Serie A descended into chaos on Sunday as the league looked set to be suspended before a last-minute U-turn allowed it to continue amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Parma's match with SPAL, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. GMT (7:30 a.m. ET) was suspended just before kickoff amid political wrangling over the virus that has gripped the country and sporting events worldwide.

- Marcotti: Coronavirus leads to Serie A suspension calls as risk of Euro 2020 impact grows

The players were in the tunnel and due to walk out onto the pitch before being told to go back to their respective dressing rooms. Some players were already on the bench and had to walk back from the pitch to find out what was going on.

Serie A has an emergency meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

There were calls from players' association president Damiano Tommasi and Italy's minister for sport, Vincenzo Spadafora, to suspend the league, but the Parma-SPAL match eventually went ahead with a revised kick-off time of 12:45 p.m. GMT (8.45 a.m. ET).

Football in Serie A is set to be staged behind closed doors until April 3 following the coronavirus outbreak. Italy prime minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree Sunday, in place until April 3, that is a sweeping quarantine of the northern regions of the country, including the Lombardy region. It restricts the movements of one-quarter of the country's population.

Tommasi had written to Conte and the Italian Football Association (FIGC) calling for Serie A to be suspended. Spadafora had also backed a suspension. The players' association continued to push for a suspension of the league ahead of the revised kick-off in Parma's match, but it was rejected.

"This morning I wrote to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Minister for Sport Vincenzo Spadafora, CONI President Giovanni Malagò, FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, Lega Serie A President Paolo Dal Pino, Lega Serie B President Mauro Balata and Lega Pro President Francesco Ghirelli," Tommasi wrote on Twitter.

"Stopping football is the most useful action for the country at this moment. The teams we should be cheering on are playing in our hospitals and emergency centres."

Said Spadafora: "It makes no sense at this moment, while we ask our citizens for enormous sacrifices to prevent the spread of the contagion, to risk the health of players, referees, coaches, fans who will certainly gather to see games, just to protect the interests that revolve around the sport.

- Marcotti: How coronavirus affects Italy, sports

"Other Federations have wisely decided to suspend football for the next few days. I think it is the duty of the FIGC President Gabriele Gravina to reflect again, without waiting for the first case of a Serie A player infected, before taking on this very serious responsibility."

ESPN's attempts to contact Serie A for comment were not immediately answered.

Lazio led Serie A at the start of the day on 62 points, two ahead of Juventus. Reigning champions Juve are due to face third-place Inter Milan later Sunday -- the original fixture was postponed because of the coronavirus -- but sources have told ESPN both clubs are waiting for Serie A to officially confirm whether the match will go ahead.

Sunday's matches in Serie A were postponed from last weekend, with Parma vs. SPAL followed by AC Milan against Genoa, Sampdoria vs. Verona and Udinese vs. Fiorentina before Juventus' match with Inter.

- Juventus vs. Inter Milan: Stream live Sunday at 3:45 p.m. on ESPN+ (U.S.)

According to The Associated Press, Italy on Saturday reported its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases since its outbreak began on Feb. 21. The number of infected people rose by 1,247 in the previous 24 hours, taking the total to 5,883. Italy's death toll rose to 233.

Coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, is a new strain of virus that has surged around the globe in recent months. The coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory diseases. Flu is caused by a different virus. There is no vaccine for coronavirus, though researchers are working on one and hope to begin testing soon.

Older people, especially those with chronic illnesses such as heart or lung disease, are most at risk. The coronavirus spreads mainly through coughs and sneezes, though it also can be transferred from surfaces.

The best way to prevent infection is by frequent hand-washing, cleaning surfaces with regular household sprays and wipes, and avoiding close contact with people who are sick.

Afghanistan 184 for 4 (Asghar 49, Gurbaz 35, Young 1-27) beat Ireland 163 for 6 (Balbirnie 46, Tector 37, Mujeeb 3-38) by 21 runs

Asghar Afghan scored a 28-ball 49 to lift Afghanistan to 184 for 4 before Mujeeb Ur Rahman's three-wicket haul restricted Ireland to 163 for 6 in the second T20I in Greater Noida. The 21-run victory meant Afghanistan now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Afghanistan had a slow start after opting to bat as their openers Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz struggled for the timing on a sluggish pitch. The Ireland seamers also didn't allow any room to Zazai who eventually fell to legspinner Gareth Delany for a 33-ball 28.

