveman in the eighth and Joe Kelly in the ninth. Kelly surrendered a two-run homer with one out in the ninth to Cavan Biggio but rebounded with two grounders — including another nice play by Harrison — to help the Sox begin their homestand on a positive note.“The decision point there was that Graveman, we felt, could get the last out in the seventh (if necessary) and come back in the eighth,” La Russa said. “They can both pitch the ninth, both pitch the eighth (and) the seventh.“But to me, one of the stars brighter than anybody was Reynaldo López. (To) come out there and also pitch that seventh as effectively as he did, you’ll meet no bigger star than him.”

TAMPA, Fla. — Steven Stamkos, Pat Maroon and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning scored four times in the second period to beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 Monday night in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.Anthony Cirelli, Nicholas Paul and Corey Perry also scored to help the two-time defending champion Lightning bounce back after playing poorly while losing the first two games on the road. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman had two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 37 shots.AdvertisementStamkos, Paul, Maroon and Perry scored in the second period, when the Lightning chased Avalanche goalie Darcy Kuemper while pulling away to trim their series deficit to 2-1.Gabriel Landeskog had two goals and Mikko Rantanen had two assists for the Avalanche. Kuemper gave up five goals on 22 shots before he was replaced by Pavel Francouz, who finished with nine saves.AdvertisementGame 4 is Wednesday night at Amalie Arena, where the Lightning have won a franchise-record eight straight playoff games and where the Avalanche lost on the road for the first time this postseason.Two nights after being limited to 16 shots in a 7-0 loss in Denver, the Lightning rebounded by finally finding a way to neutralize the Avalanche’s speed and solve Kuemper to avoid falling to the brink of elimination.The defending champs became the first team since 1919 to win a Stanley Cup Final game after losing by seven-plus goals the previous game.The Avalanche lifted Kuemper after Maroon scored a soft goal that put the Lightning up 5-2 with 8:45 remaining in the second. Perry reached behind Francouz to tap in a rebound that came off the right post to make 6-2 with 5:02 left in the period.The Lightning overcame a 2-0 series deficit in the Eastern Conference finals to eliminate the New York Rangers in six games. They’re looking to do it again against the Avalanche to complete their quest for the NHL’s first three-peat in nearly 40 years.Cirelli and Palat scored in the first period for the Lightning, who played with a lot more energy than in Games 1 and 2, when they appeared to be a step or two slower than the speedy, high-scoring Avalanche.The seven-goal loss in Game 2 raised the question of whether a team that has played 68 postseason games since 2020 — the most by one team over a span of three playoffs — is running out of gas as it tries to become the first franchise to win at least three consecutive Stanley Cup titles since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83.And while coach Jon Cooper discounts the toll playing so much playoff hockey has taken on his players, the Avalanche clearly looked like the fresher team in Games 1 and 2 after going 12-2 against the Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers in breezing through the first three rounds.AdvertisementSpurred on by a sellout crowd of more than 19,000 and playing with a sense of urgency absent for much of the first two games, the Lightning scored twice in a span of 1:51 to wipe out a 1-0 lead the Avalanche took on the first of Landeskog’s two power-play goals.Cirelli crossed in front of Kuemper to make it 1-1 at 13:03 of the opening period. Palat delivered his 10th goal of the playoffs off a pass from Stamkos to give the Lightning a lead for the first time in the series.Vasilevskiy yielded a second power-play goal to Landeskog, who briefly trimmed a two-goal deficit to 3-2 before the Lightning pulled away for good.After allowing the most goals he ever has given up in the playoffs in Game 2, Vasilevskiy had 13 saves in the first period, 12 in the second and 12 in the third.The Lightning became the third team in NHL history to score six goals in a Stanley Cup Final game after yielding at least seven the previous game.Both teams played without one of their top forwards.AdvertisementLightning center Brayden Point, who missed 10 games after being injured during the series-clinching victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, was scratched after playing in Games 1 and 2 in Denver.Avalanche forwards Andre Burakovsky and Nazem Kadri sat out. Coach Jared Bednar said both are day to day.Paul scored for the Lightning after sitting out a portion of the first period with what appeared to be a right leg injury.The Avalanche entered Monday with a franchise-record seven-game postseason winning streak. The Avalanche also suffered their first road loss, dropping to 8-1. The Lightning improved to 8-1 at home this postseason.

