National Sports

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Friday that they have signed right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole to a minor league deal, with an invite to spring training. Cole appeared in 24 games for the Blue Jays in 2020, compiling a 3-0 record with a 3.

Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry will sit out Friday night against the Sacramento Kings, with the team citing "personal reasons" on the pre-game injury report.

LOS ANGELES — Vignettes from the life and career of Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda. He died Thursday at age 93.

Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski will soon be Australia-bound to kick off a tennis season shrouded in uncertainty. Along the way she plans to continue doing her part to help build the four-player game.

After helping Finland capture bronze at the world junior hockey championship this week in Edmonton, Ville Heinola was ready for a bit of a break. An entire week off from hockey wasn't quite what he had in mind.

EDMONTON — Curling Alberta has cancelled plans to hold its provincial championships later this month in Sylvan Lake, Alta., due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NexSource Centre was tabbed to host the Jan. 25-Feb.

Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro raced home from practice on Friday to watch themselves win the pair short program at the Skate Canada Challenge.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.

The NHL said Friday that six Dallas Stars players and two staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 in a development that will push back the opener for the defending Western Conference champions by nearly a week.

The NHL's one-time-only, all-Canadian division cleared its final hurdle Friday. Developments south of the border related to COVID-19, however, were far less encouraging.