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The elbow doesn’t bother the switch-hitting Happ when swinging a bat, Hoyer said. Happ was seen Saturday working with Cubs head trainer PJ Mainville on the agility field at the complex. And during batting practice Sunday, Happ shagged fly balls in center field but lightly tossed them in, sometimes underhanded.
Alonso’s car flipped over “probably three times,” he said, after another driver ran through a red light and t-boned his Ford pickup truck. Alonso’s wife, Haley, and their dogs were in a separate car right behind Alonso. He was forced to kick through the car windshield, while the truck was turned on its side, to get out.
“The relationship off the field makes it easy when you get on the field because you can be able to communicate easily to him, like step this way or that way, what do you think about this,” Madrigal said. “The great teams have a strong bond off the field, and it shows on the field. I’m excited to get with him, and we know each other so well, it’s going to be fun.”
And in Los Angeles, Chargers receiver Mike Williams cashed in on a 76-catch, 1,146-yard, nine-touchdown season by agreeing to a new three-year, $60 million contract with $40 million guaranteed. That deal certainly lit up the radar for Robinson and his camp as they head to the bidding stage of free agency with plenty of comparisons, both statistically and financially, to throw at interested teams.
A strong group of veteran interior linemen is available. One source said the Bears could be in play for Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen, a Hinsdale Central graduate who played at Michigan State. Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones also is available. The list of guards includes Brandon Scherff of the Washington Commanders, Laken Tomlinson of the San Francisco 49ers, Connor Williams of the Dallas Cowboys, Austin Corbett of the Rams, Andrew Norwell of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Alex Cappa of the Buccaneers. Daniels is the youngest guard at 24, but Williams is only 25, which could make him intriguing.
“I have always felt comfortable from day one putting him on different people,” coach Billy Donovan said. “I got a lot of confidence and belief in him. I know how competitive he is, I know how much of a team guy he is, and you just know he’s going to give everything and put everything into it. That’s not to say he’s going to be perfect, but when he does make mistakes, he’s going to course correct and get better from it.”
“Kirk was one of the first players I called when I joined the Vikings, and it was immediately clear how much he cares about this organization and about winning,” new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a team statement. “High-level quarterback play is a prerequisite to building a championship team, and we are confident Kirk will continue along that path.”
He is a career .265/.316/.670 career hitter with 16 home runs in 392 big league games. He moved from third base to short last season and posted a .972 fielding percentage,, leading Major League shortstops in total chances (669), assists (436) and double plays turned (98). Kiner-Falefa also ranked tied for third among MLB shortstops with 10 defensive runs saved, per The Fielding Bible, trailing only Houston’s Carlos Correa (20) and Minnesota’s Andrelton Simmons (15), who signed with the Chicago Cubs this offseason.
While there are changes to the tournament, there is also a return to normalcy. The top 16 seeds again will host the first- and second-round games, a year after the entire tournament was played in a makeshift bubble in San Antonio because of COVID-19 concerns. Though the coronavirus is still impacting the country, the NCAA expects to be able to play the tournament in its normal locations, including at campus sites for the first weekend.
“As much as we want to talk about how fun this is, there’s a lot of distractions that come along with it,” Valentine said. “Worrying about how many tickets you get. Mom calling and saying, ‘This person wants a ticket.’ Girlfriend saying, ‘Can I get a ticket?’ People worried about travel. People coming up to you in your classes saying, ‘Man, make it to the Final Four again.’ That stuff is all real. Those distractions are real.