PITTSBURGH — Three starts into his big-league career, Caleb Kilian is searching for answers.For a pitcher who didn’t walk many batters in the minors since joining the Chicago Cubs organization last July, walks have plagued the rookie right-hander in his last two outings. Kilian’s big-league debut in early June provided excitement for Cubs fans who haven’t had much to cheer about this year.AdvertisementCommand problems derailed Kilian again Monday in a 12-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.“It’s super frustrating, actually, because I feel like I’m digging myself in a hole with walking people and getting behind in counts,” Kilian said. “I feel like it’s not far off. I feel like it’s close. And once it clicks, it’ll be a lot better.”AdvertisementKilian surrendered seven runs (five earned) and struck out three in 2⅓ innings, hurt by five walks and shaky defense.[ [Don’t miss] Why the Cubs chose to option right-hander Adrian Sampson to Triple A after a stellar outing ]“I do best when I am aggressive or have an aggressive mindset, but I still was trying to be too fine with my misses,” Kilian said. “Instead of missing in the zone when I was missing just away earlier and then getting behind in counts, the walks — I just hurt myself, you know?”Too often Kilian threw noncompetitive pitches that were balls out of his hand.Kilian is the first Cubs pitcher to walk at least five hitters in consecutive outings since Yu Darvish in May 2019. Kilian’s issues against the Pirates felt similar to his previous start Wednesday versus the San Diego Padres, in which he surrendered five runs and five walks in four innings. “Just not like myself,” he said.Cubs starter Caleb Kilian, center, hands the ball to manager David Ross during a pitching change in the third inning Monday, June 20, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)Before the blowout loss, Cubs manager David Ross indicated the focus between starts for Kilian was “cleaning up the consistency of his mechanics” so he could feel he’s able to move the ball in and out of the zone as he wants. Kilian mentioned doing drills that helped him get back into his legs and find better timing.“We’ve got to give this kid a little bit of runway before we start changing too many things,” Ross said. “The more information we’re able to gather at this level and what he looks like, then we’ll be able to assess and continue to work start to start.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Kilian, though, couldn’t harness what he found between outings. Afterward, he wasn’t sure what led him to get out of sync against the Pirates.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: From yuppies to ‘Cuppies,’ Wrigley Field bleachers are still the place to ignore the Cubs’ failures ]“If I knew I would have probably fixed it out there,” he said. “It kind of just got out of whack a little bit today and then it didn’t go too well.”The Cubs, losers in 13 of their last 16 games, can give Kilian time to work through his command issues in the majors if they want. Ross recalled former teammate Jon Lester saying a pitcher will have five really good starts, five that stink and it comes down to the other 20 starts.Only 33 of Kilian’s 66 pitches were strikes, including 14 foul balls and five balls in play that either scored a run or were not an out.The Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds scores on a wild pitch by Cubs starter Caleb Kilian (45) during the third inning Monday, June 20, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)“I definitely would say the big leagues is different than the minor leagues for sure,” Ross said. “He’s got a long big-league career ahead of him and he’s a hard worker. He’ll go back to work.”At some point, it might pay off for Kilian to implement the adjustments at Triple A, where there is less scrutiny, but right now there is an opportunity to work hands on with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and the big-league staff. Kilian is trying to learn as much as he can, from the trainers to the strength coaches, and soak it in.“I’ve just been picking people’s brains,” Kilian said. “Maybe I’ve got too much going on in my head at the moment, but I think in the long run it’ll pay off.”

PITTSBURGH — Right-hander Adrian Sampson did everything in his control to stick on the Chicago Cubs roster.Sampson impressed Sunday, shutting down the Atlanta Braves over 4⅔ innings of relief with five strikeouts, no walks and only one batter reaching base. But when the Cubs needed to remove one pitcher from their active roster by Monday’s deadline for the 13-pitcher limit, Sampson was the odd man out.AdvertisementThe rule initially was set to be implemented for the start of the season, then was pushed back twice because of the 99-day lockout’s impact on pitchers’ ability to build up.Manager David Ross described an “extremely difficult” conversation with Sampson when informing him of the decision to option him to Triple-A Iowa. Sampson is unavailable for three days because of how much he pitched Sunday, which played a part.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Theo Epstein is leaving Chicago 2 years after leaving the Cubs. Here’s how he spent his final weekend in the city. ]“The guy goes out there and saves your bullpen, saves the team, allows us to reset the bullpen with really probably one the better performances I’ve seen him have and one of the better performances out of our bullpen,” Ross said Monday before the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. “At this moment in time, we cannot afford to be short with no off days coming up. “So it’s a difficult conversation. It’s some of the worst ones I have, especially when it’s not performance-based. As bad as it stinks, he also made an impression on everybody, and when you come out and do that, the sooner you’re going to be back when you’re fresh.”The Cubs recalled outfielder Nelson Velázquez to replace Sampson and give them an equal split between pitchers and position players on the 26-man roster. Velázquez is expected to be used as a pinch hitter and could get starts against left-handers. Ross said Velázquez’s role would be similar to how Clint Frazier was used while he was on the roster.“Right now he’ll come off the bench and be a pinch hitter and an extra outfield body,” Ross said.Cubs outfielder Nelson Velázquez hits an infield single against the Brewers in his major-league debut May 30, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.This likely will be another short stint in the majors for Velázquez. David Bote resumed his rehab last week after bouts of dizziness put his return on pause as he works back from left shoulder surgery. Bote was off Monday and will play seven to nine innings Tuesday at Iowa.Seiya Suzuki is working out at the team’s complex in Mesa, Ariz., while the Cubs are on a seven-game trip. Ross said Suzuki’s strained left ring finger showed less swelling when Ross saw it before they parted ways ahead of the trip to Pittsburgh.The Cubs should have a better idea by the end of their four-game series against the Pirates how long Frank Schwindel could be sidelined by his low back strain. Schwindel dealt with similar back issues in the spring, so expect the Cubs to take a cautious approach and not push the first baseman to return too quickly.The Cubs can’t seem to catch a break with injuries. As of Monday, they have 13 players on the injured list. An inexperienced rotation will need to step up after the loss of the extra reliever, starting with rookie Caleb Kilian, who started Monday against the Pirates.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: From yuppies to ‘Cuppies,’ Wrigley Field bleachers are still the place to ignore the Cubs’ failures ]“It’s going to be even more important that we find those guys that can get us outs out of the bullpen and keep us in games or keep us with the lead and give us multiple innings,” Ross said. “Because you’re not going to be able to use everybody every day, and we’ve got a long season and a lot of back-to-back games. Pitchers, especially the bullpen guys, get worn out.”Multi-inning arms carry added value for teams needing to cover innings out of the bullpen. Right-hander Alec Mills knows pitchers like him will become even more important as teams adjust to having one fewer pitcher on staff.“I need to be ready to go every day,” Mills told the Tribune on Monday. “With less pitchers, sometimes I need to wear a couple just so we can save the bullpen. I think we saw that, especially right when I came up almost two weeks ago now, but I needed to go out there and do it right then. The bullpen was fried, so I was happy to do it.”

