January 25: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Renegades in Sydney

Our XI: Aaron Finch, Moises Henriques, Steven Smith, Beau Webster, Mohammad Nabi, James Vince, Josh Philippe, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Boyce, Tom Curran, Kane Richardson

NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates.

Captain: Steven Smith

Smith comes in on the back of big runs in the ODI series n India, and based on evidence from Sixers' last match, will probably bat at No. 3. That's always useful, and in Sydney, you can count on him to be among the runs.

Vice-captain: Mohammad Nabi

Nabi could be a decent shout for captain too. He's been in good form after being brought into the squad, both with bat and ball, and will play a central role in both halves of the match. Finch is back as captain and that's a tactical boost for the Renegades in regard to how they can use Nabi.

Hot picks

James Vince

Vince is another offbeat shout for captain or vice-captain. He made an unbeaten 41 at No. 3 and then a 51 opening in the last match. One of the batsmen in form for the Sixers, and superb value as a top-order batsman on a pitch that isn't easy to gauge.

Tom Curran

Curran is in a furious race with the Sydney Thunder's Daniel Sams and the Adelaide Strikers' Rashid Khan to be the highest wicket-taker of the season. With 19 wickets, he came one wicket off Sams' 20 for the season after his last game. He has wickets in each of his last five innings, with two two-fors and a four-for.

Aaron Finch

Finch looked his brutal best in the ODI series against India and is coming back to a Renegades side that is now out of the race for the playoffs. There isn't too much pressure on him or his team, and in this form, a free-flowing Finch can be valuable.

Value picks

Josh Philippe: The Renegades will miss out on Sam Harper's services after he suffered a concussion, and have replaced him with rookie Brayden Stepien. Josh Philippe is therefore the primary wicketkeeping option in this fixture and brings both value and form - he made an unbeaten 52 opening the innings with Vince during the Sixers' win last match.

Beau Webster: Webster continues to be the Renegades' best batsman of the season (404 runs at 50.50, strike rate 137.88) and among the top run-getters overall. In his last outing, he got a fifty, and before that a 36. He rolled his arm over too against the Hobart Hurricanes, but the runs and his form alone are enough value.

Point to note

Keep a close eye on the Strikers' match on Thursday. Should they lose, the Sixers will have the opportunity to finish on 19 points and seal second place on Friday, which gives them an extra shot at the finals.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle will be making his Super Bowl debut on Feb. 2 and, in addition to his large entourage of friends and family, he'll be bringing a couple of special guests along with him.

In conjunction with the USAA and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Kittle has awarded the surviving family of Martin "Mick" LaMar with a trip to Super Bowl LIV in Miami, where the Niners will play the Kansas City Chiefs.

"The work I do with the USAA and the TAPS organization is something I really have kind of fallen in love with," Kittle said. "I have a lot of family in the military so it's something that I just respect and the sacrifice that they give is the ultimate sacrifice. So, if I can ever give back and make a family's day or just make them smile a little bit then I've just done a little part in their lives."

Mick LaMar was a former Army Sergeant, who was shot and killed while on his second tour of duty in Mosul, Iraq on Jan. 15, 2011. He died on his wedding anniversary and was survived by wife Josephine (Josie) and her five children. LaMar had previously served in the United States Marine Corps out of high school and was deployed in the first Gulf War. He reenlisted with the Army in 2007.

With an assist from Kittle, Josie and 16-year old son Nicolas, both of whom are big 49ers fans, will be headed to Miami for the Super Bowl. Josie became a fan through her husband and passed that down to Nicolas, who was 7 when Mick died. Kittle was scheduled to meet with Josie and Nicolas on Friday, something he said was looking forward to.

The USAA is teaming up with other players to offer a similar experience for fans from other parts of the country.

"As I hit the field to play in the Super Bowl, I find comfort in the fact that 49ers fans Josie and Nicolas LaMar will be cheering our team on," Kittle said in a statement. "It's a special privilege to be able to team up with USAA and TAPS to award a trip to the Super Bowl to Sergeant LaMar's family in recognition of his military service and paying the ultimate sacrifice in service of our country."

PHILADELPHIA -- All-Star center Joel Embiid, who practiced Friday for the first time since undergoing surgery on his finger, said he hopes to return to the court for the Philadelphia 76ers next week.

"Just trying to get back into it and make the progress that's necessary," Embiid said after a lengthy post-practice workout Friday afternoon. "But I feel good. ... I think my finger feels good."

