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Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert could be out for the entire five-game homestand after being placed on the COVID-19-related injured list Tuesday.“Unfortunately, he is suffering from mild COVID symptoms,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “The good news is he is vaccinated, so hopefully his experience is relatively mild throughout and we have him back at some point, very possibly next week.Advertisement“Certainly he’s not going to play in the Boston series (that started Tuesday) and very likely not going to play against the Cubs this weekend.”Prior to tonight’s series opener vs. Boston, the Chicago White Sox placed outfielder Luis Robert on the COVID-19 related injured list and recalled infielder Jake Burger from Class AAA Charlotte.— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 24, 2022

Robert is slashing .285/.319/.438 with three doubles, six home runs, 17 RBIs, six stolen bases and 21 runs in 33 games. He leads the Sox in homers and is second in RBIs, runs, stolen bases and total bases (60).Advertisement“He’s so much fun to watch,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “Really hope for us and for our fans that it’s the quick one and we get him back in five or six days.”Adam Engel started in center field Tuesday. AJ Pollock and Leury García are also options.In Tuesday’s corresponding move, the Sox recalled third baseman Jake Burger from Triple-A Charlotte. Burger has a .239 batting average with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs in 21 games with the Sox in 2022.

Tim Anderson heard the boos and chants of “Jackie” from the crowd Sunday night at Yankee Stadium.“That didn’t do nothing but motivate me a little bit more,” the Chicago White Sox shortstop said before Tuesday’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.AdvertisementAnderson silenced the crowd in the eighth inning, hitting a three-run homer in a 5-0 victory against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of a doubleheader.“It was pretty dope, you know?” Anderson said. “For me to shut them up, I think you guys saw the reaction. And it was a great moment for sure.”AdvertisementThe moment came a day after a bench-clearing incident involving the teams stemming from comments Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson made to Anderson. Donaldson admitted he called Anderson “Jackie” early in Saturday’s game, which led to a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for what Major League Baseball called “inappropriate comments.”“It’s out of my control, so I guess I’m cool with whatever,” Anderson said when asked about Donaldson’s suspension.Donaldson is appealing the punishment.[ [Don’t miss] Column: MLB’s ruling on the Josh Donaldson-Tim Anderson incident could have an effect on what’s acceptable trash talk ]He told New York reporters Saturday that the “Jackie” remark was a joke going back to a 2019 Sports Illustrated story in which Anderson said he felt like “today’s Jackie Robinson” in terms of trying to make the game more fun. Donaldson also said he made the same reference as a member of the Atlanta Braves when they played the Sox on Aug. 30-Sept. 1 of that season.“He did say that,” Anderson said. “I told him that, ‘We don’t ever have to talk again. And I won’t speak to you, you won’t speak to me if that’s how you’re going to refer to me.’ And I know he knew exactly what he was doing. Because I already told him.“He goes to Minnesota, two years, doesn’t say nothing to me because I already addressed it. And we get into it (May 13 at Guaranteed Rate Field) with me sliding back (into third base), so I push him off me. And he felt the need to say it again, but you know, he’s trying to provoke me. And he knew what he was doing.”José Abreu holds back White Sox teammate Tim Anderson during a benches-clearing dispute with the Yankees on May 21, 2022, in New York. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)Anderson said the Yankees have not reached out.“I can definitely move on,” he said. “But I’m not looking for friendship, no relationship from that behalf. But I’m going to continue to keep playing hard and keep being a great teammate and keep being the best version of myself I can be.”AdvertisementAnderson led the American League with a .359 average entering Tuesday.“If you’re looking for the latest example of how special he is, just look at (Sunday),” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “If that’s the first time you’ve been able to see how special he is, then you haven’t been paying attention.[ [Don’t miss] Column: A teachable moment — and the true meaning of Jackie Robinson’s legacy to Black baseball players ]“He is a credit to Major League Baseball. He’s exactly what our fans need to see as far as what a person he is and his dedication to winning. I was around here long enough to slightly get to know Michael Jordan — he’s got that Michael Jordan desire for his team to compete and play for a championship.“(Former manager) Gene Mauch once said it, when your best players have that kind of motivation, man, it’s a huge advantage. This guy is really special at everything he does.”Anderson appreciated the support from the White Sox organization.