Press Box: Sports Recap
IN BRIEF
AUTO RACING: Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was his 76th win, tying the late Dale Earnhardt for seventh all-time.
BASEBALL: The Rangers and SS Ian Desmond, 30, agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract pending a physical, ESPN reported. The Nationals extended a $15.8 million qualifying offer to Desmond, but he elected to test free agency. The Rangers must surrender a first-round draft pick to the Nationals. ... Pirates All-Star RHP Gerrit Cole told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he’s disappointed by the contract he signed for this season. Cole signed for $541,000 on Saturday, the same amount he made last year when he finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting. Cole, 25, said the club refused to go over $541,000 after making an original offer of $538,000. ... The Dodgers named three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw their openingday starter for the sixth year in a row. ... Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez was diagnosed with a subluxation of the patella tendon in his right knee but sustained no structural damage. He will be shut down for 72 hours. ... The Blue Jays signed RHP Rafael Soriano, 36, to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training, ESPN reported.
GOLF: Adam Scott closed with an evenpar 70 to win the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Scott finished at 9under 271 for a one-stroke win over Sergio Garcia (71). It was the Aussie’s first win since the Colonial in May 2014, and his first using a conventional putter since the 2010 Singapore Open. ... South African Louis Oosthuizen won the European Tour’s Perth Invitational and Lexi Thompson won the LPGA Thailand.
NBA: The Heat signed veteran G Joe Johnson, who cleared waivers Saturday. Johnson, 34, had averaged 11.8 points per game, 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Nets. ... G Andre Miller, 39, will join the Spurs two days after finalizing a buyout with the Timberwolves.
NFL: The Broncos and Super Bowl MVP LB Von Miller aren’t expected to reach a long-term deal before Tuesday’s deadline for teams to use franchise tags, ESPN reported. ... The Colts told backup QB Matt Hasselbeck, 40, that he doesn’t figure into their plans for next year, and he will become a free agent, according to reports. ... 49ers T Anthony Davis, a 26-year-old former firstround draft pick who retired after an injuryriddled 2014 season, will apply for reinstatement, ESPN reported.
NHL: The Rangers acquired C Eric Staal from the Hurricanes for a second-round draft pick in 2016 and ’17 and Finnish prospect Aleksi Saarela. Staal, 31, waived his no-trade clause. ... The Flyers signed F Michael Raffl, 27, to a three-year contract extension worth $2.35 million per season. ... The Penguins acquired D Justin Schultz, 25, from the Oilers for a ’16 third-round pick.
ALSO: Three-time defending Ligue 1 champ Paris Saint-Germain’s record unbeaten streak in league matches ended at 36 after the club suffered a 2-1 loss to host Parc OL. ... Lindsey Vonn extended her overall World Cup lead to 28 points after placing 13th in an Alpine combined event in Andorra one day after fracturing her left knee during a super-G race. ... World No. 3 Roger Federer announced he pushed back his return to competition by a month as he continues to recover from knee surgery. Federer, 34, likely will return to action in April.