Jordan Spieth has been playing golf for a month without pain and plans to return from wrist surgery at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, ending his longest stretch without competition and looking at his time off as a chance to reset.

He first injured his wrist in May 2023 when the extensor carpi ulnaris tendon (ECU) would pop out of the sheath. It reached a point where he decided to have surgery Aug. 21 in Colorado to rebuild the sheath.

Spieth said he went nearly 12 weeks before he could hit balls, and then another month before he played his first round.

Spieth spoke on his way to practice at Trinity Forest in Dallas before going to the Cotton Bowl for the Texas-Ohio State college football semifinal game.

Pro basketball

Lakers coach Redick confirms home was lost in fire >> Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has confirmed his family lost its home in the raging wildfire in Pacific Palisades earlier this week.

Redick became emotional when he spoke about the fire’s impact for the first time after practice with the Lakers, who are currently scheduled to return to action Saturday against San Antonio.

“I’m not sure I’ve wept or wailed like that in several years,” Redick said.

Redick said the rented home burned down Tuesday while the Lakers were on the road in Dallas. Redick’s wife, Chelsea, and their two sons were safely away from the neighborhood, but Redick drove into Pacific Palisades on Wednesday to see the fire’s impact.

Pelicans’ Jones out indefinitely >> New Orleans Pelicans forward and top defensive player Herb Jones has a posterior labrum tear in his right shoulder that will sideline him indefinitely, the club announced.

Jones underwent an MRI on Thursday after leaving Wednesday night’s loss to Portland.

Jones also missed 18 games earlier this season because of an injury in the same shoulder before returning on Dec. 5 and starting 16 consecutive games.

Baseball

Yankees fans banned >> Major League Baseball has banned two fans who interfered with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during a World Series game at Yankee Stadium from attending any games at big league ballparks.

MLB sent a letter to Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen this week informing them of the decision.

The fans were ejected from the game on Oct. 29 and banned from Game 5 the following night.

Orioles agree to deal with Kittredge >> The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract with reliever Andrew Kittredge, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

The deal includes a $9 million salary this year and a $9 million team option for 2026 with a $1 million buyout.

Motor sports

Federal judge denies NASCAR’s motions to dismiss >> A federal judge has denied NASCAR’s motions to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit filed against the stock car series.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina also denied NASCAR’s request that two teams — 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports — be ordered to post a bond to cover fees they would not be legally owed if they lose the case.

23XI Racing, a team co-owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, and Front Row Motorsports, which is owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, are suing NASCAR to compete with charter recognition throughout the 2025 season.

NASCAR and the teams that compete in the top Cup Series operate with a franchise system that was implemented in 2016 in which 36 cars have “charters” that guarantee them a spot in the field at every race and financial incentives. There are four “open” spots earmarked for the field each week.

Tennis

Sinner gets April date for appeal hearing >> Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner will go to sport’s highest court in April for the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal that seeks to ban him from the sport for at least one year.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it scheduled a closed-doors hearing on April 16-17 at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

WADA is challenging a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) not to suspend Sinner for what it judged was accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid last March.

Monfils reaches ATP final in Auckland >> Gael Monfils became the second oldest player since 1990 to reach a final on the men’s elite tennis tour after beating American Nishesh Basavareddy 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the semifinals at Auckland aged 38 years, 131 days.

Ivo Karlovic holds the ATP Tour record, having won through to final in Pune, India, in 2019 at the age of 39 years, 311 days. Monfils edges Stan Wawrinka who was aged 38 years and 124 days when he reached the final at Umag, Croatia, in 2023.

Monfils will face Zizou Bergs of Belgium in Saturday’s final.

Soccer

Fraser hired to coach Toronto >> Robin Fraser was hired by Toronto, his third Major League Soccer head coaching job after Chivas USA and Colorado.

Fraser, 58, replaced John Herdman, who quit in November after about 14 months. Toronto missed the playoffs, finishing 11th in the 15-team Eastern Conference with 11 wins, 19 losses and four draws.

Fraser agreed to a contract through the 2027 season.

Potter era starts with FA Cup elimination >> The Graham Potter era at West Ham got off to a disappointing and controversial start when Aston Villa came from behind to beat Potter’s side 2-1 and knock it out of the FA Cup.

A former Swansea, Brighton and Chelsea coach, Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui this week to return to management after almost two years out the game.

But after its bright start his team ceded too much possession and territory to Villa and it is the home side that goes into the fourth round seeking a first FA Cup win since 1957.

In the night’s other game, third-tier Wycombe scored twice in the first half to advance past second-division Portsmouth 2-0.

Olympics

Roger Lebranchu, France’s oldest male Olympian, dies at 102 >> Roger Lebranchu, a World War II veteran who survived Nazi concentration camps and was the oldest French male Olympian, has died. He was 102.

The French Rowing Federation announced Lebranchu’s death.

A member of the French rowing team at the 1948 Olympic Games, Lebranchu was also a former member of the Resistance.

During the war, Lebranchu refused to take part in the Obligatory Labour Service and joined the Resistance in south-eastern France. He was arrested in 1943 and deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp and its annex at Schönebeck.

He managed to escape when the camp was evacuated in 1945.