Sox adjust their training staff

The White Sox announced changes to their major-league athletic training staff, promoting Brian Ball to head athletic trainer to replace Herm Schneider, Brett Walker to physical therapist/assistant trainer and James Kruk to assistant athletic trainer.

Mike Reinold was hired to a new role of senior medical advisor. A former head trainer with the Red Sox and former consultant to the Cubs, Reinold has worked nearly 10 years under the direction of orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

“With Herm Schneider’s move to an emeritus status and several standout trainers already in place on our staff, we decided to take this opportunity to re-imagine the highperformance aspect of our medical, training, therapy and rehabilitation programs,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said.

Schneider, Ball and Walker were named 2018 MLB Athletic Training Staff of the Year by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainer Society on Friday.

Nationals owner thinks Harper is gone

The Nationals introduced All-Star lefthander starter Patrick Corbin on Friday, announcing they’d signed him to a six-year deal worth $140 million, but the bigger news came in a local radio interview, where owner Mark Lerner said he doesn’t think Bryce Harper will return after a late-season offer.

“I really don’t expect him to come back at this point,” Lerner said. “There’s just too much money out there that he’d be leaving on the table.”

Lerner described the Nationals’ offer, reportedly for $300 million over 10 years, as “the best we can do.”

Recovering Richards joins Padres

Free-agent right-hander Garrett Richards, who went 5-4 with a 3.66 ERA with the Angels before Tommy John surgery on his elbow in July, signed a two-year, $15.5 million contract with the Padres.