Justin Smith returns to San Francisco 49ers practice

The San Francisco welcomed back a big cog in their defense on Thursday, as dominant defensive lineman Justin Smith returned to practice.

Jacobs inks deal with Seattle

MLB.com’s Greg Johns reported on Thursday that the Mariners have singed Mike Jacobs to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training. Jacobs played in 13 games with Arizona last season, hitting .211 and driving in two runs. His best season came in 2008, when he hit 32 home runs for the Marlins.