KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Coach Andy Reid said the Kansas City Chiefs did not file erroneous injury reports regarding Kadarius Toney as the wide receiver claimed in a profanity-filled Instagram Live post attributed to him.

"He's been on the injury report, [so] that part is not made up by any means,'' Reid said.

On his post, Toney said he doesn't have the hip and ankle injuries the Chiefs have recently listed for Toney on their weekly injury reports.

"I'm not hurt,'' Toney said. "None of that.''

Toney hasn't played since a Week 15 game against the New England Patriots in which he deflected a pass to a defender for an interception for the second time this season. The Chiefs said before Sunday's AFC Championship Game that Toney wouldn't play because of injuries and personal reasons. Toney's partner gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter, on Saturday.

Reid said he hadn't seen Toney's post but had been told about it. On Monday, Reid said Toney was "working through some things'' and that he would be with the Chiefs when they begin practice on Thursday for Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers.

Teams and coaches can be fined by the NFL for issuing inaccurate or misleading injury reports. In December, then-Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith was fined $25,000 and the team $75,000 for failing to disclose that running back Bijan Robinson was dealing with an illness that had limited him in a game against Tampa Bay earlier in the season.

The Chiefs were counting on Toney to carry a big workload this season, but he has just 27 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown. He played a big role in last season's Super Bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles by catching one touchdown and returning a punt 65 yards to set up another, both in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs held team meetings Monday, and players will be off Tuesday and Wednesday before beginning Super Bowl practice Thursday. Reid said he hoped the game plan would be installed by the time the Chiefs leave for Las Vegas on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES -- The Chargers are working to hire Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz as their general manager, sources told Adam Schefter on Monday.

Hortiz will be paired with new coach Jim Harbaugh, who was hired by the team last week.

Hortiz, 48, has been with the Ravens for the past 26 years, beginning as a football personnel assistant and holding his current role since 2019. As director of player personnel, he oversees both college and pro scouting for the Ravens, helping general manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh, Jim's brother.

In Jim Harbaugh's last NFL stint, with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014, he had a fractured relationship with general manager Trent Baalke and the team's leadership, leading to his departure to Michigan before his contract ended.

Hortiz and Harbaugh's relationship -- most importantly who has the final say in personnel decisions -- will be among the biggest questions that Harbaugh and the team's leadership will have to answer.

Hortiz began his NFL career in 1998 in what the Ravens call their "20/20 club," which refers to hiring 20-year-olds for $20,000.

In 2009, Hortiz became the Ravens' director of college scouting after spending eight years as an area scout. He was promoted to director of player personnel in 2019.

Baltimore has been known for their talent evaluation. Since their inaugural season in 1996, the Ravens have had 30 drafted players reach the Pro Bowl, including an NFL-best 17 first-round selections.

Hortiz would replace Tom Telesco, who was the Chargers' general manager for the past 11 seasons. Telesco, along with coach Brandon Staley, was fired on Dec. 15, a day after the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Chargers 63-21. Telesco has since been hired by the Raiders as their new general manager.

Harbaugh and Hortiz will be tasked with turning around a Chargers team that finished 5-12 this season and is projected to be $54.2 million over the salary cap next season.

ESPN's Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Defensive end Charles Omenihu tore an ACL in Sunday's AFC Championship Game and won't be available to play in Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers, his former team, according to multiple reports.

Omenihu appeared to confirm the news via his X account, posting an emoji of a broken heart.

Omenihu had a career-high seven sacks this season, his first with the Chiefs, despite missing the first six games with an NFL suspension. He had a strip sack of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sunday before leaving with the injury.

The Chiefs played against the Ravens without starting defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, who was placed on injured reserve before the game with a triceps injury. Nnadi also won't play in the Super Bowl.

Omenihu, 26, joined the Chiefs as a free agent after four NFL seasons split between the Houston Texans and 49ers. Omenihu in those seasons had a total of 11.5 sacks, including 4.5 for the 49ers in 2022.

The nature of Omenihu's injury was first reported by Bleacher Report.

NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons is set to return to the court for the first time in nearly three months Monday, as he will play on a minutes restriction and come off the bench against the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center.

"It'll be good to have him back on the floor," Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said before the game. "I think that's the first thing, for him to be around his teammates and compete in a game setting."

Simmons hasn't played since Nov. 6, a span of 38 games, when he suffered a nerve impingement in his lower back against the Milwaukee Bucks. He's recently practiced with Brooklyn's G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, but has not gone through a full practice with Brooklyn ahead of Monday's game.

That's part of why Vaughn said Simmons will play in "short stints" Monday, though he declined to say exactly how long those stints will be.

"It's been a few months since we've seen him on the floor, and there'll be some lineups out there that we literally haven't played together tonight," Vaughn said. "So that's the challenge of continuing to learn about your teammates while you're trying to win a game."

Simmons averaged 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists for Brooklyn through six games across the opening two weeks of the season, before his latest ailment sidelined him for the better part of three months. After it was initially labeled as a hip issue, the Nets eventually determined there was the nerve impingement in his back and it's been slow progress for Simmons to eventually return to the court.

It's just the latest in a series of injury issues Simmons has dealt with over the past three years, after missing the entirety of the 2021-22 season between a trade request away from the Philadelphia 76ers and a back issue. He also played just 42 games last season before being shut down early with a different nerve issue.

"He'll have short stints out there, so that'll be hopefully smart for us just to see how he's feeling," Vaughn said. "He literally hasn't practiced with the dudes he's gonna play with tonight. It will literally be day by day, we'll get feedback from him, see how he feels after the game. He has historically been a guy that's been able to have time off and get back on the floor and be extremely productive with speed and quickness and, and hopefully that's the outcome after tonight, also."

In addition to Simmons returning, Vaughn also said the Nets will be without Dorian Finney-Smith due to a left ankle sprain for both Monday's and Wednesday's matchup with the Phoenix Suns -- the first game back in Brooklyn for Kevin Durant since being traded last year.

Brooklyn also announced Monday that rookie Dariq Whitehead had season-ending surgery to repair a stress reaction in his left shin.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will miss Monday night's game in Portland with a knee injury, the team announced.

It's the second straight game Embiid has missed. He was a late scratch from Saturday's showdown with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic in Denver, which, according to multiple sources, has prompted the league to investigate the circumstances of the team's injury reporting.

Embiid was not listed on any of the pregame injury reports leading into Saturday's game. According to sources close to the situation, Embiid was determined to play in Denver for the first time since 2019 but was pulled from the game by the team's medical staff after the staff watched him warm up before the game. As one source put it, he "could barely jump" as he warmed up.

Embiid has now missed 12 games on the season. If he misses five more, he would become ineligible for any postseason NBA awards.

The Sixers play Tuesday at Golden State.

WASHINGTON -- KARL-ANTHONY Towns had an event to attend at the French Embassy last week, a screening of a documentary about the life of Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Rudy Gobert. He preplanned his look: an all-black ensemble complete with a signature bucket hat for the occasion.

"I'd already packed for the trip before the game!" Towns explained to his agent, who could only smile and shake her head, as he got ready in a hotel suite a couple of blocks from the White House.

In stark white lettering, the hat featured his nickname -- "KAT" -- and the number "60" on it. The Wolves made the hats nearly two years ago to commemorate Towns scoring a then-franchise-record 60 points against the San Antonio Spurs.

At 7 feet tall with nearly 1,000 made 3-pointers in his career, Towns has a combination of size and skill that makes him one of the most prized players in the modern game. But he also has a goofy streak -- see his live streams playing video games -- that can be either endearing or annoying depending on your perspective.

In 2021, he drew quite a reaction when he declared himself the "greatest big-man shooter of all time." Two months later, he won the 3-point contest at All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, the first big man to do so. This can be seen as a shining example of backing up your words or an odd distinction for a player with a less-than-impressive playoff résumé.

When understanding the situation Towns and the Wolves are in now, it's helpful to keep two facts in mind.

