Injured slugger Giancarlo Stanton is not in the New York Yankees' starting lineup Thursday for Game 4 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros.

Stanton, sidelined with a strained quad, did a pregame workout and ran the bases Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Manager Aaron Boone said it's the first day the team has seen improvement with Stanton's quad.

Boone said Stanton isn't an option in the outfield but the Yankees feel he's "pretty close" to being an option at designated hitter. Boone said Stanton may play Friday if the trend continues.

The injury-riddled outfielder hasn't played since Game 1 on Oct. 12. He is 3-for-10 with a homer and four walks in four games this postseason.

Aaron Hicks will start in center field and bat third while slumping catcher Gary Sanchez will bat seventh.

Andy Murray eased into the European Open quarter-finals with a straight-sets victory over eighth seed Pablo Cuevas in Antwerp.

Britain's former world number one - now ranked 243rd - beat the Uruguayan 6-4 6-3 in 84 minutes.

It marks only Murray's second ATP Tour-level win in 16 months as he continues his return from hip surgery.

The two-time Wimbledon champion, 32, will play Romania's world number 92 Marius Copil in the last eight.

World number 45 Cuevas, 33, saved seven break points in the first set against Murray before the Scot eventually broke his serve at 5-4 up to take the early advantage.

Murray broke again in the sixth game of the second set before seeing out the match.

"I thought I served quite well for most of the match and, when I was able to get into the baseline rallies, I felt I was hitting the ball quite clean, which is good," said Murray.

"He served very well, which made it difficult for me to get the breaks, but I thought for me it was a good match."

In the other quarter-finals in Antwerp, Swiss fourth seed Stan Wawrinka will play Frenchman Gilles Simon while Italian 18-year-old Jannik Sinner - who shocked Gael Monfils - will take on Frances Tiafoe of the US.

Argentina's Guido Pella will play either Ugo Humbert of France or Belgium's David Goffin.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Team Penske and PIRTEK, a leader in hydraulic and industrial hose replacement, announced a multi-year partnership on Thursday afternoon.

The new agreement will bring PIRTEK’s familiar blue and yellow colors to the NASCAR Cup Series as a primary sponsor with Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Ford Mustang for two races during the 2020 season.

The new agreement builds on the existing relationship between PIRTEK and Team Penske that includes primary sponsorship of the team’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program over the last two seasons.

The PIRTEK colors will adorn the No. 2 for the first time at Dover Int’l Speedway the first weekend in May, along with the final race of the regular season in August at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

“We value the relationship with PIRTEK and the company has been a big part of our team across several of our racing programs,” said team owner Roger Penske. “We are excited to welcome PIRTEK to our NASCAR Cup Series program with Brad (Keselowski) and the No. 2 Ford team next season and we hope to continue to build on the partnership with PIRTEK for the future.”

PIRTEK is the leader in onsite hydraulic and industrial hose-replacement service. There are 90 PIRTEK franchises and a fleet of PIRTEK Mobile Service Vehicles across the country.

Globally, PIRTEK has more than 400 locations and 2,000 Mobile Service Vehicles in 23 countries, all providing 24/7 service with a one-hour onsite ETA.

“Moving into the NASCAR Cup Program is a huge step for the PIRTEK brand in the United States. The opportunity to partner with Team Penske, a world-class organization and an iconic brand in motor sports is significant to our franchise network,” said PIRTEK USA CEO Kim Gubera. “We are especially thrilled to have Brad Keselowski represent us in the No. 2 PIRTEK Ford Mustang, as we appreciate his values on and off the track.”

PIRTEK has been a valued partner in the Penske organization for several years, working with several Penske Corporation businesses, as well as the DJR Team Penske program that competes in the Virgin Australian Supercars Championship.

PIRTEK and Team Penske first announced a NASCAR Xfinity Series partnership in 2018 and the companies have continued building their relationship, with PIRTEK serving as both a primary and associate sponsor for the No. 22 and No. 12 Xfinity Series Fords this season.

With an increased role in the NASCAR Cup Series next season, PIRTEK will continue to expand its marketing and promotional opportunities through the Team Penske NASCAR program, including at-track hospitality and social/digital engagement with the team.

