CLEVELAND -- Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber hopes to be talking about a new contract with the Cleveland Indians as soon as possible -- maybe even this spring.

They don't seem to be in quite the same rush.

Earlier this week, Bieber -- who at just 25 led the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts during the shortened 2020 season -- didn't hold back his excitement when asked about potentially meeting with the team about a long-term deal.

"It's absolutely something I'd be open to," Bieber said on a video call from camp in Goodyear, Arizona. "In terms of conversations, it really hasn't happened yet, so that's something I'd love to dive into and hopefully that will be reciprocated as well."

On Wednesday, Chris Antonetti, the team's president of baseball operations, wouldn't comment specifically on any planned talks with Bieber while hinting that Cleveland might be able to do something with him in the not-too-distant future.

"We've found it most constructive not to talk about individual circumstances with particular players," he said. "Setting that aside, obviously, Shane represents all the things we would want our players to be, both on the field, the teammate he is, the way he prepares, the way he competes.

"We are hopeful that Shane will be here for a really long time to come."

Bieber is likely to earn about $575,000 this season -- meager for one of baseball's best pitchers -- and he'll be eligible for salary arbitration after each of the next three seasons. This might be the ideal time for the Indians to extend him, and the club does have a history of doing that in the past with players like Corey Kluber, a two-time Cy Young winner in Cleveland.

But money is always an issue for the mid-market Indians, who couldn't get All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor to bite on a long-term deal and wound up trading him to the New York Mets this winter before he walked as a free agent.

There's plenty of time to get something done with Bieber, and with numerous guaranteed contracts expiring after this season, the Indians, who have slashed their payroll to $38 million, will be better positioned to lock up the right-hander to a long-term deal.

Antonetti said that future financial flexibility will allow the Indians to bend.

"It gives us a variety of options," he said. "Part of the reason, if you look at the composition of our roster, it's a lot younger and at different points in the service spectrum than maybe we've been at different points over the last few seasons. I would expect over the next six to 12 months, the guarantees that we will have moving forward will increase and you'll start to see some of those commitments moving forward."

Bieber was delayed in arriving at camp after recently testing positive for COVID-19.

He threw to batters for the first time on Wednesday, and manager Terry Francona wasn't at all surprised by how he looked.

"Like Bieber," Francona said. "Which is probably what another 30 guys would like to be. He's such a perfectionist."

In Bieber, the Indians have a foundational player to build around. He sets the example -- on and off the field -- for the club, and barring injury, there's no reason to think he won't get better.

If he performs the way he did last season, Bieber won't get any cheaper, which is why it would make sense for the Indians to sign him to a long-term deal sooner than later.

Cleveland knows it has a special player.

"Leadership is something that's earned by the way you go about your business, and Shane has earned that opportunity to lead because of the way he carries himself, because of the way he works, because of the way he prepares, because of the way he treats people and how much he cares about winning," Antonetti said.

"And it's really easy for Tito [Francona] or [pitching coach] Carl [Willis] or for me when young pitchers are coming up and they say, 'Well, I want to be great. I want to be the best [at] what I do. How do I do that?' And we could say, 'Hey, look at Shane Bieber. Do what he does.' It's a pretty good example to have in the clubhouse."

Rugby is at a crossroads, and it has a decision to make.

In the first two weeks of the Six Nations both Peter O'Mahony and Zander Fagerson were sent off for dangerous clearouts. In both instances the decision was correct.

But why are we seeing an increase in these situations? And, more importantly, how are we going to stop them?

The evolution of highly-tuned athletes has made rugby a better spectator sport in many regards. Players are able to do things now that five or 10 years ago they weren't capable of.

My worry is that in the age of sports science, we may increasingly see technique going out the window.

Pete and Zander should both have taken a split-second before they made impact to sight their target, dip and then clean somebody up and out. Instead they careered into contact, travelling at speed.

