CHICAGO -- Craig Kimbrel will be added to the Chicago Cubs' roster Thursday before their series finale against Atlanta at Wrigley Field.

The team made the announcement following Wednesday night's 5-3 loss to the Braves.

Kimbrel, a seven-time All-Star closer, completed his minor league assignment Tuesday and traveled to Chicago on Wednesday. He pitched in four games for Triple-A Iowa, allowing one run and two hits in 3⅔ innings. The right-hander worked a clean ninth with two strikeouts Tuesday in Iowa's 5-1 victory over Omaha, throwing 16 pitches.

Kimbrel and the Cubs finalized a $43 million, three-year contract on June 7. The 31-year-old reliever has 333 career saves, including 42 last season for World Series champion Boston.

To make room on the 25-man roster, right-hander Tony Barnette was optioned to Iowa.

New York Mets left-handed pitcher Jason Vargas started -- and answered questions -- for the first time since being fined for an expletive-filled confrontation with a reporter, and said he doesn't believe that "all the information" is out there.

Vargas had to be restrained from going after a Newsday beat writer in the Mets' clubhouse following a loss on Sunday at Chicago's Wrigley Field. He called it "an unfortunate distraction'' on Monday.

On Wednesday, after the Mets' 5-4 loss in 10 innings to the host Philadelphia Phillies, the 36-year-old hurler was asked for an explanation of the incident.

"It was an unfortunate confrontation," said Vargas, who allowed two runs and struck out 10 in 6⅓ innings. "I don't think all the information is really out there. I don't think this is a time to get into that. But I think that anybody that knows me, anybody that has played with me, there's never been a situation like that. So to think it happened out of the blue, it's foolish.''

Vargas declined to explain what he meant.

"It's over,'' he said. "Our organization made a statement. We put an end to it. But I think it's pretty obvious all the info isn't out there.''

Mets manager Mickey Callaway also was fined for his involvement in the verbal confrontation. He apologized Monday.

Sunday's incident followed a tense postgame news conference, during which reporters asked Callaway repeatedly about his decision to stick with reliever Seth Lugo during the eighth inning instead of going to closer Edwin Diaz. Lugo allowed a go-ahead three-run homer to the Chicago Cubs' Javier Baez.

After the news conference, Callaway walked past the Newsday reporter, Tim Healey, and other reporters in the clubhouse. Healey said to Callaway, "See you tomorrow," and Callaway responded by calling Healey a "m-----f-----." Callaway walked away and then returned, cursing at Healey again and telling him to leave the clubhouse.

"I thought he was leaving for the day, so I said, 'See you tomorrow, Mickey,'" Healey said. "And then he said, 'Don't be a smart-ass.'"

"I tried to tell him I didn't mean anything by it," Healey added. "I was just saying, 'I'll see you tomorrow.' And then he said, 'Get this guy out of here,' and that got the attention of Jason Vargas."

Vargas stared down Healey and shouted at him, including saying, "I'll knock you the f--- out, bro," according to a Yahoo Sports account. Vargas eventually tried to move toward Healey but was held back by teammates, including Carlos Gomez and Noah Syndergaard.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Major League Soccer will become the first major American sports league to sell jersey sponsorship and stadium naming rights to companies in the sports betting and spirits industries.

While MLS had previously allowed such sponsorship for beer and wine companies, recent developments, including last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed states to legalize sports gambling, paved the way for the league to expand its rules regarding sponsorship.

In addition to allowing such sponsorships on the front of jerseys, MLS will begin selling sponsorships on the sleeves of its team's jerseys starting next season. Teams can also grant rights to sports betting companies to advertise within stadiums, during broadcasts, as well as have in-stadium betting, though such rights are subject to state law.

One league guideline indicates that all advertising for sports betting or spirits must be directed to an age-appropriate audience.

The aim of the changes, which were approved at the MLS Board of Governors meeting last month, is to increase fan engagement as well as revenue.

