The arrival of Robert Griffin, the potential return of Josh Gordon, the flexibility of a new offense and tasks of a new strength-and-conditioning team highlight the eight-week program.

Cleveland Indians are ignored by Sports Illustrated as a contender, but other places like the Tribe.

CLEVELAND, OHIO -- A year ago, Sports Illustrated picked the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series.

That seemed ridiculous.

But ESPN had 15 of its experts pick the American League Central Division winner. Six of them favored the Tribe. No other team had more than three votes.

"I feel very good about this year's team," said Tribe owner Paul Dolan. "But I felt very good about last year's team, too."

The Indians ended up at 81-80, but a 7-14 start in April killed any semblance of Indian fever for the season.

"We started badly and buried ourselves," said Dolan. "We ended up with a winning season but hardly anyone knows because it didn't feel like it."

Dolan said the early season was "one of the hardest times" in his 16 years as owners. Like many of his team's fans, Dolan had expectations for a fun summer watching a contender.

"The good thing is we did play well in the second half," he said. "Look at what Francisco Lindor did when he came up from the minors."

The Indians bottomed at 49-58 when they traded Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher to Atlanta. They were 32-22 after that.

"I really believe we can carry that over into this season," said Dolan. "Early in the season, we were not particularly watchable. That changed as the year went along."

Analytics sites such as Fangraphs and PECOTA love the Indians, predicting they will win the Central Division.

Most experts believe the Indians will contend for a playoff spot in 2016 because of their pitching.

"Some places have said we have a team capable of going to the World Series," said Dolan. "That's our goal, as it has been for years. For certain, you can say there are several very good teams in the American League and we are one of them."

Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline WR Hunter Rison committed to Michigan State on Friday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Michigan State has its second commit in as many days after Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline wide receiver Hunter Rison committed to the Spartans on Friday.

COMMITTED[?][?]#V4MSU (not a joke) pic.twitter.com/at2FcM4dFJ

-- Hunter Rison (@hunterrison) April 1, 2016

Rison, who committed originally in June of 2015 but decommitted in November, is a four-star prospect, the No. 9 player in Michigan and the No. 41 WR in the country according to 247Sports.com's composite rankings. He is also the son of former Cleveland Browns WR and Michigan State alum Andre Rison.

Rison also had offers from Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, Penn State and UCLA among other schools.

Rison is the fourth member of Michigan State's Class of 2017. OL Kevin Jarvis from Illinois committed to MSU on Thursday.

Shaw, in attendance at South Carolina's Pro Day, told the paper that he has talked to the Browns coaching staff and they are open to competition.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Connor Shaw went from the opportunity of a lifetime to end 2014 to a season of lost opportunity in 2015. The second-year quarterback out of South Carolina spent all of last season sidelined with a thumb injury sustained during the opening game of the preseason after earning his first career start in the NFL to end the previous year. 

While Shaw sat, the Browns quarterback carousel kept on turning at a dizzying pace, even relative to what Browns fans are used to experiencing. Seeking a third quarterback, the team signed Austin Davis prior to the season to back up Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel and Davis ended up appearing in three games, including two starts. 

Shaw again finds himself in the background of the Browns quarterback situation as the team's offseason program kicks off next week. Manziel, of course, is gone, but McCown and Davis remain and Robert Griffin III signed here last week. On top of all that, the team is expected to draft a quarterback at the end of the month. 

David Cloninger, a reporter for The State newspaper in South Carolina, caught up with Shaw at the University of South Carolina's Pro Day. Shaw told Cloninger that he was there "checking out former teammates." He also said he hopes to challenge for the team's starting quarterback job this season. 

"The thumb feels great. I've been training throughout the season and offseason. My body feels good," Shaw told The State. "I've got calls from coach Hue (Jackson) and the personnel department. They're open for competition, so I'm no stranger to that." 

Shaw, the winningest quarterback in South Carolina history, threw for 6,074 yards in four seasons with the Gamecocks and rushed for another 1,683 yards. He threw just one interception in 284 attempts his senior season. The Browns signed Shaw after he went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft. 

Shaw started the team's final game of the season against Baltimore in 2014. He was pressed into duty after both Manziel and Brian Hoyer were unable to play due to injury. The Browns lost, 20-10, and Shaw threw for 177 yards and an interception while completing half of his 28 passes. The Browns held a 10-3 lead going into the final quarter of the game.

(The State: With thumb OK, Connor Shaw says Browns' QB race is open for competition)

The Indians will apparently open the season with a 13-man pitching staff, including just one lefty. How is manager Terry Francona going to use Ross Detwiler, his only southpaw?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - As it stands now the Indians will enter the season with 13 pitchers, 12 right-handers and Ross Detwiler as the only left-hander.

Managers suceed and fail by the lefty-righty matchups between pitchers and batters, but it really doesn't come into the play until the bullpen enters the game. Starters with who can only get lefties or righties out don't stay starters for long.

The splits for the Indians starters last year raised no red flags: Corey Kluber (.261 vs. lefties, .197 vs. righties), Carlos Carrasco (.216 vs. lefties, .220 vs. righties), Danny Salazar (.232 vs. lefties, .225 vs. righties), Cody Anderson (.238 vs. lefties, .225 vs. righties) and Josh Tomlin (.156 vs. lefties, .235 vs. righties.)

It's well known that manager Terry Francona would carry 12 relievers if he could. This year he'll open the season with eight, counting demoted starter Trevor Bauer. But with only one lefty available how is he going to play matchup against a dangerous left-handed hitter such as Eric Hosmer late in the game when he's already fired his one left-handed bullet?

