CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera says there's "no doubt in my mind'' quarterback Cam Newton will be ready for the Sept. 8 opener against the Los Angeles Rams.

Newton suffered a sprained left foot in last Thursday's preseason game against the New England Patriots. X-rays came back negative and team officials have been "cautiously optimistic" that the 2015 NFL MVP would play in the opener.

Rivera on Tuesday was adamant Newton would be ready.

"No, there's no doubt in my mind,'' Rivera said while hosting an NFL Boot Camp as part of a USAA Salute to Service event. "Everything he's been doing, everything he's done, he's done exactly what he's needed to. We're at the point now where it's just a matter of time before we start our official prep for the Rams that he's back on the field.''

Newton was on the practice field for the second straight day, stretching and warming up with teammates. He threw on the side with trainer Ryan Vermillion, as he did on Monday, and put a little more stress on the foot in his throwing motion than he had.

He was again not wearing a walking boot, as he had been immediately after suffering the injury and the following day.

"He's made good strides," Rivera said. "We're pretty excited about him.''

Neither Newton nor any of the starters will play in Thursday night's preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After final cuts are made on Saturday, the team will begin preparing for the opener at Bank of America Stadium.

Tua Tagovailoa's game-winning touchdown pass in the 2017 national title game might be the biggest play in college football history. But in Atlanta and elsewhere that night, something else was happening: The wheels of the quarterback transfer market started spinning.

Tagovailoa's emergence started the clock on Jalen Hurts' transfer, while also serving notice to Clemson's Dabo Swinney that he needed a higher-ceiling QB to compete with the Tide. On the other side, Jake Fromm solidified his spot as Georgia's signal-caller of the future, opening the door for Jacob Eason and Justin Fields to move on. Here's where each player was and how that one performance, culminating with that one touchdown pass, set off a chain reaction still unfolding to this day.

Jalen Hurts

Then: Alabama
Now: Oklahoma

Jan. 8, 2018: With Alabama trailing 13-0 at halftime against Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship, Hurts is benched in favor of Tagovailoa. Hurts then watches from the sideline as Tagovailoa leads the comeback, ending in overtime with the winning touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith.

Later that night: Rather than sulking over his benching, Hurts is all smiles as reporters crowd around his locker after the game. He praises Tagovailoa's ability to lead the come-from-behind victory. "He was built for this," Hurts says.

Aug. 4, 2018: After an offseason of rampant speculation over who will start at quarterback and whether the loser will transfer, Alabama finally opens preseason camp. Inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, Hurts speaks with reporters for the first time since the title game and immediately sets the tone, expressing frustration with the media as well as the coaching staff's handling of the situation.

Sept. 1, 2018: Tagovailoa gets the starting nod in the season opener against Louisville, in which he accounts for three touchdowns in the 51-14 victory. Hurts plays sparingly. Less than 48 hours later, Saban names Tagovailoa the starter for the season.

Sept. 29, 2018: After much speculation about whether he would play only four games and take a redshirt season in order to preserve an extra year of eligibility, Hurts chooses to remain the backup and plays against Louisiana.

Dec. 1, 2018: Tagovailoa rolls his ankle and struggles against Georgia in the SEC title game. Hurts, who hasn't played much meaningful football all season, enters with roughly 11 minutes remaining and orchestrates a come-from-behind win, clinching a spot in the playoff. "It kind of feels like I'm breaking my silence," Hurts says afterward.

Jan. 9, 2019: Two days after Alabama's loss against Clemson in the national title game, Hurts officially enters his name into the transfer portal. Dozens of FBS programs reach out within hours, hoping to lure the former SEC Offensive Player of the Year away from the Crimson Tide.

Jan. 11, 2019: Hurts visits Maryland and is spotted at the basketball game against Indiana alongside new Maryland coach and former Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley. The student section chants, "We want Jalen!"

Jan. 12-13, 2019: Hurts' final two visits are to Oklahoma and Miami, where his former QB coach Dan Enos recently took the job as the Hurricanes' offensive coordinator.

Jan. 16, 2019: In a first-person essay on The Players' Tribune -- titled "To My Alabama Family" -- Hurts announces his next destination. "I've decided to take my talents to the University of Oklahoma," he writes, "where I will continue my development as both a quarterback and as a student."