There is no way of avoiding colliding heads or shoulders when somebody is low and poached over the ball.

If you make an impact, try to get under him and clean him while keeping your feet - that is technically a very good clean. But if you're 130kg and move like Zander Fagerson, Tadhg Furlong or Kyle Sinckler, who move like how backs used to, and you're hurtling at that speed, for me that is reckless.

There is a safety element, and with that comes the issue of optics.

Kids and parents want assurances that rugby is safe, they want a sport where somebody who is technically a very good tackler is rewarded, while somebody who is reckless is asked to leave the field until they correct their technique.

The future of the game relies on technical teaching and coaching, not getting the biggest possible athletes on the pitch. The goal for the game should be bringing through smart rugby players no matter what their body shape is, and rewarding those who have taken the time to perfect their technique.

As far as reckless play goes, the only way to stop it is to punish it accordingly. Thankfully this can be done, and it has been before.

It's not that long ago that it was ok to basically stamp somebody on the ground because it was deemed as rucking. Then it was outlawed and now we see a lot less of it.

Bigger and stronger does not always mean better. At its heart rugby is a technical sport, and it needs to stay that way.

Ireland a team in transition, not crisis

As for Ireland, two losses from two is not a good look. But I disagree with a lot of criticism questioning the team's direction - you can see where they want to go.

When you look at the way they're trying to evolve their attack they are missing the cutting edge on the flanks, and that's not necessarily the fault of the wings.

I would like to see the back rows hold a bit of width, with one on each flank.

CJ Stander and Josh van der Flier get through a mountain of work but a lot of it is in between the 15s, that's an area that you can let your front five take care of, which allows you to get the forwards that are better athletes to give you more numbers on the edge.

Getting the back rows a channel or two wider would help Ireland with their numbers and we would see the benefits of that, because they are playing a smart game.

They are getting territory, a lot of possession, reasonably quick ball and we are starting to see a bit of evolution.

The more they feel comfortable in that set-up, the more we will see offloads and a flowing attack.

You look at James Lowe's disallowed try, that was really nice, crisp play with balls out the back, options and good passing - that is how they want to play, and they can absolutely get there.

Consistent selection will aid progress

Andy Farrell and his team know how they want to play, and in order to implement that they need the players to be comfortable in that system.

That explained the continuity in selection for the first two games, and it explains why largely the same group of players will take on Italy.

There has been a lot of talk about making changes for Italy, but I maintain that what Ireland need as much as anything is a level of consistency in selection, to really hammer home how they want to play.

Once the style of play is firmly drilled in, then you can makes changes seamlessly because the vast majority of the team understand what is happening.

At the minute the players are still trying to get to grips with what is expected of them and become comfortable with it. You have to stick with your best team.

France can make changes now and they don't suffer because they have confidence and everybody believes in what they are doing. The core senior players know how to move the guys who have just come in around the pitch.

Ireland are not that far away, there are areas for improvement and they are undoubtedly lacking an 'X factor player', but a fully fit Jacob Stockdale or Jordan Larmour could provide that spark. The talent is there for this team to be successful.

Against Italy, where a win is expected, what you want to see from Ireland is a ruthless performance.

It is hard to discount Italy entirely because they are an international team, but there's no doubt they are struggling. You don't know what the circumstances of the game are going to be, but what you can factor in is what you want the attitude to be.

When you watch the best teams, you get a feeling that they are always switched on. Look at France, they don't give you as many opportunities into the game as they used to because they are tuned in the whole time, and that's what we need to see from Ireland.

We need to see a performance that ends as strongly as it starts; a full 80-minute display.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As anticipation continues to build for the start of the Progressive American Flat Track season, Coolbeth-Nila Racing announced Sammy Halbert will return as the team’s Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle rider.