First let's look at the 2015 lefty-righty splits for the Tribe's relievers: closer Cody Allen (.176 vs. lefties, .260 vs. righties), Bryan Shaw (.226 vs. lefties, .252 vs. righties), Zach McAllister (.252 vs. lefties, .264 vs. righties), Joba Chamberlain (.362 vs. lefties, .288 vs. righties), Detwiler (.234 vs. lefties, .396 vs. righties), Dan Otero (.328 vs. lefties, .336 vs. righties) and Bauer (.225 vs. lefties, .239 vs. righties).

Those numbers show that Detwiler can get a left-hander out, Chamberlain probably shouldn't face a lefty unless the game is out of reach and that Otero had a really tough year last season. They also show that the Francona's fleet of right-handed relievers, for the most part, did a good job against left-handed hitters last year.

Ross Detwiler surprise member of Tribe pen

Still it's going to be interesting to see how he uses Detwiler. Does he go to him at the first sign of trouble, or does he wait until David Ortiz is coming off the bench with two and two out in the eighth?

Matchups: Here are the pitching probables for the Indians opening series against Boston at Progressive Field: LHP David Price (18-5, 2.45 ERA) vs. RHP Kluber (9-16, 3.49) Monday at 4:10 p.m.; RHP Clay Buchholz (7-7, 3.26) vs. RHP Carrasco (14-12, 3.63) Wednesday at 6:10 p.m. and RHP Joe Kelly (10-6, 4.82) vs. RHP  Salazar (14-10, 3.45) Thursday at 6:10 p.m. (Records are from last season).

Price went 2-1 with a 1.16 ERA in four starts against the Indians last year. He had 30 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings. It was his second highest strikeout total of the season against one team. In his career, Price is 9-2 with a 2.19 ERA in 13 starts against the Indians.

Kluber went 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against the Red Sox last year. He struck out 18 and walked three in 14 innings. Kluber is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA in seven games, including six starts, against Boston.

Corey Kluber is ready for the season

Buchholz did not face the Indians last year. In his career, he's 2-1 with a 4.13 ERA against the Tribe in five games.

Carrasco did not face Boston last year. He is 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA in four games, including two starts, against Boston.

Kelly went 1-0 and didn't allow an earned run in six innings last year against the Tribe. He's 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in his career against them.

Salazar has faced the Red Sox twice in his career. Both starts came last year and he won them both. He posted a 1.46 ERA, allowing two runs on 12 1/3 innings. Salazar struck out 11, walked two and allowed eight hits.

Tribe rotation will be asked to do more

Roster highlights: The Indians released their tentative full-season minor league rosters on Friday. Here are some highlights.

Class AAA Columbus: It appears Mike Clevinger, TJ House, Ryan Merritt, Toru Murata and Will Roberts will be in the starting rotation. Every position player, with the exception of catcher Alex Lavisky and Ronny Rodriguez was in big league camp this spring.

Current look at Minor League rosters (subject to change)https://t.co/tymoyMJiq6

-- Tribeinsider (@tribeinsider) April 1, 2016

Class AA Akron: Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer will be in the RubberDucks outfield. Yandy Diaz will be back at third base and it looks like DH-first baseman Nelson Rodriguez will start the season at Akron as well.

Adam Plutko, who pitched well in big league game, and lefty Rob Kaminsky, will be part of the rotation. The Indians acquired Kaminsky from St. Louis last year for Brandon Moss.

Class A Lynchburg: Bobby Bradley, who last year hit 27 homers at Class A Lake County, will open the season here along with Mike Papi, Mark Mathias and Dorssys Paulino. Justus Sheffield and Mitch Brown will be in the rotation.

Bradley, Clevinger Tribe's top minor leaguers

Class A Lake County: Infielder Tyler Krieger and outfielder Silento Sayles are on the roster. They each played some Cactus League games with the big league club this spring.

Friday night lights: The Indians open a two-game exhibition series against the Rangers on Friday night at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Anderson, who won the fourth spot in spring training, will face Colby Lewis in the 8:05 p.m. ET game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (53-22) hit the road again for a one-gamer with the Atlanta Hawks (45-31) before returning home for a Sunday afternoon contest.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Cavaliers (53-22) hit the road again for a one-gamer with the Atlanta Hawks (45-31) tonight before returning home for a Sunday afternoon contest.

Atlanta has won 12 of its last 15 games and has a one-game lead on the Miami Heat while sitting in the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

Tipoff: 8 p.m. at Philips Arena.

TV/radio: ESPN; WTAM 1100, 87.7 La Mega.

Last game: The Cavaliers annihilated the Brooklyn Nets, winning 107-87 Thursday night at The Q.

Cavaliers' probable starting lineup: 6-3 Kyrie Irving (19.5 ppg, 4.5 apg), 6-6 J.R. Smith (12.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 39% 3-pt range), 6-8 LeBron James (25.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 6.7 apg), 6-10 Kevin Love (15.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg) and 7-2 Timofey Mozgov (6.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg).

Hawks' probable starting lineup: 6-3 Jeff Teague (15.2 ppg, 5.9 apg), 6-7 Kyle Korver (9.3 ppg, 40 percent 3-pt range), 6-7 Kent Bazemore (11.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg), 6-8 Paul Millsap (17.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg) and 6-10 Al Horford (15.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.5 bpg).

Season series: Cleveland, 1-0.

Injuries for Cleveland: None.

Injuries for Atlanta: Tiago Splitter (hip) is out.

Cavaliers' next opponent:  The Charlotte Hornets visit The Q on Sunday for a 3:30 p.m. tip on Fox Sports Ohio. Charlotte is currently in the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

Leonard Taylor is the second Class of 2018 commitment for the Wolverines from Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The No. 3 overall Class of 2018 prospect in Ohio verbally committed to Michigan Friday, hours after the Wolverines' spring game.