“It’s been nothing but love from my teammates, from the coaching staff, from the organization,” he said. “I can say that things got handled the right way and I feel the support, I feel the love and I appreciate that for sure.Advertisement“Hopefully we can keep the good energy going and try to stay positive and be great teammates and most importantly have fun.”Tim Anderso rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Yankees on May 22, 2022, in New York. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)General manager Rick Hahn said he was “proud of the way that teammates coalesced around TA this weekend, the support that was shown, both on the field and in the clubhouse.” “Everyone inside of that clubhouse knew how he felt, and he knew everyone had his back,” Hahn said. “And then he went out on the biggest stage we had that weekend and showed the world precisely who he is, which I thought was awesome.”[ [Don’t miss] ‘Utter bull(bleep)’: White Sox closer Liam Hendriks rejects Josh Donaldson’s explanation for his ‘Jackie’ comment ]Anderson also heard positive words from people around the game. That list includes Yankees star Aaron Judge, who on Monday told New York reporters, including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, “Anderson’s one of the best shortstops in the game and he’s a big part of MLB, what’s going on here and how we can grow the game.”“All the love and all the support,” Anderson said. “I can’t name it one by one, but I’ve seen it and I definitely appreciate it.”

Teven Jenkins was midway through a post-practice interview Tuesday at Halas Hall when he felt the need to give a heartfelt plug for one of the catalysts of his 2022 offseason.“I’ve got to name-drop my Pilates place,” he said. “Superior Pilates in Lake Forest. If you want a good workout, hit up Chris.”AdvertisementIndeed, Jenkins’ added attention to strengthening his core has helped him become sturdier and feel more confident as he heads into his second season with the Chicago Bears. Summer back surgery interrupted Jenkins’ rookie season before it got going and ultimately limited him to 161 offensive snaps over the final five games.But that health setback, Jenkins insisted, is an afterthought. And the increased Pilates work, while often grueling, has become a big part of his self-improvement.Advertisement“You ever do a Pilates workout?” Jenkins said. “It is (torture). Oh, my god. Ooh. But it’s good for you. So I’m happy to do it.”As the Bears continue organized team activities during their transition to a new coaching staff and offensive system, Jenkins is in the mindset of doing whatever is best for him or whatever can help him help the team most.“Get in where you fit in,” he said. “I’m trying to elevate everything about myself, mentally and physically.”General manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus made it clear upon their arrival that they needed the offensive line to transform to fit the new system, calling for their linemen to be sleeker and more agile.Jenkins’ first thought? Happy to do it. He dropped close to 20 pounds and decreased his body fat percentage, he says, from 33% to 24% with targeted strength and conditioning work and diet modifications. The latter prompted Jenkins to remove carbs from dinner most nights, eliminating things such as rice and mac and cheese, and to reduce his alcohol intake.“I’m trying to get more cleansed out, I guess,” he said. “That does help with your body fat. Instead of drinking all that beer (where) all that fat just sits on you, now you burn it off.”Chicago Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins practices, May 24, 2022, during OTAs at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Few players on the roster represent the challenges that come with a regime change more than Jenkins, whom former general manager Ryan Pace traded up to select early in the second round of the 2021 draft. Pace figured Jenkins would anchor the Bears’ left tackle position for years to come in coach Matt Nagy’s offense while developing under former line coach Juan Castillo.Now Jenkins is working to prove himself to Poles, Eberflus and new line coach Chris Morgan while attempting to show he’ll be a good fit in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s system. None of those new Bears leaders has any real attachment to Jenkins, so they’re trying to see whether he fits into their long-term plans or whether he’ll become just another expendable item from the previous tenants to lug out to the curb.AdvertisementFor now, that has pushed Jenkins back to the right side of the line — which may be a good thing. He played the majority of his college career at Oklahoma State at right tackle before the Bears tried to mold him into a left tackle last season.Jenkins couldn’t recall exactly when the new staff chose to flip him back to the right while asking fellow second-year tackle Larry Borom to give the left side a try. But he knows the conversation was quick, to the point and came with little resistance. Playing on the right side may just be the optimal fit.