In his second year on the Indian Motorcycle FTR750, Halbert is set to perform with a solid commitment from team owners John and Nila Wise. After a strong debut for the Halbert/Coolbeth-Nila crew — boasting a third-place championship finish, Springfield Mile victory and a staggering six visits to the podium — the Wises are all-in, promising to deliver the resources required to take the team to the next level.

Also returning as team principal is former Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., whose expert knowledge proved to be a pivotal asset to the team’s success.

“I’m looking forward to another year with Sammy,” said Coolbeth. “Now that we have a year under our belt working together and know each other better, I really think he can be the guy to beat. I can’t wait to get the season started here in a couple of weeks.”

“Last year was a great experience working with Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. and my team owner John Wise,” said Halbert. “I’m stoked to be back with them and to continue the relationships with the brands that support us. AFT put together a great schedule for us this year and we’re ready to come out swinging.”

The Progressive AFT season kicks off with a Volusia Half-Mile doubleheader event at Volusia Speedway Park March 12-13.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Emma Talley arrived at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club at 7 a.m. ET on Tuesday for the first full-field event of the LPGA Tour season. As the sun began to set later that day, Talley was still at the course, chatting up her fellow pros she hadn’t seen for two months. She wasn’t alone. Players were happy to reconnect with one another at the Gainbridge LPGA, many having quarantined in their respective states and countries since the 2020 season wrapped up in December.

Jin Young Ko, who won the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, is eager to pick up where she left off last year. Ko makes her season debut this week, having skipped the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in January. The No. 1 player in the Rolex Rankings has held the top spot for 86 weeks, but she is beginning to feel the pressure from current world No. 2 Sei Young Kim, who also makes her season debut in Orlando. Kim is arguably the hottest player on tour heading into the season. In 2020, the South Korean enjoyed a career best campaign that saw her earn her first major victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and claim the Rolex Player of the Year award.

“Golf is just a personal sport, not a team, so if [she] plays better she can win; if I play better, I can win,” Ko said about Kim. “I don't want to [have a] rivalry with her. I want to fight just by myself on the course.”

Annika Sorenstam, who knows the challenge of holding on to the world No. 1 ranking, is making her first start on the LPGA Tour in 13 years. Lake Nona is her home course; she lives just off the 16^th hole.

For many players in the field, the opportunity to compete against the World Golf Hall of Fame member wasn’t possible. Sorenstam retired in 2008, at the age of 37, in order to start a family. Much of the current generation on tour grew up watching the 72-time LPGA winner on television, but this week will get to experience first-hand what it’s like to play alongside one of the great players in golf history. Thursday, defending champion Madelene Sagstrom will get that opportunity. The all Swedish group of Sorenstam, Sagstrom and Anna Nordqvist will tee off at 12:25 p.m. ET in Round 1.

“I know she's going to go in full-hearted,” Sagstrom said about Sorenstam. “Just being able to see that spirit on the golf course and playing with, who might have been the best golfer of all-time, is going to be amazing and an experience that as a little girl I could never have dreamed of doing.”

Seven of the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings are in the field at the Gainbridge LPGA, including the top-ranked Americans, No. 4 Nelly Korda and No. 5 Danielle Kang. Amateur Alexa Pano received a sponsor invite. The 16-year-old is hoping to build on the success she found last season, when she made her first cut on the LPGA Tour, in preparation for the upcoming Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April. Gabi Ruffels, the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, also received a sponsor invite prior to turning professional. She’ll make her pro debut this week.

“Even though I'll be nervous, I'll be excited,” Ruffels said. “It's one of the most exciting things right now I feel like in my life and I can't wait to get out there.”

The Gainbridge LPGA moved from Boca Rio Golf Club to Lake Nona Golf and Country Club for the second playing of the event. GolfChannel.com will live stream the first round beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Jarred Garcia was at a crossroads.

After nearly seven years of playing professional golf, the 31-year-old was unsure how much longer he wanted to keep his dream of playing on the PGA Tour alive. He teed it up in the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour’s first two members-only events last month in San Diego – and played well, placing third in one of them – but when he got back home to Jacksonville, Florida, Garcia sat down with his dad to discuss his future.

