The St. Louis Cardinals are bringing back Yadier Molina for an 18th season, the team announced Monday.

St. Louis agreed to a one-year, $9 million deal with the catcher, a source told ESPN's Jesse Rogers, confirming multiple reports.

Molina is a rarity, having spent his entire career -- 2,025 games -- with the Cardinals. The only two players to play more games in a Cardinals uniform in franchise history are Hall of Famers Stan Musial (3,026) and Lou Brock (2,289).

Molina shared a video of his career highlight on Instagram on Monday and ended it with the words "I'm back."

The nine-time All-Star played 42 of 60 games during the pandemic-shortened season, hitting .262 with four home runs and 16 RBIs.

Molina also became the 12th catcher in major league history to join the 2,000-hit club, and his 2,001 hits currently rank fifth among all active players (and sixth in Cardinals franchise history). Behind the plate, Molina has been a steadying influence for the Cardinals' pitching staff while also being credited with 170 defensive runs saved as a catcher since 2004.

He has caught 1,989 games, the most with a single franchise in major league history and No. 6 all time among all catchers.

"I think about [the Hall of Fame]," Molina told ESPN before last season. "When I started my career, I had to overcome a lot of obstacles. ... All I've done is work hard to get better and better every single year to become the best catcher I can be. And my numbers are obviously there. I think that, because of the way I catch, that I'm one of the best catchers to have ever played in baseball."

Molina, 38, tested positive for COVID-19 in August as the Cardinals were hit by an outbreak just three games into the 2020 season.

He was critical of the statistical-based process -- without the usual input from managers or coaches -- used to determine the Gold Glove finalists in 2020. The nine-time winner, which ranks third among catchers, had hoped to tie Hall of Famer Johnny Bench for second with 10.

Molina has been a key component to the Cardinals' success over the years, having helped lead the team to four National League pennants and two World Series titles. He has a career .281 average with 160 home runs, 932 RBIs, 66 stolen bases and has caught 350 of the would-be 869 baserunners trying to steal a base (40% success rate).

NEW YORK -- Seven-inning doubleheaders and runners on second base to start extra innings will return for a second straight season under an agreement for 2021 health protocols reached Monday between Major League Baseball and the players' association.

The deal did not include last year's experimental rule to extend the designated hitter to the National League or expanded playoffs. After allowing 16 teams in the postseason last year instead of 10, MLB had proposed 14 for this year before withdrawing that plan last month.

Last year's expanded playoffs agreement did not come together until hours before the season's first pitch.

"We're comfortable with both rules," San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler wrote in a text to the AP. "It seems like most were good with them in '20, and with a year of familiarity under our belts, we'll tackle them fine."

There were 78 extra-inning games last year, and the longest by innings were a pair of 13-inning contests at Houston, won by the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 29 and by Oakland on Aug. 7. Every previous season since 1901 had at least one game of 15 innings or longer.

"During a season with the possible delays from COVID, I think the seven-inning and runner on second rules will help any teams make up for lost time," Arizona catcher Stephen Vogt wrote in a text to The Associated Press. "I would love to get back to traditional baseball ASAP, but I like them for the 2021 season."

There were 45 games postponed for COVID-19-related reasons and just two were not made up, between St. Louis and Detroit. In order to accomplish that, there were 56 doubleheaders, the most since 76 in 1984. About 12% of games were part of doubleheaders, the highest percentage since 13.6 in 1978.

"I actually liked both the seven-inning doubleheaders and the runner on second," Oakland manager Bob Melvin wrote in a text to the AP. "I was skeptical at first, but they both were successful in my opinion."

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker agrees with keeping the experiment because it "saves pitching" during the pandemic.

"I don't mind either rule," Baker said in a text to the AP. "Besides, what are you gonna do?"

The agreement includes more sophisticated contact tracing for COVID-19 that includes the use of technology, and more league rules on behavior to comply with coronavirus protocols.