Embiid had surgery on Jan. 10 to repair the torn radial collateral ligament in his left ring finger. He said he's "not too concerned" about the All-Star Game, when asked if he thinks he'll be back for the league's annual showcase on Feb. 16 in Chicago.

"Right now we are sixth in the East," Embiid said. "Next week, I'm hoping to play."

The Sixers have gone 5-3 since Embiid suffered the injury on Jan. 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Philadelphia is also without Josh Richardson, who will be reevaluated in two weeks for a hamstring strain suffered in Wednesday's loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Embiid fully participated in Friday's practice -- including taking contact -- while wearing a protective sheath over his left ring and middle fingers.

"A lot," Sixers coach Brett Brown said, when asked how much Embiid's presence changes the energy around the team. "Say no more. He just comes in with a spirit. He was just named for the third straight year as a starter to the All-Star team. He's obviously highly gifted and highly important to what we do. To get him into the group and have him be around is significant."

The Sixers said Embiid's status would be reevaluated Monday, which means he will miss Saturday's showdown with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) but could be back against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

More importantly, Embiid seems to be tracking to play Feb. 1 against the Boston Celtics. That is the second stop on a four-game trip that also includes games against the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee has the Eastern Conference's best record; Miami is second and Boston is fourth.

Embiid said he would have to continue to keep wearing the protective device on his hand when he returns.

"Still getting used to it," Embiid said of playing again post-surgery. "From time to time, you get slapped on the hand, so going through practice and going through those scenarios and seeing how it goes and also getting back into it.

"I had a little time off where I couldn't do anything with the surgery, so probably a little bit winded, and have to get my conditioning back."

Embiid said he has been working out on a bike and an elliptical to try to keep his conditioning up, and he said he's going to continue working out twice a day until he's able to fully return to the court.

In the meantime, he has been encouraged by what he's seen from the Sixers without him, as both Richardson and Ben Simmons have taken home the East's Player of the Week honors.

"It sucks [not to play], but we've been doing a pretty good job," Embiid said. "Obviously last game [in Toronto] was a pretty tough one and we have a tough one coming up [vs. the Lakers], so hopefully we're able to get that one. ... They've been doing a good job."

Embiid said he was honored to be selected to his third straight All-Star Game, but he was more excited about the chance to play alongside Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, who also was named a starter Thursday. It will be Siakam's first All-Star appearance.

"It was great," Embiid said. "I was happy. I was excited, but I was more excited for Pascal. Two guys from Cameroon. We barely started playing basketball eight, nine years ago, so to see us, especially as starters, it means a lot. I think it means a lot. I'm proud to be from Cameroon, and from Africa, and to be representing."

PARIS -- Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds and the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks beat the Charlotte Hornets 116-103 on Friday night in the first NBA regular-season game in France.

Milwaukee improved to 40-6 with its eighth straight victory. The Bucks have the best 46-game start in franchise history. They were 39-7 in 1970-71 when they went on to win the NBA championship.

"The focus and the purpose of this team has been very good," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "We feel like there's a lot of work to be done, a lot of things to improve."

Eric Bledsoe added 20 points and five assists for the Bucks, who looked rusty in the first two quarters.

"I only practiced once before the game. It's kind of hard to get into a rhythm. We weren't moving the ball as much," said Antetokounmpo, who had his fourth triple-double of the season on Monday against the Chicago Bulls. "Hopefully, we can learn from the game. Close to the third quarter the bench came back in and did a great job. In the fourth quarter we were able to close out the game."

Malik Monk led Charlotte with 31 points.

"I thought Malik was fantastic, made plays for us. He's an incredible athlete," Hornets coach James Borrego said. "The challenge now is to do it on a night-to-night basis."

The Hornets have lost eight in a row -- the longest for the Hornets since dropping 10 straight in the 2014-15 season.

Milwaukee rallied to tie it at 78 going into the fourth quarter. Pat Connaughton put the Bucks in front with a dunk in the fourth. Then Antetokounmpo got going, drawing a foul as he slalomed through the defense.

"Our guys competed hard, put us in a position to win the game against the best team in the NBA," Borrego said. "The start of the fourth starts with a turnover and that set the tone for the rest of the quarter. It spiraled from there."

Budenholzer, meanwhile, improved to 100-28 in regular-season games with the Bucks.

