At 42 years old, eight-time All-Star Vince Carter has agreed to a one-year contract to return to the Atlanta Hawks for his final NBA season, league sources told ESPN.

Carter will play an NBA-record 22nd season, where he will spend a second straight year mentoring one of the NBA's youngest rosters, which includes seven players under 23 years old.

Carter will pass Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis and Robert Parish, all of whom played 21 NBA seasons.

If he plays in a game in 2020, Carter will be the first player in NBA history to appear in a game in four different decades, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.

Carter is one of the most popular players of his generation, once a dynamic above-the-rim performer who electrified the league in his prime with Toronto and New Jersey. He has averaged 17 points in 1,481 regular-season games, and he won an Olympic gold medal and NBA dunk contest in 2000. Carter also won the NBA's Rookie of the Year award in 1999.

Carter averaged 7.4 points in 17 minutes a game for the Hawks in 2018-19, which included him playing 76 regular-season games.

Gleyber Torres is in the New York Yankees' lineup Monday against the Baltimore Orioles, a day after leaving Sunday night's game with a "core issue."

Torres was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he underwent tests and was later released.

Torres is batting cleanup against the Orioles and serving as the designated hitter.

Gio Urshela, who also left Sunday night's 7-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox with an injury, is not in Monday's lineup.

X-rays taken on both of Urshela's legs Sunday were negative after he fouled two balls off his legs during an at-bat against Red Sox reliever Ryan Weber.

Heading into Monday's game, Torres was hitting .286 with 23 home runs and 62 RBIs.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs All-Star catcher Willson Contreras is expected to miss four weeks with a strained right hamstring, the team announced Monday, and closer Craig Kimbrel was placed on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation.

Contreras had an MRI that showed a Grade 2 strain, which helped put a time frame on how long he'll be out.

"I feel bad because I want to be out there with my team," a dejected Contreras said Monday afternoon. It's the same injury the catcher suffered in 2017, when he missed about a month late in that season as well.

"This one is a little bit higher [on the leg]," Contreras said.

The injury could not have come at a worse time, as the Cubs traded veteran catcher Martin Maldonado on Wednesday. It leaves them with second-year player Victor Caratini and Triple-A call-up Taylor Davis as the only two experienced catchers in the organization. The decision to jettison a third catcher was a tough one, according to general manger Jed Hoyer.

"Candidly, a lot of it came down to player happiness," Hoyer said. "It's hard to keep three guys happy ... We weren't entirely confident it wouldn't impact all three guys in a negative way."

The Cubs have been here before, having kept three catchers on the roster at times in both 2015 and 2016. Hoyer said it became an issue in '15 when Miguel Montero, David Ross and Welington Castillo had to share time.

With the inability to make major league trades in August for the first time this year, the Cubs will attempt other avenues to add depth.

"We'll try to be as creative as we can and scour all the available players," Hoyer said.

That means claiming a catcher off waivers, signing a free agent or making a minor league deal. Former Cubs player Rene Rivera qualifies in the latter category, as he's been with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate all season. Recently DFA'd veteran Jonathan Lucroy also would be eligible. The Cubs are confident they'll bring someone in to bridge the gap until Contreras returns.

"Our depth is being tested," Hoyer said.

In the meantime, Kyle Schwarber will act as the Cubs' emergency third catcher. Meanwhile, the team will have to get by without Kimbrel for at least 10 days after he felt knee discomfort during his last outing, a scoreless ninth inning to close out Saturday's 4-1 win over the Brewers.

"It's just a smart decision to let it rest," Kimbrel said.

Manager Joe Maddon added: "We're hoping it's minimal stay."

Since making his Cubs debut on June 27, Kimbrel has nine of the team's 10 saves -- despite sporting a career-worst 5.68 ERA. He indicated that if it was late September or early October, he probably would be pitching through the injury.

Maddon indicated he would take a closer-by-committee approach while Kimbrel heals, but in similar situations in the past, he's turned mostly to righty Steve Cishek to close games. Hoyer also said they haven't ruled out a return for oft-injured righty -- and former closer -- Brandon Morrow. He has been dealing with an elbow problem since the 2018 All-Star break.