“It’s important for quality companies to build and enhance their involvement with our team and we’re excited to see PIRTEK grow with Team Penske,” said Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion. “PIRTEK has helped build their brand with our team and we have seen their efforts pay off. It will be great to see the company expand to our NASCAR Cup program in 2020.

“That blue and yellow PIRTEK Ford will really stand out on the track and I can’t wait to represent them next year.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR and Rev Racing have identified 10 multicultural and female drivers who will participate in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Combine on Oct. 22-23.

Numerous drivers from around the world applied to the program, but only the 10 finalists will compete for spots to drive with Rev Racing and compete in the NASCAR late model stock, ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Showdown Series in 2020.

Drivers will be put to the test during the two-day event, where evaluators from across the industry will judge each participant on their on-track performance, physical fitness, media and marketing skills.

Many of the drivers will be piloting late model stock cars for the first time during the on-track assessment at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.

“We are thrilled with the caliber of diverse drivers planning to compete in this year’s combine,” said Jusan Hamilton, Director of Racing Operations and Event Management at NASCAR. “The driver selection process for the 2020 class was highly competitive, as we had several talented applicants from across the United States and abroad – and that advanced level of competition boosts our confidence in the ladder system we have in place with our partners at Rev Racing, which will be effective for many years to come.”

Rajah Caruth, Isabella Robusto and Lavar Scott participated in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Combine earlier this year in Concord, N.C., where they were mentored by NASCAR Drive for Diversity team members Chase Cabre, Nicholas Sanchez, Brooke Storer and Gracie Trotter.

“We are excited to see our some of our youth development drivers be selected as participants in this year’s combine,” said Max Siegel, owner of Rev Racing. “We will look to our returning drivers to set the bar high and look forward to the selection of the 2020 Class.”

This year’s participants comprise a diverse group of drivers from the United States and beyond, including three black, three female and four Hispanic drivers. Their ultimate goal is to compete at NASCAR’s highest level, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Much like the other participants, foreign driver Loris Hezemans has already made a name for himself. The Dutch driver won the 2019 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series race at Raceway Venray in the Netherlands and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series 2018 Junior championship.

Veteran NASCAR Drive for Diversity participant Chase Cabre has experienced success with Rev Racing, claiming two races and four poles in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2019.

Program graduates include three drivers now competing in NASCAR’s top Monster Energy series, Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson, who scored a victory at Dover Int’l Speedway to punch his ticket into the Round of 8 in the NASCAR playoffs.

Below is the full roster of participants for the NASCAR Drive 4 Diversity Combine:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It isn’t like he planned it, but Bill Auberlen couldn’t have come up with a more dramatic way to launch his way atop the IMSA record book.

Auberlen scored career victory No. 60 Saturday night to tie Scott Pruett for the most in IMSA history. Driving the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 for the final stint of the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Auberlen was running second in GT Daytona and hounding class leader Felipe Fraga in the No. 33 Riley Motorsports-Team AMG Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Precious time was ticking away in the final minutes of the 10-hour endurance race to close the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, but Auberlen couldn’t get past Fraga. Suddenly, on the final lap, the No. 33 went off course as it ran out of fuel. Auberlen roared past and into the lead.

Shortly after, the charismatic Californian who was celebrating his 51st birthday took the checkered flag to move into the tie for most career wins. And the man who got there first couldn’t be any happier.

“Records are meant to be broken and that’s what everybody strives for,” said Pruett, who retired last year after 50 years in racing dating to his karting days. “That’s what I strived for, that’s what he’s striving for, and the guys below him. It’s exciting. When you can be in rare air like we are, with that many wins … it’s exciting.

“I wish him all the best,” Pruett added, “because he’s going to set the mark even higher for the next guy to go after.”

Auberlen’s illustrious IMSA career began in 1987. Along the way, he has captured championships in GTS-3, World Challenge TC and GT classes, along with a pair of wins in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. His victory Saturday marked his fourth in the Motul Petit Le Mans.

“I’ve won this race four times now and it only gets better and better,” he said. “This is (track founder) Don Panoz’s legacy here. To see where it’s gone to and how the fans love this place, it’s unbelievable.

“To do it on your birthday when you’re 51 … you keep fighting as hard as you can and if you can still do it, it’s great fun. I’m so glad BMW still sees I can get it done. And to tie 60 wins with Scott Pruett, it just shows how great of a career BMW has allowed me to have, winning in these BMWs day in and day out. Now to be tied with the most wins in America, basically.”

