Sports News Roundup: North Korea drops out of Tokyo Olympics; Barty ready for slow transition to clay and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

MLB roundup: Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. hurt in Giants' win

Mike Yastrzemski, who was a late scratch from the starting lineup due to a sore left hand, belted a pinch-hit home run to break a seventh-inning tie and lead the visiting San Francisco Giants to a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday. However, the loss of a second straight game wasn't the Padres' biggest concern. Fernando Tatis Jr. sustained a partial dislocation of his left shoulder on a swinging third strike in the third inning and immediately left the game in considerable pain.

North Korea drops out of Tokyo Olympics citing COVID-19, dashing South Korea hopes

North Korea will not join the Tokyo Olympics this year due to coronavirus concerns, the country's sports ministry said on Tuesday, dashing South Korean hopes the Games could be a catalyst to revive stalled peace talks. It will be the first time North Korea has missed a Summer Olympics since it boycotted Seoul in 1988 amid the Cold War.

NBA roundup: Kyrie Irving scores 40, James Harden hurt in Nets' win

Kyrie Irving scored 40 points, including a critical 3-pointer in the final minute, and Jeff Green made a pair of free throws with 3.7 seconds left to seal the host Brooklyn Nets' 114-112 comeback win over the New York Knicks on Monday. The Nets, playing the second leg of a back-to-back, carried over some of the struggles from their 115-107 loss Sunday in Chicago. Brooklyn fell behind by 10 points at halftime and lost James Harden after just four minutes due to hamstring tightness.

After Miami high, Barty ready for slow transition to clay

Ash Barty is pleased with how her body coped with tough conditions during her successful title defense at the Miami Open but the world number one is being careful not to rush things as she transitions to the clay season in Charleston this week. The Australian spent most of the last year at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Miami was her first tournament abroad since February 2020.

Baylor ends Gonzaga's perfect run, wins NCAA title

Baylor star Jared Butler claims he wasn't aware of the score as the Bears opened Monday night's NCAA Tournament championship game in ferocious fashion. However, he didn't really need to take a glance to know that things were going exceedingly well against undefeated Gonzaga.

Olympics: Tokyo organisers hit by test event cancellations for some pool sports

Tokyo Olympic organizers grappled with the cancellation of test events for several pool sports just days after they were restarted, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt preparations for the start of the Summer Games in July. The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has canceled Olympic qualifiers for diving and artistic swimming that were to double as test events this month and next, the calendar on its website shows.

Natural order restored as spectators return to Augusta National

The natural order was restored -- kind of -- as Masters week began under an azure April sky in front of appreciative spectators at Augusta National on Monday. Five months after a unique November Masters that was staged with virtually no spectators due to coronavirus concerns, a limited gallery of a few thousand has been allowed onto the hallowed grounds this week.

Georgia voting debate reaches the Masters and Augusta National

Golfers arriving for The Masters at Augusta National on Monday were nudged into addressing Georgia's new voting restrictions debate, but tried to steer clear of the controversy including Major League Baseball's decision to remove the All-Star Game from Atlanta over the issue. The Masters is the year's first golf major and one of the most popular annual sports events. Often described as Spring Break for CEOs, the tournament is a magnet for America's corporate elite, some of whom belong to Augusta National, which has gone to great lengths in the past to shield its members.

Fans pack stands as Texas Rangers welcome full capacity

Baseball fans packed the stands of Globe Life Field on Monday after the Texas Rangers opened their doors to 100% capacity, making the game the first North American sporting event without attendance restrictions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team said it was a sellout, with 38,238 in attendance under an open roof on a sunny day at the Arlington, Texas, stadium, the only one in baseball to allow full capacity after Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the state to fully reopen last month.

NBA: Curry to auction 'Bruce Lee shoes' for families of Atlanta shooting victims

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry will auction a pair of custom game-worn shoes featuring a picture of martial arts icon Bruce Lee to raise money for the families of last month's Atlanta-area shootings victims. Curry wore the yellow, white and black shoes -- designed with the Bruce Lee Foundation and featuring Lee's famous quote "under the heavens, there is but one family" -- during Sunday's 117-111 defeat by the Atlanta Hawks.