“It is comfortable,” Jenkins said. “It’s nice. And I do look forward to keep on getting reps at right tackle. … It’s more about where can I be the best for the team. And what can I do and what certain position (for me) is going to elevate the whole offense.”Jenkins admits his rookie season tested his patience. It wasn’t just that a July back injury kept him from starting training camp and ultimately led to surgery Aug. 18. It’s that the setback came after Jenkins’ final college season ended in November 2020, also cut short by a separate back injury.Therefore, Jenkins had plenty of rust and notable timing issues when he returned from injured reserve and was added to the active roster in December. Instead of having training camp and the preseason as a friendly runway into his NFL career, Jenkins’ first extended action on the offensive line came in Week 14 against the Green Bay Packers on “Sunday Night Football.”As if the urgency to prove himself wasn’t already heightened, suddenly Jenkins had to hit the ground running on a huge stage with a bit of an internal rush to prove he belonged.AdvertisementThat test at Lambeau Field was Jenkins’ first of five games on offense, all of which included expected bumpy patches. He incurred seven penalties, including three false starts and a costly personal foul against the Minnesota Vikings when he rushed to protest a questionable hit on quarterback Justin Fields and threw a jab at defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson.Jenkins was also sloppy on the left side at times and absorbed a few difficult lessons.“One thing I did learn is you’re not going to win 100% of the snaps,” he said. “It’s about how consistent you can be. That’s how good you can be. So that’s what you’re trying to strive for all through practices and all these reps you’re getting. It’s about how consistently good can you be.”Jenkins will work to improve that consistency, solidify himself as a starter and acclimate to Getsy’s system, which is markedly different than the one Nagy ran.“It’s a lot faster-paced, a lot more up-tempo,” Jenkins said. “You’re getting around, setting edges, all that stuff.”With Fields expected to be on the move more in 2022, Jenkins will have to show he is athletic and quick enough to handle his new assignments. As he noted Tuesday, until the offensive line is in full pads in training camp, it will be difficult to tell whether the weight he lost has diminished his strength.AdvertisementJenkins also stressed he must do everything he can to earn the trust of Poles, Eberflus and Getsy. That, he said, will require him to prove he fits in the new scheme while also showing he can play hard while reducing his mental mistakes.“I’m working for that trust,” Jenkins said. “That’s ultimately what I want to have. Getting more of that trust that they have into me will make me feel more comfortable.”

The Indiana General Assembly voted Tuesday to override a veto of a bill that would ban transgender girls from playing on a girls sport or team in K-12 schools.The House voted 67-28 to override the veto, with three Republicans voting against the override. The Senate voted 32-15 to override the veto.AdvertisementGov. Eric Holcomb vetoed the bill in March, saying it did not provide a consistent policy for what he called “fairness in K-12 sports.” He also pointed to the IHSAA’s policy on transgender athletes.Republican sponsors of the bill maintained Tuesday it is needed to protect the integrity of female sports and opportunities for girls to gain college athletic scholarship but could not point out any instances in the state of transgender athletes outperforming other girls.AdvertisementAhead of the vote, dozens of young people and supporters gathered outside the statehouse to play games to show legislators that kids want to play, organizers said.A group plays games outside the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 prior to the vote to override Governor Holcomb’s veto on a transgender sports bill. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)For one game, called switch, there were four green cones set up in a square, with a purple cone on the middle and another purple cone between two of the green cones. Six people play — one person standing at each cone — and the person in the middle yells out “switch,” after which everyone runs and tries to be the only person on a green cone. If two people run to the same green cone, they play rock, paper, scissors to decide who stays in the game.Traneisha English, program director of Play Works, said the organization focuses on social, emotional and physical benefits of play for all children. The organization understands “the power of inclusive play,” English said.Games like switch, English said, teach conflict resolution in a low stakes game. But, English said the vote to ban transgender girls from playing on a girls team or sport is high stakes.If she had a chance to talk with a legislator ahead of the vote, English said she’d listen, explain to them what inclusive play is and tell them about the negative impacts the bill will have on transgender youth.“I would ask them, is that what they really want? And I would hope their answer is no,” English said. “We are worried about the future of inclusive play.”Members of the Indiana House of Representatives meet at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 to vote to overturn the governor’s veto of a bill that would ban trans children playing school sports in Indiana. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)Nathaniel Clawson, of Bloomington, who has testified against the bill since it was first proposed in the legislature, said his transgender daughter woke up in a foul mood Tuesday.In an effort to comfort her, he told her they plan on having a fun morning playing sports outside with other kids. His daughter, who is 9 years old, said she didn’t see it that way.Advertisement“‘People are trying to take away my rights,’” Clawson said his daughter told him.His daughter loves to play volleyball, soccer and roller derby, and all her friends know her as a girl. When she’s a little older, she will start taking hormone blockers and won’t go through male puberty.“If … she were to play on the boys team, that’s unsafe for her. She’s not going to develop that muscle mass that’s part of testosterone puberty,” Clawson said.The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana immediately filed a lawsuit challenging the law Tuesday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Similar laws have already been blocked or temporarily enjoined in other states.The lawsuit was filed on behalf of A.M., a 10-year-old girl who plays on her school’s all-girls softball team. The new law, which would go into effect July 1, 2022, would deny A.M. the right to rejoin her team because she is a transgender girl.State senator J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, implores his fellow senators to uphold the governor’s veto of a trans student school sports bill at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)“We’re all in this fight together, and we’re going to stay in this fight together,” said Kit Malone, advocacy strategist for ACLU Indiana, during a “let kids play” rally ahead of the vote.Advertisement“Today we’re here to let those lawmakers know, we don’t want them to override that veto. We don’t want laws in this state that discriminate against one particular group of people, in this case transgender girls,” Malone said.Zoe O’Haillan-Berne, director of engagement for Indiana Youth Group, said the bill “isn’t about the safety of cis gender youth” but “it is about the comfort of cis gender adults.”“True Hoosier hospitality means everyone is welcomed, especially every child,” O’Haillin-Berne said. “Trans is beautiful. Trans rights are human rights. At IYG, you’re welcome to play any day.”During the House session, the Representatives weren’t allowed to address the bill under House rules.After the House vote was announced as passing, the room was silent.Kit Malone of the Indiana American Civil Liberties Union speaks during a rally to uphold the governor’s veto of a trans-athlete school sports bill at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)During the Senate session, senators were able to address the bill. Senator Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, called the bill blatantly discriminatory.Advertisement“Throwing children under the bus to gain support from voters is not what we’re here to do,” Taylor said. “With this legislation, you’re telling women they are weak.”Senator J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, listed other Republican governors who vetoed similar bills and reiterated the opposing testimony that was heard when the bill was advancing through the legislature.“This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue, but with sustaining the veto today, it’s a life saving issue,” Ford said.State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, speaks in the halls of the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)After the vote, Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, said he wasn’t surprised by the vote because Democrats have a super minority in the legislature.“(Republicans) are not even willing to listen to their own governor after he decided to say ‘Hey, let the kids play,’” Andrade said.The bill will have negative impacts on the mental and emotional health of transgender youth, during a time that young adults are struggling with mental health issues, he said.AdvertisementAndrade said the legislature could’ve discussed more important issues facing Hoosiers, like suspending the state gas taxes.“In the scheme of things, we have bigger problems in our state to address. But yet we decide to address something that’s not relevant,” Andrade said.State Rep. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, speaks in the halls of the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)Senator Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, said he voted in favor of the override because it ensures “fair and competitive” women’s sports.“I think it’s absolutely about integrity in women’s sports. I think it will be fair competition,” Niemeyer said.Niemeyer said he doesn’t see there being a negative impact on transgender youth with the passage of the bill.“It’s not really a problem in Indiana,” Niemeyer said. “We’re trying to head that off because there’s a possibility it will be.”AdvertisementSenator Rodney Pol Jr., D-Ogden Dunes, said he was disappointed with the vote because “it’s the antithesis of Hoosier hospitality.”“I do have faith that the courts will restore the status of their ability to play sports. This goes against this idea that we’re small government,” Pol said.After the vote, Malone said her first thought is about the transgender youth “who have seen the degree to which our legislature will go to prioritize doing them harm.”“This is not the end of the road. Every civil rights battle has had its downsides and it’s ups. In the rear view mirror, all of the people here who are arraying their forces against this small and vulnerable group of harmless people are going to look very bad to history,” Malone said.

