The New Jersey Devils are back at work after 19 players landed on the NHL's COVID-19 list and forced the postponement of seven games since the end of January.

The Devils, who play the Rangers on Tuesday, practiced Monday for the first time since beating the Sabres in Buffalo on Jan. 31.

Over the next three days after that game, 11 players were added to the NHL's list of players unavailable because of COVID-19, pushing the Devils' total to 17. The list reached 19 on Feb. 9.

"It's kind of unfortunate and it's kind of crazy how fast it spreads," forward Miles Wood said Monday. "I think that's the scariest part. You know, it took down a team within a matter of three days, so it's very serious."

New Jersey has 10 points, but has played in just nine games, fewest in the East Division. Headed into Monday, the Devils had at least four games in hand on every team in front of them.

Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood was the first to test positive on Jan. 20. Veteran Travis Zajac, who is two games shy of his 1,000th regular-season game with New Jersey, was sidelined before the Jan. 29 game in Buffalo. Kyle Palmieri got his positive test on the morning of the 31st and then things mushroomed after the team arrived in Pittsburgh for a game on Feb. 2. The NHL shut down the Devils, forcing the team to send players home in two groups, those in the isolation group and those who were healthy.

Wood didn't test positive. He had COVID-19 before training camp opened this year, so a lot of players asked him what to expect. He said he had a head cold. However, he knew of others who had high fevers.

Palmieri, who practiced Monday, said he felt nothing for a couple of days after his positive result. Two or three days after the result, the symptoms developed and lasted until the end of the week. He said his sense of smell is just returning.

Zajac, who went into the protocol a few days before Palmieri, remains in it.

Blackwood said he had a bad cough and a hard time breathing. He is just rounding back into shape, and said he's ready for the Rangers in New York if called upon since the team has been off for two weeks. He also said seeing the team come down with COVID-19 was "crazy."

"I didn't expect that to happen, but my thoughts were just: 'I hope this isn't because of me,'" Blackwood said.

Palmieri doesn't believe the Devils did anything wrong to cause the spike. He said players have been wearing their masks, eating meals in their hotel rooms and holding each other accountable.

"We're spending an hour or two hours, however, over the course of a game next to each other on a bench breathing heavily and I mean, playing hockey is a tough sport," he said. "You're coming back and you're pretty gassed and you're trying to catch your breath. So that's a lot of close contact, heavy breathing. You read enough about this virus, that's probably one of the worst things you can do is long extended times of heavy breathing among people without masks."

Palmieri admits there has been some anxiety the past two weeks. Players have been concerned about keeping their families healthy and the possible long-term effects of COVID-19.

"You think about every scenario going through your head and what could happen," Palmieri said. "But hopefully, as we all start to come back, everyone returns to full health. And like I said, we get back to playing hockey and doing the thing we love."

Devils coach Lindy Ruff has told his team to treat the past two weeks like a reset. He felt the team was playing well before the break. He wants his players to focus on defense and taking short shifts on Tuesday. Special teams were covered on Monday along with getting the players to skate and improve their stamina.

"I don't think any coach has really dealt with anything like this and, you know, to have that number of players go out and now have to have a reset," said Ruff, who has spent nearly two decades as an NHL head coach. "I think you can find lots of excuses, you know, that you could lose a game. I want to find reasons we can win."

Wood said playing the Rangers will help. It's a rivalry game and he said there is no reason the Devils won't be up for it.

"We have a lot of young guys on the team and, to be honest, I don't think it's going to affect us that much," Wood said. "I think the adrenaline will take over and we'll be right back to game shape."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Here's a look at what's happening on the PGA Tour this week, and how you can watch it:

PGA Tour

Genesis Invitational

Thursday-Sunday, The Riviera Country Club, Los Angeles

Course specs: Par 71, 7,332 yards, designed by George Thomas Jr. and William Bell (1926)

Purse: $9.3 million ($1,674,000 to winner)

Defending champion: Adam Scott (shot 11 under to win by two shots over Matt Kuchar, Sung Kang and Scott Brown)

Notables in the field: Scott, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau, Daniel Berger, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Willie Mack III, Ty Strafaci, John Augenstein, Andy Ogletree and Brendon! Todd

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 3-6 p.m. ET (CBS)

PGA Tour Live simulcast: Thursday, noon-2 p.m. ET and 6-8 p.m. ET

LONDON -- Chelsea's 2-0 win over Newcastle United was comfortable, but this was a night when droughts were broken and confidence restored. Timo Werner was superb, while Kepa Arrizabalaga repaid Thomas Tuchel's faith in his first Premier League start since October.