“I told him I’m going to play these next two events and if I don’t play well, I have to figure something else out,” said Garcia, who earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of North Florida in 2013. “I didn’t know if that meant going back to school or getting a job in the industry.”

The first of those two events happened last weekend at PGA Golf Club’s Dye Course in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Garcia, staying at a buddy’s house about a half-hour away to save money, opened the APGA Tour’s Black History Month Classic in 70 before birdieing three of his last five holes and shooting 4-under 68 to win by a shot over Landon Lyons.

“I guess I’m playing the rest of the year now,” said Garcia, whose victory marked his second career APGA title, the first coming in 2019. “This win was huge. It was really, really big.”

Now, the $7,695 first-place check will help Garcia continue to chase the Tour. He plans on competing the rest of the season on the APGA Tour, which has 10 events left on its calendar, including a three-event fall series. Garcia will also get free entry into the Korn Ferry Tour Monday qualifier of his choice, and he also is eyeing KFT Q-School later in the year.

In other words, the dream is still alive. Garcia started out playing baseball as a kid, and it wasn’t until he was 13 years old that he discovered golf. His younger brother, Dalton, was gifted a plastic set of clubs but never was interested in the game, so Garcia grabbed them and started hitting a whiffle ball around the backyard.

Garcia’s grandmother eventually enrolled him in the First Tee of North Florida. While he had a few small-school offers to play college golf, Garcia said the cost of playing at a private school was too much considering he could attend North Florida on a full Bright Future’s scholarship. When he graduated, Garcia initially began studying for the MCAT, but the pull of professional golf was too strong.

“My parents basically said, ‘If you want to do it, you have to do it now,’” said Garcia, who turned pro in late 2014. “I really didn’t think I was good enough at the time, but it’s always in the back of your head, like you hear stories like Tommy Gainey was working at a water facility and made it – you just never know.”

Since turning pro, Garcia has played mostly on the APGA and other mini-tours, while his dad helped out financially by working two jobs and even mowing yards for extra cash. Garcia did earn his PGA Tour Latinoamerica card in 2017 and fired a course-record 63 in the second round of the BMW Jamaica Classic. He got a taste of playing in one of the last groups that Saturday before shooting 76 and going on to tie for 53^rd. That would mark his best finish that season as he made just two of nine cuts.

“But shooting that 63, it gives you a little belief that if you can do it for one round, you could do it for four,” Garcia said. “I wouldn’t trade my time down there for anything.”

Some four years later, Garcia is playing the best golf of his career. Part of that is maturing as a player. Another part is finally getting fitted properly for clubs. Garcia bought his previous set of clubs online. They were nice, but something wasn’t right.

“I would notice that I’d hit a 7-iron and it’d go 175 yards and if I hit it just a little bit harder it’d go 195,” Garcia said.

A trip to TPC Sawgrass with some other APGA members last December confirmed his belief: Garcia was playing the wrong clubs. Thanks to the APGA, Garcia was able to get fit for the first time in his career. He was outfitted with a complete set built just for him. He’s really noticed the difference in his irons, which are now fit with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts.

“They feel a bit stiffer,” Garcia said. “I can feel my irons kicking at the same point every time. … It’s easier to control the distances.”

It’s also easier to win tournaments. Garcia’s next chance at victory will come at the APGA Tour’s next event on March 22-23 at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida. Should Garcia win that, he’d really be in the driver’s seat in the APGA Tour’s season-long points race, the Lexus Cup, which awards $35,000 in bonus money to the top six finishers, including $17,500 to first.

That kind of payday would be huge for Garcia.

“On the other mini-tours, you have to beat 150 people to win $3,000,” Garcia said. “When you win on this tour, it’s worthwhile.

“Honestly, without this tour I’m probably not playing golf anymore.”

