hitters to make contact. He w

DUNEDIN, Florida – On Wednesday, it was J. Greg Little Raiders Jersey .A. Happs turn to play in the ongoing game of hot potato, better known as the competition to determine who will comprise the back end of the Blue Jays starting rotation. When the figurative music stops on March 31, Opening Day, general manager Alex Anthopoulos, manager John Gibbons and pitching coach Pete Walker will make whats becoming an increasingly difficult decision thanks to consistently mediocre to subpar performances by the candidates. Walker said before Wednesdays 11-6 win over the Phillies that the game was a "big start" for Happ. He needed to pitch in the strike zone. Happ needed to force Philadephias hitters to make contact. He was scheduled to pitch four or five innings with a pitch count of 70, give or take a few. Turns out Happ threw 71 pitches but did so in only 2 2/3 innings. Only 34 of those pitches were strikes. He laboured, to be generous, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks. Afterward, Happ saw his afternoon in a positive light. "It was good," he said. "I felt strong out there. Maybe a little too good but everything was good. Health was good." The health to which Happ refers is his back, an ailment which has kept him out of Grapefruit League action since he was pulled in the first inning of a March 3 start against the Twins. Happ intends to focus on developing his rhythm, interrupted due to injury, next time out. Hes looking to more consistently harness the new arm slot he employed in the final month of last season. Happ watched video of his start and noticed hed reverted to an over-the-top angle. Its all in the name of better efficiency. "Thats the same story for everybody," said Gibbons. "To be successful in the big leagues youve got to throw a lot of strikes. Youve got to throw that strike one. You fall behind guys, it turns everything in the hitters favour and just the opposite for the pitcher. Hes capable of doing that." Two weeks ago, the 31-year-old was bothered by Anthopoulos suggestion that his spot in the starting rotation was in question. Happ isnt dwelling on it now, saying he cant worry about what he cant control. Its apparent he will be on the team, as will Esmil Rogers and Todd Redmond, his competitors for a final rotation job. The question is who will be the starter and which two will work out of a bullpen which is expected to feature eight relievers. Its believed Happ is in the drivers seat, partly because Rogers doesnt throw enough of his repertoire for strikes and Redmond tends to struggle once the oppositions lineup turns over. Remember, too, that Happ is owed $5.2 million this year on an extension signed the day Ricky Romero was cut from camp last spring. The idea of having $12.7 million on the books for Happ and Romero, with neither in the starting rotation, cant be a pleasant one. "I dont feel like Im far," said Happ. "You guys, youre going to take that outing for what it was and it doesnt look pretty. Pitch-wise, like I said, Im up to 70 and next time be 85-90 and still feel strong thatll be a good thing. Im close." "Im looking forward to his next start," said Gibbons. "Thats all Ive got to say." The game of hot potato continues on Thursday when the Blue Jays visit the Phillies. Another back end of the rotation candidate gets the start. Over to you, Esmil Rogers. ROMERO AND STROMAN REASSIGNED Ricky Romero and Marcus Stroman shipped out to minor league camp on Wednesday morning. Both were outsiders, at best, to crack the opening day roster but both impressed at times during Grapefruit League play. "We just feel they both need more work," said manager John Gibbons. "As far as Ricky, hes moving in the right direction. We really like what he did this camp. Just go down there and polish it up. Stro, hes kind of the odd man out. He had trouble throwing strikes (Tuesday). Hes got to do that. They both need more work." After two down years the bar wasnt set high for Romero. With that as a consideration, its fair to say he exceeded expectations. He had two positive outings before he cratered against the Tigers on Tuesday, reverting to his wild ways. "He showed us enough in the previous two outings before (Tuesday) that you know what, hey, its coming," said Gibbons. "Its a long road and you never really know whether a guy is going to make it back or not but he was starting to show the signs of it." Stroman showed flashes of the pitcher the Blue Jays believe he will become but he was inconsistent all spring, culminating with an ugly performance on Tuesday. The Tigers knocked him around for seven runs on five hits in one-third of an inning. "We brought Stroman in, he pitched in Double-A for us and he had a legitimate shot (at making the club,") said Gibbons. "We dont think hes quite ready. Hes not polished yet so hes got to go down there and work on some things." The Jays still need to add two to a rotation which features R.A. Dickey, Brandon Morrow and Mark Buehrle. While the pitching coach offers praise to Drew Hutchison, Pete Walker wont yet guarantee him a spot. "Not ready to say that," said Walker. "Obviously, were extremely pleased with the way hes thrown the ball. Hes certainly shown hes capable of getting major league hitters out. His velocity, his strength, his bounce back, right now, after outings has been fantastic. Hes shown poise on the mound. Hes done everything