While Newcastle offered little in attack, this was a near-perfect night for Chelsea. The only blot on the copybook was the first-half injury to Tammy Abraham, but it was his replacement Olivier Giroud who scored their opener, with Werner grabbing their second. It's now six games unbeaten for Tuchel, and, crucially, the strikers have started scoring -- their first in the league under the new boss.

Having waited 13 matches for a Premier League game, the final seconds of the goal drought were perhaps Werner's most nerve-wracking.

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Chelsea were already 1-0 to the good at this stage, following Giroud's opener -- which Werner played a key role in teeing up as he bamboozled Emil Krafth to hammer the ball across goal, where from the resulting scramble allowed Giroud a comfortable close-range finish -- and had just earned a corner. Werner found himself at the far post as the delivery came in and having somehow found its way to him unmarked, he slipped and slid but managed to steer the ball over the line, despite Karl Darlow's best efforts to claw it back out.

Then came the VAR check to check if the ball hit Giroud's hand en route to Werner. As he waited for the decision, he told his teammates in the dugout that it would be just his luck to have his strike ruled out. Mercifully for the Germany international, the call came back in Chelsea's favour. Werner -- complete with bleeding lip from an earlier bang to the face -- gave a brief glance to the heavens, and then exhaled.

It marked the end of his run without a top flight-goal. It just so happened the goal came in the 1000th minute of this drought -- his worst league scoreless spell since he was back at VfB Stuttgart in the 2014-15 season. Six seasons on and it was his goal-scoring record at RB Leipzig that prompted Chelsea to spend £45 million to bring him over from the Bundesliga. Having scored 34 in 45 matches for Leipzig last term, his return of four in 23 league games this season for Chelsea is still far lower than he'd expect.

But this lack of finished product was not for want of trying. Werner has at times cut a frustrated and disconsolate figure at Chelsea. He runs himself into the ground, always hovering in the half-spaces, looking to play off the defenders' shoulders and cutting in off the flank. He's tried that at Chelsea, but under Frank Lampard it just didn't quite click for him. Under Tuchel he's shown green shoots of recovery with his two assists against Sheffield United on Feb. 7, and this scrambled effort will feel like a massive weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

"I was happy I scored, finally," Werner said after the match. "A still long way to go in the rest of the season. As a striker, you always want to score."

This was straightforward for Chelsea, and their much-maligned goalkeeper Kepa. The world's most expensive keeper was handed his first Premier League start since Oct. 17, when he conceded three against Southampton. Since then he saw Edouard Mendy take his spot, with his match action restricted to cup competition. But after Kepa's impressive showing against Barnsley last week in the FA Cup, Tuchel continued his policy of giving players a second chance to impress and the Spain international repaid the faith. But Mendy remains Chelsea's No. 1, as Tuchel said post-match.

Kepa's going to need some renaissance to quieten the doubters over his long-term future in west London, but just as Tuchel did with Marcos Alonso, Jorginho and Antonio Rudiger, he's drawn a line in the sand from Lampard's tenure, and allowed the squad to prove to him they are worthy of being part of his long-term plans. Kepa did what was required and made smart saves from a Jonjo Shelvey free kick and a glancing header from Joe Willock, but it remains to be seen whether this was the start of his rebirth or a chance for him to impress in the shop window.

While Newcastle were disjointed and lacked cohesion, Chelsea are continuing to build under Tuchel and we are starting to see early signs of how they'll look in the long term. Mateo Kovacic is the heartbeat of the side, and dictates the tempo from the middle of the park. His long, ranging balls or short, neat passes are more often than not the catalyst for the team's transitional play. Alonso has nailed down the first-choice left-wing-back spot, with Callum Hudson-Odoi on the right. Mason Mount was dangerous again -- and should've grabbed Chelsea's third in the first half only to shoot wide -- while the defence is looking settled.

It remains to be seen, however, who Tuchel's first-choice striker will be, or how exactly Hakim Ziyech or Christian Pulisic fit in. Pulisic was an unused substitute -- Reece James was brought on for Hudson-Odoi late on -- and has managed just 84 minutes out of a possible 450 in the league under his new manager. He still has work to do to recapture the form we saw late on last season.