There was a reason why this win was such a grind for long periods.

"I thought Charlotte was great tonight," Budenholzer said. "Their defense was great."

There was, naturally, a French feel to the night.

Former San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker was given a huge ovation by the crowd when he was presented to fans before the game. So was Ronny Turiaf, an NBA champion with the Miami Heat in 2012.

Nicolas Batum, who scored five points for the Hornets, raised his hand to the crowd chanting his name at the end.

Paris Saint-Germain soccer stars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe -- the world's two most expensive players -- were cheering on the Bucks all night.

For Antetokounmpo, who is a big fan of PSG and was a guest at the Parc des Princes stadium this week, it was a strange feeling.

"It's insane. The crazy part is that we're really big fans of them and they're big fans of the team. You never expect them to know who we are and what we do, and be fans of the Bucks," he said. "But it was amazing they came to the game. They came to the locker room afterwards, we exchanged jerseys, took pictures with them."

TIP-INS

Bucks: This was Milwaukee's second time playing a regular-season game outside of North America. The Bucks beat New York in London on Jan. 15, 2015. ... Antetokounmpo, who will captain one of the teams at the Feb. 16 All-Star Game in Chicago because he was the leading Eastern Conference vote-getter, is set to become the first player in Bucks history to start four consecutive All-Star Games.

Hornets: When the NBA picked the Hornets to play in the game back on March 28, Charlotte had longtime French star Tony Parker and All-Star guard Kemba Walker on the roster. That was before Parker retired and Walker signed with Boston in free agency.

UP NEXT

Bucks: Host Washington on Tuesday night.

Hornets: Host New York on Tuesday night.More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

MIAMI -- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra responded swiftly to swingman Jimmy Butler not being selected as a starter for next month's All Star game in Chicago, calling his omission "a joke" and adding that he's hopeful it will help change the voting process.

"I just think it's ridiculous that we're still in these antiquated positions," Spoelstra said before Friday's game against the LA Clippers. "So who's to say what position Jimmy is? Does it matter? I put him number two on my [lineup] card. So I go Kendrick Nunn, Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson, I go Bam [Adebayo] and then Meyers [Leonard]. But you could flip any one of those guys around. And in many ways he's our point guard. So should he be in the All-Star Game as a point guard? I don't know.

"These are such antiquated labels that I feel like we've moved on from that years ago when we started talking about positionless [players]. But either way, regardless of how you want to label it or discuss it, Jimmy Butler should be a starter in this All-Star Game. It's a joke that he's not. Hopefully this will change things in the future."

Butler, who signed with the Heat last summer as a free agent, is averaging 20.3 points, 7 rebounds and 6.5 assists a game this season and has led the team to a surprising 31-13 record heading into Friday's game. Listed as a frontcourt player, Butler finished fourth in the Eastern Conference behind Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and Toronto's Pascal Siakam.

The All-Star voting process consists of 50 percent of the vote coming from fans, 25 percent coming from a media panel and 25 percent from players. Butler finished fourth in the fan vote, third in the media vote and sixth in the player vote.

"I didn't even know it until I got here this morning," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said of Butler's snub. "Yeah I'm surprised by that, especially when you look at their record."

Rivers echoed Spoelstra's sentiments regarding the need for reform in the voting process.

"I swear I said that so long ago, and it's so true," he said of the league still using position designations for players. "I guess I called [Ivica Zubac] a center, but other than that there is no positions, and that's the way the game should be played anyway, in my opinion. Fours, threes, twos, ones, and just call them players. I don't call them guards or forwards anymore. We just put them in spots. And the more guys that you can get to do multiple things, the better your team is. I think that's where the skill has gone in this league, and I think that's a good sign for the league."

When given clarification about how the voting process is structured, Rivers drew chuckles from the assembled media when reminded that players got 25 percent of the vote.

"Well that should stop," Rivers said. "I'm just going to say that upfront. The media, I'll give you more credit -- but some of the [players], oh boy ... Guys vote for their friends, they vote personal, too, would be my guess. I'm glad I didn't vote. Michael [Jordan], none of them would have made the All-Star team."

Despite his anguish about Butler's results, Spoelstra was pleased that players voted Heat forward Bam Adebayo fourth in their portion of the voting.