And his dream is still alive.

Ferland Mendy grabbed a late winner to earn lacklustre Real Madrid a 1-0 win over 10-man Atalanta in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg.

Real's task appeared to have been made much easier after Atalanta's Remo Freuler was sent off in the 17th minute for denying Mendy a goal-scoring opportunity.

- Real Madrid ratings: Mendy 8/10 brings relief to Zidane's side

Against the 10 men, however, Zinedine Zidane's side, who were missing several high-profile players through injury, struggled to break down the hosts, and Real had only one shot on target in the rest of the first half.

Atalanta continued to defend doggedly after the interval, but Mendy's superb strike in the 86th minute gave the record 13-times European champions a slender lead to take into the second leg.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta shocked everyone by getting to the quarter-finals last year in their first season in Europe's premier competition, especially given they played all their home games at the San Siro in Milan while their own stadium was being re-developed.

Now back at their ground, Atalanta's first Champions League knockout match in Bergamo got off to a bad start when the referee showed no hesitation in sending Freuler off for bringing down Mendy when he was through on goal.

Without their top goalscorer Karim Benzema and forwards Eden Hazard and Rodrygo through injury, however, Real lacked potency up front.

Half chances for Luka Modric and Vinicius Jr. were all they could come up with as the game entered the latter stages.

It was going to take something special to breach the well-organised home side and full back Mendy provided it with a 25-metre strike, his first Champions League goal.

Manchester City extended their winning run in all competitions to 19 games as they comfortably beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 in the Champions League round of 16 first leg.

Two near-identical goals, one scored by Bernardo Silva and the other assisted by him, put Pep Guardiola's side within touching distance of the quarterfinals.

Bernardo put City in front on 29 minutes, losing his marker at the back post to head home a pinpoint Joao Cancelo cross.

The same move resulted in Bernardo heading back across goal for Gabriel Jesus to tap in on 65 minutes and put City in a commanding position with two away goals.

The tie took place at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, rather than in Monchengladbach, due to German authorities putting travel restrictions on the UK amid the spread of a COVID-19 variant.

But City, who left John Stones, Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez out of the starting XI, were dominant and outclassed their Bundesliga opponents.

Gladbach, who only had one attempt on target in the entire game, had their best chance through Alassane Plea's spectacular backflick-volley just past the hour but were otherwise boxed in their own half.

They have now lost three of their last four games in all competitions while City have won their last 12 away games in all competitions, setting a new record for an English top-flight side.

City are 10 points clear of second place in the Premier League, in the Carabao Cup final and in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup as they chase an unprecedented quadruple.

Ferland Mendy scored late on as Real Madrid beat 10-man Atalanta 1-0 in Bergamo on Wednesday to take the advantage in their Champions League round-of-16 tie.

Midfielder Remo Freuler was sent off by referee Tobias Stieler with just 17 minutes played for a foul on Mendy. Madrid found it difficult to capitalise in the first half, though, as Isco, Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior all shot off target. Their best chance came as Toni Kroos' free kick found Casemiro, whose header was well saved by keeper Pierluigi Gollini.

After the break, Modric had a shot deflected wide and Vinicius fired over the bar from close range. Madrid continued to struggle to create clear-cut opportunities, before Mendy finally broke the deadlock with a long-range effort in the 87th minute.

Positives

Mendy's late goal was a huge, huge relief. Flying home from Italy with a goalless draw, having faced 10 men for more than 70 minutes, would have been a major embarrassment after what was an uninspired display. The full-back's stunning strike changed the shape of the tie and makes Madrid firm favourites to progress to the quarterfinals, even if their prospects beyond that are dubious.

The pre-match chatter focused on Isco, brought in for one of Madrid's biggest games of the season after being exiled from the team for so long. It was by no means a perfect performance, but it was an encouraging one, and the playmaker was involved in much of what the team did well before being withdrawn.