March 28, 2019: Players rarely deliver opening statements during media availability. But in his first address to local reporters, Hurts does, saying how he's "built for these types of situations." He hasn't been on campus long, but OU coach Lincoln Riley is impressed. "Hell, I feel like he's older than me," Riley will later say.

Aug. 19, 2019: What was expected comes to pass as Riley announces Hurts will start the season opener against Houston. Riley lauds Spencer Rattler and Tanner Mordecai, "but Jalen was just a little bit better. Just a little bit more in control."

Jacob Eason

Then: Georgia
Now: Washington

Jan. 8, 2018: A former five-star recruit who started double-digit games as a freshman doesn't typically become an afterthought, but Eason is exactly that against Alabama, relegated to the sideline. Earlier that season, he'd been the starter. But after he was injured during the opener, Fromm took over and never gave the job back. Eason doesn't take a snap in Atlanta and winds up recording stats in just three games all season.

Jan. 12, 2018: Eason takes to Twitter to announce his decision to transfer.

Feb. 6, 2018: Via Twitter, Eason announces it's "Good to be home!" again at Washington. The native of Lake Stevens, Washington, will have to sit out the 2018 season, per NCAA rules. With Jake Browning firmly entrenched as the Huskies' starter and a year away from graduation, it's the perfect setup.

April 16, 2018: Speaking with Seattle media during spring practice, Eason says it was an "easy" decision to go to Washington, where the former starter will spend the season as the Huskies' scout-team quarterback. "I looked other places, but I didn't seriously consider them," he says. "This was the only place I was looking at coming to."

April 3, 2019: Eason enters spring practice in a QB battle with redshirt sophomore Jake Haener -- not that anyone is buying the idea of an actual competition. Coach Chris Petersen warns against sky-high expectations, pointing out how Eason "hasn't really played real football in a long, long time. ... I think it's a disservice for you guys to put all this pressure on him."

Aug. 23, 2019: Petersen calls it a "gut feeling," going with Eason as the Week 1 starter, but Petersen adds Haener will also play against Eastern Washington. "You have a plan and you adapt and adjust as the season goes," he says. "That's just how it is."

Aug. 24, 2019: Washington announces in a statement: "Sophomore quarterback Jake Haener has elected to leave the Washington football program, effective immediately."

Justin Fields

Then: Georgia
Now: Ohio State

Jan. 8, 2018: Fields, the No. 1-ranked player in his class, has been enrolled at Georgia for roughly three weeks despite the emergence of freshman Fromm and some last-minute sales pitches from Texas A&M, Florida and Florida State. As an early enrollee, he can't dress for the national title game, where Fromm nearly leads the Bulldogs to a victory over Alabama.

Sept. 29, 2018: During a home game against Tennessee, Georgia baseball player Adam Sasser allegedly shouts racist remarks at Fields. Sasser is dismissed from the team. While it's unclear how the incident will later be presented to the NCAA, it does appear to fall under a new rule which allows for the immediate eligibility of a transfer student if it can be proved that a change of schools will affect his or her "health, safety and well-being" for the better.

Dec. 18, 2018: Fields, who was relegated to mop-up duty behind Fromm all season, enters his name into the NCAA transfer portal. ESPN reports his interest in Ohio State, while Florida State and Oklahoma are two other destinations he's considering.

Dec. 21, 2018: Buckeyes backup QB Tate Martell tweets what can be seen only as a warning shot to Fields: "word of advice: -- don't swing and miss ... especially not your second time."

Jan. 4, 2019: Fields posts a note on social media, announcing his decision to transfer from Georgia to Ohio State. In the note, he says, "I appreciate what Coach [Kirby] Smart and the UGA football coaching staff have done to help me progress as a quarterback and for their patience and understanding while I thoughtfully consider my future as a student-athlete."

Feb. 6, 2019: Fields addresses the media for the first time as a Buckeye. He declines to go into the specific reasons for leaving Georgia and instead focuses on why he chose to come to Columbus: to get to the NFL. "I was just worried about the best place to develop me for the next level," Fields says. "That's the main thing I was looking for."