Spring training opens Feb. 17, and the season starts April 1. The union last week rejected MLB's proposal to delay spring training and opening day until April 28, a plan that would have led to a compressed schedule of 154 games per team instead of the usual 162.

The extended DH was included in last year's health and safety protocols. MLB would not include it in this year's after the union rejected the proposal for a delay in the season that included the DH being used again in the NL.

Last season's start was delayed from March 26 to July 23 because of the pandemic, and each team's schedule was cut to 60 games.

Prop Wyn Jones feels Wales owe Scotland one in Saturday's Six Nations match after losing to them in the autumn.

Having lost to Scotland at home for the first time since 2002 last October, Jones says Wales will seek to avenge that when they travel to Murrayfield.

"Definitely, as this is the Six Nations there is more at stake," he said.

"We'll just go up there and try and right the wrongs of last time."

Scotland's momentous win over England was their first at Twickenham since 1983 and their fourth successive Six Nations victory.

"Scotland showed they were a very good side on Saturday," said Scarlets prop Jones.

"They took their chances, defended well and deservedly were winners.

"We know what threats Scotland bring and we know that from the autumn. We look forward to that game."

Wales' 21-16 victory over Ireland came at a price, with head coach Wayne Pivac describing his team as "walking wounded" after suffering numerous injuries.

Flanker Dan Lydiate, centre Johnny Williams, outside back Hallam Amos and scrum-half Tomos Williams will miss Saturday's encounter with Scotland.

"As with any international game you've got bumps and bruises," said Jones.

"It's a shame that 'Lyds' went off pretty early. Otherwise everyone else is walking about and doing alright. We'll see how the injuries are and go from there."

Wales have the additional issue of having one day fewer than Scotland to recover for Saturday's match at Murrayfield, having played a day later last weekend.

"I'm sure some of the boys who've put long shifts in will have their recovery and then we'll hit the ground running," Jones added.

"It's rugby, you carry bumps and bruises, it's part of the game now. We'll make sure everyone is right for next Saturday."

CORONA, Calif. – Lucas Oil Products Inc. announces the promotion and addition of three key members to its leadership team.

Katie Lucas has been named the Vice President of Strategy and Philanthropy and Megan Burakiewicz is now the Director of People Operations. Additionally, the Lucas Oil racing division welcomes the promotion of Dan Robinson as Vice President of Motorsports Operations.

In Katie Lucas’ role as Vice President of Strategy and Philanthropy, she will oversee company strategy and business development initiatives, as well as design and implement a corporate social responsibility strategy with a concentration on philanthropy and employee engagement.

“Katie is a fantastic leader and a passionate advocate and supporter of Lucas Oil’s corporate social responsibility efforts, which have been at the heart of our company since the beginning,” said Forrest Lucas, CEO, Lucas Oil Products. “Katie will play a critical role in expanding the Lucas Oil footprint by establishing the vision, strategy and approach to enable future growth and expansion and we are thrilled she will be a part of our dynamic leadership team.”

In addition to advancing Lucas Oil’s global standing, she will focus on structuring and delivering an effective communication strategy both internally and externally to ensure alignment with corporate culture and business objectives. She brings more than 15 years of leadership experience, business development and strategic communication to the position.

“It is a privilege to not only be able to work for, but also learn from Forrest and Charlotte. I am humbled by their confidence in me and I am eager to work with the executive leadership team on creating and implementing a comprehensive strategic plan and growth strategy,” said Katie Lucas.

Katie Lucas earned her Bachelor of Science in Business from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in 2005. She started her career with the Indianapolis Colts in corporate sales and moved to Creative Marketing Solutions as Director of Business Development before joining Lucas Oil Products.

Katie Lucas currently serves on the Board of the Ascension St. Vincent Foundation and EDGE Mentoring. She is a former Big Brothers Big Sisters Board Member as well as Big Sister. Her other non-profit affiliations include Wheeler Mission, Open Hearts Foundation, Make-A-Wish and the Indianapolis Colts Women’s Organization.