"Bam has a great sign of respect, it may be the ultimate respect," Spoelstra said. "That the players had him as a starter. I think that is cool. That matters. And he better be in by the coaches' vote, with the year that he's having. And I think coaches -- I think the fact that coaches can respect and acknowledge a style of play, I really think that they'll respect and acknowledge the type of impact and year that Bam Adebayo is having. That's an All Star year by any measure; and Jimmy should be a starter in this thing."

As a longtime admirer of Butler's game, Rivers isn't surprised how quickly Butler has transitioned into becoming the Heat's best players.

"It just seems like Marquette players adapt well down here," Rivers said. "That would be my answer. You've had the second-best player at Marquette [in Dwyane Wade] and the third-best player at Marquette down here [in Butler]. I'm number one."

CHICAGO -- After six consecutive losses, Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton decided to mix things up in Chicago.

Walton decided to start Bogdan Bogdanovic at guard over Buddy Hield on Friday against the Bulls -- but not as a form of punishment.

"It's the same message I've given all year. That we've had however many different starting lineups all season long and it doesn't matter," Walton said before Friday's game. "We're a team and we're struggling to win games right now so we're looking to see if different groups give us a better chance of doing that so there's nothing permanent with it.

Hield, who signed a 4-year, $94 million extension in October, is averaging 20 points in 34.4 minutes per game but is struggling with his shot. A career 40.5% 3-point shooter, Hield is down to just 36% from 3 and 41.6% from the field. Before Friday, he started every game for the Kings since last season.

"It's not a punishment to Buddy at all," said Walton, who is 15-29 in his first season as the Kings coach. "Buddy's been great and we expect for him to great for us again tonight."

Since Dec. 17, Sacramento's 3-15 record is the worst in the league and Walton hopes to find answers in getting Bogdanovic more minutes. The third-year guard is averaging 14.5 points with 3.5 assists in 28 minutes this season.

"It's not a permanent thing," Walton said of the lineup change. "We'll see how this goes and move forward from this. It's about the team being ready to play and not being caught up in who's in the starting lineup or not."

The Golden State Warriors are finalizing a deal to trade center Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks for a 2020 second-round draft pick, NBA sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Cauley-Stein, 26, provides the Mavericks with a backup big man to replace Dwight Powell, who suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon on Tuesday.

Dallas is sending the Utah Jazz's 2020 second-round pick to the Warriors in the deal, sources said.

After spending his first four seasons with the Kings, Cauley-Stein signed with the Warriors this offseason on a two-year deal. He's set to make $2.17 million this year and $2.28 million next year, although he has a player option in that second year.

In a separate deal, the Mavericks traded Isaiah Roby and cash to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Justin Patton. The Mavericks waived Patton to open up the roster spot for Cauley-Stein, a source told ESPN's Bobby Marks, and are using the $11.7 million trade exception created from the Harrison Barnes trade last February to acquire Cauley-Stein.

The trade drops Golden State to $2.57 million below the hard cap and saves the Warriors $5.66 million toward the luxury tax.

The 7-foot Cauley-Stein, who missed all of training camp and the preseason games because of a left foot injury, is averaging 7.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and a team-leading 1.2 blocks in 41 games with 37 starts for the Warriors.

About a week after some of his former Houston Astros teammates were mum on the subject of illegal sign stealing, Chicago White Sox pitcher Dallas Keuchel was both apologetic and surprised at the attention surrounding the biggest scandal to hit baseball since the steroid era.

"I think first and foremost, apologies should be in order ... for everyone on the team," Keuchel said Friday, becoming the first member of the 2017 squad that won the World Series to publicly apologize. "When the stuff was going on, it was never intended to be what it's made to be right now."

Keuchel pitched for the Astros from 2012 through 2018 before signing with Atlanta last season and then the White Sox last month. Earlier this offseason, the 2017 Astros team was found guilty of illegally stealing signs from opposing teams using electronic technology. It led to the suspension and subsequent firing of Houston manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow.

"When stuff comes out over the course of a big league ball season, it's always blown up to the point of, 'Oh my gosh, this has never happened before,'" Keuchel said at the first day of the White Sox's winter fan fest. "I'm not going to go into specific details, but during the course of the playoffs in 2017, everyone was using multiple signs. For factual purposes, when there is no one on base, when in the history of baseball has there been multiple signs?

"There was probably six out of eight teams using multiple signs. It's just what the state of baseball was at that point and time. Was it against the rules? Yes, it was, and I personally am sorry for what has come about, the whole situation."

