Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is considering a petition to have Pete Rose posthumously removed from Major League Baseball’s ineligible list, according to a person familiar with the situation.

ESPN was the first to report on the reinstatement petition filed by Jeffrey Lenkov, a Southern California lawyer who represented Rose prior to his death at age 83 in September.

Lenkov attended a Dec. 17 meeting with Rose’s daughter, Fawn, Manfred and MLB executive Pat Courtney in the commissioner’s office. The petition was filed Jan. 8.

An investigation for MLB by lawyer John M. Dowd found Rose placed numerous bets on the Cincinnati Reds to win from 1985-87 while playing for and managing the team. Rose agreed with MLB on a permanent ban in 1989.

Lenkov told ESPN he is seeking Rose’s removal from the banned list “so that we could seek induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which had long been his desire and is now being sought posthumously by his family.” He described Manfred as respectful, gracious and an active participant during their one-hour meeting in December.

President Donald Trump posted on social media on Friday night that he plans to issue “a complete PARDON of Pete Rose.” Trump posted on Truth Social that Rose “shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING.”

Pirates’ Skenes makes 1st Grapefruit league appearance >> Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes got a chance to showcase his expanded repertoire to opposing hitters while pitching in a Grapefruit League game for the first time this year.

The 22-year-old struck out four and allowed four hits, one walk and one run in three innings Saturday in the Pirates’ 5-2 victor over the Baltimore Orioles.

Yankees’ Stanton out to start the season >> New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will begin the season on the injured list because of elbow injuries.

Stanton has received platelet-rich plasma injections in both of his elbows, according to the New York Post.

The 35-year-old Stanton hit .233 with 27 homers and 72 RBIs in 114 games last season. He had seven homers and 16 RBIs in 14 postseason games and was the ALCS MVP when the Yankees eliminated the Cleveland Guardians.

College basketball

Mashack hits long 3-pointer at buzzer to lift No. 5 Tennessee >> Jahmai Mashack raced up the court and hit a 3-pointer from well beyond the arc at the buzzer to give No. 5 Tennessee a 79-76 victory over No. 6 Alabama.

The Volunteers (24-5, 11-5 Southeastern Conference) got the final shot by forcing a five-second inbounds violation under Alabama’s basket with 3.8 seconds left.

Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey each scored 18 points for Tennessee. Zakai Zeigler had 15, and Mashack finished with 11.

Mark Sears led Alabama (23-6, 12-4) with 24 points. Labaron Philan had 13, and Aden Holloway added 11.

No. 1 Auburn rolls No. 17 Kentucky >> Miles Kelly scored a season-high 30 points to lead No. 1 Auburn to a 94-78 win over No. 17 Kentucky.

The Tigers (27-2, 15-1 SEC) won their sixth straight game and clinched at least a tie for the SEC regular-season title. Auburn won in Lexington for the first time since a 53-52 triumph over then-No. 1 Kentucky in 1988.

Chad Baker-Mazara followed Kelly with 22 points and Tahaad Pettiford scored 21.

Hockey

Rangers trade Lindgren and Vesey >> The Avalanche acquired defenseman Ryan Lindgren and winger Jimmy Vesey from the New York Rangers for a second- and a fourth-round pick, young forward Juuso Parssinen and veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan. They also got the rights to unsigned prospect Hank Kempf.

The Rangers are retaining half of Lindgren’s salary. The Rangers will receive the better of their own or Carolina’s pick in the second round and the better of Carolina’s or Vancouver’s in the fourth round of the draft later this year, the person said.

Wild acquire Nyquist >> Minnesota got pending free agent winger Gustav Nyquist from Nashville for a 2026 second-round pick. The Predators are retaining half of Nyquist’s salary.

Golf

Knapp hangs onto lead at Cognizant Classic >> Jake Knapp survived a wild day at the Cognizant Classic and avoided calamity at the troublesome par-3 15th by making a pair of late birdies for a 3-under 68 and a one-shot lead going into the final round at PGA National.

Knapp opened the tournament with a 59.

Right behind was Michael Kim — and nearly two dozen others.

Tennis

Tsitsipas wins Dubai Championships >> Stefanos Tsitsipas secured his first ATP 500 title by beating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3 in the Dubai Championships final.

The 11th-ranked Tsitsipas lost all 11 previous finals he played in ATP 500 events — including in Dubai in 2019 and 2020 — but needed just under 90 minutes to claim his 12th career title and first of the year.

No. 21-ranked Auger-Aliassime was seeking what would have been a tour-leading third win for 2025.

Soccer

Palace advance to FA Cup quarterfinals >> Crystal Palace beat 10-man Millwall 3-1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup after visiting goalkeeper Liam Roberts was sent off early for kicking forward Jean-Philippe Mateta in the face.

Roberts’ wild attempt to make a clearance led to Mateta having to be carried off on a stretcher and taken to a hospital with a head injury, with Palace chairman Steve Parish describing it as “the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen.”