MIAMI (AP) - Jeff Torborg will return as manager of the Florida Marlins in 2003, honoring the final year of his contract. ''We're pleased with the progress of the club and the direction through Jeff's leadership,'' Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest said Thursday. Torborg, the sixth manager in Marlins' history, took over Feb. 15 after the team was sold to former Montreal Expos owner Jeffrey Loria just before spring training. The former Expos manager followed Loria to Miami after a 47-62 season in Montreal in 2001. He took over for Felipe Alou in midseason. Torborg has led the Marlins to a 73-79 record in a season that has seen the trades of pitcher Ryan Dempster to Cincinnati and outfielder Cliff Floyd to Montreal. The Marlins have also had injuries to their top starting pitchers: A.J. Burnett , Josh Beckett and Brad Penny . ''This team has excited me from day one in spring training.'' Torborg said before yesterday's game. ''We've just had one of those crazy years. ''Once we get our guys healthy, the pitchers healthy, we can build a team I feel very good about,'' he said. The Marlins were 23 games behind NL East-leading Atlanta as of Thursday, and have not been to the playoffs since they won the World Series in 1997. ''He's going to be a big part of our planning'' for next season, Beinfest said. r Yankees closer Mariano Rivera threw in the bullpen without a problem yesterday and probably will be activated from the 15-day disabled list this weekend. ''After throwing today, Saturday seems to be the appropriate day,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre said. ''Physically, he seems fine. He just needs to get that game face and game focus.'' Rivera, sidelined by a strained shoulder, went on the disabled list for the third time this season Aug. 19. He'd been on the DL just once before this season. BASKETBALL The Seattle SuperSonics re-signed free agent forward Rashard Lewis to a seven-year contract yesterday. Lewis, 23, averaged a career-high 16.8 points and seven rebounds in 71 games for Seattle last season, his fourth with the Sonics. He led the team in rebounding, was second in scoring, and had 16 double-doubles.

Tim Grgurich became the third assistant coach to leave the Milwaukee Bucks during this offseason when he gave up his job yesterday. FOOTBALL Top-ranked Miami's Andre Johnson will start at wide receiver against Boston College on Saturday, but he won't be returning kickoffs. Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 227-pound junior, was held out against Temple last week after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder. He is tied for second on the team with seven receptions, despite missing the Temple game. The Minnesota Gophers home football games against Illinois and Northwestern - both originally scheduled for Saturdays - have been moved to Thursday nights to accommodate potential Twins playoff games. Minnesota's game against Illinois, originally slated for Saturday, Oct. 5, will now be played Thursday, Oct. 3. The Gophers' homecoming game against Northwestern was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12, but has been moved to Thursday, Oct. 10. Both games will start at 7 p.m. HOCKEY Buffalo businessman Mark Hamister submitted an offer to buy the financially troubled Buffalo Sabres after meeting NHL commissioner Gary Bettman yesterday. Hamister owns the Arena Football League's Buffalo Destroyers and also is chairman of Buffalo-based National Health Care. He is the first of a number of prospective groups to make a formal offer. Suspended Nashville Predators defenseman Jere Karalahti worked out with his former Finnish club with the hope that he can return to the ice soon. Karalahti, 27, received a six-month suspension last month for a third violation of the NHL's substance abuse policy. He is trying to rejoin IFK Helsinki. JURISPRUDENCE Philadelphia 76ers forward Derrick Coleman pleaded guilty last week to a drunken driving charge, a court official said yesterday. Coleman, 35, was given a 60-day sentence, which was suspended, three days of community service, nine months of non-reporting probation and an $825 fine plus court costs, the official said. TENNIS Sixth-seeded Alexandra Stevenson advanced to the quarterfinals of the Bell Challenge yesterday, beating Paraguay's Rossana Neffa-de los Rios 6-1, 6-4. Stevenson will face top-seeded Silvia Farina Elia of Italy in the quarterfinals for a semifinal spot. In other quarterfinals, Russian qualifier Anastassia Rodionova will face Germany's Marlene Weingartner , and seventh-seeded Elena Bovina of Russia will play Germany's Angelika Roesch. OFF THE FIELD Divers searched the waters off an island near Tahiti for clues to the disappearance of former NBA player Bison Dele and two other people. The divers were looking in a lagoon on the north coast of Moorea, where Dele and his girlfriend Serena Karlan spent time before they disappeared July 8. Bertrand Saldo , the French captain of Dele's 55-foot catamaran, also is missing, and police have opened a murder investigation.

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