SAN ANTONIO -- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is continuing to recover after he suffered what the team called a "mild stroke" Nov. 2.

Popovich has missed the past six games with what the team had previously referred to as an undisclosed medical episode.

The Spurs provided a diagnosis and update on Popovich's status Wednesday, saying the coach suffered the stroke at the team's arena.

"Popovich, who has already started a rehabilitation program, is expected to make a full recovery," the Spurs said in a statement. "At this point, a timeline for his return to the sidelines has not been determined. During this time, the organization is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family."

Popovich is the NBA's winningest head coach with 1,390 victories and another 170 postseason wins with five NBA titles. He is in his 29th season, all with San Antonio.

Popovich, 75, is the oldest coach in NBA history. In 2020, he passed the previous mark, held by Hubie Brown (71 years old) in his final game as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Mitch Johnson has served as the Spurs' acting head coach while Popovich has been out. Johnson is prepared to coach the Spurs for the entire season, a source told ESPN's Shams Charania.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

CLEVELAND -- Guardians manager Stephen Vogt made some tweaks to Cleveland's coaching staff following his successful first season with the club.

Vogt, a finalist for AL Manager of the Year after leading the Guardians to 92 wins and an AL Central title, promoted Craig Albernaz to associate manager. Albernaz was the club's bench coach in 2024.

The team on Wednesday also promoted Grant Fink to hitting coach. He'll replace Chris Valaika, who joined manager Terry Francona's staff in Cincinnati. Fink was the club's minor league hitting coordinator the past three seasons.

First-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. will be back in 2025 for his 16th season and Carl Willis for his 15th.

In addition, the Guardians promoted Kai Correa to major league field coordinator/director of defense, baserunning and game strategy.

NEW YORK -- An arbitrator upheld five-year suspensions of the chief executives of Bad Bunny's sports representation firm for making improper inducements to players and cut the ban of the company's only certified baseball agent to three years.

Ruth M. Moscovitch issued the ruling Oct. 30 in a case involving Noah Assad, Jonathan Miranda and William Arroyo of Rimas Sports. The ruling become public Tuesday when the Major League Baseball Players Association filed a petition to confirm the 80-page decision in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan.

The union issued a notice of discipline on April 10 revoking Arroyo's agent certification and denying certification to Assad and Miranda, citing a $200,000 interest-free loan and a $19,500 gift. It barred them from reapplying for five years and prohibited certified agents from associating with any of the three of their affiliated companies. Assad, Miranda and Arroyo then appealed the decision, and Moscovitch was jointly appointed as the arbitrator on June 17.

Moscovitch said the union presented unchallenged evidence of "use of non-certified personnel to talk with and recruit players; use of uncertified staff to negotiate terms of players' employment; giving things of value - concert tickets, gifts, money - to non-client players; providing loans, money, or other things of value to non-clients as inducements; providing or facilitating loans without seeking prior approval or reporting the loans."

"I find MLBPA has met its burden to prove the alleged violations of regulations with substantial evidence on the record as a whole," she wrote. "There can be no doubt that these are serious violations, both in the number of violations and the range of misconduct. As MLBPA executive director Anthony Clark testified, he has never seen so many violations of so many different regulations over a significant period of time."

María de Lourdes Martínez, a spokeswoman for Rimas Sports, said she was checking to see whether the company had any comment on the decision. Arroyo did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.

Moscovitch held four in-person hearings from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7 and three on video from Oct. 10-16.

"While these kinds of gifts are standard in the entertainment business, under the MLBPA regulations, agents and agencies simply are not permitted to give them to non-clients," she said.

Arroyo's clients included New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez and teammate Ronny Mauricio.

"While it is true, as MLBPA alleges, that Mr. Arroyo violated the rules by not supervising uncertified personnel as they recruited players, he was put in that position by his employers," Moscovitch wrote. "The regulations hold him vicariously liable for the actions of uncertified personnel at the agency. The reality is that he was put in an impossible position: the regulations impose on him supervisory authority over all of the uncertified operatives at Rimas, but in reality, he was their underling, with no authority over anyone."

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco on Wednesday was assigned monthly court-mandated check-ins while he awaits a court date to face charges of illegal use and possession of a firearm related to his arrest on Sunday after an armed altercation in the Dominican Republic countryside.

Franco, 23, was arrested in San Juan de la Maguana, 116 miles west of Santo Domingo, after what police said was an altercation in the parking lot of an apartment complex in which guns were drawn. Franco was held for questioning by police and granted provisional release.

He was brought by military police to court on Wednesday for his arraignment wearing a light grey hoodie covering his head and most of his face and kept his head bowed as he was led into the courtroom. He did not speak to reporters.

Prosecutors said a Glock with its magazine and 15 rounds of ammunition registered to Franco's uncle was found in Franco's black Mercedes-Benz at the time of the altercation.