"Well today the first change was already made in the first half from injury and Christian was a tight decision on whether he starts again after the cup game, or if he comes from the bench and another 11 starts," Tuchel said. "It makes it difficult as the third change, you don't want to use that too early so we did what we always do the middle of the match we only think about what can help you win the match. Christian absolutely deserved to start, he deserved to come in, so I hope he keeps on going and I'm absolutely sure he will be an important influence for us and make an important impact for us in the future."

Rebuilding Werner's confidence was one of the items towards the top of Tuchel's to-do list when he took over Chelsea in late January.

The £45m signing from RB Leipzig had not wanted for lack of effort, but it was the finishing product lacking from Werner's output. But on this chilly night in west London, he put in a performance worthy of his reputation and promise as he kept Newcastle's defenders spinning and finally got the goal he'd worked so hard for.

"Timo was decisive for us today," Tuchel said.

The Sheffield Shield resumes on Wednesday with the Australia Test squad available to play the remainder of the season, barring any injury issues, after the Test tour to South Africa was postponed. Cameron Green and Will Pucovski played their way into the Test team during the first half of the Shield season in Adelaide. Here are six players to watch during the second half of the season as Australia look towards the Ashes next summer.

Usman Khawaja

The 34-year-old is the forgotten man of Australian cricket. Despite his impressive record in all formats he somehow couldn't find a place among the 37 Australian players selected for the two touring parties to South Africa and New Zealand in the Test and T20 formats, but it was revealed he was on standby for the South Africa tour. Australia have holes to fill in the Test top six and Shield runs could yet put him back in contention. He has a Shield century already this season against South Australia. Queensland sit top of the table with five games to go and the captain may have 10 chances plus a final to add to his tally and put himself back in the Ashes frame.

Moises Henriques

Henriques is playing the best cricket of his career and with Matthew Wade's axing, he was firmly in the mix to fill the vacant No. 5 role in South Africa, along with Travis Head. Henriques hasn't played Test cricket since 2016 and has never played a Test at home. His overall first-class record does not reflect how well he has played in the last four years. Since his last Test match appearance, he has averaged 42.57 and made eight centuries but in the last two Shield seasons he has averaged 51.70 and made four centuries in 20 innings, including two at the start of this Shield season in the Adelaide hub. He has just turned 34, but with Green and Pucovski already in the Test squad, there is less of an urge to promote youth at the expense of the best options. More centuries in the second half of the Shield season could put him firmly in the Ashes frame.

Alex Carey

Carey's selection on the South Africa Test tour as the back-up wicketkeeper to Tim Paine, instead of going to New Zealand with the T20 squad, made it clear where the Australian selectors have placed him on their priority list. Wade's axing from the Test side does present a slot in the middle order. Carey playing as a specialist batsman in the Test team may appear far-fetched given his overall first-class record, but his performances with the bat at international level, particularly in the 2019 World Cup, and his recent first-class form paints a different picture. Since the 2019 World Cup he has played just 12 first-class innings for Sussex, South Australia, and Australia A but in all bar one innings he has batted in the top six making 601 runs at 54.63 including two centuries and four half-centuries. Barring injury, it will also be the first time Carey has had the chance to play four consecutive Shield matches since 2017.

Josh Inglis

There is a watching brief on Inglis among some very senior and well-respected judges in Australian cricket. The 25-year-old has turned heads in recent times, particularly with his form in the BBL in a new and difficult middle-order role. He is also fast becoming one of Australia's best players of spin. He had an excellent start to the Shield season plundering 354 runs at 118, including his first two first-class centuries and a half-century. His glovework is highly rated. While Carey appears the current favourite to assume Paine's role whenever the Test captain finishes up, Inglis can force some fierce debate among the selectors with a big second half to the season.

James Pattinson

It hasn't gone unnoticed that Pattinson's presence in a rotating bowling attack coincided with the retention of the Ashes in the five-Test series in 2019, while his absence from the Test squad through a bizarre injury this summer saw Australia stick with the same three fast bowlers in the four-Test series loss India. Pattinson has played just one first-class match, against India A, since January 2020 after missing the first half of the Shield season due to the IPL. The Australian selectors would love to see him bowl well in the second half of the Shield season to shore up their options for next summer's five-Test Ashes series, where bowling depth may be critical to retaining the urn.