"It would be [an] unbelievable shot in the arm if he can do it," Hoyer said of a September return for Morrow.

The Cubs had a 1½-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central going into Monday's games. They recalled righty Duane Underwood to take Kimbrel's place on the roster.

Miami Marlins prospect Isan Diaz picked a perfect time to get his first big league hit in his MLB debut Monday afternoon against the New York Mets.

Moments after his parents were asked if this was an emotional day for them on the Marlins broadcast, Diaz rocketed a 422-foot bomb off a Jacob deGrom fastball at Citi Field -- prompting Diaz's father, Raul, to loudly cheer his son as he trotted around the bases for the first time in the majors.

"Did we just homer off deGrom?" Raul Diaz asked in disbelief at the conclusion of the interview. "... He's a Cy Young [winner]! We just homered against deGrom!"

The 23-year-old second baseman was among four prospects acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in January 2018 for Christian Yelich.

Diaz finished the day 1-for-4, his lone hit a memorable solo home run.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PHILADELPHIA -- Pedro Martinez had signed his autograph on the sweet spot of the baseball when he grabbed it by the seams and pointed out that his middle and pointer fingers should not have been touching on the ball. The Hall of Fame pitcher used the demonstration to show why he believes the balls are too tight since he last pitched in 2009, and thus easier for batters to hit home runs.

"I've seen a lot of homers that shouldn't be homers," Martinez said.

Martinez squeezed his name and Hall of Fame year (2015) and uniform number (45) between the seams on the ball and used the tight fit to further illustrate his case that the ball is juiced.

"For those of you that doubt it, that don't know it, look how small my signature needs to be," he said. "Some of the skinniest fingers. If I want to throw a two-seam fastball, there's no way I can get my two fingers in there and not touch the seams over there."

Martinez has joined the chorus of former and current pitchers -- notably Houston's Justin Verlander, who complained during the All-Star break that the balls were juiced -- who believe baseball has turned into a home run derby. There have been 4,635 homers hit entering Monday's games, and players going deep multiple times in a game has become quite common -- Colorado's Nolan Arenado and San Francisco's Donovan Solano did it Sunday, marking 21 straight days at least one player has had a two-homer game.

Watching from a suite, Martinez saw three players from the White Sox go deep against Philadelphia on a day the 2009 National League champions were honored. Martinez was a late-season pickup in 2009 and went 5-1 down the stretch to lead the Phillies to their second straight World Series appearance. The Phillies lost to the New York Yankees in six games, and Martinez went 0-2 in two starts against the Yankees with a 6.30 ERA -- but has long said he was sick during his Game 6 start at Yankee Stadium and always wished he could have that one back.

Martinez, who turned to baseball studio work in retirement, said it was more than an asthma attack in the middle of the game that affected his performance. Martinez, who finished with a 219-100 record and a 2.93 ERA over his 18-year career, said the Phillies battled swine flu during the series.

There was a swine flu pandemic in 2009 in the United States. Swine flu doesn't usually infect humans, but human infections were reported.

"It wasn't told, but most of us were sick," Martinez said. "Some of the guys were under the swine flu. Some of them had to be a little bit away. I caught some it. I didn't know I caught some of the virus. We would just never say it."

Martinez struck out 3,154 batters and walked 760 in 2,827⅓ innings with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Phillies. He twice won 20 games, twice struck out more than 300 batters and twice posted an ERA below 2.00. He was an eight-time All-Star, and five times he led the major leagues in ERA.

A three-time Cy Young Award winner who anchored the staff that helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series, Martinez had a famous quote that still echoes in baseball to this day. He once said of Boston's hated rival in the American League East, "Just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy."

The chant popped up Sunday night in New York after the Yankees pounded David Price in a 7-4 victory that sent the defending World Series champion Red Sox to their eighth consecutive defeat. The rollicking sellout crowd of 47,267 gave a struggling Price the Martinez treatment, chanting "Who's your daddy?" during his latest flop at Yankee Stadium.

