Crosby lands on COVID-19 list

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby missed Tuesday night’s home game against the Flyers after he was placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list.

Coach Mike Sullivan said there’s no timeline yet for his return.

The unexpected news forced the Penguins to scrap a morning skate at the last minute in accordance with league protocols and reshuffle their lineup to fill a void in the middle.

“It’s tough,” Sullivan said. “The impact he has in the dressing room and on the bench, he’s an influential player for us in so many areas. He’s not an easy guy to replace by any stretch, but we have been through this experience in the past and have found ways to have success.”

Sullivan issued a reminder that just because a player is on the list, it doesn’t mean he has tested positive. Other reasons a player could be in the protocol include an initial positive test that remains unconfirmed or a high-risk close contact.

Crosby, 33, leads the team in scoring with seven goals and 11 assists in 20 games.

Baseball: MLB teams will operate alternate sites similar to those used during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, delaying the beginning of the Triple-A season by at least a month, ESPN reported.

College basketball: Jared Butler scored 25 points before fouling out, Davion Mitchell hit the go-ahead basket in OT and No. 3 Baylor beat No. 6 West Virginia 94-89 to clinch the Bears’ first Big 12 regular-season championship. Mitchell scored four of Baylor’s 13 points in the extra session and finished with 20. Matthew Mayer had a seasonhigh 18 points for the Bears (19-1, 11-1 Big 12). The host Mountaineers fell to 17-7, 10-5 . ... Creighton coach Greg McDermott apologized for racially insensitive comments he made to his players following a loss to Xavier last week. In a statement posted on Twitter, McDermott addressed the comments: “Specifically, I said: ‘Guys, we got to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can’t have anybody leave the plantation.’ I immediately recognized my egregious mistake and quickly addressed my use of such insensitive words with my team. I have never used that analogy and it is not indicative of who I am as a person or as a coach. I am deeply sorry.”