First, the franchise has advanced past the first round of the playoffs once in its 34-year history. That happened 21 seasons ago, the same spring LeBron James won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2004.

Second, the Timberwolves have had seven All-Stars total in team history -- only three players have made more than one All-Star Game. Towns, who has also made two All-NBA teams, is one of them.

Towns is having an excellent season, with his scoring, rebounding and shooting all up from last season as he manages a vital role for the Timberwolves. He's a big reason the team is in an exciting and mildly bewildering position.

The Timberwolves have been at the top of the Western Conference standings all season, thanks to a dominating defensive mindset and the combined star power from Towns, Gobert and Anthony Edwards. They also have the distinction, with their ability to use a huge lineup, of being one of the few teams that has been a thorn in the side of the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

But the Wolves are dealing with a sobering reality: A franchise that has never had real championship expectations is suddenly dealing with a new world of scrutiny and pressure. And Towns represents the epitome of a team trying to harness its talent and turn it into meaningful winning.

Take Monday night, for example. It was a mundane-looking game when the schedule was released last August, but now the Wolves' visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder is for the top spot in the West. It comes after a 2-2 week brought Towns and his team an unexpected portion of drama.

Which is why the "KAT 60" hat was ironic. The night before, he put up a mesmerizing and record-smashing 44 points in the first half against the Charlotte Hornets in Minneapolis.

Already 7-for-7 on 3-pointers, Towns launched a near-30-footer for his eighth in a row as Hornets play-by-play announcer Eric Collins screamed "Noooooooooo!" as he watched it go through the net, an instant viral moment.

But less than two hours later, Wolves coach Chris Finch sat at a microphone in a quiet rage. Towns had topped his own franchise record, scoring 62 points, but there probably won't be any "KAT 62" hats in production.

"It was an absolute disgusting performance of defense and immature basketball," Finch said.

The Hornets, having entered the game with a 9-31 record, came back from 18 points down and outscored the Wolves 36-18 in the fourth quarter to pull a stunning upset. Towns, who had forced a few shots, was benched briefly in the fourth quarter. A night that looked like it was going to be historic had turned infamous.

"Oh, we got cussed out," Edwards said.

THE WOLVES WERE 30-13 at that moment and are still on pace to have their best regular season in two decades. For some players, the success isn't new -- Gobert and Mike Conley experienced it with the top-seeded Utah Jazz just two seasons ago. For everyone else, it's new ground.

But the novelty has dimmed. Finch, who has coached all over the basketball world, is very aware of it. He'd felt the team slipping over the previous few weeks -- the defense-first mindset, the offensive focus -- and it was already annoying him before he watched the team abandon its system in the collapse against Charlotte.

"I've said the same thing to the players [in the locker room], so saying it to the media wasn't to me, in my mind, any more egregious or damaging to their mindset than it was saying directly to them," Finch said two days after the loss to the Hornets.

"It's just right that it ended that way," Towns said. "Sometimes I can do all this amazing work and not end up getting the credit for it."

Towns recalled a game during his second season in November 2016. At the time he considered New York Knicks center Kristaps Porzingis, who had finished second to him for Rookie of the Year, a major rival. Highly motivated for the matchup, Towns put up a spectacular 47 points with 18 rebounds and 3 blocks, going right at Porzingis the entire night at Target Center.

"People were saying Porzingis was better and I was like, man, I'm going to go shut all this s--- up tonight," Towns said.

Then Carmelo Anthony hit a game winner with two seconds left.

"And it's always kind of gone that way for me," Towns said, pointing out that when he scored 60 to set the season high for points, it had lasted just one day. Kyrie Irving had 60 points the next night for the Brooklyn Nets.

While Towns reminisced, the NBA released its Last Two-Minute Report from the games of the night before. It noted that two shooting fouls on Towns were missed in the game's final five seconds alone. He should have gotten free throws (twice) for more points. The game could've gone to overtime, and the story could've been different.

"Yeah, but Joel [Embiid] had 70 [points] so it wouldn't have mattered."