"The legalization of sports betting, and just the changing landscape of social mores and how the line between spirits, beer and wine is starting to dissolve, we felt that now was an appropriate time to make some adjustments," said Carter Ladd, the MLS VP of business development.

The move does come with some restrictions. Ladd added that MLS won't allow for sports betting companies to "access athletes," meaning there wouldn't be billboards with the athletes in conjunction with a sports betting sponsor, or run television ads featuring a player and a sports betting company.

"It would have to be more of an overarching integration with the club," he said.

Ladd added that spirits companies will only be allowed to use players over the age of 21 in their advertising.

The sight of sports betting companies on the front of jerseys has long been a staple of the sport in Europe. Ladd added that this connection overseas paved the way for MLS to adopt the change.

"Having sports betting companies on the front of jerseys is part of the fabric of the game internationally," said Ladd. "We want to be at the forefront of it here within North America and touch on the international relevancy of our sport."

Benfica says Atletico Madrid has made an offer of €126 million to sign teenage forward Joao Felix, touted in Portugal as a possible successor to Cristiano Ronaldo.

The transfer would be one of the most expensive ever in football, with a higher price tag than what Juventus paid Real Madrid for Ronaldo -- nearly €100m -- last year.

Benfica said on Wednesday that the club was evaluating the offer, which would give the club a net value of €120m, equivalent to the player's buyout clause.

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Atletico is expected to receive that same amount for the sale of France forward Antoine Griezmann, who announced at the end of the season he was leaving the Spanish club.

The 19-year-old Felix made his debut with Portugal's national team at the inaugural UEFA Nations League earlier this month. He played with Ronaldo in the team's opener but was on the bench for the rest of the tournament that host Portugal eventually won.

Felix began drawing comparisons to the 34-year-old Ronaldo after making a rapid rise through the youth squads of Benfica. He debuted with the first team in August and quickly established himself as a regular starter for the Portuguese champions.

Extremely skillful and a gifted scorer, Félix was the youngest player to appear in Benfica's "B" team, at 16. He was also the youngest to score at the team's Stadium of Light, at 18, and the youngest to score a hat trick in the Europa League, at 19, after the competition was rebranded in 2009.

Jimmy Neesham likes to call it the "fastest 47" in ODI cricket, and he's not wrong. After having being in the funk for two years, almost having given up on cricket and then setting himself right, Neesham came back to smack 47 off 13 balls against Sri Lanka on his return. That innings, he says, was 18 months in the making, a reward of all the hard work he had put in when he was away. Yet it was just a score of 47 in a career whose highest score was 74.

The chance to play this World Cup, he admits, was sooner than he expected when he set on path to recovery. He was more philosophical about success and failure. He had now learnt to deal with personal failures much better by looking at his efforts through the team of the prism. He was happier nicking off first ball if New Zealand won than scoring a hundred in a defeat. Deep down, though, there must have been some desire to prove himself in more trying circumstances than walking in at 316 for 5 and smashing the ball around.

It is not ideal but this World Cup has provided him these challenges. There was the tense chase against Bangladesh where he ended up holing out to long-off. They lost two wickets in the first over against West Indies where he did better and added 41 for the fifth wicket Kane Williamson for the fifth wicket and himself ended up with 28 off 23 balls.

WATCH on Hotstar (India only) - Jimmy Neesham's unbeaten 97

At Edgbaston against Pakistan, though, Neesham found himself with a much bigger task. He walked in to join Williamson at 46 for 4, and would soon lose Williamson too. In difficult batting conditions, he battled through, especially when facing the red-hot Shaheen Shah Afridi, and ended up unbeaten on a career-best 97 to give New Zealand a competitive score of 237. This was the longest innings of Neesham's 55-match career. It must give New Zealand some confidence as they continue to struggle with their openers.