Taylor announced the decision on Twitter.

I would like to announce that I have verbally committed to The University Of Michigan!!!! #GoBlue [?][?][?][?][?][?][?][?] pic.twitter.com/6EkBXJKO8F

-- Leonard Taylor (@Lenny_T_20) April 2, 2016

Taylor, 6-foot-6, 258 pounds, is a defensive tackle and tight end at Springfield. He's a 5-star prospect ranked No. 22 nationally and No. 3 in Ohio by 247Sports.com.

Taylor is versatile and athletic, with the ability to also play defensive end and tight end. He is the second commitment for Michigan in the Class of 2018, joining Springfield teammate and linebacker Antwuan Johnson, who committed March 21.

The Wolverines have nine commitments in the Class of 2017 and are expected to get more in the aftermath of their spring game.

Michigan's Class of 2017 recruits

The Cleveland Gladiators fell behind too far, too soon in losing their season opener to Philadelphia.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Neither the start of a new season nor the start of a new quarterback could change what has been almost routine when the Cleveland Gladiators face the Philadelphia Soul.

A sluggish start combined with an early offensive explosion by the opposition all led to the Gladiators 69-41 loss to the Soul on Friday night in the season opener at The Q.

Dating back to last season, the Gladiators lost to the Soul for the fourth straight time.

The Gladiators fell way behind early as Soul QB Dan Raudabaugh, last year's league MVP, dominated the Gladiators' secondary with pinpoint passes. Four consecutive possessions led to four TD passes for a commanding 28-7 lead.

Gladiators' QB Chris Dieker, named this year's starter, had trouble. Three interceptions led to three interception returns for touchdowns in the first half. The Gladiators trailed, 55-21, at the half.

But since no team is actually out of it in Arena Football, the Gladiators rallied early in the third quarter and trailed 55-33. That effort didn't last as Raudabaugh, a Miami of Ohio grad, regained control behind two more TD passes for a 69-41 lead with eight minutes left.

Three who mattered

Soul QB Dan Raudabaugh: He was the MVP last season for a reason. He picked up where he left off with seven touchdown passes and 233 yards on Saturday.

Gladiator QB Chris Dieker: Four interceptions and two were returned for touchdowns. Those were major blows for the Gladiators.

Gladiator DB Joe Powell: In the second quarter, he returned an interception 37 yards for a TD. Late in the third quarter, Powell returned an interception for 45 yards for a touchdown.

Almost

The game could have swung in the Gladiators' favor late but a botched onside kick that appeared to lead to a Gladiators' touchdown was called back because of an illegal touch.

They said it

"Since I've been here, probably the most embarrassing first half we've played. It was a little bit of everybody. Defensive, offense. It wasn't one thing. I told the guys that this isn't going to happen again. We've got to get this worked out."  - Gladiators coach Steve Thonn

"We came out slow. It was the first time we've been together. There was a lot of miscommunication but we'll have to buckle down as a group and start communicating more and then [good] plays will happen."  - Gladiators DB Joe Powell.

Next game: Gladiators vs. Tampa Bay 7 p.m. Saturday at The Q.

Steve Eminger scored with less than two minutes remaining to give the Lake Erie Monsters a 4-3 win over the Chicago Wolves on Friday.

ROSEMONT, Illinois -- Steve Eminger scored his second goal of the night with 1:50 remaining to lead the Lake Erie Monsters past the Chicago Wolves, 4-3, in an American Hockey League game Friday in Allstate Arena.

Eminger's fifth goal of the season came on a power play at 18:10, with assists by Daniel Zaar and Alex Broadhurst.

The Monsters have now won four straight to improve to 38-21-5-5. They also have won four straight road games. Chicago has lost three straight.

The Monsters are now 6-1-0-0 against the Wolves this season.

The Wolves got on the board first on a goal by Jared Nightingale at 8:19 of the first, but the Monsters quickly responded. Eminger scored on a power play at 10:47 off assists from Ryan Craig and T.J. Tynan, then Josh Anderson put Lake Erie in front with a goal at 16:15, assisted by Markus Hannikainen.

John Ramage put the Monsters up 3-2 with a goal at 9:12 of the third, but Chicago tied it just 17 seconds later on a goal by Ty Rattie.

Anton Forsberg stopped 25 of 28 shots to improve to 21-10-4 on the season. Chicago goalie Jordan Binnington also had 25 saves but fell to 16-16-5.

Zach Werenski, the first-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2015 draft, made his first appearance with the Monsters and got off two shots. He signed his AHL amateur tryout contract on Tuesday.

Up next: The Monsters and Wolves meet again here Saturday at 7 p.m. The Monsters have seven games remaining in the regular season.

See some memorable pranks in sports on April Fools' Day.

LeBron James is now 11th in NBA history in scoring, passing Oscar Robertson.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James passed Oscar Robertson on the NBA's all-time scoring list with a performance that probably made the Big O proud.

James jumped over Robertson (26,710 career points) into 11th place en route to a 29-point effort in the Cavaliers' 110-108 overtime win in Atlanta.

Robertson, of course, is the triple-double king with 181 of them over his career. James nearly missed No. 43, posting 16 rebounds and nine assists. The 16 rebounds are a season high.

James, who is seventh all-time in regular-season triple-doubles, passed Robertson on the scoring list with two points awarded on a goaltend in the third quarter.

James, 31, laid one off the glass with 2:14 left in the period that was illegally deflected by Atlanta's Al Horford, giving him 22 points for the game and one more than Robertson. James scored just seven in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Robertson is one of James' favorite historical players, dominating the league long before James was born.

Robertson, who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks from 1960-74, averaged 25.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists for his career. But in 1961-62, his second NBA season, he averaged a triple-double for the entire year (30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 11.4 assists).