The confrontation occurred Sunday between Franco, another man and the father of that man over Franco's relationship with a woman prosecutors said lived in the apartment complex.

There were no injuries, and the involved parties agreed they will not press charges.

The use and possession of illegal firearms carries a maximum sentence of three to five years plus a fine. As part of Franco's supervised release he will be responsible for checking in at the San Juan de la Maguana court on the 30th of each month. No court date has yet been assigned to hear the weapons charge.

Franco, who was placed on indefinite administrative leave from Major League Baseball on Aug. 22, 2023, is due to stand trial in the Dominican Republic on Dec. 12 in a separate case involving charges of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation against a minor and human trafficking that could result in a sentence of up to 20 years.

Franco was placed on MLB's restricted list in July, sources had told ESPN, after prosecutors in the Dominican Republic accused him of having a sexual relationship with a then-14-year-old girl.

He is also under an MLB investigation under its domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy until the case is resolved.

The court summoned Franco and the mother of the girl for the trial after an investigation that opened in 2022. The case will be heard by a panel of three or five judges.

The Rays gave Franco an 11-year, $182 million extension in 2021, just 70 games into his major league career.

He made the All-Star team for the first time in 2023.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Alcaraz scribbled 'Valencia' on a TV monitor after his victory to show support for compatriots hit by recent floods.

The French Open and Wimbledon champion was out of sorts when losing his first match in Turin on Monday to Norwegian Casper Ruud.

And while he used a chest rub during breaks in play on Wednesday, his movement was much sharper.

He came from 40-15 down to break for a 4-3 lead in the opening set after Rublev fluffed a straightforward forehand at deuce.

And the Russian squandered a 30-0 advantage on his next service game as his opponent secured the set.

Eighth seed Rublev, who lost his opening match to German Alexander Zverev, held serve to force a tie-break in the second.

An early break gave Alcaraz the edge, although he was pegged back and had to save two set points before clinching victory.

Rublev has now lost six successive matches at the ATP Finals in straight sets since reaching the semi-finals in 2022.

Alcaraz will face Zverev on Friday in his final match of the round-robin group stage.

The German second seed is in action on Wednesday (19:30 GMT) against Ruud, who will be the first man into the last four and eliminate Rublev if he triumphs.

Irishman Vincent Bradley (pictured above) has been head squash coach and part of the management team at OASE sports and fitness club in Bochum, western Germany, since it opened in 1975. He also runs a corporate health company, Fit Well, which is based at the club.

OASE is an award-winning commercial facility which had 25 courts in the early 1980s but now has six, plus six badminton courts, an extensive gym, sauna, swimming pool, physiotherapy, beauty services and more.

Having built up decades of knowledge on the squash and fitness industries in Ireland, Germany and the UK, Vincent knows a thing or two about the different business models used by squash facilities and formulas for success.

The non-profit, membership-based clubs that dominate in the UK contrast with the pay-and-play model which most facilities adopt in Germany, Poland and much of eastern Europe. Vincent believes a mixture of the two would serve squash well.

Recent figures from Sport England show that England has 250,000 adult squash players (who play at least twice a month) down by an astonishing 175,000 since 2016. As shown in our 2024 Global Squash Report, the vast majority of Englands facilities are members and non-profit operations. In Germany, by contrast, 90% of squash facilities are commercially orientated.

England has a high density of clubs, but they expect everyone to become members! says Vincent. Why not find a mixture between the German concept of pay and play, and the English version of membership and put them both together? Like everything in life, the mixture is the way to do it.

A membership model can be good for connecting with people over the long-term and building a community, which is so crucial for a clubs success. But inclusion and accessibility is also important giving as many people as possible the opportunity to play squash, including those who normally wouldnt get the chance.

Weve missed the people in the middle and we need to get to them. Youve got to find the right mixture. I think the Squash Facilities Network through its case studies is doing a great job of defining what that mixture might look like.

Vincent dismisses the notion that you can only build a thriving community through a membership model. He said: I heard someone at the Squash Summit say that non-member facilities arent social because people come, play and go. Thats nonsense.

Squash is growing as a commercial entity in eastern Europe and thats because its an inherently social game. Squash is a brilliantly social sport, but the packaging around the sport has to match that brilliance. If the place looks good, you can get a shower, a sauna and a drink afterwards and its a place you and your family want to be, squash can build communities and be successful.

But the most important part of the packaging, says Vincent, is the personal touch which keeps people coming back. Its a people-to-people business, he says. If you put a slot machine in and ask people to check in and out, soon enough the facility will die. Its so important to have employees who know your name, to bring people together and forge connections.

The rise of padel mostly in plush new high-spec facilities in metropolitan locations reminds Vicent of squashs late-70s and early 80s boom. He believes padels emergence must prompt squash to look at itself and ask some soul-searching questions.