In Burakiewicz’s new role as Director of People Operations, she will focus on fostering the continued growth and progression of the company from within, working closely with Lucas Oil employees to ensure the most effective and rewarding work environment possible.

“We are excited to bring Megan on board to help advance the company from within and strengthen our cultural values,” commented Morgan Lucas. “Our team members have always been of the utmost importance to us, and with Megan’s help we will find ways to better our work environments as well as the creation of pathways for employees to grow within Lucas Oil Products.”

Burakiewicz brings 14 years of business operations experience to the position, providing her with a keen understanding of the needs of the company’s internal team and the value of camaraderie.

“The Lucas Oil story is so inspiring. This company has the perfect ingredients for success: a strong sense of purpose, a team of problem solvers and leaders who care about their people,” commented Burakiewicz. “It makes my job easy – give people the tools and support they need to be happy and effective. I’m honored to come alongside the Lucas Oil team as we carry forward the innovative spirit the company was founded on and continue to deliver quality solutions to our consumers.”

In Robinsons’ new role as Vice President of Motorsports Operations he will be responsible for all operational aspects of three unique large-scale motorsports operations, including financial performance, operations, marketing, sponsorships, staffing, human resources, safety, scheduling and event planning.

“Dan’s knowledge and experience of the grassroots motorsports industry will help us build on what is an integral part of our marketing strategy,” said Morgan Lucas. “Dan has earned this role with what he has accomplished in Wheatland and we are proud to have him leading our motorsports promotional efforts.”

Over the course of more than a decade within Lucas Oil’s racing division Robinson has overseen the growth of Wheatland, Missouri’s Lucas Oil Speedway into one of the country’s premier motorsports multiplexes, and most recently helped raise the profile of both the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League and Lucas Oil Midwest Latemodel Racing Association. He’s enjoyed a long and successful career elevating a diverse array of racing disciplines at the grassroots level and that wealth of experience will bring an unparalleled level of knowledge and awareness to Lucas Oil’s overall motorsports efforts.

“I’ve been blessed to work with a tremendous team at Lucas Oil Speedway since 2009 and to have accomplished so much, with everyone working together,” said Robinson. “From employees to drivers, fans and sponsors, I’ve made lifelong friends and memories that will stay with me forever. It’s exciting to accept a new challenge as Vice President of Motorsports Operations for a great American company that truly loves motorsports on every level, from grassroots racing to national-touring series.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After visiting victory lane 24 times in NASCAR Cup Series competition during the previous four seasons, Martin Truex Jr. basked in confetti only once last season.

Despite the apparent drop-off, in reality the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team wasn’t that far off.

If it wasn’t for a loose wheel in the Round of 8 cutoff at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, when Truex was second when he needed to pit with 26 laps to go, he likely would have advanced to his fourth straight Championship 4 appearance. Ultimately, that wasn’t the case, and now Truex and company are focused on bridging the execution gap to regain Championship 4 form.

“Last year did not go the way we wanted,” Truex said Friday during Daytona 500 media availability. “We had a lot of close calls and had some races we probably should have won and things didn’t go the way we needed to, or we screwed them up. That always makes you angry and makes you want to go back and redo it or retry it. I think we are better prepared this year, for sure, as a unit.”

“We have to get our cars better,” he added. “We have to make better decisions. I have to drive better, make less mistakes and that’s really what it boils down to. We are looking forward to that challenge.”

It is hard to sustain a pace of six wins per year and be in the Championship 4 yet again, but that’s the expectation Truex has set since 2016. The major wrinkle, though, is that Cole Pearn, the crew chief who steered Truex to his lone Cup Series championship in 2017, is no longer with the team.

James Small inherited pit-box duties after Pearn left NASCAR racing at the end of 2019. He and Truex took their lumps last year, but Pearn and Truex went through similar growing pains to reach peak production.

Truex and Pearn won just once in their first year together in 2015. The year after, they rattled off four wins. In 2017, they surged to eight victories and a championship. Eleven more wins and a pair of Championship 4 appearances followed in 2018 and ’19, respectively.