Towns is probably right. Had it not been for Finch's rant, Towns' night likely would've been overshadowed by Embiid's brilliance that evening. Instead, he generated memes for his bad fourth quarter -- a fate worse than just being overshadowed.

If the Wolves are going to make something of this flame of excitement and avoid another false start, Towns is the transformational player who has to stitch things together.

This team has flourished on Finch's strategy to play with a big lineup and Wolves president Tim Connelly's aggressive moves. Since being hired in 2022, Connelly traded for Gobert and Conley, and it coincided with the rapid improvement of 2020 No. 1 overall pick Edwards, who could join the brief list of Wolves multiple-time All-Stars on Thursday when the 2024 reserves are announced.

This had the biggest effect on Towns. He has modified his game, moving from center to power forward and from No. 1 offensive option to No. 2 as Edwards has blossomed into the team's top player. Asking a player in his prime to do that isn't exactly simple.

"Getting KAT to understand he's no longer the fulcrum of everyone else's spacing -- he's got to actually space around other people -- I think that was an adjustment for him," Finch said. "KAT's willingness to accommodate these changes has been probably step No. 1 in all of it for us."

IF YOU WATCH the Wolves play, you will notice that Towns and Edwards frequently go into and out of timeouts talking to each other. They make sure to acknowledge each other on the court when they set each other up.

Edwards is one of the NBA's most exciting players, but he is still raw at 22 years old. He's almost as likely to shoot the Wolves out of a game as he is to win it for them. Against the Wizards last Wednesday, Edwards scored 15 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter to finish off a 118-107 victory. A night later in Brooklyn, Edwards missed his last 11 shots as Minnesota needed 10 points and seven rebounds in the fourth from Towns in a two-point win.

"I want to find ways to allow Ant to grow and to build his story and help him in his journey," Towns said. "I never wanted to be a bad vet. I've been told how many stories about bad vets to rookies and to young players. And I always wanted to be one of the successful stories that brought the best out of the young guy or helped him reach the potential that he has or possibly surpass it. And I think I've done a great job of supporting Ant."

Towns' close relationship with Kevin Garnett, with whom he played with as a rookie in 2015-16 (Garnett's final season), has given him the framework with which he wants to lead.

He has heard many stories about one of the biggest fails in Wolves history, the promising Garnett-Stephon Marbury duo that never launched when Marbury demanded a trade after less than three seasons.

"I'm not going to have that happen. I don't have an ego for all that," Towns said. "It's not more about relinquishing the role but sharing it, being able to walk hand in hand and foot by foot with each other and in this journey of possibly doing something special. He's the guard; he's going to have the ball."

Garnett's guidance is brought up often by Towns. And with the Wolves on the verge of finally being sold by longtime owner Glen Taylor to Marc Lore and partners including Alex Rodriguez, that influence might be drawing closer.

Assuming the transaction is finalized, there is a chance Garnett will take a role with the organization, sources told ESPN. He has been in a bitter dispute with Taylor and distant from the franchise in recent years.

"The better we get playing together, the better we're going to be offensively," Edwards said. "We're working hard on getting better at the two-man game. We're trying."

The issue? The two-man game isn't always working. The Wolves have been the league's top-ranked defense all season, with a huge part being Gobert's rim protection that has him on pace for his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award.

But they rank 19th on offense. And in fourth quarters when things get tight, they rank 27th. In a four-game stretch last week that included the Charlotte loss, the Timberwolves combined for just 75 points in fourth quarters, the lowest fourth-quarter output over four games for any team this season. On Saturday night, they were up 10 points going into the fourth quarter in San Antonio when unusually poor defense and turnovers led to another brutal collapse and loss to a bad team. Towns missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would've won the game.

This is one of the reasons Finch is harping on maturity. While it's good to see players cheering for their teammate when he's chasing a scoring record, they can't stop running the offense in the fourth quarter and lose focus on the game. Just like you can't punch a teammate, as Gobert did, which got him suspended for a play-in tournament game last season, or punch a wall out of frustration, as key wing defender Jaden McDaniels did the same night, which sidelined him for the playoffs with a broken hand.