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday after playing through discomfort and swelling for most of the 2021-22 season.LaVine’s surgery took place at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, where he lives during the offseason, and he’s expected to make a full recovery, the Bulls said in a statement.AdvertisementThe left knee was already a concern for LaVine, who tore his ACL in 2017. He spent the week before this season’s All-Star break in Los Angeles to receive cortisone and platelet-rich plasma injections, missing two games.LaVine continued to miss games throughout the final third of the regular season, struggling with pain and discomfort during games and on the bench.AdvertisementDespite injuries to his knee and thumb and his second and third bouts with COVID-19, LaVine averaged 24.4 points and 4.5 assists this season and earned a second straight All-Star selection.[ [Don’t miss] What will happen in free agency? Who will play in Summer League? What to watch for this Bulls offseason. ]He enters his first summer as an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this season. LaVine invited speculation about his next step when he declined to commit to re-signing with the Bulls during his exit interview in April.More recently he told TMZ Sports he has “always been a big fan of the Lakers” after eating dinner in Los Angeles on Monday night.“I’ve been here for the past five years. I have to do this as a business decision, as a man, just to not be viewing it one way,” LaVine said during his exit interview. “It’s unrestricted free agency. For my family, for me, I have to go and look at this as a decision where I have to be open-eyed. I have to make my list and talk to everybody.”

CLEVELAND — One of the women accusing Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct while she gave him a massage felt “scared” and threatened by a comment he made after a therapy session.Appearing on HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” Ashley Solis — who is among 22 women who have sued Watson over allegations he behaved inappropriately with them — provided graphic details of an encounter with the three-time Pro Bowler.AdvertisementShe also said at the end of a massage, Watson told her, “I know you have a career to protect,” and, “I know you don’t want anyone messing with it just like I don’t want anyone messing with mine.”Reporter Soledad O’Brien asked Solis why Watson’s message frightened her.Advertisement“Because that sounded like a threat to me,” she said.During the interview airing Tuesday night, Solis and another massage therapist, Kyla Hayes, provide details of their meetings with Watson, who is facing civil lawsuits by the 22 women alleging various sexual acts during massages he received while playing for the Houston Texans.Watson has denied any wrongdoing and has maintained any sex with the women was consensual. Two grand juries in Texas have declined to indict Watson on criminal complaints filed by 10 women.Solis and Hayes said they feel offended by the five-year, $230 million contract Watson received in March from the Browns. Watson’s deal is both the richest in NFL history and fully guaranteed.Ashley Solis, the first woman to file sexual assault claims against NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson, gives a statement during a news conference on April 6, 2021, in Houston. Solis and fellow massage therapist Kyla Hayes appear on an episode of HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” airing Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Yi-Chin Lee/AP)“It’s just like a big screw you,” Solis said. “That’s what it feels like. That we don’t care. He can run and throw, and that’s what we care about.”Added Hayes: “It was sick to me. … I felt like he’s being rewarded for bad behavior.”The Browns, who have spent two decades in a futile search for a franchise quarterback, pursued Watson along with several other teams. They persuaded him to waive his no-trade clause and join the Browns after he initially rebuffed the team. The Browns sent three first-round draft picks and six picks overall to the Texans for Watson.One of Watson’s lawyers, Leah Graham, was asked to explain on the show why, if he was seeking only professional massages, did Watson end up having sex with some of the women.Advertisement“Well, in every massage, I will tell you he did go intending just for a professional massage, and only those three instances where sexual conduct occurred — consensual sexual activity — it occurred after the massage session had ended,” Graham said. “And Mr. Watson has testified and is insistent that that sexual activity was initiated by the plaintiff in every single instance.”During his introductory news conference with the Browns in March, Watson was adamant he has “never assaulted, disrespected or harassed any woman in my life.” He also said he had no intention of settling the lawsuits outside of court.Watson also faces possible discipline from the NFL, which is independently investigating whether he violated its personal-conduct policy.League investigators interviewed Watson in Houston last week. It’s not known if the inquiry has been completed.The league could wait for a resolution in the lawsuits before announcing a decision or hand out discipline with a caveat that things could change if new information surfaces.Former U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson, a disciplinary officer jointly appointed by the league and NFL Players Association, is the one deciding whether Watson violated the personal-conduct policy. If Watson is suspended and appeals, Commissioner Roger Goodell would handle any reexamination.AdvertisementThe Browns are eager to find out whether they’ll be without Watson for an extended period. The team resumed offseason activities Tuesday and will have a mandatory minicamp next month. Training camp is scheduled for July.Watson treated some of his new teammates to a trip to the Bahamas last week. A team spokesman said he reported for the voluntary offseason program that resumed this week. The Browns will have media availability Wednesday.