In 2020, championship speed and opportunities were there. Truex finished with 14 top-five finishes, 23 top-10 results and led 950 laps, which all ranked top five in the series.

“I’m optimistic that we will have a better season,” Truex said. “I think last year that we had a lot of near misses, a lot of tough breaks, a lot of great race cars along the way. Obviously, [there were] some races [where] we were off, and we didn’t do the job we should have or needed to. I think last year there were a lot of unique challenges without having practice and that’s probably one of the biggest things that hurt us, especially the first half of the year, when we came back from the COVID shutdown.”

Truex knows that performing during the stretch run of the playoffs is important.

“It’s difficult to have a great season and not get it done,” Truex said. “At the end of the day, this is the challenge we are faced with and you’ve got to make the best of it. At the end of the day, the best team wins, no matter how they get there.”

Next Sunday marks Truex’s 17th attempt to win the Daytona 500, which hasn’t gone his way in recent years. He’s crashed out of the last two events and in 2018 a mid-race incident put him multiple laps down.

Evading the carnage and winning wouldn’t just be his first Daytona 500 victory, but his first superspeedway win, too.

“It would be huge,” Truex said. “We’ve been trying for a long time. It’s a tough race to win. We’ve been really close. I think for us, trying how to be better at speedway racing is something in general that we’ve worked on over the last handful of years.

“The biggest thing is trying to figure out a way to get to the end of the race and that’s the biggest thing,” he added. “I feel like every time we make it to the end of one of these speedway races, we’re in the hunt and we have a chance.”

TORONTO -- The Maple Leafs will be without Wayne Simmonds until mid-March.

The team announced Monday that the bruising winger is set to miss six weeks after suffering a broken wrist in Saturday's 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

Simmonds, 32, scored twice in the game but took a clearing attempt off his left arm in the third period. The injury was looked at by a trainer on the bench before Simmonds headed to the locker room for more treatment.

The Toronto native, who signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract in free agency to play in his hometown with the Leafs looking to add grit and leadership, failed to register a point in the first half-dozen games of the abbreviated schedule but scored five times in his past six outings.

A presence in front of the net on one of Toronto's power-play units, Simmonds skated with John Tavares and William Nylander as part of the team's second lines the past two games.

"He's a big loss for us," Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of Simmonds prior to Monday's game at Scotiabank Arena against Vancouver. "He's been playing well, not just with his play, but he brings a lot to our room in a lot of other areas. That certainly will be missed."

The club is already minus another veteran with 41-year-old Joe Thornton still recovering from a fractured rib suffered Jan. 20, while rookie Nick Robertson has been out three weeks since sustaining a knee injury. Both wingers were given four-week timetables for their return to the lineup.

The NHL is extending the postponements for the Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils as those teams recover from COVID-19 outbreaks among players.

The league announced Monday that two additional Sabres games (Feb. 11 and Feb. 13 against the Capitals); three more Devils games (Feb. 11 and Feb. 13 against the Flyers, and Feb. 15 vs. the Bruins) and two Wild games (Feb. 11 vs. the Blues and Feb. 13 vs. the Kings) have been postponed because of COVID-19 protocols.

The Sabres had originally been postponed through at least Feb. 8., the Wild through at least Tuesday and the Devils through at least this past Saturday. A decision on the three teams' resumption of practice and game play will be made by medical groups from the NHL, NHLPA and teams in the coming days.

As of Sunday's league COVID-19 protocol-related absences report, the Sabres had nine players listed, while the Devils had 16 players and the Wild had nine.

The Avalanche, who had three players on the list, have their games on hold through at least Thursday as well.

Wild general manager Bill Guerin said there had been a plan to return his team to the ice, but that additional positive cases meant more time away from the rink.

"I think we'd be better off just taking the extra time and making sure our guys here are healthy. If we have to wait a few more days, we have to wait a few more days," he said on Monday. "I don't think this is something that we kinda want to cram a round peg into a square hole. Let's just wait it out and be patient and do the right thing and we'll be OK in the end."

