More turmoil for Michigan as assistant coach fired day before Maryland game
ANN ARBOR, MICH. >> No. 2 Michigan fired linebackers coach Chris Partridge on Friday, the latest turmoil for a Wolverines team that is under NCAA investigation for a sign-stealing scheme and will not have head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline until after next week's showdown against rival Ohio State.
Athletic director Warde Manuel did not say why Partridge had been let go, citing employee privacy laws. Partridge allegedly tried to cover up evidence after the scheme became public, Yahoo Sports reported, citing sources it did not identify. Partridge did not return a text from The Associated Press seeking comment.
The firing came one day after the school reached an agreement with the Big Ten Conference under which Harbaugh will serve the final two games of his threegame suspension in return for the conference ending its investigation into the sign-stealing allegations. Harbaugh won't be on the sideline Saturday at Maryland or next week against the third-ranked Buckeyes in the regular-season finale, leaving the coaching to his assistants.
The former staffer at the center of the investigation, Connor Stalions, resigned two weeks ago. He is accused of purchasing tickets to scout future Michigan opponents and sending people to those games to digitally record teams signaling in their plays. Inperson scouting is banned by the NCAA, which is trying to determine how organized the scheme was and who knew about it.
Baseball
WOODRUFF, LEWIS AMONG 63 NEW FREE AGENTS >>
Starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff was cut loose by Milwaukee and former AL Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis by Arizona, among 63 players who became free agents when their teams declined to offer 2024 contracts.
Nick Senzel, the No. 2 pick in the 2016 amateur draft, was dropped by Cincinnati and Gold Glove catcher Jacob Stallings by Miami.
A pair of 2019 All-Stars were allowed to go free, designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach by the New York Mets and outfielder Austin Meadows by Detroit. Veteran pitchers Dakota Hudson of St. Louis and Matt Bush of Texas also were cut.
The deadline marked the last time a team could
drop an arbitration-eligible player without committing to at least 30 days of termination pay if the player is released. The flurry of cuts and contracts left about 200 players eligible to exchange proposed arbitration salaries with their teams in January.
Atlanta jettisoned two more arbitration-eligible players in separate trades with Kansas City, sending right-handers Kyle Wright and Nick Anderson to the Royals. The Braves acquired right-hander Jackson Kowar in the Wright deal. Anderson was traded for $100,000.
Seattle obtained infielder Luis Urías from Boston for right-handed pitcher Isaiah Campbell.
Woodruff, a 30-yearold right-hander and twotime All-Star, is expected to miss most or all of the 2024 season after surgery last month to repair the anterior capsule in his pitching shoulder.
Golf
MCILROY STALLS >> Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood were in a group of marquee players moving into contention at the season-ending World Tour Championship.
Rory McIlroy wasn't among them.
While the No. 2-ranked McIlroy was, in his words, “stuck in neutral” on his
way to shooting an evenpar 72 in the second round, Rahm, Hovland and Fleetwood all had 66s on the Earth Course to be in a good position heading into the weekend.
ABERG POWERS TO 64 >> Ludvig Aberg had a pair of twoputt birdies, one of them on a par 4, and kept bogeys off his card for the second straight day for a 6-under 64 to take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the RSM Classic.
Aberg will try to end his short year with victories on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. He already won the European Masters in Switzerland.
LEE SHARES LEAD >> Alison Lee birdied four of her last five holes to extend a hot streak that stretches from Saudi Arabia to South Korea to Florida. Her 8-under 64 gave her a share of the lead with Nasa Hataoka in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
Tennis
ALCARAZ SETS UP SEMIFINAL MATCH AGAINST DJOKOVIC AT ATP FINALS >> Carlos Alcaraz set up a semifinal match against top-ranked Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals after beating Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4.
The second-ranked Alcaraz, who beat Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, is making his debut at the
season-ending event for the year's top eight players. He missed last year's ATP Finals because of an abdominal injury.
Medvedev has also qualified for the semifinals and will next face Jannik Sinner.
Soccer
DENMARK AND ALBANIA ADVANCE TO EURO 2024 >>
Denmark and Albania advanced to the European Championship and titleholder Italy got a crucial win ahead of a showdown game against Ukraine.
Italy beat North Macedonia 5-2 to both avenge its elimination in the 2022 World Cup qualifying playoffs and ensure it needs only a draw against Ukraine on Monday to secure a place at Euro 2024 in Germany. At stake is second place behind group winner England, which beat Malta 2-0.
Robert Lewandowski and Poland must go through the playoffs in March after a 1-1 draw at home to the Czech Republic ended its chance of advancing directly with group leader Albania.
Albania kicked off earlier needing only a point in Moldova to secure its Euro 2024 place and did just enough in a 1-1 draw.
Denmark ensured it will finish top of Group H by beating closest rival Slovenia 2-1 thanks to a 54thminute goal by midfielder Thomas Delaney.
That set up another decisive final game Monday: Slovenia hosts Kazakhstan needing only a draw to return to the Euros for the first time since 2000. Kazakhstan, which beat San Marino 3-1, has never qualified for a major tournament.
England secured its place last month and a 2-0 win over Malta at Wembley Stadium was routine, as was Harry Kane scoring his 25th goal in a prolific season for England and Bayern Munich.