But for a team with scant success, it can't be just about harping on the negative moments and worries. Towns represents that, as well. He's enjoying the season and trying to have fun. He decided to wear the "KAT 60" bucket hat to the game against the Wizards, too.

Any concern about the long-term future -- the Wolves are facing a financial conundrum for next season when new contracts for Edwards and McDaniels that could be worth nearly $400 million come on the books and Conley hits free agency, with the new owners' willingness to spend uncertain -- is being pushed off.

"The young guys I don't think truly understand the business so they don't think about it, and older guys are living in the moment," Towns said.

Does that make Towns unrealistic and too optimistic, or is he just trying to present a front? It might come down to your personal opinion of Towns. But there's no question he's having a fabulous season and his willingness to yield to Edwards probably hasn't gotten enough credit. Edwards is committed to working with him, and Gobert says he's content with Towns, making it a priority to get him the ball to help reward his defense.

It's hard to say whether all this will have a positive ending. But that's certainly in the cards as any possibility counts for progress when it comes to the Wolves. As for Towns, it seems he's trying to be earnest about it all.

"The winning helps. It's good when you're able to sacrifice to see the result you wanted and share the success," Towns said. "We're all making this happen. This is not just a singular effort. This is a team coming together and saying 'We really want to do something special.'"

BALTIMORE -- Left-hander Danny Coulombe and the Baltimore Orioles agreed to a $2.3 million, one-year contract on Monday that avoided a salary arbitration hearing.

Baltimore has a $4 million option for 2025 with no buyout as part of the agreement, and the option price could escalate to $4,925,000 based on games pitched this year: $100,000 for 50, $50,000 for each game from 51-55, $55,000 apiece for 56-60 and $60,000 each for 61-65.

His agreement was at the midpoint of the $2.4 million he had asked for and the $2.2 million Baltimore had offered when the sides exchanged proposed arbitration salaries on Jan. 11.

Coulombe, 34, was 5-3 with a 2.81 ERA in 61 relief appearances last year, striking out 58 and walking 12 in 51 1/3 innings.

A veteran of parts of nine major league seasons, Coulombe has a 15-9 record with a 3.69 ERA in 254 relief appearances and one start for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-15), Oakland Athletics (2015-18), Minnesota Twins (2020-22) and Orioles.

Baltimore remains scheduled for hearings with right-hander Jacob Webb ($1 million vs. $925,000), outfielder Austin Hays ($6.3 million vs. $5.85 million) and first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn ($3.8 million vs. $3.2 million).

The Orioles previously reached agreements with outfielders Anthony Santander ($11.7 million) and Cedric Mullins ($6,325,000); first baseman Ryan Mountcastle ($4,137,000); left-handers John Means ($3,325,000), Cole Irvin ($2 million) and Cionel Pérez ($1.2 million); right-handers Tyler Wells ($1,962,500) and Dillon Tate ($1.5 million); and infielder Ramón Urías ($2.1 million).

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins says he should have few limitations in his first spring with his new team after missing the entire 2023 season with a torn left ACL.

"I'll be stoked to get on the field," Hoskins said Monday in a Zoom news conference after agreeing last week to a $34 million, two-year contract that includes an opt-out after this season. "I'm pretty bored as a competitor in not having played in so long."

Hoskins injured a knee in March 2023 while fielding a grounder in a spring training game with the Philadelphia Phillies -- the team he had spent his entire major league career with before joining the Brewers.

"There's definitely still some things that I've had to accomplish over the offseason just to progress with the rehab, but February 1st will be coming up right at about 10 months, 11 months [since the injury]," Hoskins said. "So that by the time I get to Arizona for spring, I'm sure I'll be eased back in because it's been a year or so since I've been on the field, but I really should have little to no limitations once we get there and once games start, which is just exciting for me."