On a personal level, that has to feel satisfying. "I'm pretty tired now," was Neesham's immediate reaction after having bowled three overs to go with it. "That's sort of my emotions at the moment, I think. Yeah, obviously, I suppose there's external noise about whether you have the ability to guide an innings like that, and I sort of have the belief in my own ability that I have the ability to come out at 40 for 4 and guide our team to 200-plus and also the ability to come out at 310 for 3 with two overs to go. So it's just about putting it out there, I suppose, and having belief in your own processes.

READ MORE: Second spinner might have helped New Zealand, admits Santner

"Obviously, we had a large period of time where we had to soak up pressure. That was the nature of the wicket and the nature of the bowling attack. We certainly had a belief, if we could get through that hard period, we'd be able to score some runs at the back end, and obviously that's what ended up happening."

Neesham did soak up all the pressure, getting beaten multiple teams by Afridi, but then turning it on towards the end. He scored 26 off the first 58 balls he faced followed by 71 off the next 64. This was a near perfect rearguard in conditions ideal for both seam and spin, for which he was congratulated by Pakistan fielders even as he walked off in the innings break. He, in turn, sought out Afridi to congratulate for the spell he had bowled.

However, Neesham was not willing to draw too much pleasure out of the knock. "It [this innings] is something I'll probably reflect on after the tournament is finished," Neesham said. "I think, obviously, the whole point of trying to graft out our partnership like that is to try to get ourselves in a position to win the game. I feel like we potentially did that. We potentially had a score that was defendable. Obviously, in a game where you lose, you don't take a whole lot of pleasure out of stuff like that."

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Seattle's new NHL franchise intends to have its American Hockey League affiliate in Palm Springs as part of a new arena proposed for the city.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and Oak View Group announced plans Wednesday to build a privately funded arena on tribal land in downtown Palm Springs with the intent of serving as the home ice for Seattle's affiliate. NHL Seattle and OVG have jointly submitted an application for an expansion AHL franchise, the 32nd for the league, which would begin play in the fall of 2021, at the same time Seattle's NHL franchise will begin play.

OVG is currently financing and leading the renovation of the arena at Seattle Center that will be home to the NHL franchise.

The new arena in Palm Springs will seat up to 10,000 fans and include an adjoining training facility. The groups hope to begin construction on the arena in February 2020.

Manchester City hope to complete the signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodri Hernandez by next week, sources close to ESPN FC have confirmed.

Bayern Munich had been making a strong push for the Spanish international right down to the wire, but several sources have confirmed to ESPN FC that Rodri, 23, has finally opted to accept the offer from City.

Once the agreement is official, he will become the most costly signing in the history of the club, currently managed by Pep Guardiola.

City will have to pay £63 million (€70m) of his release clause due to the fact that Atleti were unwilling to negotiate a reduction. When the transfer is complete it will set a new club record, breaking City's current transfer record of £60m, which they paid last summer to move Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City.

In April, ESPN FC reported that Rodri was Guardiola's top target for the summer window because the Catalan coach was in search of a defensive midfielder who could take the place long-term of Fernandinho, who turned 34 last month.

Guardiola has the services of multifaceted Ilkay Gundogan for that spot, but he wanted a specialist like Rodri, who has been hailed as Spain's successor to Sergio Busquets at the base of midfield and who was a key player for Barcelona during their golden era. Rodri left Villarreal just one year ago and was signed by Atletico for €20m.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone had tried to convince his prospect to continue at the Wanda Metropolitano by offering him a bigger role. Sources say Rodri seriously considered Simeone's proposal, but last week made his wishes known to the club front office that he wanted a new challenge outside of LaLiga.

Last week, Atletico Madrid reached an agreement with rival Real Madrid over the transfer of midfielder Marcos Llorente, to replace Rodri.

Bayern made a last-minute push to convince Rodri to follow Lucas Hernandez to Germany, but ultimately Guardiola won the appeal. Manchester City are expected to pay the €70m to La Liga by next week to seal the deal.

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