Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has issued a 60-game schedule that will start July 23 or 24 in empty ballparks as the sport tries to push ahead amid the coronavirus following months of acrimony. This will be MLB’s shortest season since 1878. Each team will play 10 games against each of its four division rivals and four games against each of the five clubs in the corresponding division in the other league, according to details obtained by The Associated Press. The sides expanded the designated hitter to games involving National League teams and will start extra innings with a runner on second base.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have signed first-round draft pick Jordan Walker for $2.9 million, which comes just under the slot value for the 21st overall pick. Walker is a power-hitting third baseman picked out of high school. The Cardinals continued Tuesday to bring their selections from the first-year player draft under contract. The Cardinals already signed their second-round pick, East Carolina outfielder Alec Burleson; third-round pick Levi Prater, a left-hander from Oklahoma; and fifth-round pick L.J. Jones, an outfielder from Long Beach State.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have signed all six of their draft picks, including first-rounder Asa Lacy, along with seven undrafted free agents that together give the rebuilding franchise one of the best incoming crops of first-year players in the majors. The club announced the 13 signings on Tuesday with Lacy being the headliner. The big, rangy left-hander out of Texas A&M was widely considered the top college arm in the draft, yet he slid to the Royals at the fourth overall pick.

CHICAGO (AP) — Former Kansas State guard Brian Patrick is headed to DePaul as a graduate transfer. Patrick will be eligible to play immediately after spending two years at Kansas State and last season at Purdue Fort Wayne. He played in 49 games as a backup at Kansas State before transferring, and averaged 11.1 points for Purdue Fort Wayne after sitting out a year. DePaul went 16-16 overall and finished last in the Big East at 3-15.

UNDATED (AP) — College baseball players who had their seasons end abruptly in March are finding it challenging to stay sharp. That’s largely because the coronavirus pandemic has forced most summer leagues to shut down. That leaves the players to their own devices to get in workouts and do baseball drills. Even if they do play summer ball, the season will be short. Clemson coach Monte Lee says he’s worried about players being overzealous when they return to campus for fall practices. Lee said he plans to have his players ramp up slowly because their routines have been disrupted.

UNDATED (AP) — The rope found hanging in Bubba Wallace’s garage at Talladega Superspeedway was not a hate crime. Federal authorities say the rope had been hanging at the Alabama track since at least October. Video evidence showed it had been hanging from the garage door but was the only one fashioned as a noose. Wallace coincidentally was assigned that garage. NASCAR stood by its decision to investigate the discovery found in the stall of its only Black driver. Wallace successfully called for a ban of the Confederate flag and has become an activist for the sport during a push for racial equality.