The Chicago White Sox reinstated shortstop Tim Anderson from the injured list ahead of Monday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Guaranteed Rate Field.In a corresponding move, the Sox placed third baseman Yoán Moncada on the 10-day IL retroactive to Saturday with a strained right hamstring.AdvertisementAnderson went on the IL retroactive to May 30 with a strained right groin. The All-Star suffered the injury during a May 29 game against the Cubs.Anderson is having another sensational season, slashing 356/.393/.503 with nine doubles, five home runs, 19 RBIs, 24 runs and eight stolen bases in 40 games.

WASHINGTON — WNBA star Brittney Griner tried to call her wife nearly a dozen times through the American embassy in Russia on the couple’s fourth anniversary Saturday, but they never connected because the phone line at the embassy was not staffed, Cherelle Griner said Monday.The couple has not spoken by phone in the four months since Griner’s arrest in Russia on drug-related charges. That was to have changed Saturday, when a long-awaited call was to have finally taken place. But the day came and went without any contact, leaving an anguished Cherelle Griner to wonder what went wrong and to suspect at least initially that Russian authorities had thwarted the call.AdvertisementOn Monday, she said she learned from her wife’s lawyers a more distressing truth: Brittney Griner had tried to call 11 times over a period of several hours, dialing a number she was given at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, which the couple had been told would then patch the call through to Cherelle Griner in Phoenix. But each time, the call went unanswered because the desk at the embassy where the phone rang was apparently unstaffed Saturday.“I was distraught. I was hurt. I was done, fed up,” Cherelle Griner told The Associated Press in an interview, recounting how an anniversary she had eagerly anticipated was instead spent in tears. “I’m pretty sure I texted BG’s agent and was like: ‘I don’t want to talk to anybody. It’s going to take me a minute to get my emotions together and just tell everybody I’m unavailable right now.’ Because it just knocked me out. I wasn’t well, I’m still not well.”AdvertisementThe experience has exacerbated already simmering frustrations about the U.S. government’s response to her wife’s case. U.S. officials have repeatedly said they are working behind the scenes to get the two-time Olympian home from Russia and consider her case a top priority. But Cherelle Griner said she remains “very pissed” by the snafu, especially because the call had been on the schedule for two weeks and yet no one warned her during that time that it might be logistically impossible because of the weekend.The State Department said Monday that it was aware of the issue and was looking into it. Cherelle Griner said a contact in the U.S. government had apologized to her for the error. She said she since has learned that the one number Brittney Griner had been told to dial typically processes calls from prisoners on Mondays through Fridays but not weekends.“But mind you,” Cherelle Griner said in the interview, “this phone call had been scheduled for almost two weeks — with a weekend date.”She added: “I find it unacceptable and I have zero trust in our government right now. If I can’t trust you to catch a Saturday call outside of business hours, how can I trust you to actually be negotiating on my wife’s behalf to come home? Because that’s a much bigger ask than to catch a Saturday call.”Cherelle Griner said she still hopes to talk to or meet with President Joe Biden, but “at this point it’s starting to feel like a no.”Brittney Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained at a Russian airport on Feb. 17 after authorities there said a search of her bag revealed vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.The State Department in May designated her as wrongfully detained, moving her case under the supervision of its Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator. Russian state-run news agency Tass reported last week that her detention had been extended until July 3.So far, Cherelle Griner says she has had to rely exclusively on others’ assessments about her wife’s condition. Lawyers and consular affairs officials have been able to speak with the basketball star, but her wife has not.AdvertisementOn the evening before the call, she went to sleep at 5 p.m. so she would be awake and alert at midnight to receive the anticipated call from Russia to Phoenix that never came.“This was such a big moment because this would have been the first time where I truly could tell if she’s OK,” Cherelle Griner said. “This would have been the first time for me to actually just hear her in real time and to truly know if she’s OK or to know if she’s seconds away from not being in existence anymore.”Feinberg reported from New York. AP’s Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.

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