Sports News Roundup: Nelson Cruz leads Twins past Braves; Del Potro to have more knee surgery and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Spring training roundup: Nelson Cruz leads Twins past Braves

The ageless Nelson Cruz keeps pounding the ball. Cruz, 40, hit a two-run homer and Jose Berrios pitched 4 2/3 shutout innings, striking out six as the Minnesota Twins shut down the Atlanta Braves 4-2 on Monday at Fort Myers, Fla. Cruz, who has 417 career home runs, hit 37 or more in six consecutive seasons before last year's pandemic-shortened campaign.

South Dakota governor aims to block trans athletes from women's sports nationwide

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem on Monday urged fellow governors, high-profile athletes and everyday citizens nationwide to join an initiative seeking to bar transgender girls and women from participating in female sports. Noem, a Republican, announced her "Defend Title IX Now" effort three days after coming under fire from both sides of the political aisle for rejecting a bill that would ban students designated as male at birth from women's and girls' sports.

Thomas 'ecstatic' at possibility of playing in Tokyo Games

World number two Justin Thomas is "ecstatic" about the possibility of competing in the Tokyo Olympics, as he looks to keep his momentum rolling at WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas, this week. Fresh off his first Players Championship win at TPC Sawgrass a week ago, the 27-year-old American is in prime position to secure a spot at the July 23-Aug. 8 Games -- a tantalizing possibility, Thomas said.

Del Potro to have more knee surgery, still hopeful for Olympics

Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro will undergo more knee surgery this week and hopes to recover in time for the Tokyo Olympics, the former U.S. Open champion said on Monday. The former world number three, who has not fully recovered from a series of knee injuries, said on his Instagram page that he was in Chicago and would undergo knee surgery on Tuesday.

Exclusive: Athletics can play huge role in fixing global health crisis says Coe

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe says that his sport can have a huge influence on helping the post-pandemic world address the global health crisis and is making plans to ensure that it is ready to take on that responsibility. "At this moment, of all moments, there is an unbelievable opportunity for our sport to play a much bigger role than just elite competition, world records etc," Coe told Reuters in an interview to launch his organisation's "Global Conversation" survey.

Lakers great and Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor dies at age 86

Former Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor, regarded as one of the game's all-time great forwards, died of natural causes at the age of 86 on Monday, the NBA team said. The Washington, D.C.-born Baylor was the No. 1 draft pick in 1958 and National Basketball Association Rookie of the Year in 1959. He spent 14 seasons with the Lakers and is considered one of the greatest players never to win a championship.

Report: Mark Emmert orders NCAA probe into tourney disparities

NCAA president Mark Emmert ordered a probe into how the facilities at the women's NCAA Tournament lagged far behind the amenities at the men's NCAA Tournament, according to an ESPN report Monday. In a letter obtained by ESPN, Emmert wrote that the organization will seek to discover "exactly how we found ourselves in this situation."

Dumfries, marquess and former F1 team mate of Senna, dead at 62

Former Formula One driver and Le Mans winner Johnny Dumfries, who was a team mate to Brazilian Ayrton Senna at Lotus in 1986, has died at the age of 62, his family said on Monday. More formally known as John Colum Crichton-Stuart, the seventh Marquess of Bute and Earl of Dumfries, he was heir to one of Scotland's most aristocratic families.

NFL: League to hold in-person 2021 Draft in Cleveland with fans

The 2021 NFL Draft will have a more familiar feel compared to the fully virtual one held last year amid the COVID-19 outbreak as it will feature select player prospects and fans across several Cleveland locations, the league said on Monday. While final numbers were not provided, the league expects to welcome tens of thousands of fans at its NFL Draft Experience, a free and interactive football theme park that will be open each day of the April 29-May 1 mostly outdoor event.

Olympics: Atlanta shooting has increased awareness of attacks on Asian Americans, say Shibutanis

American ice dancers Maia and Alex Shibutani, the first duo of Asian descent to win Olympic medals in the sport, said last week's shootings near Atlanta had made the wider public more aware of reports of a growing number of attacks faced by Asian Americans. Eight people, six of whom were Asian women, were killed in the March 16 rampage and a 21-year-old white man has been charged with the homicides. Police are still investigating the motive.

(With inputs from agencies.)