Cueto signs minors deal with White Sox
Johnny Cueto wrote, “Let's get to work Chicago,” in a tweet that also thanked the San Francisco Giants fans and organization shortly after reports surfaced late Monday that the veteran pitcher had signed a minor league deal with the White Sox.
Sox manager Tony La Russa applauded the signing Tuesday morning.
“He had excellent command of three or four pitches that became like 10 or 12 because he had different angles coming at you,” La Russa said, recalling the times his St. Louis Cardinals teams faced Cueto with the Cincinnati Reds. “It's an exciting move. We're looking forward to it. … very positive move for us.”
The move could give the Sox some much-needed pitching depth after injuries in the past week to starter Lance Lynn and reliever Garrett Crochet.
Lynn might miss the first eight weeks of the season after an MRI revealed a slight tear in a tendon by his right knee, while Crochet is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery this week and will be out for the 2022 season.
Cueto, 36, is 135-97 with a 3.45 ERA in 330 appearances (329 starts) during a 14-year career with the Reds (2008-15), Kansas City Royals (2015) and Giants (2016-21).
The right-hander is a two-time All-Star (2014, 2016), finished second in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2014 and is 2-4 with a 4.54 ERA in eight career postseason starts. He made four starts in the 2015 postseason with the World Series champion Royals.
Cueto went 7-7 with a 4.08 ERA in 22 outings (21 starts) in 2021 with the Giants.
Cueto tweeted Monday night, “Much love to the fans of the San Francisco Giants. You guys are the best. I will miss you. (To) the amazing staff in SF ... thanks for everything. Let's get to work Chicago.” BREWERS' SEVERINO SUSPENDED 80 GAMES >> Milwaukee catcher Pedro Severino was suspended for 80 games following a positive drug test, the fourth major leaguer penalized in two days.
Severino tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Clomiphene, the commissioner's office said. The drug is used to induce ovulation.
Severino will lose about half his $1.9 million salary. He apologized to the Brewers, teammates and fans.
“Since late 2020, my wife and I had been trying to start a family unsuccessfully,” Severino said in a statement issued by the players' association. “When we returned to the Dominican Republic after the 2021 season, we sought medical assistance to determine why we had not succeeded. One of the doctors I consulted with prescribed me with a medication to treat infertility issues. Unfortunately, I now know that the medication contained Clomiphene. I accept responsibility for this mistake and have decided not to challenge my suspension.”
FORMER GIANT BLACH MAKES ROCKIES' ROSTER >> The Colorado Rockies selected the contract of ex-Giants left-hander Ty Blach. Blach posted a 4.00 ERA over five appearances this spring. He struck out six, walked none and allowed two homers.
The 31-year-old, who also grew up in Denver, was 15-19 over parts of four seasons with the Giants and 1-3 in a stint with Baltimore.
Basketball
AUBURN'S SMITH, PROJECTED TOP PICK, ENTERS DRAFT >> Auburn freshman Jabari Smith, who led the Tigers to their first No. 1 ranking, is entering the NBA draft.
Smith, who is projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick, lived up to his billing as the highest-rated recruit in program history.
Smith led the Tigers in scoring, averaging 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. The 6-foot-10, 220-pounder was also Auburn's top 3-point shooter after making 79 of 188 attempts (43%).
Meanwhile, Tennessee freshman point guard Kennedy Chandler, who helped lead the Vols to their first SEC Tournament title in 43 years, also declared for the draft.
TSHIEBWE WINS WOODEN AWARD >> Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky won the John R. Wooden Award as the men's player of the year.
Tshiebwe led the nation with 515 total rebounds and 15.1 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 center had the most rebounds in a season since 1973 and the highest per game average since 1980. Kentucky was beaten in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by St. Peter's.
The other finalists were Ochai Agbaji of Kansas, Johnny Davis of Wisconsin, Iowa's Keegan Murray and Drew Timme of Gonzaga.
KANSAS' WIN MOST-VIEWED MEN'S TITLE GAME ON CABLE >> Kansas' comeback victory over North Carolina to win the NCAA basketball championship was the most-viewed men's title game on cable television.
The Jayhawks' 72-69 win averaged 18.1 million viewers on TBS, TNT and truTV. It is also a 4% increase over last year's title game between Baylor and Gonzaga on CBS. This was the third time the championship game was on Turner networks, but first since 2018.
The entire tournament on CBS and Turner averaged 10.7 million viewers, a 13% increase over last year.
Kansas' win was also the third most-watched college basketball game in cable TV history. Saturday's semifinal matchup between North Carolina and Duke, which averaged 18.5 million, ranks second. The 2015 semifinal between Wisconsin and Kentucky — also on Turner — is No. 1 (22.63 million).
College athletics
BOWLSBY TO STEP AWAY FROM BIG 12 COMMISSIONER JOB >> Bob Bowlsby will step away from his role as Big 12 commissioner later this year after a decade in the Power Five conference that's facing a transition in membership and negotiations over a new media rights deal — like it was when he first took the job.
The 70-year-old Bowlsby will remain as the Big 12's leader until a new commissioner is appointed. The expectation then is that Bowlsby, whose contract goes into 2025, will transition into an interim role with the league.
Currently the longest-serving Power Five commissioner, Bowlsby came to the Big 12 after six years as athletic director at Stanford.
College football
NOTRE DAME MAKES HISTORIC GAME VS. TENNESSEE STATE >> Notre Dame will make history in its 2023 home opener by hosting Tennessee State on Sept. 2, marking the first time the Fighting Irish have faced a Historically Black College or University.
School officials made the announcement and credited secondyear Tigers coach Eddie George, the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner, and Tennessee State athletic director Mikki Allen with creating the vision to schedule the game.