r John Gibbons has played this weekend, featuring Triple-A c

[blueberryjerry]

TSN. .cas NHL Play of the Year showdown continues today with a pair of highly-skilled centres absolutely undressing defenders. The 10th match-up of the Round of 32 sees Jason Spezzas sweet hands square off against Jonathan Toews mittens in an outdoor game. Spezza eliminates the defender that blocks his path to the net by simultaneously going around and right through him. Forced to the boards coming over the blue line, Spezza proceeds to victimize Florida Panthers defender Dylan Olsen. Dangling to the outside, Spezza gets Olsen to bite before bringing the puck right past him and drives the net. Bringing it back to his forehand, he roofs a shot over top of Scott Clemmensen for a tremendous individual effort. Toews takes his act outdoors, but still displays some soft hands and a hot stick. In front of a packed house at Soldier Field, Toews fights neutral zone traffic and uses an outside-inside move to run right through Brooks Orpik. The falling snow is not enough to slow the shot as it squeaks between Marc-Andre Fleurys pads and trickles over the goal line. You can watch the highlights and make your decision here (http://poy.tsn.ca). Every vote counts, so watch all the plays and take part in the TSN.ca Play of the Year Showdown. Let us know who you voted for via Twitter by using the hashtag #tsnklondikepoy. .ca. Kerry, In the first period of Saturdays Montreal-Ottawa game, Brendan Gallagher is called for goaltender interference. Craig Anderson is outside the blue paint trying to make the save. . -- New York Yankees centre fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was sent for an MRI Thursday of his ailing right calf, which was negative. . The Major League Soccer teams were scheduled to play on Saturday night, but their game was rescheduled after Stu Tudor was hit during a pregame storm. The 54-year-old lieutenant in the Columbus Fire Department is in critical condition in the intensive care unit of the Ohio State Medical Center.TORONTO – Jose Bautista is nearing a return to the Blue Jays lineup and pinch hit in the sixth inning of Sundays series finale against the White Sox. Batting for Dioner Navarro with runners on the corners and the Jays down 2-0 at the time, Bautista grounded out to end the inning. Fans who arrived to watch batting practice were treated to Bautistas first public testing of his injured left hamstring. He was running sprints in the outfield; he estimated at about 50 to 60-percent effort and admitted to feeling some pain, which he said he expected. Bautista will work out on Mondays off day and is hopeful of being in the starting lineup on Tuesday when the Jays play a Canada Day matinee against the Brewers. He hasnt been in the starting lineup since removing himself in the third inning of the June 22 loss in Cincinnati. "You know, its huge," said Bautista of avoiding the disabled list. Then he offered a precautionary thought: "Obviously thats still not in the plans but you never know how things are going to respond," said Bautista. "I just want to make it clear that I can get back into playing and because theres a previous injury there anything can happen. Im not trying to jinx it or anything but thats just reality." Bautista has been hitting in the underneath batting cage. "I feel like hitting is much easier right now than running," he said. While its superfluous to suggest the Blue Jays miss Bautista when hes not in the lineup the matter became more pronounced as the club faced three Chicago lefthanders over the wweekend. . After two home games versus Milwaukee, against right-handed starters, the Jays kick off their next road trip with four games in Oakland. The As will throw three left-handers at the Blue Jays in that series. Bautistas done serious damage to southpaws this year. Seven of his 15 home runs have been hit off of lefties. Hes accomplished that in only 57 at-bats. His on-base plus slugging percentage sits at an otherworldly 1.329. Combine Bautistas absence with the predominantly right-handed lineup manager John Gibbons has played this weekend, featuring Triple-A call ups Brad Glenn and Darin Mastroianni, and offence has been in relatively short supply. Left-handed hitters Adam Lind and Colby Rasmus, when theyve played, have struggled as the numbers would suggest they would. Bautista isnt committing to whether hell be Tuesdays designated hitter or take his usual spot in right field. "If I come in and feel 100-percent and great and go out on the field and play defence and I could not feel 100-percent and ask to DH instead of playing the field," said Bautista. "It all depends on how I feel on Tuesday and I wont know that until Tuesday." If Bautistas hamstring limits him to the designated hitters role, that likely removes Adam Lind from the Canada Day starting lineup. Against a right-handed starting pitcher, thats less than ideal. Should Bautista declare himself fit to play right field, Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Lind would both play, one as the designated hitter and the other at first base. ' ' '

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