James and Robertson are the only players in history to be ranked among the top 25 in career points and assists. Robertson is sixth all time in assists (9,887). James was 18th entering play Friday.

SEE: LeBron, Oscar share history

"He's a guy who laid the foundation and I'm just trying to carry it on," James once said of Robertson.

The next great player for James to catch on the scoring list is Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946 points), who is in 10th.

James passed Atlanta's own Dominique Wilkins for 12th place in a win over Brooklyn Thursday.

With @KingJames passing @DWilkins21 for 12th place on the all-time scoring list; how about an LBJ/Nique Dunk Off!!https://t.co/0uQIJVUFOb

-- NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 1, 2016

Watch three plays that stood out in Michigan's 2016 spring game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Michigan football wrapped up spring practices Friday with its annual spring game. The Maize defeated the Blue, 14-13.

While the final score doesn't really matter, individual performances did. Here are three plays that stood out.

1. Safety Dymonte Thomas picked off quarterback Shane Morris' pass into the end zone in the first half.

2. It was the spring game, but the Wolverines opened up the playbook a bit, getting a double-pass touchdown from quarterback John O'Korn to Morris (lined up as a wideout) to running back Drake Johnson.

3. O'Korn, part of a three-quarterback derby for the Wolverines this spring, showed his versatility by running for a touchdown. 

4. A defensive stand on a two-point conversion try ended the game. 

 

Two-point for the win... DENIED!

Maize wins, 14-13! [?][?]#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/qXP1Ro4bCt

-- Michigan Football (@umichfootball) April 2, 2016

The Cleveland Cavaliers returned to Philips Arena for the first time since last year's dominant performance in the Eastern Conference finals, and even though they took a tougher path, the final result was similar.

ATLANTA -- The Cleveland Cavaliers returned to Philips Arena for the first time since last year's dominant performance in the Eastern Conference finals, and even though they took a tougher path, the final result was similar. 

The Cavaliers topped the Atlanta Hawks in overtime, 110-108, as Al Horford's game-winning 3-point attempt hit off the back rim.

LeBron James grabbed the rebound before launching the ball to the other end of the court, exasperated after the hard-fought win. 

The teams traded baskets for much of the extra period, but the Cavs created just enough distance at the free-throw line.

Kyrie Irving made 8-of-10 from the stripe on the night, including 5-of-6 in the final 18 seconds. His split at the line in the closing seconds -- the first overtime free-throw miss of his career -- gave Horford one last chance for the comeback win. 

"Just contest as best as I can," Irving said of Horford's final shot. "I know we wanted to get it out of Jeff Teague's hands. I didn't know (Horford) was going to go for the dagger like that but I was so worried about Jeff Teague. I came to the ball, showed my help and then got out. Just great contest."

Irving overcame a rough shooting night to finish with 20 points on 5-of-23 from the field. He missed 11 of 12 shots after a fast start in the first quarter. His 3-pointer with 3:22 left in overtime was his first made basket since the second period and gave the Cavs a 102-98 lead. The free throws at the end iced it.

"I know everything about stats and I know that Kyrie has not missed a free throw in overtime in his career," James said. "I told him it doesn't matter what happened in the last 52 and a half minutes, just go up there and knock them down because I believe you can do that. I know what's going on in your mind. You're able to calm yourself and he was able to do that. I hate the fact that he broke his streak, but he went up there and knocked the free throws down and we needed every last one of them."

James led the way, scoring 29 points on 12-of-26 from the field to go with 16 rebounds and nine assists. Kevin Love added 15 points to go with six rebounds despite dealing with foul trouble for most of the second half.

Both teams had their chances in regulation, as the surging Hawks, who entered the night winners of four of their last five games, rallied from 21 down in the first half before erasing another double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter.

James' bulldozing layup with 40.9 seconds gave the Cavs a two-point lead, 96-94, before Teague answered with a driving layup of his own, tying the game at 96 apiece. 

That's when James missed a potential go-ahead, fadeaway baseline jumper in the closing seconds, giving the Hawks one final possession. But Atlanta didn't even get a shot off. 

Iman Shumpert stole the ball from Teague as the clock expired, sending the game into overtime where the Cavs won the game at the free-throw line. 

"He just takes the challenge," Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue said of Shumpert. "When you're a defensive player, you want to take those 1-on-1 challenges. You want to guard the best player every single night and that's what he does. He thrives for that."

James entered the night needing 22 points to pass legend Oscar Robertson for 11th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. James' drive to the basket, which was counted because of a goaltend against Horford, gave him his 22nd point with 2:14 remaining in the third quarter. 

Atlanta All-Star Paul Millsap had 29 points and 12 rebounds. Teague chipped in with 28 points.

The Hawks showed their stingy defense, which has fueled their late-season surge, holding the Cavs to 39 percent from the field. 

The Cavs (54-22) topped last season's win total in game that featured six lead changes and 10 ties. 

James-at-point-guard lineup ignites run

One game after promising to use the unique look again, Lue went to his James-at-point-guard lineup midway through the second quarter. The five-man group -- which also featured J.R. Smith, Shumpert, Love and Tristan Thompson -- outscored the Hawks, 11-2.

In the last two games, against Atlanta on Friday and Brooklyn on Thursday, the lineup has bested opponents, 26-4.

On deck

The Cavaliers will return home to host the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday afternoon. Fox Sports Ohio will have the 3:30 p.m. game. It will be the fourth, and final, meeting between the two teams. Cleveland is up 2-1 in the head-to-head season series. 

Cody Anderson went 6 2/3 strong innings and the Indians hit four homers Friday night in a 9-1 win over Texas. The Indians have hit 46 homers in 33 games this spring, but how much of it is a desert mirage?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Yes, the desert air has something to do with it. So does the wind and sun and lack of humidity that kills the break on breaking balls.

Still, the players who have hit home runs for the Indians this spring have hit them before. Friday night Yan Gomes, Juan Uribe, Carlos Santana and Francisco Lindor homered as the Indians beat the Rangers, 9-1, in their second last exhibition game before the start of the regular season on Monday. The Indians have hit 46 homers in 33 games this spring.

Gomes hit a leadoff homer in the second inning off Colby Lewis. He leads the Indians with six homers this spring. Gomes hit 12 homers last year as he struggled after missing two months because of a knee injury. In 2014, however, Gomes hit 21 homers.

Uribe followed Gomes with a one-out homer in the second. It was Uribe's second of the spring, but he's hit 192 in his career. His career high came in 2014 when he hit 24 for San Francisco.

Santana hit his third homer of the spring, a two-run drive to right center in the fifth. Santana led the Indians with 19 homers last year and has hit 117 in his career, the most in franchise history by a switch-hitter.

Lindor finished the Tribe power show with a homer in the sixth. What kind of power-hitter Lindor is going to be is still unknown. But he's hit three this spring and 12 in 99 games last season after being promoted from Class AAA Columbus in June.

Mike Napoli didn't homer Friday, but he has hit four this spring. Napoli has hit 204 homers in his career, including a personal best 30 in 2011 for Texas.

Tribe signs Napoli to one-year deal

Rookie Tyler Naquin and Jose Ramirez have hit four homers each in spring training. Like Lindor, their track records for power have yet to be established, but it's encouraging to see because the Indians are going to need run production from all parts of the lineup.

Rookie Naquin makes Tribe's 25-man roster

They finished 11^th in the AL in runs and 13^th in homers last year. Michael Brantley, one of their top power hitters, is going to open the season on the disabled list. So every bit of pop and power will help.

In the wake of the Tribe's 17^th victory this spring, here are three things we learned Friday night in Texas.

No. 1. Cody Anderson looked good

Some people were surprised when the Indians said Anderson would open the season in the rotation instead of going to Class AAA Columbus for more development. Anderson did not share that opinion and he pitched like it Friday night.

Anderson, in his final spring start, allowed one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked one.

Can Anderson, Tomlin, Bauer all make 25-man roster?

The big right-hander needed just 85 pitches to complete his outing. He had to go to the bullpen to complete the rest of his pitches in preparation for his first regular season start on April 8 against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

Anderson went 2-2 this spring with a 4.37 ERA (12 earned runs in 24 2/3 innings). He struck out 25 and walked 11. He did have trouble keeping the ball in the park, allowing a team-high six homers. The Rangers only run, in fact, came on a homer off Anderson in the sixth.

Last spring Anderson made just one Cactus League appearance before getting sent to the minors. He did put himself on the map last season by going 7-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 15 starts after getting called to the big leagues. He carried that into spring training this year and would not be denied.

No. 2. Testing, testing

Brantley, according to mlb.com, will take batting practice with the team Saturday at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Brantley hasn't played in a game since March 21 and will open the season on the DL.

Brantley won't open season on time

Brantley's surgically repaired right shoulder didn't bounce back after that game and the Indians pulled the plug on the left fielder's goal to be ready for opening day. He will travel with the team to Cleveland for the season opener before a course of action is determined.

No. 3. Close the deal

Closer Cody Allen faced two batters Friday night and retired each of them. He recorded the final out of the seventh, went to the dugout and came out to get the first out of the eighth. It was good to see because it hasn't been a smooth spring for Allen.

He's had a couple of bad games, which account for his 7.00 ERA (seven earned runs in nine innings). Allen has struck out nine, walked four and allowed 11 hits this spring.

There might be reason to worry because of Allen's workload over the last three years. Still, in the last two seasons, when Allen has been the fulltime closer, he's converted 88 percent (58-for-66) of his save chances. In a quirky game, handing the ball to Allen in the ninth inning is a pretty safe bet.

The Cleveland Cavaliers felt the good vibes when they strolled into the arena. They were back in Atlanta, Philips Arena, the site of last year's Eastern Conference finals where they steamrolled the Hawks out of the postseason with an emphatic four-game sweep.

ATLANTA -- The Cleveland Cavaliers felt the good vibes when they strolled into the building. They were back in Atlanta, Philips Arena, the site of last year's Eastern Conference finals where they steamrolled the Hawks out of the postseason with an emphatic four-game sweep.

"I was just thinking about it just a second ago, me and Larry Drew were talking about how we came in and how we were focused," Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue said before Friday night's game. "Our backs were against the wall and guys counted us out. The way our team went and performed, it did bring back some memories."

The Cavs and Hawks are both different these days, trying to recapture last season's form, but the good feelings from the series carried over to the game.

The Cavs got off to a quick start, building a 21-point lead in the first half and using a similar blueprint to their dominant postseason run.

Snappy ball movement that led to free-flowing offense, on-target three-point shooting and suffocating defense all helped fuel one of Cleveland's most complete halves this season.

The final 29 minutes had a different feel. And it nearly led to an unfamiliar ending.

The Hawks rallied early in the third quarter and then again midway through the fourth, eventually taking the lead and pushing the game into overtime where the Cavs escaped with a 110-108 win.

Here are five observations

Signature win - The calendar has flipped to April, which means the postseason is right around the corner, a few weeks away. Friday provided an early taste.

"We need these type of games," LeBron James said, as he sat in the locker room following another terrific performance. "For a young ball club -- we've been together almost two years now -- anytime we get an opportunity to experience a one-possession game or adversity and be able to come through, it's a big moment for our team."

James finished with 29 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. 