Mitchell Swepson

Queensland's legspinner started the season in a blaze of glory taking 23 wickets in three games including three five-wicket hauls and he has established himself as Australia's second-choice Test spinner behind Nathan Lyon. Green's presence in the Australia Test XI does create an opening for Swepson. Provided Green's bowling improves and his body can handle an increased workload, Swepson and Lyon could potentially play in the same team during the Ashes if conditions suited although a twin role is more likely later in 2022 when Australia are due to play eight Test matches on the subcontinent. Swepson has the chance to prove his case as Queensland get to play at least five games on a host of different surfaces. With those games left, and potentially a final as well, he also has the chance to become the first spinner since Jon Holland in 2016-17 take 50 wickets in a Shield season, something only five spinners have done in the history of the competition. However, an untimely neck injury has ruled him out of the first game back against Tasmania with an unknown timeframe for a return.

The NBA sent a memo to its teams Monday afternoon explaining its agreement with the National Basketball Players Association for health and safety protocols to govern the All-Star break, for players participating in the festivities and those who are not.

The memo, which was obtained by ESPN, states that players participating in All-Star Weekend are allowed to travel only to their out-of-market home before going to Atlanta. In addition, everyone traveling to and from Atlanta will do so by private transportation that will be provided by the NBA. Each player will have to have a negative PCR test on March 6 and 7 before participating in any of the All-Star festivities, and all will be allowed to bring a "limited" amount of family or close friends with them, though all will have to follow the same testing and travel protocols that the players will.

During their time in Atlanta, players and any guests they bring with them will only be allowed to be at the hotel or the arena.

For players not taking part in All-Star Weekend, they can either stay in their home markets or travel within the country, but are barred from staying in public accommodations, like hotels, if they do travel, and are not allowed to travel internationally. In addition, the current rules regarding bigger gatherings -- for example, indoors with more than 15 people -- remain in place, and anyone who either visits or travels with players during the break will be required to be tested.

Players who stay in their team markets can work out or do rehab at the team's practice facility, while players who travel can still conduct individual workouts at private facilities, provided the league approves them.

Meanwhile, every player -- whether they are headed to Atlanta or not -- will have to undergo testing daily during the break, which is scheduled from March 5-10. It also says that all players will be required to rejoin their teams -- either in their home markets or if they are meeting back up away from home to resume the second half of the season -- two days before their team's first scheduled game after the break.

In addition, for the first week following the break, teams are going to require the current game day testing regimen -- which includes two PCR tests and one rapid test -- each day, regardless of whether teams have a game that day or not. Each time the NBA has returned from a break -- in June, before the start of the bubble, and in November, before the start of training camp -- there has been a significant spike in cases discovered among players.

Right-hander Matt Shoemaker and the Minnesota Twins are in agreement on a one-year, $2 million deal, pending a physical, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Shoemaker, 34, can earn another $250,000 in performance bonuses, sources said.

He made six starts last year in his second season with the Toronto Blue Jays, going 0-1 with a 4.71 ERA.

Shoemaker's best years came while he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels. He posted 20 or more wins in three straight seasons (2014-2016), but hasn't won more than seven games in a season since 2017, as he has been slowed by injuries.

He was limited to seven starts with the Angels in 2018 because of a strained forearm and previously sustained a skull fracture when he was hit by a line drive in late 2016.

Shoemaker's first season in Toronto was cut short when he tore his left ACL in a rundown in April 2018 and missed the rest of the season.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

NEW YORK -- Left-hander Justin Wilson returned to the New York Yankees after two seasons with the Mets, agreeing Monday to a deal, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Wilson joins a bullpen headed by closer Aroldis Chapman and Zack Britton, both left-handers. Hard-throwing right-hander Chad Green is joined by side-arming right-hander Darren O'Day, who was signed after the Yankees dealt Adam Ottovino to Boston in a cost-cutting move.

The 33-year-old Wilson was 5-0 with a 3.10 ERA in 74 appearances for the Yankees in 2015, then moved on to Detroit and the Chicago Cubs before spending 2019 and 2020 with the Mets.

He was 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA in 19 2/3 innings over 23 appearances last season. He struck out 23 and walked nine

WIlson averaged 95 mph with his fastball, throwing it slightly more often than on half his pitches. He also throws cutters, mixing in an occasional slider and curveball.

Wilson is a nine-year major league veteran who spent his first three seasons with Pittsburgh.

His deal with the Yankees was first reported by WFAN in New York.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Eager is an accurate description of Preston Pardus’ outlook toward his next NASCAR Xfinity Series start.

The Daytona Beach, Fla., native tackles the road course at Daytona International Speedway again this Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Super Start Batteries 188. He will be one of the few drivers in the field who has been on that course this year, having notched finishes of eighth and seventh three weeks ago in his firs Mazda MX-5 Global Cup starts.

