Slugger Abreu joining Astros

José Abreu, the 2020 American League most valuable player and threetime All-Star for the Chicago White Sox, is on the move to the World Series champion Houston Astros, signing a three-year contract. Terms were not available.

Abreu, who turns 36 in January, left quite a mark in nine seasons with the Sox, ranking third on the team’s all-time list with 243 home runs. He’s a career .292 hitter with a .354 on-base percentage. He hit .304 with a .378 OBP, 15 home runs and 75 RBIs last season.

Shohei Ohtani was voted the majors’ best designated hitter for the second consecutive season. The Angels’ two-way slugger beat Houston’s Yordan Alvarez. Ohtani finished second in American League mostvaluable-player voting. He is the first to win the trophy in back-to-back years since David Ortiz won it five times in a row from 2003 to ’07.

Houston is the No. 1 team in the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll. It is the first top ranking for the Cougars since the 1982-83 season. Texas climbed to No. 2 with Virginia, Arizona and Purdue rounding out the top five. North Carolina had been No. 1 all season but fell all the way to 18 after losing twice last weekend. South Carolina remained No. 1 in the women’s poll.

Rookie Minnesota Vikings cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. had knee surgery to repair meniscus damage and will be sidelined indefinitely . ... The Kansas City Chiefs are signing two-time Pro Bowl running back Melvin Gordon to their practice squad . ... Deshaun

Watson is set to return from an 11-game NFL suspension following sexual misconduct allegations when the Cleveland Browns visit the Houston Texans on Sunday.

A person with knowledge of the agreement said the Dallas Mavericks are close to a deal with four-time AllStar guard Kemba Walker.

... Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns

had to be helped off the court at Washington because of a right calf strain . ... Joel Embiid sank the goahead 14-footer with 18.6 seconds left and scored 30 points in his return from a sprained left foot as Philadelphia beat Atlanta, 104-101.

Tiger Woods withdrew from his own Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot.