SPORTS digest

Indians agree to deal with outfielder Venable

GOODYEAR, Ariz.

The Indians have agreed to a one-year minor league deal with 33-year-old outfielder Will Venable.

Venable, a college teammate of Indians general manager Mike Chernoff at Princeton, was at Cleveland’s player development complex on Friday, where he will undergo a physical and is expected to sign with the team.

Over his eight-year major league career, Venable has posted a career .251 average with 81 home runs, 387 RBIs and 135 stolen bases.

He spent the 2015 season between the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers, hitting .244 with 6 home runs and 33 RBIs.

Venable will join Rajai Davis, Joey Butler, Shane Robinson and Robbie Grossman as offseason outfield additions for the Indians.

Indians’ Almonte suspended 80 games

GOODYEAR, Ariz.

Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte has been suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

MLB said Friday that Almonte tested positive for Boldenone, an anabolic steroid generally used by veterinarians on horses.

The 26-year-old outfielder will not be allowed to play in regular season games until July, but can play in spring training.

Almonte was likely to compete for a starting job in the outfield while Michael Brantley works his way back from a shoulder injury.

Acquired by the Indians on July 31, 2015 in a deal for left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski, Almonte played 51 games for Cleveland last season, hitting .264 with five home runs and 20 RBIs.

Bowling club sets doubles tournament

AUSTINTOWN

The Youngstown Salem 600 Club will present a Bring a Friend Doubles Tournament on March 6 at 1 p.m. at Wedgewood Lanes.

At least one bowler must be a 600 Club Member. Southside Recycling is sponsoring the tournament and adding $300 guaranteed money. Entries received after Monday will be charged a $5 late fee. For more information, visit the website www.youngstown600club.com or call Jan Schultz at 330-629-6908.

Joe Johnson agrees to sign with Miami Heat

MIAMI

Joe Johnson has agreed to sign with Miami, a move that would give the Heat a shooter that they craved for the stretch run.

A person with knowledge of the negotiations spoke with the Associated Press Friday on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been signed.

Johnson could sign with the Heat as early as today when he clears waivers. The earliest Johnson — who was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week — could play for the Heat is Sunday, when they visit the New York Knicks.

It’s a complex move for the Heat, who made a series of deals at the trading deadline to get under the luxury-tax threshold and avoid the highly punitive repeater tax.

Iditarod champ says ’16 likely his last race

BIG LAKE, Alaska

Citing his age and the costs associated with the race, a two-time champion of the world’s most famous sled dog race said Friday that the 2016 race will likely be his last as a musher.

“This will be my last year, you know I’m not 20 years (old) anymore,” Norwegian musher Robert Sorlie, 58, told The Associated Press just hours after landing in Alaska ahead of this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

“I think 99 percent, this is the last time,” he said.

The race has its fan-friendly ceremonial start in Anchorage on March 5, with the official start the next day about 50 miles north of Anchorage, in Willow, Alaska.

Sorlie, a firefighter in Oslo, Norway, became the second man born outside of the United States to win the grueling 1,000-mile trek to Nome in 2003. He followed that with another win two years later.

Staff and wire reports