LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Finally, some good news for the scuffling Chicago Bears: Quarterback Jay Cutler will return from a thumb injury to play against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 31.Whether its too late for Cutler to salvage something for the Bears (1-6) -- or perhaps his own career in Chicago -- remain valid questions.I think hes been at the bit for a while, coach John Fox said Monday. I think anytime you cant play as a competitor, as a player, obviously thats hard and I think he handled it great.Fox said team doctors cleared Cutler to play over the weekend. His return comes at an opportune time since backup Brian Hoyer broke his left arm against Green Bay on Thursday night and had surgery. He was placed on injured reserve, and the Bears have not ruled out picking up another quarterback.Matt Barkley replaced Hoyer in the loss at Green Bay.Cutler completed 28 of 46 for 373 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a game and a half before his thumb sprain against Philadelphia in a 29-14 loss Sept. 19. He had a passer rating of 75.7Hoyer completed 134 of 200 for 1,445 yards with six touchdowns and a passer rating of 98.0. His 200 attempts without an interception are only five shy of the franchise record set in 2008 by Kyle Orton. While Hoyer was playing, Fox was asked if Cutler would return as starter when he healed and said the starting position would be performance-based.Fox sought to clarify his statement Monday.Some things that I say go somewhere that I wasnt really intending, he said. At the end of the day, obviously, Jays our starter. He was injured, not permitted to play medically. And now that hes healed, hes back to being our starter.Thats really the facts and kind of what happened and where were at now. So I dont know that there was a competition to speak of. Just like there wasnt a competition when Matt Barkley went in, he was our only quarterback left. So its good to have Jay back. Were excited to have him back and hopefully he can remain healthy.Its been speculated often that Cutler and Chicago may part ways after this season. Fox doesnt think the talk will affect Cutler.I think all that for everybody is tough, Fox said. I think everybody realizes what they signed up for. Obviously as a coach and a staff youre always trying to help your players through stuff like that, but one thing Ive found in Jay in the time Ive been here is that hes very tough-minded and resilient.Fox said Cutler worked with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and Hoyer throughout his injury.Now its a matter of getting back in sync with teammates on the field.Center Cody Whitehair said there could be a slight adjustment made in terms of Cutler taking snaps instead of Hoyer, but not much else.We dont really play into that much; whichevers back there, were going to try and do our best to protect them and do our thing on the run, Whitehair said. But you know, it is nice to have him back. Hes been a leader on the sideline even while he wasnt playing and itll be nice to have him back out there.Game notes Fox said right guard Kyle Long suffered a triceps strain in the Packer game, but didnt offer much detail on whether his play will be affected: Well continue to have time. Our first really day back to full practice is Thursday. ... The Bears promoted OL Cornelius Edison to the active roster, claimed TE Daniel Brown off waivers and RB waived Joique Bell. ... The Bears are in a stretch that has them playing one game in 23 days. Theyre hoping it allows numerous injured starters to heal, including nose tackle Eddie Goldman and running back Jeremy Langford. Both had high ankle sprains.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Nick Foles Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Brian Dawkins Womens Jersey . The Brazilian goalkeeper signed a loan deal with the Major League Soccer club on Friday as he looks to get playing time ahead of this summers World Cup in his home country. http://www.eaglesrookiestore.com/Eagles-Jerome-Brown-Jersey/ . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Harold Carmichael Womens Jersey . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. Randall Cunningham Youth Jersey . -- Aaron Murray threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another score, and led No. BOSTON -- Mookie Betts wasnt pleased with his recent swings at the plate.A little tweaking and he joined elite company in Red Sox history.Betts hit three home runs and drove in a career-best eight runs, joining Hall of Famer Ted Williams as the only Red Sox players in over 100 years with a pair of three-homer games in a season and powering Boston over the Arizona Diamondbacks 16-2 Sunday.These last couple of days I was off, Betts said. I basically just swung my way out of it.The Red Sox said Betts joined Williams, who had two three-homer games in 1957, as the only Red Sox players since 1913 to accomplish the feat.It makes you feel pretty good anytime your names said with his. It means youve done something well, said Betts, who matched David Ortiz with the club lead with 26 homers.Dustin Pedroia had five hits and Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a two-run homer for Boston.Rick Porcello (16-3) became the first Red Sox pitcher in 70 years to open a season 12-0 at Fenway Park as Boston completed a three-game sweep of Arizona.Zack Greinke (11-4) was chased in the second inning.The guys swung the bats tremendous today against one of the best pitchers in the game, Porcello said. I threw strikes to get us back in the dugout as quick as possible.Betts had two chances to hit a record-tying fourth homer, but lined out to right and then grounded out in the eighth. The crowd chanted `Lets Go Mookie! before his final at-bat.His teammates wanted to see him become the 17th player in major league history with four homers in a game.They told me try and swing for it, Betts said.Betts other three-homer game came against Baltimore on May 31.What was billed as a marquee pitching matchup turned into a rout early when Greinke was tagged for three homers and nine runs in 1 2/3 innings.It just seemed like my stuff was really flat today, he said. Most times, guys dont hit my off-speed very good, but they hit all my off-speed pitches today.Porcello allowed one run on three hits over seven innnings and became the first Boston pitcher since Dave Boo Ferriss to begin a year by winning his first 12 decisions in Fenway.ddddddddddddBetts two-run homer in the first cleared the Green Monster and made it 2-0.His second, a three-run shot into the first row of Monster seats, keyed a seven-run second. Bradley hit his off the Pesky Pole, and rookie Andrew Benintendi and Pedroia each drove in a run during the inning.Betts third homer was a three-run shot that caromed off a billboard above the Monster in a six-run fifth.Michael Bourn had a solo homer and RBI single for the Diamondbacks. They had won four straight before being swept.It was the second-most runs Greinke has allowed in his career. He gave up 11 in a start for Kansas City, against the Diamondbacks on June 10, 2005.They just hit everything he threw up there, Arizona manager Chip Hale said.TRAINERS ROOMDiamondbacks: C Welington Castillo is due back Monday from bereavement leave.Red Sox: Bradley was in the lineup after getting Saturday off to rest and nurse a sore big toe. . Manager John Farrell said after the game that RHP Steven Wright (jammed pitching shoulder) would go on the DL and Hanley Ramirez on the bereavement list.HUGE MILESTONEPedroia had his fifth career five-hit game, most in club history.BIG REQUESTRecently acquired Red Sox C Bryan Holadays preschool-age son walked over to Ortiz in the clubhouse, looked up and asked: Can you teach me how to hit home runs every time?Big Papi smiled and replied: You want to learn how to hit home runs every time? Well work on that.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: LHP Robbie Ray (5-11, 4.57 ERA) faces RHP Bartolo Colon (10-6, 3.35) Monday in the opener of a three-game series against the Mets.Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz (0-2, 5.26) is set to start when they open their four-city road trip. RHP Josh Tomlin (11-5, 4.18) goes for the Indians. ' ' '