Hinch returns to lead Tigers

DETROIT — As he waited out his suspension this year, A.J. Hinch knew he wanted to return to baseball; the question was whether anyone in the sport would be ready to welcome him. His answer came pretty quickly. “About 30 minutes after the World Series’ last out, my phone rang,” Hinch said. It was Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila, telling Hinch to get on a plane. The Tigers quickly hired Hinch as their new manager, giving him a chance to return to an MLB dugout after he was fired by the Houston Astros in the wake of a sign- stealing scandal uncovered in the previous offseason. It may take a while for Hinch to overcome the stigma of what happened in Houston, but he and his new bosses were ready to address the topic Friday. “I understand the question and I understand how wrong it was, and I’m sorry for that,” Hinch said. “I’ve said that before, I’ll say it again, I’ll continue to say it.” Hinch, 46, replaces Ron Gardenhire, who retired late this season, and takes over a team that has been rebuilding for the past few years. Hinch guided Houston to the 2017 World Series title, but that championship is now viewed in a different light after an investigation found the Astros used a video feed from a camera in center field to decode the opposing catcher’s signs and that players banged on a trash can to signal to hitters what was coming. In January, Major League Baseball suspended Hinch and Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow for the season, and the team immediately fired both. Hinch said then that he hadn’t endorsed the system but failed to stop it.

GOLF

› SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Ryan Armour and Wyndham Clark survived ferocious wind Friday in the Bermuda Championship to share the lead going into a weekend that includes 64-year-old Fred Funk. Armour could only guess where the 30 mph gusts would blow his ball across Port Royal Golf Course, but the 44-year-old from Ohio still managed three early birdies and another on the par-5 17th for a 1-under-par 70. Clark played in the afternoon and reached 10 under until a pair of late bogeys forced him to settle for a 68. They were at 8-under 134, one shot ahead of Kramer Hickok (68). The big surprise was Funk, who played only because he had a chance to be paired with his son,

Taylor. The elder Funk, whose most recent PGA Tour victory was in 2007 at the Mayakoba Classic, chipped in for a birdie from the behind the ninth green for a 72, and his son was so excited he nearly knocked his father to the ground in celebration. Taylor, who closed out an 81, was one of nine players who shot in the 80s on the windswept day. His dad is the oldest player to make the cut on the PGA Tour since 65-year-old Tom Watson five years ago in the RBC Heritage. The only other players 64 or older to make the cut since 1970 were Jack Nicklaus and

Sam Snead. Luke List (72) was tied for 25th at 2 under, and fellow Baylor School graduate Keith Mitchell (73) was tied for 58th at 1 over.

FOOTBALL ›

The NFL has now recommended that players on the sidelines who are not participating in a game or about to go on the field wear protective masks. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, the league’s management council also suggested the 32 teams enhance physical distancing on the sidelines while the NFL considers expanding the bench area as an additional precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the league stopped short of mandating masks for all players not on the field, it “strongly encouraged” all active players in the bench area who are not about to enter the game to wear masks while standing on the sideline and/or sitting on the bench. The memo cited a player who tested positive two days after playing in a game and who had close contacts with 17 teammates and two team staffers, most of which occurred while the player was standing on the sideline.