Gurbaz used his feet against Delany to hit a couple of sixes but despite that Afghanistan were 85 for 2 after 13 overs. Asghar, who too was struggling to find the middle of the bat till then, suddenly starting connecting his hits. He struck six, four and four off three Boyd Rankin deliveries to take the side past 100 in the 14th over.

Craig Young was the next to suffer. Asghar smashed him for two fours and two sixes as the 16th over of the innings produced 25 runs. Going for another big hit, Asghar holed out to long-on and fell one short of his fifty. Najibullah Zadran and Gulbadin Naib hit two sixes each in the final over as take Afghanistan to a formidable total.

After giving away 99 runs in the last seven overs, Ireland started their chase positively before Mujeeb dismissed Kevin O'Brien and Paul Stirling to reduce them to 37 for 2. Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector though kept finding the boundaries though and took Ireland to 90 for 3 after ten overs.

Then, Rashid Khan was introduced to the attack. After conceding five in his first over, he dismissed Balbirnie in the next for a 35-ball 46. From the other end, Nabi too didn't allow any easy runs. As a result, Ireland were left needing 51 from the last four overs.

Tector took 12 off the first three balls of the 17th over, bowled by Mujeeb, but the bowler came back strongly. Not only did he not concede a run in the next three balls he also got rid of Tector.

Ireland needed 26 from the final over - Afghanistan too had got 26 from their 20th - but Shapoor Zadran conceded only four to seal the match and the series.

If Alyssa Healy's storming 75 from 39 balls wasn't enough of a marker at the start of Australia's domineering victory in the Twenty20 World Cup final, she had the additional satisfaction of being given a "gobful" of a send-off after being dismissed by India's Radha Yadav.

In that moment, Healy knew that the tournament hosts had succeeded in frustrating India and distracting them from the required focus. The cup, provided they stayed the course, was theirs. When she relayed this message tot he team in their dugout when she reached them, the hosts broke up in laughter: this really was to be their night.

"I probably can't share what was said to me on the way off the field, but I literally just said to the group, 'we're right under their skin here, the way they reacted when I got out'," Healy said. "The way they gave me a gobful on the way off, just meant we were right under their skin, we were right in the front of this game, and if we just kept driving it home we'd be right. Apparently it was funny."

Pondering her chances of improving on a rare expensive outing in the first game of the tournament against India, Megan Schutt said she had been immediately put at ease by Healy's words.

"That was a really cool feeling for her to come off and tell us that we were under their skin," Schutt said. "A little bit of anger just drives you I think. It was honestly really cool. It's a part of the game, it's an emotional sport and we're playing at the highest level, there's going to be moments like that. We speak about riding the wave a lot and I think we did that. With 180 runs to play with, we just needed to execute our plans well and we were going to win that match."

Similarly, Schutt said that the 16-year-old Shafali Verma's drop of Healy in the opening over of the final, followed by her clearly angry and frustrated reaction at failing to cling on to the chance, was something the longtime world No. 1 T20I bowler kept in her memory bank. When they duelled once again at the start of India's chase, it was a brief contest: Verma caught Healy, bowled Schutt, two.

"She's young and she's got a lot of learning to do, and in the game of cricket body language is everything," Schutt said. "You don't want to let the opposition know when they're on top of you. It was obviously a pretty costly drop, she's got a long future ahead of her, but one thing she's going to have to do is hide her emotions because that's really important in cricket.

"It's either going over the fence or its out, generally that's the way she bats, so I was just hoping it was going to swing my way, that first shot, when I saw her intent I thought 'this is real game on here, they're going to go for it'."

As for Beth Mooney at the other end to Healy, she knew the game was tilted Australia's way. "I think they gave her a gobful when she got out, but I've said it before, you know you're on top when they're finding ways to have a crack at you," Mooney said. "I didn't know what she said off the bench, I had to ask Schutter because I was still out there. But in high pressure situations, you see different sides of people, you get a bit of white line fever and that's part and parcel of the sport and that's ok, but we were lucky to be on the other side of it tonight."

All this was to be in marked contrast to the mental battles Lanning had fought across the tournament as the team battled their way to a final they had been so heavily expected to figure in.

"That New Zealand game and the semi-final were the most nervous and sick I've felt playing a game of cricket ever," she said. "I guess to get through that and then coming into today, I guess everyone was a bit on edge but it just happened, it was perfect right from the first ball really. Everyone rides every ball, every game, there's ups and downs throughout the tournament, but to be able to lead this group is a real privilege, they make my job very easy. To finish like this is just incredible."