Martinez chuckled as he said Yankees fans still yell at him on the street, "Who's your daddy?"

The 47-year-old Martinez never pitched again after 2009, though he said former Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. had promised to bring him back for a final season.

"I made a mistake by kicking everybody aside to wait for this team and then it didn't happen," Martinez said in the dugout. "I was actually told by Ruben that they were going to go after me, so I told the other teams no. Wait. The call never came. I had three teams in mind that I wanted to play for or else I wasn't going to go. Philadelphia was No. 1."

Olympic and world 100m hurdles gold medallist announces decision to hang up her spikes as her body “has decided it is time to let it go”

Australia’s 100m hurdles star Sally Pearson has announced her decision to retire after a 16-year athletics career.

The London 2012 Olympic and two-time world gold medallist said her body “has decided it is time to let it go”.

The 32-year-old battled through a number of injury setbacks during her long and successful career but now feels the time has come to hang up her spikes and “move forward onto a new direction”.

READ MORE: Sally Pearson: Overcoming hurdles

After winning world gold in 2011 and her Olympic title in 2012, Pearson sustained two hamstring tears in 2013 and 2014, though still managed to retain her Commonwealth title in Glasgow plus win world indoor and outdoor silver medals.

In 2015 she tore her calf at the Rome Diamond League which caused her to crash to the track and shatter her wrist. Achilles and hamstring problems then forced her to miss the Olympic Games in Rio but, self-coached, she returned to major competition in style by storming to her second world title in London the following year.

Pearson was dealt another blow in 2018 as a flare up of an Achilles injury led to her withdrawing from her home Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

The Australian athletics team co-captain described not being able to compete as “gut-wrenching” and “heartbreaking”.

READ MORE: Sally Pearson withdraws from Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

“I am here to let you all know that I have decided to retire from my sport of athletics,” Pearson said in a statement posted on social media.

“It has been a long 16 years, but also a fun and exciting 16 years.

“My body has decided it is time to let it go, and move forward onto a new direction.

“I hope I have made you proud Australia.”

Pearson set her 100m hurdles PB of 12.28 when winning her world title in Daegu, with that time placing her sixth on the world all-time list.

The year 2011 also saw her named the IAAF world female athlete of the year, while she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2014 as recognition of her contribution to sport as a gold medallist at the London Olympic Games.

She won a total of 16 Australian titles in the 100m, 200m and 100m hurdles.

Pearson had recently been announced for the Great North CityGames on September 7, a street athletics event at which she claimed double success in 2013, first winning the 100m hurdles and then claiming 150m victory 75 minutes later.

British number one Johanna Konta lost in the first round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto, beaten 6-3 6-2 by Ukrainian teenager Dayana Yastremska.

The 28-year-old world number 14 had beaten the 19-year-old in straight sets in their only previous meeting, on the Eastbourne grass in June.

But having taken a 2-1 lead Konta lost the first set in 37 minutes.

She hit only five winners to 24 from the powerful world number 33, who won the match in one hour 21 minutes.

It was the first match since Wimbledon for both players, Konta having reached the quarter-finals before losing to Czech Barbora Strycova, while Yastremska went out to Shuai Zhang of China in the last 16.

Yastremska, who has won titles in Strasbourg and Thailand this year, lost only two points in taking three successive games to secure the first set.

While Konta, beaten twice in clay court finals in 2019, struggled to find the pace and depth in her strokeplay, Yastremska hit some blistering winners, including one remarkably controlled shot from a crouching position on the baseline.

The teenager, who served eight double faults, broke to love on the Canadian hard court, before serving out for her third victory against top-15 players on her fifth match point.

How royal court led to a court for sport 
By GORDON KERR – Squash Mad Correspondent

Squash Mad is launching a new series called Balls and Walls. With padel, a mixture of squash and tennis, on the march, new correspondent Gordon Kerr looks at the origins of racket sports and, in coming weeks, reveals how so many varieties of sport have evolved from those basic ingredients … balls and walls.