The Connecticut Sun will be without their starting point guard for the remainder of the 2022 season.Jasmine Thomas tore the ACL in her right knee and won’t play again this year, the team announced on Tuesday. The Sun star guard suffered the injury in the first quarter of a 92-70 victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday.AdvertisementThomas will have reconstructive surgery and the team hasn’t provided a timetable for the surgery or her rehab process.“Of course, I’m sad that I won’t be able to continue playing on the court with this special team,” Thomas said in a release. “Everyone has been supportive and uplifting, and I’m just preparing mentally and emotionally to attack my recovery. I will continue to be a vocal leader and support my team from the sidelines. They’re incredible and I’m excited about what they’re going to achieve.”AdvertisementThomas, who is 32 years old, has been a staple for the Sun since joining the team from the Atlanta Dream in 2015. She was averaging 7.5 points, 3.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds through four games this season prior to Sunday’s contest and was undoubtedly one of the team’s leaders, especially on defense. Thomas is fifth in Connecticut Sun all-time franchise history and first amongst active players with 222 games played for the team. Throughout her 12-year WNBA career Thomas has played in 358 games, only missing seven games due to overseas responsibilities, rest and a family commitment.“Saddened and disappointed for Jas,” Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said. “She has been the epitome of an ironwoman throughout her career. We will support her throughout her recovery and continue to lean on her leadership lens from the sideline. We look forward to having her back on the court in the future.”Thomas’ injury is a big blow to the Sun, who are 4-1 and have their sights on capturing the WNBA championship that has eluded them in recent years. Courtney Williams had been starting games for Connecticut at the two-spot, while Natisha Hiedeman had established herself as the top point guard off the bench. Both will now be relied on more heavily with Thomas out. Other guards with ball-handling experience on the roster include rookies Nia Clouden and Yvonne Anderson.The Sun face the Dallas Wings at Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

The Ravens have agreed to a one-year deal with cornerback Kyle Fuller, adding a Baltimore native with playmaking pedigree who could help stabilize their secondary. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Fuller, 30, should compete for playing time immediately on a Ravens defense looking to return to health and bounce back from a historically bad 2021. The Mount Saint Joseph product has started 94 games over his eight-year NFL career and hasn’t missed a game because of injury since 2016, when knee surgery sidelined him.AdvertisementFuller, a first-round pick of the Bears in 2014, earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2018 with Chicago after leading the NFL with seven interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl a second time in 2019, his fifth straight year with at least two picks.Kyle Fuller, pictured with the Denver Broncos last season, should compete for playing time immediately in a Ravens defense looking to return to health and bounce back from a historically bad 2021. (Jack Dempsey/AP)Fuller’s past few seasons, however, have been more erratic. The Bears released him after the 2020 season in a cost-cutting move, and Fuller signed a one-year, $9.5 million contract with the Denver Broncos in March 2021. He struggled at times in Denver last season, playing just four defensive snaps over a three-game span in October, including a Week 7 benching, and nine snaps over a two-game span in December. He also finished the year without an interception for the first time in his career.AdvertisementFuller’s up-and-down season led to significant snaps in the slot, where he’d lined up only occasionally in Chicago. After playing just 63 coverage snaps inside over Denver’s first eight weeks, according to Sports Info Solutions, he played 218 snaps there over the next nine weeks. As a slot cornerback, he allowed 17 completions on 31 targets for 193 yards and two touchdowns (95.2 passer rating in coverage); as an outside cornerback, he gave up 13 completions on 21 targets for 256 yards and two touchdowns (116.4 passer rating).“He never got down on himself,” then-Broncos coach Vic Fangio said of Fuller after a Week 9 win that marked the start of his transition inside. “He was frustrated.