Reuters Sports News Summary

MLB Commissioner Manfred 'not confident' of a 2020 season Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said on Monday he is "not confident" a 2020 season will happen now that the players' union broke off talks about a return-to-play plan amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Goodell says he would 'support' signing Kaepernick, seeks input on social justice

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he would "encourage" teams to sign Colin Kaepernick, adding that the league would also welcome the quarterback's off-the-field guidance on social justice. Kaepernick, whose kneeling protests sparked debate and became a symbol of the fight against racial injustice, filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017, claiming collusion as no teams signed him after he parted ways with the San Francisco 49ers. He and the NFL settled in 2019. Report: NBPA discusses playing amid Black Lives Matter movement

Players set to return to the court next month as part of the NBA's restart are discussing the best way to push the "Black Lives Matter" movement to the forefront. Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving and Los Angeles Lakers teammates Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard are just three of the voices behind a coalition of players who have expressed concern that playing will take away from their push for social justice reforms in the wake of the death of George Floyd on May 25. On this day: Born June 17, 1980: Venus Williams, American tennis player

Venus Williams might have been overshadowed by the exploits of her younger sister Serena as a player, but the towering American's place in women's tennis history will extend far beyond her seven Grand Slam singles titles. The elder Williams sister blazed on to the tennis scene in the late 1990s and dominated with her power and athleticism in 2000 and 2001, winning two Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles plus Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles. Horse racing: Trainers adapt to COVID-19 era ahead of Saturday's Belmont

With a shortened distance and owners barred from the stands amid the coronavirus outbreak, the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday will bear little resemblance to previous years. With the traditional third leg of the Triple Crown being contested first, top trainer Todd Pletcher admitted that the season will have an air of unfamiliarity about it when the race is contested without any fans in attendance due to the new protocols in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NASCAR moves All-Star race to Bristol, plans for 30,000 fans

NASCAR moved its showcase July 15 All-Star race to Bristol from its traditional Charlotte Motor Speedway home on Monday and plans to allow up to 30,000 spectators to attend the event. The race was shifted to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in North Carolina. Tokyo 2020 executive says another delay should be an option: Nikkan Sports

Tokyo 2020 board member Haruyuki Takahashi has said a further delay to the already-postponed Olympics should be considered instead of canceling the event if the COVID-19 pandemic does not improve, Japanese daily Nikkan Sports reported on Tuesday. The Japanese government and the International Olympic Committee made the unprecedented decision in March to postpone the Games, originally due to start next month, until 2021. Chadwick set to move up from W Series with Formula Three regional seat

Jamie Chadwick, the first champion of the all-female W Series, may not be back to defend her title next year after securing a coveted seat in the Regional European Formula Three championship. The 22-year-old Briton announced on Tuesday she is moving up the motorsport ladder and taking on the men by joining top Italy-based team Prema. MLB Commissioner Manfred 'not confident' of a 2020 season

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said on Monday he is "not confident" a 2020 season will happen now that the players' union broke off talks about a return-to-play plan amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Manfred's comments, made during an appearance on ESPN's 'The Return of Sports' special, are a dramatic shift in tone given just last week he pegged the likelihood of a 2020 season as "100%." Americans 'selfish' to go ahead with U.S. Open - Kyrgios

Australian Nick Kyrgios says the United States Tennis Association is being "selfish" by pressing ahead with the U.S. Open on its original dates from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13. Multiple media reports on Monday said the USTA would confirm the Grand Slam tournament would go ahead without fans despite New York City still recording hundreds of new COVID-19 cases every day. Bettman defends NHL's expansion playoff format

Commissioner Gary Bettman stands by the NHL's decision to admit 24 teams into the playoffs when action restarts this summer. With the regular season declared complete and 24 teams headed to the newly revised postseason, 77 percent of the league's teams will be in the playoffs.