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DUNEDIN, Fla. . -- Jose Reyes reported to Blue Jays camp two days early, donning a Superman T-shirt, a wide grin and an optimistic attitude on what he expects will be a much improved season. The four-time All-Star shortstop spent much of the morning Tuesday working out and joking with teammates in the clubhouse. "Were very excited about this year, because last year was a tough year for me and for the whole team," Reyes said. "This year, I feel like Im 100 per cent and back to normal. I just cant wait to go to the field and do what I do best, and help this ballclub get where we need to get." The speedy Reyes was limited to just 92 games last season because of a broken ankle. Hurt in April, he says the injury continued to nag him after he returned from the disabled list in June. But with more time to rehab, Reyes says his ankle has gotten "way better." He says he is not worried about what kind of effects the artificial turf at Rogers Centre could have on it. "I feel like this off-season, I was able to move how I wanted to," Reyes said. "Last year, it was kind of tough for me. Running the bases, going from first to second. Stuff like that bothered me a little bit. But this year, its not a concern at all." Reyes said he is eager turn the page on the past two years, which he described as the hardest of his major league career. After spending his first eight seasons with the New York Mets, Reyes opted become a free agent in 2011. He signed a six-year, $106 million contract with the Marlins, believing a revamped roster could help them contend for a World Series title. But after the Marlins stumbled to a 69-93 record, Reyes was shipped to Toronto along with pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle as part of an off-season purge by Miami to dump salary. The results didnt get much better for Reyes in a new uniform. Picked by many to be playoff contenders, the Blue Jays were crippled by injuries and poor starting pitching and finished 74-88, last in the AL East. "It is tough, because you come with high expectations in spring training," Reyes said. "But in baseball, you never know whats going to happen. You have to put it in the past. This is a new year." Reyes said he kept in touch with sluggers Jose Bautista and Melky Cabrera during the off-season. And while it wont be easy, they agree if the Blue Jays continue to build chemistry, they can contend in the division and return to the playoffs. "We just need to put it together on the field," Reyes said. "If we put it all together -- pitching, hitting, out there on the field -- why can we not compete? The team is still here. We still have the star players that we need to have. We just need to stay healthy and go from there." NOTES: Manager John Gibbons announced that knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will be the teams opening day starter for the second consecutive season, on March 31 against the Tampa Bay Rays. "Itll be Dickey opening up in (St. Petersburg), where he has pitched very well," Gibbons said. "Hes had some good outings down there and hes our guy." Gibbons said he has not yet determined the rest of the rotation order. ... CF Colby Rasmus and 3B Brett Lawrie also stopped by the clubhouse. ... The Jays signed OF Brett Carroll to a minor league contract. Carroll, 31, is expected to report to Triple-A Buffalo. . -- Patrick Kueng of Switzerland was nearly flawless as he captured his first World Cup and halted Aksel Lund Svindals streak of four straight super-G victories on Saturday. . He had spent 16 days on the disabled list before being activated Thursday. He was batting just .203 when he came to bat in the 11th inning on Sunday. . Plata blasted a rising shot to the upper left corner for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. He got the kick after referee Allen Chapman ruled Chris Tierney fouled John Stertzer in the penalty area.ST. LOUIS -- The Atlanta Braves used a two-run rally in the ninth to end their road trip with a win. Ryan Doumit scored on a wild pitch and the Braves got two runs in the ninth inning to rally past the St. Louis Cardinals for a 6-5 win. The Braves have been held to two runs or fewer 19 times, but they managed to score twice off St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal (0-2) to take the game Sunday. "We got a happy flight," said Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman, who reached base four times. "We grinded all day and so did the offensive hitters. We never caved today and we gut one out in the ninth." Freeman started a ninth-inning rally with a leadoff single off St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal (0-2). With two outs, Freeman went to third on pinch hitter Ryan Doumits double to right. Rosenthal intentionally walked pinch hitter Evan Gattis to load the bases and then walked Jordan Schafer to force in the tying run. Carlos Martinez relieved Rosenthal and had a wild pitch while facing Ramiro Pena that scored Doumit to make it 6-5. "A battle royal there at the end," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We just kept getting good at-bats and its nice to win this one. Maybe it will get us going in the right direction." St. Louis dropped a game it was close to winning. "It would have been a big win, no question," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "Theyre all tough, but to have a lead in the ninth, even a slim one, that a tough one to lose." Dan Carpenter (3-0) pitched 1 1-3 innings of scoreless relief for the win. Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth for his 11th save in 13 chances. The save was the 150th of Kimbrels career. Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia pitched seven innings in his first outing in more than a year. Garcia, who underwent surgery in May 2013 to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his pitching shoulder, allowed four runs and five hits with five strikeouts. . . The outing was Garcias 100th appearance in the major leagues, but first since May 17, 2013. "I made some good pitches, I made some mistakes," Garcia said. "I had some butterflies going on in the first inning, but nothing different." Kolten Wong drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double in the second inning. Freeman went 3 for 3, including a solo home run in the first and a two-run single in the sixth. Justin Upton homered leading off the fourth for the Braves. The homer was the 10th for Upton, who also doubled and scored two runs. "Its big," Freeman said. "I dont know if you can say a must win, but its definitely nice to get one." The Braves failed twice to close out innings due to defensive miscues with two outs. That allowed the Cardinals to score four runs. With two outs in the seventh and Yadier Molina on first, Jhonny Peralta hit a high fly ball to centre field. Schaefer lost the ball in the sun and it fell just to his right side. Peralta was credited with a double and Molina scored to give the Cardinals a 5-4 lead. In the second inning, Braves starter Gavin Floyd appeared headed for an easy second inning when he struck out Peter Bourjos for what would have been the third out. But the ball got away from catcher Gerald Laird for a passed ball, allowing Bourjos to reach first. A hit by Garcia and a walk to Matt Carpenter loaded the bases and Wong cleared them with a double down the line in left to make it 3-1. Atlanta rallied to tie the game 4-4 on Freemans two-run single with one out in the sixth. NOTES: Molina extended his hitting streak to seven games with a fifth-inning single. ... Atlantas Dan Uggla went 0 for 3, dropping his average to .178. Uggla has just two hits in his past 29 at-bats. ... Pat Neshek got one out in the eighth inning to extend his scoreless streak to 13 2-3 innings. ' ' '

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