“But [if] you keep sawing wood, you’ll be ready when your number’s called. And he was ready.”Fuller’s versatility and experience should fit in well in Baltimore. After finishing last in the NFL in pass defense last year, the Ravens released cornerback Tavon Young and did not re-sign cornerbacks Anthony Averett or Chris Westry. In the draft, they took safety Kyle Hamilton, who has experience defending slot receivers, and cornerbacks Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion “Pepe” Williams. Team officials are also hopeful that starters Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters will be back to full strength after suffering season-ending injuries last season.Fuller, who starred in football and track and field for the Gaels before a standout career at Virginia Tech, has played at M&T Bank Stadium just once in his NFL career: a 2017 win over the Ravens with Chicago. He told The Baltimore Sun before the game that season that he was “very excited” about his homecoming.“It’s something I’ve dreamed about when I was growing up,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

When the Chicago Cubs announced they were leaving their old TV home to start their own network, it was viewed by some as a prudent business decision that would create another vital revenue stream.With more revenue streams, the Cubs theoretically would be contenders for years.AdvertisementThat of course, hasn’t happened.The Cubs are in the early stages of a rebuild of undetermined length. In the middle of the first full season of Marquee Sports Network in 2021, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer came to the conclusion he could not sign his three biggest stars and executed a massive sell-off to restock the farm system, beginning the next phase of Cubs history.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Cubs exploring a streaming option for 2023 — plus updates on the Wrigley Field sportsbook and Hall of Famers’ statues ]But instead of stating the obvious, Hoyer declined to refer to the plan as a rebuild and even questioned why a reporter needed to put a label on it. Ten months later, the Cubs are well below .500 and looking to prospects such as Christopher Morel, Justin Steele and Keegan Thompson.The Cubs still refuse to concede the team is in rebuilding mode, which is their prerogative. No one has to take the word of Cubs management to know what they’re seeing with their own eyes, and no matter what it’s called it’s often unwatchable.Still, there are games to be telecast and a station to provide fans with Cubs-related news and information. For those who can’t get enough of the team, Marquee Sports Network — owned by the the Cubs and Sinclair — provides that content. It has hour-long pre- and postgame shows, documentaries and events like last Friday’s unveiling of the Fergie Jenkins statue. The network also carries Chicago Sky games and other sports.But there is plenty of airtime and not enough live sports to fill in the blanks. So the network created a Sunday morning talk show called “The Reporters,” a nod to “The Sportswriters on TV,” the classic cable talk show that aired during the 1980s and ’90s. That show featured a former PR man named Ben Bentley, who spoke Chicagoese and served as moderator, and old school sportswriters Bill Gleason, Bill Jauss and Rick Telander, who technically was young but had already developed an old sports writer’s persona.For those in sports media, the announcement of the Marquee show was welcome news. There hasn’t been a local sports debate show since the summer of 2020, when NBC Sports Chicago canceled David Kaplan’s show, “SportsTalk Live.”[ [Don’t miss] As the Chicago Cubs move past the quarter-mark of the season, many big-picture questions remain: ‘Got to let guys continue to develop’ ]But some wondered how much candor reporters could exercise on Cubs-related topics while on a station run by the Cubs and Sinclair. Would a reporter be allowed to criticize the spending of Chairman Tom Ricketts? Could anyone say manager David Ross was an issue? Would the Cubs run interference to make sure top executives weren’t ripped?One of those questions was answered Sunday. No, the network would not let a reporter criticize upper management — specifically Hoyer.Sunday’s show featured three veteran reporters — WSCR-AM 670′s David Haugh, the Chicago Sun-Times’ Maddie Lee and former sports anchor Peggy Kusinski. They were joined by WGN-AM 720 personality Bob Sirott, who was the moderator.AdvertisementSources said a segment on the Cubs’ unknown trade deadline plans was going smoothly until Haugh, a former Tribune columnist, and Kusinki, who has a weekly show on WMVP-AM-1000, discussed the rebuild.Haugh said Hoyer’s transparency was “lacking,” comparing it unfavorably to the job former President Theo Epstein did in explaining his game plan. Haugh wondered aloud if Hoyer was “tethered to reality” and asked for some clarity from the Cubs president. Kusinski agreed and called for honesty.But the taping was abruptly halted shortly thereafter for what reporters were told was a technical difficulty. They were then informed they’d have to start the segment over.