Holmgren set to return for Thunder

Chet Holmgren is ready to return to the Thunder lineup. Holmgren is not listed on team’s injury report for its game Friday against the Raptors, indicating that he has finally healed from a fractured hip that had sidelined him since November. And if that wasn’t clear enough, Holmgren took to social media to announce the news himself. “I’m back,” was the signature Holmgren used on a TikTok video he posted Thursday. It’s yet another piece of good news for the Thunder, who are atop the NBA with a 40-9 record and hold a six-game lead over the Grizzlies in the Western Conference standings. They were 8-2 in the season’s first 10 games with Holmgren — and have gone 32-7 since without the 7-foot-1 center. Holmgren — the No. 2 pick behind the Magic’s Paolo Banchero in the 2022 draft — missed the entirety of what would have been his first season in 2022-23 with a foot injury. He played all 82 games last season and was second in the rookie of the year vote behind the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama. Holmgren averaged 16.4 points and 8.7 rebounds this season before getting hurt.

Alonso, Mets agree to 2-year deal

First baseman Pete Alonso is staying with the Mets, agreeing to a two-year, $54 million contract, according to reports Thursday. Alonso gets a $10 million signing bonus and gets salaries of $20 million this year and $24 million in 2026. He can opt out after the 2025 season to become a free agent again. Alonso, who turned 30 on Dec. 7, lingered on the market longer than other top players. Among other free agent first basemen, Christian Walker agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract with the Astros, and Paul Goldschmidt (Yankees) and Carlos Santana (Guardians) accepted one-year agreements. Under his previous agency, Alonso turned down a seven-year, $158 million offer in 2023. He switched representation to Boras after the 2023 season and agreed to a one-year, $20.5 million deal that avoided arbitration. Alonso hit 226 homers over six seasons with the Mets and became a four-time All-Star, but his strikeouts steadily increased to a career high 172 last year while his OPS has dropped to a career-low .788. He was NL Rookie of the Year in 2019.

Day’s reward: Contract extension

Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who led the Buckeyes to the national championship just over two weeks ago, agreed in principle to a seven-year contract valued at $12.5 million a year, the school announced Thursday. The contract, pending approval by the university’s Board of Trustees, runs through the 2031 season and would make Day the second highest-paid coach in the country behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart. Smart makes $13.3 million per year. Day, who earned just over $10 million in 2024, was under fire by fans and media after the Buckeyes lost to rival Michigan for a fourth straight year. Ohio State received an at-large spot in the 12-team playoff and posted impressive wins over Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame for its first national title since 2014. The Buckeyes finished 14-2, losing by one point at Oregon in the regular season before avenging that loss. Day is 70-10 in six seasons, an .875 winning percentage that ranks first among active head coaches. In a statement, he thanked university president Ted Carter, AD Ross Bjork, the trustees and his assistant coaches and players. —AP