Hoskins, who turns 31 on March 17, should fill a major void for the Brewers as a power-hitting first baseman. Hoskins batted .246 with a .332 on-base percentage, 30 homers and 79 RBI in 2022, which marked his fourth season with at least 27 homers.

He has a career average of .242 with a .353 on-base percentage, .492 slugging percentage, 148 homers and 405 RBI in 667 regular-season games. In nine career games at Milwaukee, Hoskins has batted .342 with a .405 on-base percentage, .790 slugging percentage, 5 homers and 8 RBI.

"Candidly, I wasn't sure we were going to be able to access a player like him," Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. "I couldn't be more excited to have this type of profile here because he fits so well. It's just the type of player we've needed."

Hoskins could get $16 million for one season or $48 million over three years as part of his contract. He will get a $12 million salary this year, and the contract includes an $18 million salary for 2025. If Hoskins opts out, he would receive a $4 million buyout payable on Feb. 1, 2026.

If Hoskins doesn't opt out, the deal includes an $18 million mutual option for 2026. If that option is declined, Hoskins would receive a $4 million buyout payable on Feb. 1, 2026.

The Brewers didn't get much production at first base last season as they won the NL Central despite having a .705 OPS that ranked 14th out of 15 NL teams, ahead of only the San Francisco Giants.

Rowdy Tellez hit 35 homers for the Brewers in 2022 but managed just 13 last year and got non-tendered before signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Carlos Santana, who had much of the playing time at first base for Milwaukee after being acquired at the trade deadline, remains a free agent.

The Brewers also added Jake Bauers, who batted .202 with a .279 on-base percentage, 12 homers and 30 RBI for the New York Yankees last season. But Hoskins figures to be the Brewers' main first baseman as they hope he maintains the production he provided the Phillies.

Hoskins was a fan favorite in Philadelphia who provided one of the most memorable moments of the Phillies' run to the 2022 World Series when he slammed his bat after hitting a three-run homer off Spencer Strider in Game 3 of their NL Division Series victory over the Atlanta Braves.

The Phillies opted not to pursue a new deal with Hoskins after moving two-time MVP Bryce Harper from the outfield and making him their regular first baseman.

"I'll have very fond memories of my time in Philly and I'll be excited to go back whenever that is [June 3-5]," Hoskins said. "They were up-front with me at the start of the offseason, which I think was probably good for me emotionally, just being able to kind of get a little closure after a weird year and move on to whatever is next, which ended up I think being a great fit here in Milwaukee."

BOSTON -- Jimy Williams, the 1999 American League Manager of the Year for the Boston Red Sox who won 910 games over a dozen seasons that included stints with the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros, has died. He was 80.

The Red Sox said Williams died Friday at AdventHealth North Pinellas Hospital in Tarpon Springs, Florida, after a brief illness. Williams lived in nearby Palm Harbor.

Williams was voted AL Manager of the Year after leading the Red Sox to their second straight playoff appearance. He said keeping calm in a clubhouse was easier than at home.

"I've got a wife and four kids. You want turmoil?" Williams said when he was hired to manage Boston in 1996. "You've got to talk. You can't choose up sides and say, 'Let's see who wins this battle.'"

An infielder, Williams was born James Francis Williams in Santa Maria, California, on Oct. 4, 1943. He was a 1961 graduate of Arroyo Grande High School and first spelled his name Jimy as a prank in high school.

Williams went to Fresno State, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1964 in agri-business. He played summer ball that year with the Alaska Goldpanners alongside Tom Seaver and Graig Nettles. Williams signed with Boston, played at Class A Iowa and was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1965 Rule 5 draft.

Williams made his major league debut on April 26, 1966, striking out against the Los Angeles Dodgers' Sandy Koufax in his first at-bat. His first hit was on May 7, an RBI single off the San Francisco Giants' Juan Marichal, like Koufax a future Hall of Famer.

"I can remember my first big league hit, but when you only get three you can remember them all," he told the Houston Chronicle.

Williams played in 14 major league games, going 3 for 13 (.231) with one RBI.