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer is confident his long-term game plan is working: ‘We’re on the right track’ ]No one was too alarmed by the timing, but before they began taping again, reporters were told not to mention the “transparency” angle in the new segment. The subject was avoided and the original segment was edited out when it aired Sunday morning.Haugh and Kusinksi declined to comment. Lee could not be reached for comment.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.A Marquee spokesman did not immediately return a message.AdvertisementAs someone who has appeared in dozens of these types of panel shows, from CLTV to WBBM-Ch. 2 to Comcast Sports Net to WTTW-Ch. 11, I don’t recall ever having a show stopped and redone to remove a comment. I can confirm the Cubs complained to CSN often about my criticism of team executives made during “Chicago Tribune Live” telecasts, but the station never edited them out or asked me to stop mentioning them on the show.The Marquee Sports Network booth during a Cubs game at Wrigley Field on Aug. 16, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Kusinski formerly had a panel show on CLTV, owned by Tribune Co. — which at the time owned the Cubs — in which we both took shots at Cubs management without fear of censorship.The point of an opinion show is to voice your opinion. Some people get it. Marquee apparently does not.Marquee doesn’t have to air opinions about the Cubs that the team or station does not agree with. It’s the Cubs’ station, after all, and it’s the network’s show. But reporters at least should know their opinions might be edited out if they don’t line up with the Cubs’ messaging.And certainly viewers looking for objective analysis on the Cubs should be aware the opinions on “The Reporters” are subject to censorship.The Cubs are free to dispense their message any way they want. But if the owners want any credibility they need to let reporters speak freely on the network.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The mayor of the Southern California city of Anaheim is resigning amid a swirling political scandal over the sale of Angel Stadium to the baseball team.Mayor Harry Sidhu is quitting his post effective Tuesday, his lawyer, Paul S. Meyer, said in a statement Monday. He said the stadium negotiations were lawful and that Sidhu didn’t ask for campaign contributions linked to the deal.Advertisement“Mayor Harry Sidhu has always, as his foremost priority, acted in the best interests of the City of Anaheim, and he does so today,” Meyer said in a statement.The resignation comes a week after the Orange County city of 347,000 people said it learned Sidhu was being investigated by federal officials in relation to the stadium deal.AdvertisementSince then, Sidhu’s colleagues on the city council have called for him to resign and raised questions about whether the stadium sale can move forward. The city is expected to discuss the stadium plan at a meeting Tuesday.“No one ever wants to see their mayor resign in difficult circumstances like this but we do welcome this resignation,” city spokesman Mike Lyster said. “We will welcome some clarity as part of a larger effort to evaluate the situation we’re in and figure out the best path forward for our city.”Anaheim has been negotiating the sale of the land around the stadium to the Los Angeles Angels. The team would agree to stay in the city through 2050 and buy the stadium and its surrounding parking lots, where it would build homes, shops and restaurants.The Los Angeles Times reports that Sidhu is being investigated by federal officials for allegedly giving confidential information to the Angles at least twice during negotiations in the hope of getting a campaign donation.Sidhu has not been charged with a crime.The scandal has ballooned in Anaheim since last week when a former chamber of commerce executive was charged by federal officials of lying to a mortgage lender as part of a broader investigation. This weekend, a California Democratic Party official resigned her post after it came to light she was a cooperating witness in the probe, and authorities said they suspected she had paid bribes to public officials.