Things had turned, to a large degree, with the mere ability to play the semi-final against South Africa after so much poor weather. "No doubt there were a lot of nerves around in terms of the weather and we turned up the ground and there was a feeling that perhaps we wouldn't get on, and to get a game in was amazing," Lanning said. "We keep thinking about it and talking about it, it poured for the next two hours after we came off the field. We just got a bit of luck, and we felt like we hadn't had much throughout the tournament, and it sort of swung our way.

"I paced up and down the room for 40 minutes before we left [for the final], tried to catch up with people, I think I had five coffees today trying to stay awake with the night game, but it's all worth it now. The group for the first couple of games perhaps we didn't have that sense of calmness that we would have liked, but that's the way it goes, we were able to bounce back and to do that in this tournament is I think a real credit to the group, sometimes you can let it slide for a little bit too long and you can't turn it around, and we were able to do that.

"We kept at it and stuck at it with what we know, and today was probably the least stressful game of the whole tournament was just amazing. Everyone was on today, you could just tell, we were ready to go and this group always performs on the big stage. We're ready for the big moments and I thought we saw that tonight."

Tamim Iqbal has been appointed Bangladesh's ODI captain, it was announced after a BCB meeting on Sunday. He takes over from Mashrafe Mortaza, who finished his five-year stint with the recently concluded Zimbabwe series.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan didn't specify the length of Tamim's tenure, but said he was looked at as Bangladesh's "long-term" captain.

"After the meeting today, the board has unanimously decided that Tamim Iqbal will be Bangladesh's ODI captain," Hassan said. "He will be the captain for the long term as we have moved away from our decision to name another captain next year. We are not giving any guarantees, but he is our long term captain."

Tamim described Mortaza as "a model of inspiration" and asked for support through good times and bad, as captain.

"This is a massive honour for me. I thank the BCB for trusting me with this responsibility. I am aware that I have huge shoes to fill as Masrafe Bin Mortaza [sic] has been a true great for Bangladesh cricket and a model of inspiration as captain for me and all the cricketers," Tamim said.

"The journey that begins now will have its ups and downs. We all want the Bangladesh ODI Team to be successful and when we are victorious it is a celebration for the entire nation. I hope the Board, the fans and the media will support me through the tough moments as well as during the good times."

Bangladesh's next ODI assignment is a one-off game against Pakistan in Karachi on April 1. The other one-cricket they will play this year is a three-match series in Ireland in May.

There were two clear contenders for the position after Mortaza vacated the spot last Thursday. The BCB's decision was between Mahmudullah and Tamim, although Mushfiqur Rahim was also talked about in some circles. Shakib Al Hasan's return to international cricket is also looming in the background, with the allrounder expected to come back in October this year after serving his one-year ban.

Bangladesh will be part of the ICC's one-day league from next year, which means the four ODIs scheduled this year will give Tamim the only window he has to get a feel for the job as long-term captain before the league starts.

Last week, Tamim became the first Bangladesh batsman to reach 7,000 ODI runs during the first ODI against Zimbabwe, and is regarded as one of the architects of Bangladesh's rise in ODI cricket in the last five years.

Tamim has so far led Bangladesh in just three ODIs out of the 207 he has played, when he replaced an injured Mortaza last July against Sri Lanka in an away series.

England 316 and 39 for 1 (Crawley 27*, Anjula 1-14) lead Sri Lanka Cricket XI 245 (Priyanjan 77, Parkinson 4-68) by 110 runs

Matt Parkinson did his best to make a statement to England selectors ahead of the first Test in Sri Lanka by claiming four wickets as the visitors held command of their opening warm-up match at Katunayake.

At stumps on the second day of the three-day tour match between England and a Sri Lanka Cricket XI, England led by 110 runs, having restricted their opposition to 245 in their first innings on the back of 23-year-old legspinner Parkinson's 4 for 68.

As expected, it was the spinners who came into their own, with Dom Bess adding 3 for 54 with his off-breaks to further dent the Sri Lankans' reply to England's first-innings 316.

In England's second innings, Dom Sibley fell for a duck, caught by Lahiru Udara Igalagamage off the bowling of medium pacer Kavishka Anjula on the second ball he faced.