“It could be to my advantage,” said Pardus, who celebrated his 24th birthday Monday. “Some of the signage around the track has changed, and that’s big for a driver because that’s the kind of thing we use as reference points for braking. The first time we’ll be on the track in the car Saturday will be the pace laps for the race, so I’m hoping the familiarity with the course I gained in the MX-5 races will give me a little bit of an edge.”

Pardus will be making his seventh Xfinity start when the 52-lap, 188-mile race gets under way. He’ll be wheeling the same Chevrolet in which he’s run the previous six.

Last year, Pardus made four Xfinity starts, all on road courses. He finished 10th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, then improved with a career-best eighth at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

That was followed by a trip to Daytona in mid-August, when the two-time SCCA national champion spent much of the day in the top 10. He was contending for a top-five finish when the field took the green flag for the final time, but was swept up in a crash started by other drivers and was saddled with a 31st-place result.

On Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL in October, mechanical problems knocked the No. 90 entry out after 41 laps.

Since that time, the car has received multiple upgrades that Pardus is eager to put to the test.

“The car has been looked at in every area” since Charlotte, he said. “With the good results last year, we were able to run around fast cars and get a good gauge on the areas we needed to improve in.”

The powerplant from ECR Engines in Lexington, N.C., has also been freshened in the offseason. Pardus was especially pleased with the way he was able to use ECR power to advance past other drivers at Daytona last summer, and he called that race his best performance in dry track conditions.

Pardus has done more racing in 2021 than his Xfinity competitors. He finished first and second in the SCCA Spec Miata events at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway, and he won both starts in the same series a few weeks later at Sebring. Those helped him land the MX-5 ride that produced top-10 finishes, and he led all but the final lap of one of those.

Hosts Bayern Munich had to battle back from two goals down to rescue a 3-3 draw against strugglers Arminia Bielefeld on Monday and had their lead at the top of the Bundesliga cut to five points.

Four days after lifting the Club World Cup for a sixth title in less than nine months, Bayern crashed back to Bundesliga reality with Arminia racing to a 2-0 lead in the first half.

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The visitors stunned Bayern with a goal in the ninth minute when Michel Vlap latched onto a pass, pivoted and beat keeper Manuel Neuer with a well-placed shot.

Bielefeld doubled their advantage in the 37th with unmarked Amos Pieper's powerful header from a corner and Bayern struggling in heavy snowfall.

Bayern, who had won eight of their nine previous league games, shot out of the blocks after the restart and Leroy Sane hit the post before Robert Lewandowski, with his back to the goal, turned quickly and volleyed in his 25th goal of the campaign in the 48th minute.

With former Bayern president Uli Hoeness still celebrating in the stands, Bielefeld restored their two-goal lead the very next minute. Winger Christian Gebauer tapped in a cutback with Bayern's defence caught out in the quick break.

Corentin Tolisso's header again cut the deficit and Alphonso Davies thundered in a shot in the 69th minute to draw them level.

Bayern are on 49 points, with RB Leipzig in second place on 44. Bielefeld are 16th on 18 points.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Monday shot down reports that he had instructed female referees not to greet a Qatari delegate during the Club World Cup medal ceremony last week and insisted he remained a strong advocate for women's rights.

After the game in which Bayern Munich beat Mexican side Tigres 1-0, Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani was seen fist-bumping male officials as they walked up to the podium, but he appeared to ignore female referees Edina Alves Batista and Neuza Back.

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Reports suggested Infantino had instructed the female officials not to greet the Sheikh, who is also the president of Qatar's Olympic Committee, although Infantino said he had simply congratulated them on a job well done.

However, tournament organisers Qatar said the incident was little more than a misunderstanding.

"Given the lies that have been spread online in relation to what I said to the female officials during the Club World Cup final medals ceremony, I would like to issue a clarification," the head of the global football body said in a statement.

"I used the opportunity to congratulate them for the great job that they performed throughout the competition. This was a landmark for FIFA. The first time that female officials were appointed to, and officiated at a men's senior FIFA competition.

"As everyone knows, I am a strong advocate of women's rights and equal treatment of every human being. Regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or physical ability."

Infantino had said before the game that by appointing female officials, FIFA wanted to "break down barriers" and "send out an important message to the world."

"Those who have been spreading false rumours should be ashamed of their actions," Infantino added.

Benjamin Pavard's goal in the 59th minute following a VAR review handed Bayern their sixth trophy in less than nine months, making them the first team to match Barcelona's sextuple from 2009.

Information from Reuters was used in this story.