The scheme came to light when former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers went public with details in The Athletic. While many observers suspected teams were stealing signs to gain an advantage for their hitters, no one knew the extent of the technology being used.

"A lot of guys are not happy with the fact that Mike came out and said something, or the fact that this even happened," Keuchel said. "At the same time, there is some sorrow in guys' voices. ... This will be going on for a long time, but I'm sure in the back of guys' minds, this is still fresh.

"I don't think anyone is going to come out from other teams. They see what happens now."

Keuchel indicated the Astros didn't always have their opponents' signs.

"I could tell you, not every game there was signs being stolen," he said. "Sometimes, we did, as a group, have signs, but we still couldn't hit the pitcher. Not like every game we had everything going on.

"So at that point that's when the whole system, it really works, a little bit, but at the same time, there was a human element where some guys were better than our hitters."

The scandal also took down the managers of the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, as Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran, respectively, were both part of the illegal activities when they were with the Astros in 2017. Cora reportedly set up the Astros' sign-stealing system.

"It just happened to come out with the Astros," Keuchel said. "Did pitchers benefit from any of that? Not really. At the same time we may have had a few runs more, per game.

"I never thought anything would have come like it did. I, myself am sorry."

Asked about Fiers, Keuchel called it a "tough subject" because of baseball's tight-knit community in the locker room.

"It sucks to the extent of the clubhouse rule was broken and that's where I'll go with that," Keuchel said. "I don't really have much else to say about Mike."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

NEW YORK -- Luis Rojas never expected to be the man behind the microphone.

Eleven days earlier, he was preparing for his second spring training as the Mets' relatively anonymous quality control coach. Now he is a major league manager, just like his dad, tasked with lifting New York's perennial No. 2 team to its first World Series title since 1986.

"I will lead this team into success," he promised.

Carlos Beltran's news conference at Citi Field on Nov. 4 was a coronation, held in the spacious Foxwoods Club high above the diamond. Beltran's tenure lasted just 84 days, cut short by his role in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal. Rojas' introduction in the more Spartan news conference room near the clubhouse felt like the hastily arranged handover it was.

Rojas' mother, Lucie, sat in the front row.

"Thank you for raising us right, for teaching us what was right and wrong since early," he told her, repeating his words in Spanish.

Then he turned his attention to Felipe Alou, his 84-year-old father, who was not in attendance. Dad was a three-time All-Star who managed Montreal for 10 seasons and San Francisco for four. Rojas grew up in big league clubhouses.

"I want to thank my father, who taught me the game of baseball, who taught me the game of baseball and life and helped me balance step throughout this journey," Rojas said. "He was my example to follow the whole time, still will be. ... My father's been my college, my university of baseball."

Uncle Matty was a two-time All-Star and Uncle Jesus played in the big leagues for 15 seasons. Rojas also praised his brother, six-time All-Star Moises Alou, who was not on hand.

"You were very impactful in my career," he said. "Our discussions led to great ideas."

Lucie said baseball always has been 100% of the family discussion.

"I'm full of joy right now," she said through a translator.

General manager Brodie Van Wagenen introduced Rojas by framing the huge expectations of a team led by two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and slugger Pete Alonso.

"We have a collection of major league players that are talented and built to win right now," Van Wagenen said.

Rojas put on his new uniform No. 19 -- dad wore 17 with the Expos and Moises 18. Sequence was not the decisive factor.

"It's my birthday," he said, referring to the international style of 1/9 for Sept. 1 rather than the American convention of 9/1.

He was born Luis Rojas Alou, and he went by Alou -- the surname of his paternal grandmother -- when he started in Baltimore in 2000. At some point while he was with Florida (2001-02) or Montreal/Washington (2003-05), he was asked to change his name to Rojas as part of Major League Baseball's push to conform names with birth certificates.

During his time with the Expos/Nationals, he got to know Ismael Cruz, the director of international scouting and development. Cruz asked him to manage in the Dominican Summer League in 2006.

"He came from the bottom up, the lowest player development position. I remember he used to help me out with the workouts, working out kids before they signed," said Cruz, now the Los Angeles Dodgers' vice president of international scouting. "Well-educated kid, came from a good family. One of those kids that you give a chance."

After Expos general manager Omar Minaya left for the same job with the Mets, Cruz followed as New York's international scouting director starting in 2006. He hired Rojas to coach for the Dominican Summer League Mets for 2007.