Feb. 8, 2019: OSU athletic director Gene Smith tweets the news that the NCAA has approved Fields' application for a waiver to have immediate eligibility.

Aug. 19, 2019: Fields is named the starter, but coach Ryan Day makes it clear the selection really pertains only to who takes the first snap in the season opener against Florida Atlantic. "Where it moves from there who knows," Day says.

Tate Martell

Then: Ohio State
Now: Miami

Jan. 8, 2018: The Buckeyes are home after falling short of making the playoff. But Martell has a reason to look forward to the following season. With three-year starter JT Barrett finally off to the NFL, it's the former high school phenom's chance to compete with Dwayne Haskins for playing time.

Dec. 21, 2018: Martell sends his eyes-emoji-inducing subtweet toward Fields.

Jan. 4, 2019: Fields announces he will transfer to Ohio State. The move doesn't bode well for Martell, who as a redshirt freshman attempted just 28 passes in six appearances as Haskins' backup. Martell will later tell ESPN that OSU made it known to him toward the end of the season that he would be better off finding another school.

Jan. 10, 2019: Martell enters the NCAA transfer portal. He will end up visiting West Virginia on a Monday. That Tuesday, he'll visit Miami, which will have hosted Hurts just two days earlier.

Jan. 16, 2019: Shortly after midnight -- and right on the heels of his visit to Miami -- Martell announces he's transferring to the Hurricanes. A graphic he posts on Twitter features Martell alongside his former Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas) teammates Brevin Jordan, a tight end at Miami, and Bubba Bolden, a safety who is also transferring to Miami from USC.

April 20, 2019: Martell ends spring practice in a quarterback battle with N'Kosi Perry and Jarren Williams. During Miami's spring game, Martell is the third QB to take the field, but he looks sharp, completing 6 of 10 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He feels a sense of urgency, he tells ESPN during the spring. "This is my move," he says, "so I've got to make it work however it goes."

Aug. 12, 2019: Williams, a redshirt freshman, beats out Martell for the starting job. It's unclear whether Martell or Perry will be the No. 2 QB.

Aug. 24, 2019: Martell lines up on several plays at wide receiver and situationally at quarterback in Miami's 24-20 loss to Florida. He finishes the game with one carry for -1 yards on a QB run.

Kelly Bryant

Then: Clemson
Now: Missouri

Jan. 8, 2018: The No. 1 Tigers and their starting QB, Bryant, are home after being bounced out of the playoff semifinals by Alabama. Bryant, in particular, is coming off perhaps the worst game of his career, having thrown for 124 yards, no touchdowns and two picks in the 24-6 loss against the Tide.

Jan. 10, 2018: Clemson's early enrollees arrive. Among the nine eager freshmen is top-ranked quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whom many have already pegged to give Bryant a run for his money. Nine days later, backup QB Zerrick Cooper will opt to transfer, and fellow backup Hunter Johnson will also choose to leave in the spring.

Aug. 27, 2018: Ahead of its Week 1 game against Furman, Clemson releases its depth chart, on which Bryant is listed as the starting quarterback. But Swinney's words from earlier in camp are still ringing in everyone's ears: "The one thing I can probably definitely say is regardless of how it plays out, I don't see a situation early where we just play one guy."

Sept. 1, 2018: Right away, it's obvious Bryant is in a position battle. Against Furman, Lawrence comes off the bench and throws three touchdowns and no interceptions. The following week, on the road in a big-time game against Texas A&M, Swinney will call on Lawrence again, and he will complete 5 of 9 passes for 93 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

Sept. 24, 2018: Swinney makes the move everyone has been waiting for. Less than 48 hours after Lawrence tosses a career-high four touchdowns against Georgia Tech, he is officially named the starter. While Tagovailoa powers a historically explosive Tide offense, the memory of Bryant's last performance against Alabama looms large. With the teams on a collision course, Swinney commits to the high-ceiling Lawrence. Bryant, who started and won all of Clemson's first four games, has a decision to make: keep playing and lose his final season of eligibility, or sit and take a redshirt.