ALSO READ: 'Being written off after one game is a bit harsh' - Parkinson

Parkinson has made his international debut in both limited-overs formats during the English winter, playing two T20Is in New Zealand at the end of last year and, more recently, two ODIs in South Africa. In New Zealand, he drew some praise by taking five wickets across his six overs in the series, but in South Africa he bowled just eight overs and went wicketless, reigniting criticism which has centred on his speed through the air and perceived lack of variation.

He has had limited exposure to red-ball cricket. having played just 20 first-class matches. He went wicketless during a two-day tour match in New Zealand and, on England's tour of South Africa, he bowled 20 overs in a three-day warm-up match which cost 112 runs before being overlooked in favour of Dom Bess for the second Test.

"Having not played much red-ball cricket I needed to prove I can take wickets and almost get over the nerves of bowling with these lads," Parkinson told the Press Association.

"There were more nerves in the other two tours. I'm still very raw with the red-ball and I think people sometimes forget that spinners develop later. Being picked on three Test tours, the expectations are raised, but I've still only played 20 first-class games so I'm still very new to red-ball cricket.

"I found it difficult to bowl spin in New Zealand and South Africa but hopefully the wickets in Galle and Colombo will be raggers."

On Sunday, Parkinson's first two wickets came from successive balls either side of the lunch break when Lahiru Milantha chipped to extra cover and Milinda Siriwardana was caught by Saqib Mahmood on the first delivery of the afternoon session.

Parkinson added two more in the evening, his third held by Sam Curran at mid-wicket and his fourth coming thanks to a sharp catch by Ben Foakes, who split wicketkeeping duties with Test regular Jos Buttler.

"There haven't been many days yet in a white shirt but to get four wickets after the way the warm-up games went for me in New Zealand and South Africa was very pleasing," Parkinson said.

"I hope I'm becoming a better bowler and I can use what I've learnt. I was in South Africa for two months and a bit, so you'd be wrong not to try to get the most out of the trip. Hopefully I've done that."

Chris Woakes claimed two wickets and saw two catches dropped by Joe Root at slip, while Mahmood found some good speed in claiming one wicket.

Zak Crawley and Joe Denly resume on 27 and 11 respectively with England 39 for 1 going into the last day. The first Test starts in Galle on March 19.

Lahore Qalandars captain Sohail Akhtar won the toss and chose to field against Karachi Kings in Lahore in the second half of Sunday's PSL double-header. Lahore are seeking to build on a resounding eight-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators in an effort to dig themselves out of the cellar on the PSL points table.

Karachi made one change to their XI coming off their washed out match against Multan Sultans as Mitchell McClenaghan moved out of the line-up for the incoming Cameron Delport.

Lahore have made two changes following their win over Quetta. Usman Shinwari and Maaz Khan enter the XI while Dilbar Hussain and Raja Farzan sit out.

Karachi Kings: Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Alex Hales, Chadwick Walton (wk), Cameron Delport, Imad Wasim (capt.), Aamer Yamin, Chris Jordan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Umer Khan.

Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar (capt.), Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk, Dane Vilas (wk), Samit Patel, David Wiese, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Irshad, Usman Shinwari, Maaz Khan.

Serie A descended into chaos on Sunday as the league looked set to be suspended before a last-minute U-turn allowed it to continue amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Parma's match with SPAL, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. GMT (7:30 a.m. ET) was suspended just before kickoff amid political wrangling over the virus that has gripped the country and sporting events worldwide.

- Marcotti: Coronavirus leads to Serie A suspension calls as risk of Euro 2020 impact grows

The players were in the tunnel and due to walk out onto the pitch before being told to go back to their respective dressing rooms. Some players were already on the bench and had to walk back from the pitch to find out what was going on.

Serie A has an emergency meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

There were calls from players' association president Damiano Tommasi and Italy's minister for sport, Vincenzo Spadafora, to suspend the league, but the Parma-SPAL match eventually went ahead with a revised kick-off time of 12:45 p.m. GMT (8.45 a.m. ET).

Football in Serie A is set to be staged behind closed doors until April 3 following the coronavirus outbreak. Italy prime minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree Sunday, in place until April 3, that is a sweeping quarantine of the northern regions of the country, including the Lombardy region. It restricts the movements of one-quarter of the country's population.

Tommasi had written to Conte and the Italian Football Association (FIGC) calling for Serie A to be suspended. Spadafora had also backed a suspension. The players' association continued to push for a suspension of the league ahead of the revised kick-off in Parma's match, but it was rejected.

