Minnesota All-Star Jimmy Butler has a meniscal injury to his right knee that the Timberwolves are optimistic will not sideline him rest of the season as they try to end the NBA’s longest playoff drought. The team stopped short of calling the injury a tear, and coach Tom Thibodeau said he didn’t want to speculate on timing. Still, the news Saturday could've been worse for the organization, which feared a season-ending torn ligament after Butler had to be helped off the floor Friday night in a loss at Houston. In his first season with the Timberwolves, Butler has helped lead the team to the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, averaging 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. The Timberwolves have not made the postseason in 13 years . . . Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans will undergo a precautionary MRI on injured right ribs that forced him to miss their game at Miami. Evans is averaging a team-high 19.4 points per game.
BASEBALL
Ohtani roughed up
Shohei Ohtani struggled in his spring pitching debut with the Angels in Tempe, Ariz., allowing a home run and not lasting as long as scheduled. The Japanese phenom didn’t bat against Milwaukee, but he allowed two runs (one earned) and two hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 1⅓ innings. Keon Broxton tagged him for a home run leading off the second inning. ‘‘Besides the results, I mean, I had a lot of fun out there, so I think it went all well,’’ Ohtani said through a translator. Ohtani, 23, spent five seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan before signing with the Angels Dec. 10 . . . Former Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks was carted off the field after injuring his ankle when he collided with left fielder Andrew Pullin chasing a fly ball during the Phillies’ game against the Orioles . . . Tampa Bay top pitching prospect Brent Honeywell has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm and will have Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the season. The 22-year-old righthander was hurt during a batting practice session Thursday at spring training.
The Twins signed 12-year veteran shortstop Erick Aybar to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training. Aybar made his debut with the Angels in 2006 and was their everyday shortstop for seven seasons. He won a Gold Glove award in 2011 and made the All-Star team in 2014. He played last year for San Diego, batting .234 with 11 stolen bases in 333 at-bats . . . Reds signed 36-year-old lefthander Oliver Perez to a minor league contract. Perez, 36, spent the past two seasons with the Nationals.
Yankees minor league prospect Thairo Estrada has increased his workout program after being shot in the right thigh during a robbery attempt in Venezuela last month. The 22-year old infielder, an all-star for Double-A Trenton last season, was entering a restaurant with his wife in his hometown of Bejuma when the incident took place. The bullet remains lodged in soft tissue and there currently are no plans to remove it.
NHL
Sabres’ Kane sits out
Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane, rumored to be on the move before Monday’s trade deadline, was held out of Saturday night’s 5-1 loss the Capitals in Washington. Kane is second on Buffalo with 20 goals behind the injured Jack Eichel and is third in points (44) behind Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly. ‘‘Management thought it was the best decision moving forward and the best decision for Evander,’’ Sabres coach Phil Housley said before the game. Kane becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer . . . The Edmonton Oilers traded defenseman Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders for a 2019 third-round draft pick.
MISCELLANY
Jaguars sign Bortles
The Jacksonville Jaguars signed quarterback Blake Bortles to a three-year, $54 million deal that will keep him under contract through the 2020 season. The deal includes $26.5 million guaranteed. The Jaguars a day earlier handed out two-year extensions to top executive Tom Coughlin, coach Doug Marrone, and general manager Dave Caldwell . . . Kevin Harvick led 137 of 163 laps for his fourth NASCAR Xfinity series victory in six years at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. Harvick finished ahead of Joey Logano and Christopher Bell . . . Top-seeded Elina Svitolina retained her Dubai Championships tennis title in United Arab Emirates with a 6-4, 6-0 win over unseeded Daria Kasatkina. It was the 11th singles title for Svitolina, 23, who had won a tour-high five titles in 2017, and added Brisbane to that list this year. The fourth-ranked Ukrainian improved to 14-2 for the year. Despite the loss, the 20-year-old Kasatkina’s run in the tournament ensures she will move inside the top 20 when the rankings come out Monday . . . American wild-card Francis Tiafoe reached his first career ATP final with a 7-5, 6-4 semifinal victory over Canada's Denis Shapovalov in the Delray Beach (Fla) Open. The 91st-ranked Tiafoe will play Peter Gojowczyk of Germany, a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 winner over American Steve Johnson.
. . . Third-seeded Lucas Pouille remains on course for his second ATP title of the season after beating qualifier Ilya Ivashka, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) to reach the Open 13 final in Marseille, France. The 16th-ranked Pouille will face Karen Khachanov, who beat fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych, 6-3, 6-2.