Sept. 26, 2018: On the heels of missing two consecutive practices, Bryant tells The Greenville News he will sit out the rest of the season and transfer. He tells the South Carolina newspaper that being benched was a "slap in the face." During an interview with ESPN weeks later, Bryant will say he still bleeds orange and purple, but leaving was "a decision I had to make for myself."

Dec. 4, 2018: Bryant, who took visits to the likes of Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State and North Carolina, ultimately chooses to transfer to Missouri. The Tigers of the SEC East, who just lost a multiyear starter in Drew Lock, pick up a quarterback in Bryant who has started 18 games and accounted for a combined 31 touchdowns.

April 13, 2019: Bryant, the presumptive starter, shines during Missouri's spring game, completing 11 of 17 passes for 150 yards. He calls the experience "surreal." He tells reporters he's not going to get caught looking ahead to the season, but he acknowledges, "The ceiling is high for this group."

Austin Kendall

Then: Oklahoma
Now: West Virginia

Jan. 8, 2018: The former four-star recruit has just finished watching one of the most special seasons in Oklahoma history as quarterback Baker Mayfield wins the Heisman Trophy and leads the Sooners to the playoff. Coming off a redshirt season, Kendall is among the contenders to take over for Mayfield the following season. But he has competition in the form of transfer quarterback Kyler Murray.

Aug. 22, 2018: Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley tabs Murray as the starter. Riley compliments Kendall and says it was a close battle, "but just felt like from an overall perspective that Kyler was just a little bit ahead."

Jan. 11, 2019: Kendall, who has now backed up back-to-back Heisman winners and has just learned that Oklahoma will host Hurts on an official visit, enters the NCAA transfer portal. Having graduated in three years, he will be immediately eligible to play wherever he goes as long as Oklahoma doesn't choose to block his destination.

Jan. 14, 2019: Kendall visits Auburn, which has just lost two-year starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham to the NFL draft. He is also considering Kentucky and West Virginia.

Jan. 16, 2019: The same day Hurts commits to Oklahoma, ESPN reports that the school would block Kendall's transfer to West Virginia under a rule which allows schools to hamper intraconference transfers. But the Sooners ultimately relent and clear the way for Kendall, who is scheduled to visit Morgantown the following day.

Jan. 18, 2019: Kendall announces on Twitter that he's transferring to West Virginia, where he'll reunite with coach Neal Brown, who recruited him back when Brown was an assistant at Kentucky.

April 15, 2019: Brown says he doesn't know who the starting quarterback will be, but based on the Mountaineers' spring game, Kendall is in good shape as he completes 7 of 12 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. Speaking to the media the following day, Kendall cites backing up Mayfield and Murray at Oklahoma and says, "I don't have a lot of playing time, but I'm here to prove people wrong. I'm excited to get my chance and I'm ready to go."

Aug. 20, 2019: Brown tabs Kendall as the Week 1 starter against James Madison. "We tracked everything from spring practice through fall camp -- decision-making, completion percentage, number of turnovers, scoring drives, and it was clear after Friday night's scrimmage in the stadium that he earned it," Brown says.

Illustrations by Timba Smits

Veteran guard Jeremy Lin has signed with the Beijing Shougang Ducks to play in the Chinese Basketball Association next season, the team announced Tuesday.

In a statement, the Ducks said the team is now in the process of working with the league to get his registration paperwork approved, a procedural move.

In an Instagram post, Lin wrote it was a "privilege to rep Asians at the NBA level" and congratulated his brother Joe on signing an extension with the Fubon Braves of the Super Basketball League in Taiwan.

View this post on Instagram

All I can say is THANK YOU to the NBA, my family, inner circle, every fan who came to watch or rooted for me during these 9 years! The journey and privilege to rep Asians at the NBA level has been amazing and Im overwhelmed with gratitude for each person who has been with me each step of the way. ⁣ Equally excited for this next step with the Beijing Ducks! I always knew my path would go through the CBA solely bc I knew how much of an honor it would be to hoop in front of all my Chinese fans. Im here now and there is more history to be made! Also congrats to @joe_linstagram on a contract extension fresh off a championship with the @fubon_braves ... you're a beast and to be able to sign our contracts on the same day is something Ill forever cherish. Love you lil bro! #linstanation #farfromdone

A post shared by Jeremy Lin 林書豪 (@jlin7) on Aug 27, 2019 at 6:30am PDT

Lin, who turned 31 last week, won his first title with the Toronto Raptors last year. During his nine-year NBA career, he is most remembered for delivering a series of high-scoring performances in early 2012 as a member of the New York Knicks, generating a wave of global sensation known as "Linsanity."