"This morning I wrote to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Minister for Sport Vincenzo Spadafora, CONI President Giovanni Malagò, FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, Lega Serie A President Paolo Dal Pino, Lega Serie B President Mauro Balata and Lega Pro President Francesco Ghirelli," Tommasi wrote on Twitter.

"Stopping football is the most useful action for the country at this moment. The teams we should be cheering on are playing in our hospitals and emergency centres."

Said Spadafora: "It makes no sense at this moment, while we ask our citizens for enormous sacrifices to prevent the spread of the contagion, to risk the health of players, referees, coaches, fans who will certainly gather to see games, just to protect the interests that revolve around the sport.

- Marcotti: How coronavirus affects Italy, sports

"Other Federations have wisely decided to suspend football for the next few days. I think it is the duty of the FIGC President Gabriele Gravina to reflect again, without waiting for the first case of a Serie A player infected, before taking on this very serious responsibility."

ESPN's attempts to contact Serie A for comment were not immediately answered.

Lazio led Serie A at the start of the day on 62 points, two ahead of Juventus. Reigning champions Juve are due to face third-place Inter Milan later Sunday -- the original fixture was postponed because of the coronavirus -- but sources have told ESPN both clubs are waiting for Serie A to officially confirm whether the match will go ahead.

Sunday's matches in Serie A were postponed from last weekend, with Parma vs. SPAL followed by AC Milan against Genoa, Sampdoria vs. Verona and Udinese vs. Fiorentina before Juventus' match with Inter.

- Juventus vs. Inter Milan: Stream live Sunday at 3:45 p.m. on ESPN+ (U.S.)

According to The Associated Press, Italy on Saturday reported its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases since its outbreak began on Feb. 21. The number of infected people rose by 1,247 in the previous 24 hours, taking the total to 5,883. Italy's death toll rose to 233.

Coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, is a new strain of virus that has surged around the globe in recent months. The coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory diseases. Flu is caused by a different virus. There is no vaccine for coronavirus, though researchers are working on one and hope to begin testing soon.

Older people, especially those with chronic illnesses such as heart or lung disease, are most at risk. The coronavirus spreads mainly through coughs and sneezes, though it also can be transferred from surfaces.

The best way to prevent infection is by frequent hand-washing, cleaning surfaces with regular household sprays and wipes, and avoiding close contact with people who are sick.

There is no such thing as a must-win NBA game in March -- but if the Los Angeles Lakers are going to reach their championship goals this season, they are going to have to start beating the LA Clippers.

It's why Sunday's centerpiece game at Staples Center (3:30 p.m. ET on ABC) -- officially a Clippers home game, but the Lakers have had few true road games anywhere -- is one of the more compelling left on the regular-season schedule. The cotenants play again April 9 in a rescheduled game, but it's the third night of a rare back-to-back-to-back for the Lakers, so don't count on that being representative.

With that in mind, it's important to note that the Clippers have been compiling victories of one kind or another against the Lakers since July. The list includes: Kawhi Leonard choosing the Clippers in free agency; a 112-102 win on opening night without Paul George, as Leonard scored 30 points and outplayed both LeBron James and Anthony Davis; and the Clippers collecting a 111-106 win on Christmas when George did play. Leonard scored 35 points on that outing, again outplaying James and Davis.

At the February trade deadline, the Clippers acquired Marcus Morris when both L.A. teams presented offers to the New York Knicks. That was quickly followed by Reggie Jackson securing a buyout from the Detroit Pistons. Both L.A. teams were again in competition for Jackson's services, and the Clippers were again the winners.

These victories don't earn the Clippers anything on the actual scoreboard on Sunday. They don't carry over to a potential hallway playoff series in May.

"One win doesn't mean an L.A. championship," Leonard said on Christmas. "Both teams got their eyes on the biggest prize."

But to say it doesn't matter isn't accurate either.

MORE: LeBron's different approach to this season

For example, there is a story that has gained some notoriety in league circles. Late in the evening on July 5, when Clippers lead agitator Patrick Beverley learned at Las Vegas Summer League that his team had landed Leonard and George, he went to a private dining room where James was eating. To gloat.

"It's pretty much over for you guys now," Beverley said to James, retelling the story on The Woj Pod last month. "I had fun with it. And I really meant it from the bottom of my heart."

Leonard and George don't do that type of trash talking, but there is no mistaking the edge developing. It grew a little more salty when the Clippers overcame a 15-point Lakers lead on Christmas to take the latest meeting, punctuated by Beverley's late-game steal when he stripped the ball from James and secured the win.