The Cavs built their lead behind a potent offense, one that ranks eighth in the league since the All-Star break in points per game. They scored 55 points in the first half against the league's best defense in the second half of the season, recording 16 assists on 21 made baskets. Atlanta was on skates.

But it was the other end of the court -- the one that has been rightfully criticized lately -- that helped seal the game, highlighting the toughness that defined last year's postseason run. The defensive tenacity had Atlanta flustered throughout and the hustle plays had the Cavs brimming with confidence. But the Hawks kept fighting. 

"I don't think you expect nothing less out of an Atlanta Hawks team that has been together for awhile now and won 60-plus games last year," James said. "Lately they've been playing very well, especially on their home floor and been getting in kind of a good rhythm. You don't expect nothing out of it, you be able to take their punch and then give yours as well."

On the night, the Cavs held Atlanta to 40 percent shooting, including 30 percent from three-point range.

"They're a tough team to guard, especially when Teague is playing downhill and they're hitting different players cutting backdoor. They have bigs that can really play and do different things that are dynamic," Kevin Love said after scoring 15 points. "So, being able to get the stops when we needed to was big for us."

Added Lue: "I think it meant more because of the way we did it. I think they came back and took the lead after we had a big lead and for us to stay with it, continue to push through, continue to keep fighting, keep grinding, I think that's a team win, a signature win for us."

Third quarter issue - The win wouldn't have been as tough if not for more third quarter struggles.

"We played a hell of a first half," James said. "Third quarter has been our kryptonite and we need to figure that out, but we gave ourselves a chance to win in the end. We got a few stops to send it into overtime and then we made enough plays in the overtime period to get a win."

The kryptonite Friday was the ball movement, or lack thereof, in the third quarter.

"We started playing 1-on-1 basketball, not trusting the offense, not trusting the pass and we got bogged down on the offensive end and we turned the ball over," Lue said. "Took some bad shots and they were able to get out in transition."

After scoring 55 in the first half, the Cavs were limited to 22 points on 8-of-23 shooting in the quarter. 

"At the start of the third they came out with a lot of aggression and cut the lead down and ended up eventually taking it," Love said. "But I think when you make it a two-minute game whether it's in the fourth quarter or overtime, you can always grow from those certain situations throughout the season and it just happened to be when we got seven games left."

Atlanta gets Shump'd - Jeff Teague made a driving layup with under 30 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 96.

On the next Cavs possession there was initial confusion. But the ball ended up in James' hands and the four-time MVP put his head down, drove right of the lane, started to float along the baseline and hoisted a tough, fadeaway jumper that clanked off the rim and into Kent Bazemore's hands. Timeout Hawks.

A team known for its offensive execution was getting one more chance at the end of regulation, one final possession to cap an impressive rally and pick up an enormous win.

Following the timeout, Lue made a switch. Knowing the ball was going to Teague, Lue put Iman Shumpert on the point guard. Teague rejected a Horford screen, dribbled to the right and had the ball ripped away by Shumpert. Buzzer. Overtime.

"Always just try to keep guys uncomfortable," Shumpert said of the play. "Always watch a ton of film on guys so I know their tendencies and know where they're trying to get on the court. Had LeBron behind me so I felt like I saw him move in and made a play on the ball."

Horford walked to the bench with his palms raised to the sky. He couldn't believe Teague's late-game decision making. He, and the Hawks, were left wondering why Teague would take on Cleveland's best on-ball defender. 

"He just takes the challenge," Lue said. "When you're a defensive player, you want to take those one-on-one challenges. You want to guard the best player every single night and that's what he does. He thrives for that."

Added Irving: "Oh man. Gosh, he just shows it. Shows why he's a great teammate for us. He bails us out of a lot of situations that we put ourselves in. Despite our bad third quarter, going into the fourth and not necessarily making shots, he saves us with a great defensive play like that."

The Cavs shot 39 percent from the field on Friday, usually a number that points to a losing effort. Not this time.

"Hang our hat on the defensive end," Shumpert said. "Get the stops when we need them. We know we can score, but we didn't make shots tonight. It's always better when you can not make shots and still win the game."

Shumpert's late-game swipe against Teague wasn't the only defensive highlight. Players boasted about Tristan Thompson's defense on Paul Millsap late, challenging the Hawks All-Star at the rim.

Through it all, there was still one last hope for Atlanta when Horford launched a potential game winning three that caromed off the back of the rim.

"I felt good about it," Horford said. "It's probably as good a shot as we're going to get at the end of the game. It just didn't go down."

Irving was in the vicinity as Horford let it fly.

"Just contest as best as I can," Irving said. "I know we wanted to get it out of Jeff Teague's hands. I didn't know (Horford) was going to go for the dagger like that but I was so worried about Jeff Teague. I came to the ball, showed my help and then got out. Just great contest."

Irving perseveres - Irving struggled on offense once again. He scored 20 points, but finished 5-of-23 from the field, including 2-of-7 from beyond the arc.

"It's crazy, especially in the fourth quarter or overtime situations, whether it's a tough shot or easy shot I'm still going to shoot it -- whether I'm getting in the lane or making a play for someone else," Irving said, limping by his locker with a wrap on his right ankle after an injury scare in the first half. "Other than that, the belief is still going to be there. It may not happen consistently where I come down and shoot three in a row, but Bron coming of pick-and-rolls and he's looking for me weakside and Kevin or Swish is swing-swinging it to me, if I don't shoot it I'm doing a disservice to all my teammates. I don't want to put myself in that position where I'm giving up shots going 5-for-23 on the night. Just basketball."

He's shooting 28 percent from the field in the last four games and still hasn't found his three-point stroke this season.

"No explanation," Lue said about Irving's struggles. "I mean, as a player, you go through this. There's going to be times and stretches where you're just not shooting the ball well but you can affect the game in other ways."