It had been speculated that Lin, who enjoys a large fan base in Asia, would sign with a CBA team after failing to land an NBA deal as a free agent this summer. During a TV appearance in Taiwan in July, an emotional Lin described a sense of hopelessness.

"In English there's a saying, and it says once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up," Lin said to an audience on Christian television station GOOD TV. "But rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me. So, free agency has been tough. Because I feel like in some ways the NBA's kind of given up on me."

The Ducks have been a CBA powerhouse in recent years, winning three league titles while led by former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury. Marbury is now the head coach for the Ducks' rival team in Beijing.

The announcement Tuesday ended months of rumors, and excited many Chinese basketball fans. After the team's announcement, Lin posted pictures of him with Beijing teammates on social media. "Beijing, here I come," Lin wrote.

A former girlfriend of DeMarcus Cousins is seeking a restraining order against him after she said in court documents and a police report obtained by TMZ that the Los Angeles Lakers center threatened her and has previously choked her.

Christy West, according to TMZ, alleges that Cousins said he would put a "bullet in (her) f---ing head," during an argument over allowing their 7-year-old son to attend Cousins' wedding to another woman.

The Lakers acknowledged the allegation.

"We are aware of the allegation involving DeMarcus Cousins and, of course, take this claim seriously," the Lakers said in a statement. "We are in the process of gathering information and will reserve further comment at this time."

Cousins declined to comment when reached by ESPN.

TMZ shared an audio recording West took of the incident and she says that the male voice heard is that of Cousins.

During the argument, the man says, "I'm gonna ask you this one more time before I take it to another level ... Can I have my son here, please?"

After West responds "No," the man makes the threat and the audio clip ends.

Cousins got married in Atlanta this past Saturday, however his son was not there, according to TMZ.

The 29-year-old former All-Star suffered a torn ACL earlier this month and could miss the entire season -- his first with the Lakers.

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan officials say they're fighting a ban by Major League Baseball that blocks its players from the South American country's winter league under strict U.S. sanctions against the socialist government.

The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League on Tuesday said it's asking the U.S. Treasury for an exception. Major League Baseball announced last week that its players are banned from the Venezuelan Winter League, citing the economic sanctions.

Eight teams in the Venezuelan league say the MLB's ban was made against their interests and the nation's passion for baseball.

U.S. officials in early August announced a new, broad round of economic measures blocking companies and individuals from doing business with Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela's state-owned oil company, known as PDVSA, has been a major sponsor of the nation's professional baseball league.

The Venezuelan Winter League is one many that major league players use to hone their skills in the offseason.

TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees right-hander Luis Severino feels ready to start a minor league rehab assignment following his second simulated game.

Severino, coming back from a lat muscle injury, said he felt good after throwing 35 pitches over two innings against minor leaguers on Tuesday. The 25-year-old also took part in a simulated game last Thursday and is lined up to start a minor league game Sunday.

Severino, 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 32 starts last season, was hurt while throwing in the bullpen before his first scheduled spring training appearance and has not pitched this season.

Reliever Dellin Betances (lat muscle) and left-hander Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery) are working out with Severino at the team's complex in Tampa, Florida. All three could rejoin the AL East-leading Yankees in September.

Betances is set to face hitters Wednesday for the second time after a 20-pitch batting practice session last Saturday.

Montgomery is expected to make his second rehab start later this week. The lefty went two perfect innings Sunday for Class-A Tampa.

Also, reliever Trevor Rosenthal, signed to a minor league deal last week, threw 25 pitches in a simulated game.

CLEVELAND -- Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez has not been ruled out for the postseason -- if Cleveland can make it without him -- despite a broken hand.