The NHL has postponed 33 games since the season started on Jan. 13. There are 15 games that have yet to be rescheduled.

Here's a look at what's happening on the PGA Tour this week, and how you can watch it:

PGA Tour

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Thursday-Sunday, Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Pebble Beach, Calif.

Course specs: Pebble Beach – Par 72, 7,051 yards, designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant; Spyglass Hill – Par 72, 7,041 yards, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.

Purse: $7.8 million ($1,404,000 to winner)

Defending champion: Nick Taylor (shot 19 under and sped away from the pack to win by four shots)

Notables in the field: Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Paul Casey, Will Zalatoris, Kamaiu Johnson, Kevin Hall, Brian Gay, Rory Sabbatini, Davis Riley, Andy Ogletree, Peter Malnati, John Daly, K.J. Choi, Kenny Pigman, Beau Hossler, Kiradech Aphibarnrat

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Wednesday, AT&T Every Shot Counts Charity Challenge, 6-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)

After winning Sunday in Saudi Arabia, Dustin Johnson heads straight to Pebble Beach and will be the betting favorite for this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Johnson is listed at +360 odds by PointsBet Sportsbook, ahead of Patrick Cantlay (+900) and Daniel Berger (+1800). The world No. 1 is on fire since missing the cut at Memorial and then withdrawing from the 3M Open last summer. In his past nine starts he has three wins, three seconds, one third and only one finish worse than T-6 (a T-11 at Kapalua).

In this event, Johnson has made 13 starts, winning twice (2009 and ’10) and posting six other top-10s. However, he won’t have his usual amateur partner. Hockey great Wayne Gretzky, the dad of Johnson’s fiancée Paulina, won’t be competing after the pro-am portion of this event was scrapped because of the pandemic.

Here is a look at the notable odds to win this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am:

• +360: Dustin Johnson
• +900: Patrick Cantlay
• +1800: Daniel Berger
• +2000: Paul Casey
• +2500: Jordan Spieth, Jason Day
• +2900: Francesco Molinari
• +3400: Si Woo Kim
• +4000: Max Homa, Cameron Davis, Sam Burns
• +5000: Brian Harman, Phil Mickelson, Kevin Streelman, Rickie Fowler, Henrik Norlander, Cameron Tringale

For full and most updated odds, click here.

A U.S. Court of Appeals is letting a federal judge in Nevada decide claims by a woman suing football star Cristiano Ronaldo over a $375,000 hush-money settlement reached in a rape case more than a decade ago.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey said in September she would decide whether Kathryn Mayorga was mentally fit to enter the confidentiality agreement with Ronaldo's representatives in 2010.

Mayorga's attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, appealed part of Dorsey's ruling that said a dispute over the legality of the agreement was eligible for arbitration. The ruling also allowed Ronaldo's attorneys to keep documents out of the case and stated that the case was not eligible for a jury trial.

The order by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco was dated Jan. 13 and an attorney for Ronaldo in Las Vegas, Peter Christiansen, declined comment Monday about the case being returned to Dorsey.

Stovall did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment.

The Associated Press generally doesn't name people who say they are victims of sexual assault, but Mayorga gave consent through Stovall in 2018 to be identified.

Mayorga, now 37, is a former teacher and model who lives in the Las Vegas area.

Stovall acknowledges she received money not to talk about meeting Ronaldo at a Las Vegas nightclub in 2009 and going with him and other people to his hotel suite where she alleges he sexually assaulted her in a bedroom. She was 25 at the time. He was 24.

Mayorga went public with the account in a lawsuit filed by Stovall in Nevada state court in September 2018. The case was moved to federal court a few months later.

Mayorga alleges that Ronaldo or his associates violated the confidentiality agreement by allowing reports of it to appear in European publications in 2017.

Ronaldo, 36, of Portugal, is one of the richest athletes in the world. He plays in Italy for the Turin-based football club Juventus and captains his home country's national team.

Through his lawyers, he has maintained sex with Mayorga was consensual.