Irving didn't let the misfires shake him, especially in overtime. He buried a three-pointer from the corner, pushing the Cavs lead to four points at the time. He hadn't made a basket the entire second half, but stepped into that open triple with confidence.

"That right there was just being in those situations before, tough game, tough environment and trusting my shot," Irving said.

That shot was big, but his performance at the free throw line helped ice the game. Irving made 8-of-10 from the stripe on the night, including 5-of-6 in the final 18 seconds of OT. The one miss, the split late that gave Horford a chance to win it, was Irving's first missed freebie in overtime in his five-year career. Talk about clutch.

"I found out after the game and it's just kind of in the back of my mind," Irving said of the free-throw streak ending. "Bron comes in right now and is like, 'Man, do you know that? How many years have you been in the league?' I was like, 'Five.' He was like, 'Well tonight was the first free throw you missed (in overtime).' I was like, 'Aw man, that's great.' We don't want to miss, but it happens."

Irving will have to settle for 37-of-38 from the stripe in overtime.

"I know everything about stats and I know that Kyrie has not missed a free throw in overtime in his career," James said. "I told him it doesn't matter what happened in the last 52 and a half minutes, just go up there and knock them down because I believe you can do that. I know what's going on in your mind. You're able to calm yourself and he was able to do that. I hate the fact that he broke his streak, but he went up there and knocked the free throws down and we needed every last one of them."

Nightmares of Tristan Thompson - Prior to the game, Lue was asked about Thompson's performance against Millsap in the conference finals. The coach didn't want to give any bulletin board material so he sidestepped the question like a pro.

"I just thought he was physical," Lue said of Thompson. "I don't think he took him out, but he was physical with Paul. He played him well. When our team is physical and playing with a physicality at all five positions, it makes us tough."

Thompson had the Atlanta fans audibly groaning again, grabbing rebounds and contesting shots at the rim.

His hustle led to a game-high 14 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. The Cavs out-rebounded the Hawks, 57-48, and had 12 second-chance points to Atlanta's six - a category Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer singled out prior to the game.

Thompson also added nine points, helping the Cavs finish with a 44-42 edge in paint points.

Get the latest updates and analysis on the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Atlanta Hawks.

ATLANTA -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will play the second game of a back-to-back in Atlanta against the Hawks on Friday night.

Follow along in the comments section as Chris Haynes, Joe Vardon and Chris Fedor bring you observations and analysis throughout the game.

Make sure to follow Haynes, Vardon and Fedor on Twitter.

Game 76: Cavs (53-22) vs. Hawks (45-31)

Tip off: 8 p.m. at Philips Arena.

TV/radio: ESPN, Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM, 87.7 FM (ESP)

Cavs probable starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov.

Hawks probable starting lineup: Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Kent Bazemore, Paul Millsap and Al Horford.

Many players don't live up to their contracts. Which players do it the best (or worst)? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Well, one notion was on track.

The Atlanta Braves parted ways with Nick Swisher, who is owed $15 million for this season, at the start of the week. On Saturday, they designated Michael Bourn -- who is owed $14 million for this season -- for assignment.

Well, there goes one of our picks for "Least Valuable Player." In the video above, Zack Meisel and Paul Hoynes each selected an LVP for each league for the upcoming season. Meisel selected Bourn for the National League -- Swisher had been released prior to the recording of the video. Turns out, Bourn joined him on the unemployment line. Bourn batted .238 with a .592 OPS last season between Cleveland and Atlanta.

Hoynes opted for Alex Rodriguez with his American League choice, as he cited the headaches the 40-year-old has given the Yankees and baseball fans throughout the years. Rodriguez has hinted that he will retire following the expiration of his contract after the 2017 season. Rodriguez will make $21 million each of the next two seasons. He did hit 33 home runs in 2015.

Meisel chose an AL Central pitcher for his AL pick. Hoynes selected an NL West hitter for his NL choice.

Who are your picks for Least Valuable Player in each league for the 2016 season? Leave your choices in the comments section below.

Braves release Swisher, who is owed $15 million

Our MVP picks

Observations on Ohio State's offense after a prolonged viewing period at the Buckeyes Student Appreciation Day spring practice. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The best-looking throw at Ohio State's eighth spring football practice on Saturday came from Joe Burrow to the other quarterback who came with him in the 2015 recruiting class.

Burrow and Torrance Gibson hooked up for a 40-yard touchdown pass during the live scrimmage portion of the Buckeyes practice on Saturday, which was also Student Appreciation Day. It was the first time this spring that the media got to view the team in a live scrimmage setting.

Burrow and Gibson came in together as quarterbacks in 2015, and the anticipation was that they would someday battle for the starting job once J.T. Barrett is gone. Burrow is the No. 2 quarterback right now, and Gibson looks locked into receiver. On Saturday that tandem worked well with Burrow leading the second-team offense on a couple of scoring drives against the second-team defense.

The 40-yard bomb to Gibson down the left sideline was a good sign for the Buckeyes, who have been on the lookout for a consistent deep threat for the last year-plus. It's important to note that Gibson was working with the second-team receivers, so he still has a way to go, but he looked natural running that deep route on Saturday.

Here are more observations from the scrimmage period:

* Pat Elflein and Billy Price didn't participate in the live scrimmaging that we saw. They were on the sideline, presumably because they're just high on reps right now and they're being held out of some contact drills.

So Brady Taylor played center, and Demetrius Knox played right guard. Jamarco Jones was at left tackle, true freshman Michael Jordan at left guard and Isaiah Prince at right tackle.

That line struggled against the first-team defensive line, particularly the right side with Prince and Knox. Defensive end Jalyn Holmes was in J.T. Barrett's face a lot.

