Outfielder Jose Bautista and the Toronto Blue Jays are ‘‘working really hard’’ to bring him back to the club, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told the Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations are ongoing. The sides are discussing one-, two-, and three-year deals. Bautista, 36, hit 22 homers with 69 RBIs last year and batted .234 in an injury-slowed season. With 265 home runs, Bautista ranks second behind Carlos Delgado (336) on Toronto’s career list.

After Toronto ended a 22-year playoff drought with an AL East title in 2015, Bautista hit a memorable three-run homer in Game 5 of the AL Division Series against Texas, punctuating his shot with a bat flip. He did not accept Toronto’s $17.2 million qualifying offer. The Blue Jays’ failure earlier this offseason to re-sign fan favorite Edwin Encarnacion did not go over well in Toronto, which led the AL in attendance. Encarnacion signed a $60 million, three-year deal with Cleveland after the Blue Jays withdrew their $80 million, four-year offer and reached a $33 million, three-year agreement with Kendrys Morales. Encarnacion hit 42 home runs and tied Boston’s David Ortiz for the AL RBIs lead at 127.

Royals give Duffy 5-year deal

Danny Duffy and the Royals agreed to a five-year, $65 million contract that will keep the popular lefthander in Kansas City through 2021. He will make $5 million this year, $14 million in 2018, $15.25 million each in 2019 and 2020, and $15.5 million in 2021. Duffy was eligible for arbitration and could have become a free agent after the upcoming season. The 27-year-old emerged from the bullpen to set career highs in wins, starts, and innings pitched while going 12-3 last year . . . Outfielder Michael Saunders and the Phillies have agreed on a one-year, $9 million contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. MLB Network reported Saunders has an option for 2018 worth $11 million with escalators that can make it reach $14 million, and the deal includes a $1 million buyout.

A 2016 AL All-Star with Toronto, the left-handed hitting Saunders, 30, hit a career-best 24 homers and batted .253 with 57 RBIs last season.

NHL

Penguins’ Letang sidelined

The Penguins put defenseman Kris Letang on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. He is week to week. Letang was injured Saturday at Detroit. Pittsburgh recalled former UMass-Lowell defenseman Chad Ruhwedel from the American Hockey League . . . Rangers backup goalie Antti Raanta is expected to miss 7 to 10 days with a lower-body injury. Raanta left Saturday’s loss to the Canadiens after the first period. Also, forward Mika Zibanejad, out since November with a broken leg, is expected to return Tuesday against the Stars . . . Coyotes captain Shane Doan said he has not been asked to waive his no-movement clause but didn’t rule out agreeing to do so before the trade deadline, according to NHL.com. Doan was reacting to Saturday’s Sportsnet report that said the Coyotes were considering approaching Doan about a trade before the Feb. 28 deadline, one that might afford him a chance to win the Stanley Cup. Doan, the No. 7 pick of the 1995 NHL Draft, has played his entire career with the franchise.

COLLEGES

Villanova, UConn top AP polls

Villanova, which fell to third last week after five weeks at No. 1 in the Associated Press men’s basketball poll, leapfrogged Kansas to move back on top after Baylor lost in its only week ever at No. 1. UCLA moved up a spot to No. 3. The Wildcats (18-1) got 28 first-place votes and 1,580 points from a 65-member national media panel while the Jayhawks (16-1) remained No. 2 despite getting more No. 1 votes (32). UCLA (18-1) moved up one place to third and received three first-place votes. Gonzaga (17-0), the nation’s ­only unbeaten team, went from fifth to fourth and had the other two No. 1 votes . . . UConn (16-0) remains the unanimous No. 1 team on the women’s side, garnering all 33 first-place votes. Baylor, Maryland, Mississippi State, and South Carolina followed . . . Alabama will hire Greg Byrne, Arizona's vice president for athletics, to replace retiring athletic director Bill Battle . . . USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson will enter the NFL Draft. As a junior in 2016, he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back.

BASKETBALL

Women's Hall finalists named

Sheryl Swoopes headlines the 12 finalists for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Swoopes, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last fall, starred at Texas Tech and in the WNBA. She also won three Olympic gold medals for the United States. Other finalists include Kara Wolters of UConn and Yelena Baranova, who helped Russia win Olympic gold in 1992, and coaches Joan Bonvicini, Rick Insell, Evelyn Blalock, and Rose Marie Battaglia. The six-member class of 2017 will be revealed Feb. 12 . . . Ex-UConn star Breanna Stewart will fly home to the United States from China Friday to rehab her right knee. Stewart went to China after the Seattle Storm were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs. She sprained the posterior cruciate ligament last week while playing for Shanghai, but won't require surgery. Shanghai finished second and the league’s playoffs begin in early February.

MISCELLANY

McIlroy won’t play Abu Dhabi

Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from the Abu Dhabi Championship this week because of a rib injury. The European Tour released a statement saying tests revealed a stress fracture after McIlroy was injured during the SA Open last week . . . Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe replaced Seattle's Stefan Frei (sprained right ankle) on the US training camp roster for soccer exhibitions against Serbia and Jamaica . . . Organizers trying to land the 2024 Summer Olympics for Los Angeles would include a new NFL stadium in the Games' ceremonies, saying it would be used for ceremonies along with Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as part of the concept to create a "new Games for a new era.’’ . . . Valtteri Bottas will drive alongside Lewis Hamilton at Formula One team Mercedes this season, filling the seat left by world champion Nico Rosberg's retirement.

British sailor Alex Thomson set a world record for the most distance sailed solo in 24 hours in the Vendee Globe. With about 1,000 miles remaining to the finish line in the round-the-globe race, Thomson reduced the gap on leader Armel Le Cleac'h to only 70 miles. Race organizers said the 42-year-old Thomson sailed his 60-foot single-hull yacht at a speed of 22.4 knots over 24 hours, the equivalent of 25.7 miles per hour, covering 536.8 miles. The previous record was held by French sailor Francois Gabart, who set a mark of 534.48 miles during the 2012-13 race . . . Former English soccer coach Barry Bennell, 63, denied eight child abuse charges. AHe appeared in court via video from prison on Monday and pleaded not guilty to all counts. All charges stem from incidents alleged to have happened between 1981 and 1986, when the victim was under the age of 16.