Ramirez had surgery Monday in New York on the broken hamate bone in his right hand, an injury suffered during a hard swing in a weekend game. The team said the two-time All-Star could return in five to seven weeks, which would be the beginning of October.

His loss is a significant setback for the Indians, who trail first-place Minnesota by 3.5 games in the AL Central but have a half-game lead in the wild-card race.

The 26-year-old Ramirez is one of the team's most indispensable players. He broke out of an early-season batting slump in June and helped get the Indians back into contention. He is batting .254 with 20 homers and 75 RBIs but has been one of baseball's best hitters in the season's second half.

NEW YORK -- The run has been historic, though with an under-the-radar feel to it. Perhaps it's because he has given up a few home runs in between the pinpoint command. Either way, the performance Chicago Cubs righty Yu Darvish is putting on right now should vault him near the top for the National League's Comeback Player of the Year Award. He has been that good.

And now Darvish will be called upon to be the team's stopper as the Cubs hit New York after a stunning home sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals.

Consider this: Darvish is the first pitcher since at least 1893 to strike out eight or more batters, without issuing a walk, in five consecutive starts. And if he gets through the first inning without giving up a free pass to the Mets on Tuesday night, he'll own the longest MLB walkless streak of the season.

"He just has incredible command over a variety of pitches," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said when asked what's responsible for the streak. "I don't know if I've ever witnessed -- we saw Jake Arrieta -- I'm talking about just purely commanding a baseball and being inventive.

"He was throwing a knuckle curve [Wednesday] night. He felt it in the bullpen and broke it out in the game. And it was great. He's able to manipulate his hand and his arm in ways most guys cannot. He's just a different level of talent. That's why."

It's high praise around Chicago to invoke Arrieta's name in comparison to anyone, considering the former Cubs hurler's success. But when you go 31⅓ innings pitched without walking anyone, while striking out 46, you deserve the kind of praise Darvish is garnering.

Even more intriguing is the dramatic difference in his results within this season.

On May 9, after eight starts, Darvish led the league in walks with 33, as his fastball was nonexistent. It got hit or couldn't find the strike zone. But a confidence boost came a couple of months into the season, when Darvish's mind freed up.

The pain in his elbow, which ended last season prematurely for him, had been gone since offseason surgery. But the doubt in his mind about that pain lingered; as soon as he realized it wasn't returning, his fastball took off -- and so did his game. The Cubs paint a picture of a pitcher so locked into his craft, it's almost scary.

"His routine has gone to the next level," Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said. "His four-day prep, from what he eats, to when he works out, how he works out, what he does in the bullpen, the visualization stuff the day before he starts, going over the lineup, it's all come together. The routine has been huge, plus the confidence he's showing."

The results, particularly with his fastball, have been night and day. Hottovy points to early June when things began to change. In his first 13 starts, Darvish was in the strike zone with his fastball 49% of the time. In his past 13, it's up to 57%. His strike percentage went from 56% to 70%.

Perhaps most compelling is Darvish's chase rate. That also saw a huge jump, from 21% in his first 13 starts to 32% in his past 13. The more strikes he has thrown with his fastball, the more opposing hitters have been willing to chase his array of off-speed pitches, which now features a devastating split-finger.

"We all know he can spin the baseball and do what he wants to do with it, but the fastball, early in the season, wasn't quite there," Hottovy opined. "He was searching for that command."

Darvish has found that command -- and then some. All it took was some confidence. Confidence the pain wouldn't return while using the correct mechanics, as well as confidence just to throw the fastball. In fact, some believe he isn't throwing it enough.

Darvish is feeling so good right now, he is not shy in defending himself. A recent Twitter exchange with a Chicago media member about his pitch selection after his most recent start -- Darvish gave up four home runs -- would never have happened in the past.

Not including tonight's game.
Against lefty after two strilke.
Off speed pitch .137AVG .205OBP .222SLG .427OPS
4 seam .350AVG .435OBP .650SLG .1085OPS

Which one is better choice? https://t.co/gJQRZiMbJD

— ダルビッシュ有(Yu Darvish) (@faridyu) August 22, 2019

Unlike many social media interactions, this one wasn't full of insults and accusations. Darvish simply stated the facts as he sees them. He didn't get defensive; that's a sign of someone comfortable in his own skin, according to his pitching coach.