* Here's how the second-team offensive line looked on Saturday:

LT Kyle Trout, LG Matthew Burrell, C Aaron Parry, RG Evan Lisle, RT Branden Bowen.

* Barrett had his struggles, which wasn't entirely his fault. He had bad protection from that young offensive line and without Ohio State's real top three receivers (Noah Brown, Curtis Samuel and Corey Smith), Barrett didn't have much in the way of open options.

* With Brown, Samuel and Smith out, here's who rotated in at first-team receiver: Austin Mack, Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, James Clark and Johnnie Dixon.

Clark made the best catch of the day, going full extension on the sideline to reel in a Barrett pass and get a toe down in bounds for a big gain on third down.

* K.J. Hill, who's still in a non-contact orange jersey with a cast on his left hand did run full-speed with second-team offense. He obviously can't catch, so when the ball came his way he just batted out of the air.

* The jet sweep is not dead. The first-team offense tried one to Dixon on a third-down call near the goal line that didn't go anywhere.

* Both Mike Weber and Bri'Onte Dunn worked as first-team running backs, though the first-team offense didn't run the ball very much. There was more run game with the second-team offense.

* True freshman running back Antonio Williams stood out on the second team. He ran hard, showed good vision and on one play churned up 45 yards down the sideline. He's been talked about a lot in the early going of spring. It's hard to tell if he'll actually see time in the fall with so many ball-carrying options ahead of him, but Williams looks like he can be a player.

The Buckeyes practiced as part of Student Appreciation Day on Saturday. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There was a lot to see at Ohio State's Student Appreciation Day on Saturday, as the Buckeyes practiced before about 2,500 students and fans who turned out for free food, free football and free post-practice autographs.

The Buckeyes went at it for about two hours in their eighth practice of the spring, then finished things by pulling a couple students in for a play or two. Afterward Ohio State snapped a group photo of players and fans and players mingled with fans for 20 minutes.

With the spring game two weeks away, with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff set for April 16 at Ohio Stadium, Saturday offered a reminder, though.

Remember the 14 departed Buckeyes expected to be taken in the NFL Draft starting April 28.

Remember the 10-plus Buckeyes who are out with injuries this spring.

Then remember what you should see, and shouldn't see, when the Buckeyes take the field before fans for the final time this spring in two weeks.

After taking in Saturday's practice, Doug and Bill talked about what fans should be prepared to miss 

Offensive observations from Saturday

Second-year pro missed all of his rookie season with a knee injury. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - The Browns took a low-risk gamble on draft day a year ago that Ifo Ekpre-Olomu's badly damaged left knee would heal properly and enable him to contribute to their secondary.

That move didn't pay off. Fortunately for the talented cornerback, the insurance policy his family took out prior to his final season at the University of Oregon did reportedly to the tune of $3 million.

The Browns waived Ekpre-Olomu on Saturday. Nearly 16 months after tearing an ACL and dislocating a knee bone in a Ducks' practice, the defensive back's knee has not shown enough progress to the Browns' liking. The team opens offseason workouts Monday.

Ekpre-Olomu spent all last season at the team's facility leading what former coach Mike Pettine called a "ghost-like existence" trying to strengthen the surgically repaired knee. The club drafted a player -- projected as a top-50 pick before the mishap -- in the seventh round (No. 241 overall).

The previous regime hoped Ekpre-Olomu could add depth at cornerback, where 2014 first-round pick Justin Gilbert has struggled mightily and youngster Pierre Desir regressed in his second season. Two-time Pro Bowler Joe Haden might not be ready in time for the season opener after he aggravated an ankle injury that required surgery last month. The Browns' other starter, Tramon Williams, is 33.

It would not surprise anyone to see the club address the need in the draft.  

Browns coaches and teammates were impressed with how hard Ekpre-Olomu had worked to be ready this spring.

"Not being on the field has given me a whole year to reflect on what you are missing and what you love to do every day," he told cleveland.com in December. "It's hard when you have been doing it for 15 years and now it's taken away. It makes you realize every play matters. Every play could be your last.

"It's weird. Sometimes, you just want to gauge where you are, how you are improving. I just want to see how I am compared to other guys. It's difficult, but I know there is a plan ahead for me and I keep trusting it."

Related: Browns injured rookie works to come back

In February, Ekpre-Olomu offered an optimistic update on his Instagram account:

"Although this past year has had many ups and downs, I'm finally close to the point I want to be," he wrote. "Now it's time to get better as a player and person. A lot of people have asked about my recovery. I'm not quite 100 yet but I'm close and in the next couple of weeks I'll show you some of the progress I've made."

It's unclear if there was a setback, hardly uncommon for players recovering from such a serious injury. Such comebacks can go either way and the Browns have experience with the good and the bad.

Travis Benjamin and Armonty Bryant bounced back, while the likes of former offensive line prospect Chris Faulk never played another down after suffering a serious knee injury at LSU.

The good news for Ekpre-Olomu is he should be financially secure regardless of whether he plays in the NFL.

He weighed his option of entering the 2014 draft, but the Ducks helped woo him back for one more year with an insurance-policy plan. His family purchased a policy through the NCAA's exceptional student-athlete disability insurance rule and the Ducks helped reimburse him for a portion of it.

According to an ESPN report, Ekpre-Olomu was projected as a top-12 pick at the time the policy was written. His reported $3 million payout is the largest ever collected in a loss-of-value policy.

"It took off a little bit of stress and anger over what happened," the defensive back told Cleveland.com while not getting into policy specifics. "I'm past that point now. I've got an early advance in life and I have an opportunity to capitalize on it.

"What I want more than anything is to get back playing again. That's what my focus is."

It might happen. It just won't happen with the Browns.