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Negatives

They may have got the win, but this was often a desperately frustrating game from Real Madrid. They didn't put Atalanta under nearly enough pressure and were often reduced to optimistically shooting from distance. There are mitigating factors -- primarily, the major injury crisis -- but it's hard to escape the feeling that this is a team that is well past its best and no longer among Europe's elite.

Vinicius remains a hugely frustrating player: so much natural ability and so many admirable qualities, but so little end product. Here he had a poor night, failing to work the goalkeeper whenever an opportunity presented itself. There's still faith in the Brazilian at senior level at Real Madrid -- you wonder if Zinedine Zidane feels the same way.

Manager rating out of 10

6 -- Zidane sprung a surprise in his starting XI, dropping Mariano Diaz to play without a centre-forward. Instead, the team lined up with Isco in a withdrawn, central role, and Vinicius and Marco Asensio on either flank. The result was largely disappointing.

As Vinicius struggled, Zidane acted swiftly in bringing on Mariano, but the team remained flat. With nine players still out injured, there weren't any other experienced options to turn to, and Zidane had no choice but to turn to kids Sergio Arribas and Hugo Duro.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Thibaut Courtois, 6 -- Didn't have a single save to make on the night.

DF Lucas Vazquez, 6 -- An important first-half challenge on Luis Muriel inside the box, and generally did fine.

DF Raphael Varane, 6 -- Did a good job of keeping Atalanta's much-vaunted forward line quiet, although the early red card meant the hosts barely threatened.

DF Nacho, 7 -- Has done well lately. Got into the box well in the first half before unleashing a wild cross-shot.

DF Ferland Mendy, 8 -- Had the biggest impact of any player on the night. Fouled early on for the red card as he embarked on what's becoming a trademark burst forward, and then scored a superb goal -- his first in this competition -- in the last few minutes.

MF Casemiro, 8 -- Will miss the second leg after picking up a soft yellow card, which is really bad news given his importance to the team. Looked concerned he might pick up a second later on when he went down easily in the box. Had Madrid's best first-half chance with his header.

MF Toni Kroos, 8 -- His 308th Madrid game, equalling the legendary Uli Stielike as the German with the most appearances for the club. A pinpoint free kick delivery for Casemiro's header.

MF Luka Modric, 7 -- Shot over the bar in the first half, just wide after half-time, and then over the bar again. A busy, lively performance.

MF Isco, 7 -- An unexpected start. Supposedly a false nine, although that really meant taking up familiar, advanced midfield positions. Did quite well: one first-half chance was deflected wide, and played in Vinicius with a lovely pass too.

FW Vinicius Junior, 5 -- Caught by goalkeeper Gollini in the first half. Shot off target multiple times and was withdrawn early. Not the ideal player to lead the line, given that he hasn't scored in four months.

FW Marco Asensio, 5 -- A quiet first half and very little improvement after that. Asensio goes missing in games far too often for a player with so much talent.

Substitutes

FW Mariano Diaz, 6 -- Being left on the bench was a humiliation, Zidane preferring to play with no striker at all. Came on for Vinicius and failed to threaten the Atalanta goal in more than a half an hour on the pitch.

FW Sergio Arribas, N/R -- Came on for Asensio with 15 minutes remaining and showed some nice touches.

FW Hugo Duro, N/R -- Made his Champions League debut, replacing Isco. Had a shot blocked.

TORONTO -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was determined not to show up to another spring training carrying more weight than he wanted.

Embarrassed and apologetic after arriving out of shape at summer camp in 2020, the Toronto Blue Jays slugger worked aggressively on his conditioning this offseason, and said he has lost 42 pounds since last July.

"I came to spring training out of shape for a couple of years," Guerrero said through a translator Wednesday from Blue Jays camp in Dunedin, Florida. "One day at my house in the Dominican I just sat down and thought about all this. I decided right then that I was going to get ready, I was going to prepare myself, I was going to work very hard for this year. I did, because my main focus is just to be ready and help the team win."