Few squash players are aware of how great a debt they owe to King Louis X of France (1289 – 1316). He was known as The Quarrelsome, which made him one of the earliest sportsmen to have a nickname. Maybe Gregory Gaultier modelled some of his on-court behaviour on his royal predecessor, bringing genuine history to the word histrionics.

Instead of entering court to loud music, dry ice clouds, dancing girls and computer graphics on the court walls, King Louis would have had his own signature Gregorian chant, possibly from the Notre Dame school. The troubadours may well have doubled up as ballboys. They may even have helped out in the showers.

King Louis constructed the first indoor tennis court – real tennis that is, around the end of the thirteenth century. All modern racket sports derive from real tennis.

A fundamental difference between real tennis and lawn Federer tennis is the presence of the walls and in particular the sloping ‘penthouse’ roof that starts at head height, and onto which the ball must be projected by the server.

The receiver has the pleasure of a free volley since the rules require the server to deliver the ball into the corner of the court where the receiver awaits.

The real tennis serve is thus a defensive shot and a great deal of skill is required on the part of the server to impart a variety of spins in order to make the ball defy its gravitational path and swerve/ spin back into the penthouse wall.

This requires an overhand strike above the server’s head, an action considered indecent for ladies, and thus tennis originated as a male only sport.

Medieval market traders were presumably oozing gratitude to Louis for bringing in the crowds. Historians have tried to link the development of tennis to religious, cloistered buildings, because of the visual similarity between cloisters and the pictured modern court where both players aim at galleries, separated by posts, all of which are situated underneath the sloping penthouse roof.

I think the origins of the outdoor game reflect the extreme arrogance of the nobility of the thirteenth century.

The nobleman would simply walk into his local market square or street, where shopkeepers shielded their wares from the sun under sloping canopies, and instruct his servant to ‘serve’ the ball onto any awning.

Using a racquet, the nobleman would derive great pleasure from accurately volleying the ball as it dropped off the awning into the baker’s shop, no doubt the more loaves of bread he scattered around the shop the greater the praise showered upon him by the servant and other attendant grovelling lickspittles.

Clearly, the development of a purpose-built court, indoors, was not prompted by any concern for the shopkeepers but probably to ensure the game could be played in all weathers and free from the distraction of shoppers.

At this point I would like to offer some credit to King Louis. According to Wikipedia he allowed serfs to buy their freedom (which was the first step towards the abolition of serfdom), abolished slavery, and readmitted French Jews into the kingdom. As well as The Quarrelsome, he was also known as The Headstrong and The Stubborn. Obviously an early Jean McEnroe.

The huge popularity of real tennis, and the enthusiasm for ladies to play the game as well as broaden its appeal, led to the development of tennis on grass in the period 1860-73.

An English gentleman with the delightful name of Walter Clopton Wingfield turbocharged the development of the game by designing rules, and encouraging competitive play, the first tournament being held in Royal Leamington Spa in 1873. 

Serving was underarm, so ladies could play without infringing their modesty. Equally importantly, you were unlikely to be killed playing lawn tennis, since the invention of vulcanised rubber enabled Wingfield to produce a soft bouncy ball.

Death at tennis was more common than perhaps the modern enthusiast suspects. The game was played with venom and regarded by noblemen as practice for wars in which most were constantly engaged.

In June 1316, perhaps Louis had a particularly tough tennis match, perhaps he picked one quarrel too many with his opponent, but after the game he drank too much cooled wine to refresh himself, and promptly died aged 27.

History was repeated many centuries later when Elvis Presley, also known as “The King”, played racketball one morning on his private court at Gracelands and chose an incredible cocktail of refreshments to wash down his favourite post-match meal of four giant hamburgers with extra cheese. Like King Louis, he died on the throne. 

Coming soon:

More deaths through medieval times, and changing the line of history … 

Additional reporting (and jokes) by Alan Thatcher.