I see a lot of these members squash clubs in the UK and Ireland and ask myself if somebodys daughter would go there and enjoy playing squash, he says. The experience around squash is so bad in lots of places. Youve got no air conditioning, floors havent been cleaned, the hire rackets have disgusting old grips, theres tight corridors and old, tired facilities. I ask myself, how is squash going to become popular with that sort of infrastructure?

These days, when everything costs so much money, I dont understand why people are prepared to accept and pay for that in their free time, and then wonder why other people dont want to join?

Squashs core attributes being a wonderful sport for fitness and socialising in which (uniquely) two opponents share the same playing space gives Vincent hope that it can rediscover commercial success. At his OASE club in Bochum, he regularly sees young people taking advantage of its pay-and-play offer, coming off court sweaty and smiling with their friends and enjoying a sauna, swim, shower and a drink afterwards.

We are a membership club, but a lot of people who discover the club come in through the pay-and-play system, then they see that its a very nice place to be and spend your time in. Thats because its a commercial club. I believe the traditional non-profit model is stunting the development of squash because you cant earn any money, and if you dont make money you cant improve your facilities. Only with good facilities can you maximise squashs brilliant qualities as a social sport.

Scottish Rugby has posted a loss of 11.3m for the year ending 30 June 2024, despite generating a record 73.9m, which included revenue from a series of Taylor Swift concerts at Murrayfield.

Ticket sales were down by 16.4m down on the previous period, with no autumn Tests during a World Cup year, while there were only two home matches in the Six Nations.

The figures include an additional month, having run to the end of May in 2023, and exceptional items of 1m "to cover restructuring and redundancy costs factored in".

Thirteen months ago, the reported loss was 10.5m.

The announcement from the governing body predicts a "breakeven position in financial year 2025-26" and a return to profit 2026-27.

Departed chief executive Mark Dodson was paid 887,000, with his successor Alex Williamson due to take up the position early next year.

When announcing 35 roles were at risk of redundancy on 1 July, Scottish Rugby had anticipated losses of 10.6m.

"There is cause for optimism going forward," said Scottish Rugby chair, Professor Lorne Crerar. "The Scottish Rugby Ltd board is making steady progress through its financial reset programme."

US pop star Swift played three record-breaking sold out shows at Murrayfield in June.

Oasis will play two nights at the Edinburgh stadium in August next year.

Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Peter O'Mahony, Craig Casey, Sam Prendergast, Jamie Osborne.

Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia; Rodrigo Isgro, Lucio Cinti, Matias Moroni, Bautista Delguy; Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Bertranou; Thomas Gallo, Julian Montoya (capt), Joel Sclavi; Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo; Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo

Replacements: Ignacio Ruiz, Ignacio Calles, Francisco Gomez Kodela, Franco Molina, Santiago Grondona, Gonzalo Garcia, Santiago Carreras, Justo Piccardo.

Referee: Paul Williams (NZ)

Germany players should stand for values as role models in society but are no political experts, new captain Joshua Kimmich said on Wednesday ahead of next month's vote for Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 World Cup.

Asked about politics in sport with Saudi Arabia's bid set to be picked for the World Cup amid human rights concerns, Kimmich said there was a limit to the scope of players' influence.

"In general us players should stand for specific values, especially as the captain of the national team. But it is not our job to express ourselves politically all the time," Kimmich told a news conference.

Kimmich was speaking ahead of Group A3 leaders Germany's Nations League matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday and Hungary three days later.

Kimmich, who took over the captaincy after this year's European Championship, said Germany had not benefited from their political stance during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

"Look at the issue of Qatar. We did not present an overall good picture as a team and country. We expressed political opinions and it took a bit away from the joy of the tournament. It was an outstanding World Cup in terms of organisation," he said.

Germany players placed their hands over their mouths during a team photo ahead of their group game against Japan at that World Cup following a row over world soccer body FIFA's threat of sanctions over a "OneLove" armband.

FIFA had threatened seven European teams with sanctions if they wore the armband symbolising diversity and tolerance but only Germany publicly opposed that decision with that move. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.

"Western countries represent views which we think are universal and should be true everywhere. We as a country are feeling that we also have problems, our own building sites," Kimmich said. "So it is maybe good to focus on that."

"In the past we did not do everything right, you want to stand for values that are non-negotiable but we have people who should deal with politics and they are the experts. I am no political expert."

Saudi Arabia is the only candidate for the 2034 World Cup ahead of the FIFA Congress vote next month. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have opposed this over the country's human rights record.

"I would wish that those lads who will take part in the tournament in 10 year time can focus on the competition. After all it is our duty to do our best when nominated because we are measured on results," Kimmich said.

Saudi Arabia denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.