He’s far from finished, but Auberlen took a minute after the win with co-drivers Robby Foley and Dillon Machavern to reflect on the legacy that he’s already built.

“When you look back and you get to see how many unique wins there have been, and when I look at my trophy case and I get to add this to it, and I look back, all it is a bunch of great memories that I’ll never forget like when I team up with these guys and all the fun we have. And all the joy it brings from the camaraderie.

“Every single weekend you go to battle with a group of guys who would die for you and you would die for them, basically. You come with everything you have, and to get to do that with BMW for 23 years now, its’ been a great road that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Stewart-Haas Racing has extended its relationship with Clint Bowyer, keeping the 10-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner in the team’s No. 14 Ford Mustang for 2020.

The 2020 season will mark Bowyer’s fourth year with SHR and his 15th in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 40-year-old from Emporia, Kansas, took over the No. 14 Ford in 2017 following the retirement of three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2020 NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart.

Bowyer recently made his 500th career NASCAR Cup Series start last Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and he is in the NASCAR Playoffs for the second straight year.

“Clint Bowyer is a racer to his core who brings passion and energy to our race team,” said Stewart, who co-owns SHR with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. “He’s exactly who I wanted to drive my No. 14 car and we’re very happy to have him continue with Stewart-Haas Racing.”

Bowyer’s renewal with SHR comes at an appropriate time. He is a proud member of the Sunflower State and it’s where the NASCAR Cup Series races this weekend with the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

“I’m proud to be back with Stewart-Haas Racing next year and very happy to announce it the week leading into my home race,” Bowyer said. “This is a team filled with racers who love to compete, and as a race car driver, it’s exactly where you want to be. It’s great equipment, I have great teammates, and we’re all backed by great people, which starts at the top with Tony and Gene (Haas, co-owner). They know how to build some fast Ford Mustangs and I’m the lucky guy who gets to drive ‘em.”

Bowyer has seven top-five and 15 top-10 finishes so far this season and is currently 11th in the playoff standings. In his last NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas in May, Bowyer qualified second and finished fifth.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Valentin Zykov has been suspended for 20 games without pay for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

"I've been informed that I am being suspended," Zykov said in a statement through the NHLPA. "While I haven't been able to discover how I tested positive, I understand that I am responsible for what is in my body and will accept this penalty. I want to apologize to my family, my teammates, and the Golden Knights organization and fans. I will work hard during my suspension to ensure that I put myself in the best possible position to contribute to my team when my suspension is over."

Zykov, 24, has appeared in seven games for Vegas this season, tallying two assists and averaging 11 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time. He appeared in 28 games last season with Vegas, the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers. Overall, the St. Petersburg, Russia, native has appeared in 47 NHL games since debuting with the Hurricanes in the 2016-17 season.

Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the suspension is accompanied by mandatory referral to the NHL/NHLPA program for substance abuse and behavioral health for evaluation and possible treatment.

Zykov is just the sixth NHL player suspended for PEDs since the current CBA was ratified in 2013.

"We monitor the nutrition, supplement intake, and overall diet of our athletes on a continual basis throughout our entire season," the Golden Knights said in a statement. "Valentin knowingly used a banned substance without the consent, recommendation or knowledge of our team. We support the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program and respect the decision here."

This is the second performance-enhancing substance suspension for the Golden Knights in the past two seasons. Defenseman Nate Schmidt was banned 20 games last September for violating the policy. Both Schmidt and the team strongly disagreed with the suspension, and sources told ESPN that it was suspected that the positive test was a result of consuming tainted meat.

Schmidt said last month that he was working with the NHLPA and NHL to get the testing standards changed.

"At the end of the day, I know I didn't do it," Schmidt said. "That's what gets me over the hump: that I can look in the mirror and know I didn't do it."

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares will miss at least two weeks because of a broken finger.

The Maples Leafs announced the news Thursday, one day after Tavares suffered the injury in a 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Tavares will be re-examined in two weeks, according to the team, meaning he would likely miss Toronto's next six games.

Tavares, 29, has three goals and four assists in eight games this season, his second with the Maple Leafs.