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ATLANTA - Right-hander Gavin Floyd was activated from the disabled list on Sunday and will start on Tuesday against St. jerseys from china . Louis as a replacement for Ervin Santana, who has swelling below his right thumb. Santana, a right-hander, said he jammed the thumb on an inside pitch from Cincinnatis Homer Bailey on April 25. He said the thumb felt fine after that game. He said he had swelling on his hand below the thumb in his last start against the Marlins on Wednesday. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Santana is expected to miss only one start. Gonzalez said he tentatively expects Santana to start on Saturday against the Cubs. Santana said the swelling is improving each day. He said hes never had a similar injury. "No, this is my first time hitting," he said with a smile. Santana played in the American League with the Angels and Kansas City before signing a one-year deal with the Braves. Santana, 3-0 with a 2.41 ERA, had a light wrap on his right hand on Sunday. The Braves optioned left-handed reliever Ian Thomas to Triple-A Gwinnett, clearing a roster spot for Floyd. Santanas injury temporarily clears a spot for Floyd in the rotation. When Santana returns, Gonzalez faces another difficult decision only days after moving David Hale to the bullpen to clear a rotation spot for left-hander Mike Minor. "We always talk about how it will take care of itself," Gonzalez said. "It will take care of itself for a week, and then well make a decision. Were not going to go with a six-man rotation." Floyd signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Braves in December after his 2013 season with the White Sox was shorted by an elbow injury. He had surgery last May to repair the ulnar collateral ligament and a torn flexor muscle in his right elbow. At the time of the surgery, there were projections that Floyds rehabilitation would last longer than a year. "I just went out and did all the work I had to do and did all the things I could," Floyd said. "A year later, Im active and healthy and real happy about that. "Im excited about pitching and excited to get out there Tuesday and after that what happens will be dealt with." The rotation includes Santana, Minor, Julio Teheran, Alex Wood and Aaron Harang. Gonzalez said this week he doesnt want to move Wood, a left-hander, to the bullpen — at least not immediately. Gonzalez kept that option open for later in the season as the team might need to limit Woods innings. Harang had the NLs best ERA before giving up nine runs in a loss to the Marlins in his last start. Floyd, 31, has a 70-70 career record with Philadelphia and the White Sox. His best season came in 2008, when he was 17-8 with a 3.84 ERA with Chicago. He hasnt won more than 12 games or had an ERA under 4.00 since 2008. Thomas was 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in 10 games. Gonzalez said he wants Floyd to work as a starter at Gwinnett so he can develop his slider. "Its hard to work on your secondary pitches when its second and third and youre facing Bryce Harper," Gonzalez said, referring to the typical situation Thomas faces as a reliever in the major leagues. The move leaves Luis Avilan as the Braves only left-handed reliever. Avilan is 3-1 with a 7.04 ERA. cheap jerseys from china .ca in a 30 Teams In 30 Days tour of the NHL in preparation for the upcoming season. jersyes nfl wholesale . Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., sent a letter Friday to the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce citing the derogatory nature of the word "redskins" and suggesting the committee use its influence to persuade team owner Dan Snyder and the NFL to change the name.BALTIMORE – The pattern suggests Aaron Sanchez will be a high-walk pitcher over the course of his career but as the 21-year-old takes his next and perhaps final minor league step, the man who hopes to manage Sanchez in the big leagues isnt concerned. "Hes got that big-time arm and his big pitch is his sinking fastball," said Gibbons. "Theres a lot of life to that. Thats a tough pitch to command and keep in the zone a lot. He may be one of those guys his whole career who walks guys. That doesnt mean he cant pitch at this level and be very good because those ground balls, you can erase some of those walks and those hits with one pitch." Sanchez joins the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons after making 14 starts for Double-A New Hampshire. He posted a 3.82 ERA and a 1.394 WHIP but talk centered on Sanchezs walk rate, which sat five-and-a-half per nine innings. "Hes still a baby. Hes still learning. He hasnt logged a lot of innings in the minor leagues yet," said Gibbons. "He may be one of those guys who walks some guys. I dont think thats necessarily, I mean youd rather not but I dont think thats a bad thing. I dont think thats a