Phil Jackson Will Return To Chase Los Angeles Lakers Three-peat

Growing up, Dylan Cease always looked forward to watching a Justin Verlander start. “Just the fact that, especially back in the day, he would start out at 92 (mph) and finish at 101,” Cease said Monday. “I remember watching him a lot as a kid and seeing that. The fact that I’m here now and he’s still doing it, it’s pretty rare.” Cease and Verlander, candidates for the American League Cy Young Award, are the scheduled starters Tuesday when the Chicago White Sox continue their four-game series with the Houston Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field. “You got Cease for us has been killing it, and Verlander has been doing it for so long,” Sox outfielder AJ Pollock said.

With two of the best players in the country leading the way — and a championship game loss as motivation — Alabama is No. 1 in The Associated Press preseason college football poll for the second straight season and ninth time overall. Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, national defensive player of year Will Anderson Jr.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers fired fourth-year manager Chris Woodward on Monday, a move made in hopes of building momentum toward next year, when the team has long expected to win again after a seasons-long rebuilding effort. The Rangers are on pace for their sixth consecutive losing season since their last AL West title in 2016.

Earlier this month, general manager Bill Schmidt expressed optimism regarding the Rockies’ direction. “I believe in the club,” he said at the trade deadline. “We haven’t performed to our expectations, but we are continuing to grow in a lot of areas. And I think the future is bright.” Looking at talented young position prospects such as outfielder Zac Veen, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, catcher Drew Romo and first baseman Michael Toglia, all of whom are on track to debut in 2023 or ’24, you can see where Schmidt is coming from. But Colorado’s starting pitching is more problematic, as illustrated by a 5.22 ERA that ranks as the second-highest in the majors.

BOSTON — Giancarlo Stanton was on the field before Monday night’s game. The slugger tracked pitches as Domingo German and Frankie Montas threw bullpens, he said he needs a few more days of these kinds of workouts and to “bounce back” before he can start planning his rehab assignment. He hopes standing in to track pitches will help limit his rehab time on the back end, but he’s still not sure when he will be back in the Yankees lineup. “I’m not sure, but the least amount possible,” Stanton said on the field before the Yankees took on the Rays without him.

ATLANTA — The Mets will likely play their next month of games without an essential piece of their infield. Luis Guillorme, who left Sunday’s game with groin tightness, has officially been diagnosed with a moderate strain in that left groin. The Mets gave a four-to-six week estimate for his return. Deven Marrero, a 31-year-old right-handed hitter with 173 big-league games under his belt, was called up from Triple-A Syracuse to take Guillorme’s spot on the roster.