A slimmer-looking Guerrero said he now feels stronger, quicker, and more resilient.

"I worked very hard on my legs because I really wanted to trust my legs," he said. "Before, I wasn't getting to ground balls. Sometimes at the plate I couldn't stay back enough on the ball.

"I feel quicker in all aspects of my game right now," Guerrero added. "Running the bases I feel great. Before I would feel a lot of fatigue after taking ground balls. Now I can take 50, 60 ground balls and I'm feeling good."

Manager Charlie Montoyo praised Guerrero for his transformation.

"He met his goals," Montoyo said. "He had a great offseason. All his work, it paid off. He looks really good."

Guerrero, who turns 22 in March, hit .272 with 15 home runs and 69 RBI as a rookie in 2019. However, he hit his final home run on Aug. 16 and looked tired down the stretch, eventually missing time with a sore right knee.

Guerrero dropped weight before spring training in 2020, but gained it back after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down baseball for several months. Last November, Guerrero told a Dominican newspaper he had apologized to his Blue Jays teammates after showing up overweight for summer camp when baseball returned in July.

"For the last couple of years, they knew I was coming here out of shape," Guerrero said Wednesday. "I didn't prepare myself very well and I felt like at that moment that my teammates needed an apology from me."

After switching from third base to first base in 2020, Guerrero hit .262 with nine homers and 33 RBI, playing in all 60 games of the pandemic-shortened season.

While working out this winter, both in the Dominican Republic and at Toronto's Florida complex, Guerrero said he was motivated by his teammates - from current ones in Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, and Teoscar Hernandez, but also new ones signed in free agency, including outfielder George Springer and infielder Marcus Semien.

"We're going to have a great season with those guys in our team," Guerrero said.

Guerrero has been vocal about wanting a shot to improve defensively at third base, where he made a team-high 17 errors in 96 games in 2019. He said the Blue Jays told him to expect games at both first and third base this season.

Montoyo said he and general manager Ross Atkins spoke to Guerrero on Wednesday and told him to concentrate his efforts on improving at first base.

"My first baseman is Vlad Guerrero and my third baseman is Biggio," Montoyo said. "But if we're facing a tough lefty or something and I'm looking to give Biggio a day off, then Vladdy could play third.

"Our main message was 'Become a Gold Glove first baseman and then we'll move you to third, see how it goes.'"

CONCORD, N.C. – Charlotte Motor Speedway will host a limited crowd for its May NASCAR tripleheader, which includes the 62nd running of the Coca-Cola 600 for the NASCAR Cup Series.

The news comes on the heels of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and state health officials’ announcement Wednesday of a plan to allow outdoor sports venues, including Charlotte Motor Speedway, to host events with fans up to 30 percent capacity, starting Feb. 26.

That announcement paves the way for a limited number of fans to be part of the action when NASCAR’s best return to CMS for the track’s first-ever tripleheader weekend – featuring the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, Alsco Uniforms 300 and 62nd running of the Coca-Cola 600 from May 28-30.

“The energy and excitement of our fans is what fuels our sport and everything we do here at America’s Home for Racing,” said Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter. “We’ve been in close contact throughout the pandemic with the governor’s office about how we can safely host race fans, and I cannot overstate how excited we are with today’s news.

“From hosting one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events to honoring the men and women of our Armed Forces, the Coca-Cola 600 weekend is special for so many reasons. While the grandstands won’t be full, being able to share this historic event with thousands of fans in person is a big step in the right direction. We hope with continued improvement in pandemic trends by May that we may be able to host even more fans.”

Details are still being determined regarding camping availability.

No fans were permitted during last year’s Coca-Cola 600, which marked just the third NASCAR Cup Series race held following the return of live sports from the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brad Keselowski of Team Penske is the defending winner of the historic event.