Adam Wogan, who also left Washington and became the Mets' director of minor league operations in 2006, started Rojas' advancement through the minors: coaching in the Gulf Coast League in 2008 and '09 and at Class A Savannah in 2010. Promoted to manager, Rojas led the Gulf Coast Mets in 2011, Savannah from 2012 to '14, Class A St. Lucie from 2015 to '16 and Double-A Binghamton from 2017 to '18, before joining the major league coaching staff last season.

Rojas also managed in the Dominican Winter League in 2015-2016 and led his native Dominican Republic in Olympic qualifying last November.

"This guy comes from one of the greatest baseball families in the world," said Wogan, now a professional scout for the Chicago Cubs. "At times that entry-level coaching job is a grind and a challenge. And he was perfect for it in so many ways. Whatever was asked of him, he dominated it. He did a great job of working with players in any capacity and being a sounding board for them, but also being a very good instructor."

Minaya, now special assistant to Van Wagenen, recalled Rojas "just had his quiet presence about him."

"My first impression of him was a guy that had potential for growth in whatever he decided to do," Minaya said. "There was knowledge there -- and the fact that he had history, he came from a family of baseball royalty."

Now 38, Rojas interviewed for the Mets manager job last October after Mickey Callaway was fired. Van Wagenen said Rojas "stepped up" in helping hire coaches for Beltran, who has never managed at any level.

"The equity that he built, not only with the players but the organization and the coaches, was significant in terms of ultimately choosing him," Van Wagenen said. "The players understand his voice. They know when he says something that it has purpose. He doesn't waste a whole lot of words."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Already a World Series MVP, six-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove catcher, Salvador Perez became something else when he stepped onto the main stage at the Kansas City Royals' annual FanFest: a U.S. citizen.

Perez took his oath of citizenship on Friday, the completion of a five-year process that he described as long and difficult, but well worth it.

"I would rather be in the World Series, bases loaded, two outs, 3-2, hitting than go through that again," he said. "I was shaking and my eyes were super big. But it was fun."

"Becoming a U.S. citizen is great," said Perez, who was born and raised in Venezuela.

Perez missed all of 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery during spring training. He's healthy and hopes to regain his old form, which includes 162-game averages of 24 home runs, 87 RBIs and a .266 average.

"My elbow is great," he said, noting that he lost 22 pounds this offseason. "If everything goes well, I'll be in the lineup on opening day."

The Royals will see if the 29-year-old Perez can approach those numbers this season. Either way, getting their team leader back behind the plate will be key for the club.

"Those offensive numbers you'd want in any lineup," new manager Mike Matheny said. "The presence behind the plate, you'd want in any lineup. The leadership in that clubhouse is priceless. There isn't a team in baseball that wouldn't want that combination."

"I think that guy just brings those intangible qualities that's infectious all through the ballpark. I always had great admiration watching him play that position with a smile. I never figured that out. This guy does it so naturally," he said.

Perez and outfielder Alex Gordon are the two position players who were regular parts of the Royals' 2015 championship and are still with the club. Shortstop Adalberto Mondesi made his major league debut in that World Series, but he bounced back and forth from the minors until last season.

Gordon re-signed on a one-year deal this week. He contemplated retirement, saying he would play only for the Royals.

"I'm very excited to be back where I belong, where I spent my whole career," said Gordon, who turns 36 next month. "This means a lot to me. I just have that fire still to play and I felt like I could still contribute to this team. I left the season knowing I was going to play again."

Matheny is as encouraged about Gordon's return.

"I think this is one of the best stories in baseball this year," Matheny said. "You have a guy decide to stick around. I would love to help create an atmosphere where people can't wait to play here and then refuse to leave."

Gordon's production had declined since the 2015 season before he rebounded in 2019. It caused him to think deeply about coming back.

Matheny also has renewed passion after being out of the dugout in 2019. He managed the St. Louis Cardinals from 2012 through midseason in 2018 before being fired with a 47-46 record. He never had a losing season and led the Cardinals to the postseason in his first four years.

He spent the time between then and being named Royals manager last October learning about the Kansas City organization and about himself, including taking a course in baseball analytics.

"I want be up to speed with technology, and I made some friendships, including one with Ari Kaplan, who ran the course. I asked him to evaluate me as a manager," Matheny said. "That's something I've never had done before. I needed someone to take that 30,000-foot evaluation. Help me see my blind spots. I just don't want to be a victim of what I don't know."