"He's intelligent and knows how to find data on his own," Hottovy said of the twitter exchange. "He knows what he wants to do and knows how to read the reports on his own. He comes to the meetings as prepared as anyone. He's just locked in."

It has all paid off with a strike percentage that has jumped to an eye-popping 72% over his past five starts, while hitters are chasing at 38%. The ability to get hitters out inside and outside of the zone has finally become elite for Darvish as a Cub. The team desperately needs him to continue on the same path -- while reducing some home run totals -- if it wants to make the postseason. The Cubs need him that much.

"The biggest moment for me this year, it came in early July; he just started to understand what we meant by the way we were talking regarding certain pitches in certain situations," Hottovy explained. "He's understanding swing paths and what guys want to do with him. He can counteract that.

"I don't know if he trusted the process enough and his ability enough to do what we asked before. Now he does."

Organisers mark milestone by unveiling the design of the world championships medals, which pay homage to the Qatari capital

The medals for which thousands of athletes will compete have been revealed with exactly one month to go until the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

Paying homage to the Qatari capital, the gold, silver and bronze medals were designed by an all-female team and showcase the Doha skyline, which will be the backdrop of the marathon and race walk events. There are also illustrations of the iconic Khalifa International Stadium, which will host the championships as the event heads to the Middle East for the first time, with 13 different elements of athletics disciplines also weaved into the design.

More than 2000 of the world’s top athletes will be competing for the 192 medals on offer across 49 finals during the 10-day competition, which gets under way on Friday September 27.

“A medal is the symbol of excellence in our sport,” said IAAF president Sebastian Coe.

“It represents all the years of sweat, striving and persistence required to succeed in athletics at the highest level, so the design of the medals must be as special as the achievement in winning them.

“Our local organising committee in Doha has done a brilliant job in creating medals that our athletes will be proud to receive as a permanent keepsake of their moment of glory. I’d like to have one myself, so I may have to come out of retirement.”

Speaking on the final preparations and medals for the championships, Sheikha Asma Al Thani, director of marketing and communications for the local organising committee, said: “Having designs on the medals which showcase Qatar is a special occasion for the country, as so many people throughout Doha have played a vital role in delivering the competition.

“A gold medal will naturally take pride of place in an athlete’s collection and they will be reminded of the competition being held in the Middle East forever.

“The whole of Qatar is excited to welcome the world’s best athletes and we look forward to celebrating the successes of all those competing and those iconic moments at the finish lines and on the podiums.”

The first medals will be won just hours after the championships begin on day one, with the midnight marathon taking place along Doha’s Corniche.

The marathon and race walk events are free to attend, while tickets to track and field action at the Khalifa International Stadium are available at iaafworldathleticschamps.com/doha2019

Tickets will also give spectators access to the World Athletics Village outside the stadium where a whole host of international cuisines will be available to celebrate the global event, along with live entertainment and competitions.

Athletics Integrity Unit announces that the 2015 world 800m champion has tested positive for a prohibited substance

Belarusian middle-distance runner Marina Arzamasova has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has announced.

Arzamasova won the world 800m title in Beijing in 2015 and European gold the year before (pictured), finishing ahead of Britain’s Lynsey Sharp in Zurich.

The AIU states that one of Arzamasova’s samples showed the presence of ‘LGD-4033’, which, according to ScienceScape, is “mostly known for its muscle mass increasing properties that actually don’t come with the common steroidal side effects”.

The AIU confirms a Provisional Suspension against Belarusian middle-distance runner Marina Arzamasova for a violation of the @iaaforg Anti-Doping Rules.
Find out more ➡ https://t.co/opInfkVlnV#CleanSport #AIUNews pic.twitter.com/rAa56D1tDX

— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) August 27, 2019

The status of the case is that notice of the allegation has been issued.

“The AIU confirms a Provisional Suspension against Belarusian middle-distance runner Marina Arzamasova for a violation of the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules,” reads a tweet from the Athletics Integrity Unit.

Arzamasova has an 800m PB of 1:57.54 set in Beijing four years ago, while her best in 2019 is 2:02.51 from July.