He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds and spent 1968 at Triple-A Indianapolis, then was taken by Montreal Expos in the expansion draft and played for Triple-A Vancouver in 1969.

His playing career cut short by a shoulder injury, Williams became a manager for the California Angels at Class A Quad Cities of the Midwest League in 1974 and after six seasons managing in the minors became Bobby Mattick's third base coach with Toronto in 1980.

Bobby Cox took over as the Blue Jays' manager in 1982 and when Cox left in 1986 to become the Atlanta Braves' general manager, Williams replaced him in Toronto's dugout.

Toronto went 86-76 in his first season and had a 3-game AL East lead with seven games left in 1987 but went 0-7 and finished two games behind Detroit. The Blue Jays went 87-75 in 1988 and Williams was replaced by Cito Gaston after a 12-24 start in 1989. Williams had clashed several times with star George Bell, who didn't want to be a designated hitter.

Williams returned to the Braves as Cox's third base coach from 1991-96, memorably giving Sid Bream the green light for the pennant-winning run on Francisco Cabrera's single that beat Barry Bonds' throw from left field and won Game 7 of the 1992 NL Championship Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Williams replaced Kevin Kennedy as Boston's manager after the 1996 season. The Red Sox won 78 games in his first season and then had consecutive 90-win seasons. They rallied from a 0-2 deficit to beat Cleveland in a 1999 Division Series.

"I probably see life a lot differently than when I was with Toronto," he said after earning Manager of the Year, "maybe not so excitable, from a standpoint of having to say something all the time."

Boston won 85 games in 2000, and Williams was fired in August 2001 with the team at 65-53.

Williams was hired that fall by the Astros, and after two winning seasons he was fired with the Astros at 44-44 in 2004. He was terminated a day after fans at Minute Maid Park booed him when he was introduced as a coach at the All-Star Game.

Williams' managing record was 910-790.

He spent 2005 and '06 as a Tampa Bay roving instructor and was Charlie Manuel's bench coach for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007 and '08, earning a World Series ring in his second season.

Sons Shawn and Brady both played in the minor leagues, and Brady Williams is the Rays' third base coach while Shawn Williams is a former minor league manager. In addition to his sons, Williams is survived by Peggy, his wife of 47 years; daughters Monica Farr and Jenna Williams; and eight grandchildren. Farr was an All-America swimmer at Texas A&M who won a pair of gold medals at the World University Games.

The Los Angeles Angels agreed to terms on a one-year contract with veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks on Monday, adding him to an outfield mix that includes Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell.

Hicks is still under the seven-year, $70 million contract he originally signed with the New York Yankees, which extends through the 2025 season. The deal pays Hicks $9.5 million in 2024 and $9.5 million in 2025 and includes a $1 million buyout for a club option in 2026. The Yankees are still responsible for all of it minus the major league minimum of $740,000 the Angels will pay him in 2024.

Hicks, 34, was released by the Yankees after slashing just .188/.263/.261 through the first two months of the 2023 season but improved dramatically upon joining the division-rival Baltimore Orioles, his slash line jumping to .275/.381/.425 over the remaining 65 games. Hicks' best stretch came from 2017 to 2020, during which he carried an .819 OPS while accumulating 60 home runs and 8.7 FanGraphs wins above replacement in 338 games.

Hicks is a switch-hitter who has played mostly center field, but he also has plenty of experience at both outfield corners. His addition could free up a path for the Angels to use one of their other outfielders to acquire a starting pitcher or an impact bat via trade, but he also serves as critical depth given the questions surrounding Adell's development.

Hicks' presence isn't expected to prompt Trout to move off center field.

"Mike's our center fielder," Angels general manager Perry Minasian said on a video conference with local reporters. "We've learned this over the last couple of years, at least since I've been here -- you need players that can play multiple positions. You don't know what's gonna happen. He's somebody that's played center; he played center last year for Baltimore in certain instances, obviously a very good team that made the playoffs. He can play right, he can play left, he can really throw, so he's somebody that can help us in a lot of different ways."