you need to do to earn a spot, theres no question, but were just in a position right now, were sorting through some things to make sure we make the right decision." SANCHEZ AROUND FOR EXPERIENCE Aaron Sanchez is getting plenty of opportunity to pitch in Grapefruit League games, often the back end of a starters piggyback. Hes thrown as many as four innings in a game and is scheduled to work in relief of Todd Redmond against the Rays on Friday. "He wont make the team," said manager John Gibbons. "We want to keep him around, pitching in some of these games for the experience factor." Sanchez, 21, is considered the Jays top pitching prospect. He threw 109 2/3 innings combined with High-A Dunedin and in the Arizona Fall League last season. Its expected he will begin the year at Double-A New Hampshire. Kaluka Maiava Raiders Jersey .05 million, one-year contract, a raise of $300,000. Texas acquired Soto in a trade from the Chicago Cubs in July 2012. Austin Howard Raiders Jersey . "I am thrilled to sign a new contract with the Argonauts and be a part of this team as we make a run at the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto next year," said Bradwell. MINNEAPOLIS -- If the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to chase down their first playoff berth since 2004, theyre going to have to do most of the work without Kevin Love. Unfortunately for this hard-luck franchise, they know what it feels like to play without their All-Star and Olympian. Love will miss the next eight to 10 weeks after needing surgery to repair a right hand that is broken for the second time this season, the team announced on Wednesday. Its the latest in a long line of injuries to Minnesotas key players that have threatened to derail a season which started with post-season aspirations. Its also the latest chapter in what has been a nightmare season for Love in the first year of the $62 million contract extension he signed last January. Love missed the first three weeks of the regular season after breaking his right hand in the preseason. He returned faster than most expected, played for about a month and then broke two bones in his shooting hand in a game last week against Denver. The team said a date for the surgery would be announced Thursday. "Were going to miss him a lot, but theres nothing we can do about that right now," point guard Ricky Rubio said Tuesday night before knowing the full extent of Loves injury. "We just have to keep moving forward." The timeframe would put Love back on the court possibly around mid-March, about a month before the playoffs begin. The Wolves (16-15) started the day in ninth place in the Western Conference, one spot out of the playoff field. Love was averaging 18.3 points and 14.0 rebounds after helping Team USA to the gold medal in the London Olympics, but he hasnt been the same player who emerged as the best power forward in the game last year. Needing more time to rest after the Olympic grind, Love showed up to training camp knowing he would need to push himself to get into the shape he was accustomed to playing in. That process was halted late in the preseason when he injured his hand the first time, a break that didnt need surgery and allowed him to return about 10 days earlier than expected. Once he was back in the lineup, Love struggled to recapture the shooting form that made him such a unique problem for opposing defences. Matt Schaub Raiders Jersey. He was shooting just 21.7 per cent from 3-point range and 35 per cent from the field, with his hand not allowing him to get the feel on his shot. "I think this time, he needs to do it right, to recover fully, recover all the way to the end," centre Nikola Pekovic said before the team played Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. "The last time, the previous time he got hurt, he kind of hurried. So maybe, Im not a doctor, I dont know. Maybe thats the reason: its not healed all the way. Im sure this time hell heal it up all the way." Love also drew scorn from a Timberwolves fan base that had adored him shortly after returning when he made some critical remarks about the organization to Yahoo! Sports and renewed his complaints about getting a four-year contract and not the five-year deal that he wanted. Now the Wolves will have to play on without him again. Theyve also lost Brandon Roy, Chase Budinger and Josh Howard to knee injuries this season and been slowed by Rubios gradual return from a torn ACL in his left knee last March. Rubio returned for five games in mid-December, but had to sit out four games with back spasms, as well, and said after dishing out eight assists in a win over the Hawks on Tuesday night that hes still working to get his conditioning back up to speed. Nikola Pekovic, J.J. Barea and Luke Ridnour have also been dealing with minor injuries, a run of health issues that has left coach Rick Adelman without a full bench for almost the entire season. Even Adelman has been absent lately, missing the last two games for personal reasons. Its not immediately clear when the coach will rejoin his team. "The NBA doesnt stop for us," said assistant Terry Porter, who is filling in for Adelman. "I wish I could make it stop and just twist the schedules a little bit. I dont want to stop seeing somebody but I just want to re-shift when we see them. Like OKC, we want to see them in March maybe." cheap jerseys from china ' ' '