There have been far more intense rivalries in James' long career -- he has said that they're developed in the playoffs. And the Clippers and Lakers have never met in the postseason. As a member of the Miami Heat, James played Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs twice in the Finals, splitting the outcomes. He played and beat George's Indiana Pacers three times. These days, James has had more intense standoffs with members of his own roster -- namely Rajon Rondo with the Boston Celtics and Dwight Howard with the Orlando Magic.

There's a healthy respect for the Clippers' stars, but not much vinegar.

So while this is more of a projected rivalry than an actual one, spend time in the locker room of either team and there's no mistake in the desire to win these games. Christmas Day had a huge buildup. And the tightness and intensity displayed in the game told the tale. Both rosters are stocked with veterans who know there's a strong chance the West's NBA Finals representative will be decided by this matchup.

Or, as James said: "This is what it's going to come down to, I think, at the end of the day."

From the Lakers' viewpoint, on opening night, James and Davis were still working on their chemistry. It showed as James looked to force-feed Davis in the post and it stalled out the offense. Then, on Christmas, James was bothered by a sore groin, and it might have limited his ability to drive. He wasn't his usual attacking self and was unable to deliver relief baskets as the Clippers roared back.

In neither game have the Lakers' two stars showed their best, combining to shoot just 39%. With the assumption that Leonard and George would play close to 40 minutes a game in a potential playoff series, the Lakers need to win the two-star race. Especially because the Clippers have the highest-scoring bench in the NBA and outscore opponents' reserves by an average of 18 points per game.

"We know we stack up against the best in the league no matter who it is -- win, lose or draw," James said. "It's going to be good competition."

From the Clippers' viewpoint, they barely have had a complete roster healthy throughout the season. Their current group at full strength is 10-0 and building major momentum with Beverley and George recovering from midseason injury issues. They will bring a six-game winning streak into Sunday, fresh off a blowout win over the Rockets in Houston on Thursday.

They've also tried possible playoff strategies on the Lakers and found some success -- including playing Leonard at power forward. They're 2-0 and don't think they've given the Lakers their best shot yet.

Perhaps that comes Sunday.

This is all a tale the Lakers will need to reverse. Perhaps they are poised to do so with James in the midst of his best play of the season: He is shooting 56.8% and has boosted his scoring average by four points per game since the All-Star break, as the Lakers have won seven of eight games during that span.

The next few years in the NBA might be defined by who controls Los Angeles, and this promises to be the most interesting chapter yet.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Gary Sanchez is hopeful that he will have no issues to return to full practice after feeling tightness in his lower back, but the New York Yankees All-Star catcher is being cautious as spring training winds down, taking a few days off to rest.

Sanchez, 27, is the latest Yankee to deal with an ailment during spring training, seemingly picking up where the team left off last year, when New York put a major league record 30 players on the injured list. Sanchez was scratched from batting practice Saturday after starting two consecutive games for the first time this spring and didn't participate in full practice Sunday.

"It's been a little tight, a little uncomfortable. After catching those games back-to-back, I just thought it was better for me to take care of it now. This is the right time to take care of anything," Sanchez said Sunday when addressing the problem in his lower back. "You don't want to rush anything, especially in spring training. The idea is to take a couple of days and see how it goes. Hopefully keep progressing."

Outfielder Aaron Judge is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a fractured rib, which has kept him from taking batting practice or playing in any Grapefruit League games. Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton will likely open the season on the injured list while dealing with a calf strain.

Already without starter James Paxton through at least April after the left-hander underwent microscopic lumbar surgery, the Yankees also lost All-Star pitcher Luis Severino to Tommy John surgery.

With less than three weeks before the Yankees start the season against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, the question whether Judge or Stanton will be ready to play on Opening Day is legitimate.

It's unclear when Sanchez will return to spring training action. In discussing the injury, Boone wouldn't commit to a timeline but said he wasn't "too concerned" about it, adding that Sanchez could be available for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The catcher, who is 1-for-17 at the plate this spring, downplayed the discomfort having any effect on his swing. Sanchez also didn't rule out that his lower back tightness could be a result of working on a new one-knee-down stance with new Yankees catching instructor Tanner Swanson.

"I feel good receiving, definitely feel good," Sanchez said. "At the same time, I don't know if [the back soreness] is a result of that. I just don't know. At the end of the day, I just want to be healthy. If I'm healthy, I'm able to make adjustments and get to where I want to be."