killer. Lets put it that way." This is nothing new. At any of Sanchezs seven stops in the Blue Jays chain so far, hes never had a better walk rate than 3.8 per nine innings. That came in 2011 with Bluefield of the Single-A Appalachian League. He was 18 years old at the time. Sanchez threw 109 2/3 innings last season, New Hampshire and the Arizona Fall League combined, and has already tossed 66 innings this season. A 20 per cent year-over-year increase would cap Sanchez at about 130 innings. A 30 per cent spike would see Sanchez stop at a little more than 140 innings. The Blue Jays have a plan. Whatever it is, Gibbons is being mum. "Thats none of your business," he said, before adding, "Hes still learning. Hes still developing. Hes in the minor leagues for a reason. Hes making his start every five days. Hes working through his career. When that career begins, who knows? Every pitcher in baseball in the minor leagues, I mean teams are conscious of the workload because there are so many injuries." MASTROIANNI BACK WHERE IT BEGAN Darin Mastroianni met the Blue Jays in Baltimore, his contract selected to serve as the fourth outfielder when Bobby Korecky was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. A 16th round pick of Toronto in the 2007 amateur draft, Mastroianni made his major league debut with the Blue Jays – his only game with Toronto – on August 24, 2011. He moved on to Minnesota, appearing in 114 games for the Twins in two-plus seasons. "Its really nice to be back with Toronto," said Mastroianni. "Obviously, whenever you get a chance to come back to a team that gave you your start and I made my big league debut with them, its always exciting to come back and play with an organization like that." Its been a trying year and a half for Mastroianni since he fouled a Joe Kelly pitch off his left shin in a spring training game in 2013.. cheap nfl jerseys. He suffered an avulsion fracture but tried to play through it. He was shut down in April and underwent surgery in May. Even though he returned late in the season the procedure didnt take and Mastroianni underwent a second surgery last November. He cleared waivers in December but appeared in seven April games with the Twins before being designated for assignment. Thats when the Blue Jays claimed him off waivers. "I didnt really know what was going to happen," said Mastroianni. "Obviously you hope you get a chance; that someone would want you and it was exciting to know that the Blue Jays felt that they wanted me to come over here and I was even more excited to get that call (Wednesday) that I was going to join them here." Mastroianni is a base stealer. He swiped 21 bases in 24 attempts for the Twins in 2012. His performance in Buffalo since his acquisition has allayed any fears his foot surgeries have affected his speed. Mastroianni has 14 stolen bases in 16 tries. The Blue Jays arent scheduled to face any starting left-handed pitching on the road trip or when the club returns home to face the Yankees on June 23 and so a strict bench role appears to be in Mastroiannis future. Regardless, hes excited. "This is kind of new territory for me," said Mastroianni. "Ive never been on a team thats in first place. Its kind of new. Its exciting for me. I always felt that my role on a team was to help teams win late in the game, whether its pinch-run, defence, whatever and its exciting if that is the role to be on a team when you can actually impact and really help a team win baseball games." GIBBONS PRAISES BAUTISTA Whether the club is running hot or cold and regardless of whether Jose Bautista is streaking or slumping at the plate, manager John Gibbons said his star player sets the right example. "When your top dog or one of your top guys, their mindset is they show up everyday, man, they lay it out there, thats important because its not always the case," said Gibbons. "Not just in this sport, any sport, if your top guy does things the right way, everybody falls behind that. When they do it the wrong way, everybody falls that way too and that can work against you." Bautista, as he has for most of the season, continues to lead baseball in on-base percentage (.434 entering Thursdays action). His seven outfield assists are second only to Oaklands Yoenis Cespedes. "He does everything right," said Gibbons. "He prepares himself. Hes into it. He doesnt take an inning off." RASMUS BEGINS REHAB ASSIGNMENT Colby Rasmus served as the designated hitter in Triple-A Buffalos 11-0 win at Toledo on Thursday night. In four plate appearances, he went 1-for-3 with a single, a walk and a strikeout. The plan is for Rasmus to play five innings in centerfield on Friday and play another full game at designated hitter on Saturday. At that point Rasmus right hamstring will be evaluated, possibly paving the way for his return to the Blue Jays early next week. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
