|
GOODYEAR, Ariz. Rob Gronkowski Womens Jersey . -- Clevelands Jason Giambi will be sidelined for about three-to-four weeks with a broken rib in his right side. Giambi was hit by a pitch thrown by Edwin Jackson of the Chicago Cubs in the third inning of a March 7 game. X-rays at the time were negative, but Cleveland said Thursday the 43-year-old Giambi had felt increased discomfort over previous five days. "As he continued to show tenderness, we got him an MRI yesterday," manager Terry Francona said. "We treat the symptoms. He will be down for a number of days without activity, just getting treatment. Then when the symptoms are better, we can start getting him into activities. Then we can get him into baseball activities." The 2000 AL MVP, Giambi is a non-roster invitee to big league training camp. The designated hitter hopes to play in his 20th major league season and second with the Indians. Giambi has been hit by 179 pitches during the regular season, 11th on the career list. "I kind of knew. It was a cutter in it hit me just under the pad," said Giambi, who picked the ball up and flipped the it to Jackson. "I didnt want him to think it hurt." Giambi probably will not make the opening-day roster, but the Indians are hoping he will rebound and be in position to join the big league team later. "It is why you try to evaluate everybody, because if you need a plan B or a plan C, you have it," Francona said. Giambi is optimistic he will be back soon. "Its not tragic. At least its not displaced," he said. "The doctors told me it is going to be sore and we have to get the trauma down. Guys play with this all the time. Im not discouraged. Its really small, but with the trauma it wont let me swing right now. Its the human body protecting itself." Nyjer Morgan and Jeff Francoeur also are in camp on minor league contracts. Morgan strained his left calf Wednesday. "The trainers say day to day," Francona explained. "We have to protect him from himself. Hes kind of on a mission here if not to show us, to show the world hes back. He plays so hard. He has to pass some tests on the medical side. Thats not to hinder him. Thats to protect him." Right-hander J.C. Ramirez broke his left thumb and sprained a ligament during a "B" game on Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox and will be sidelined for eight-to-10 weeks. He is scheduled for surgery Monday with Dr. Thomas Graham at the Cleveland Clinic. James White Patriots Jersey . The Denver Nuggets versatile forward needs surgery to repair a labral tear in his left hip and is done for the season. Danny Amendola Womens Jersey . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset.RALEIGH, N.C. -- The previous time the Carolina Hurricanes had a month like this, a rare playoff appearance soon followed. The Hurricanes capped their first 10-win month since 2009 by beating the St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Friday night. Jeff Skinner scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, Alexander Semin added an empty-netter with 1:04 left and Nathan Gerbe scored on an early power play. Opening a four-game homestand that precedes the Olympic break, Carolina earned its fifth win in six games while staying in the mix in the crowded Metropolitan Division. "We want to have a good feeling going into the break and we want to sort of build off this win," Skinner said. David Backes scored on the power play for St. Louis. The Blues, who average 3.36 goals per game, missed a chance to pull even with Chicago atop the Central Division by losing just their fourth game against an Eastern Conference team. "Hard to find a lot of good players in our game today," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. "They deserve a lot of credit. They skated. They checked. They played hard. And we looked like we had the body language like we wanted an easier game. Didnt get it." Anton Khudobin stopped 26 shots for the Hurricanes. Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves in his fourth straight start, but had his four-game winning streak snapped. Khudobin stopped all 10 shots he faced in the third period, including a nifty leg save on Alex Pietrangelo with about 1 1/2 minutes left. And, he got some help from the goal post after two Blues -- Jaden Schwartz and Jay Bouwmeester -- each rang it in the final 2 minutes. "You need the post to be a goalies best friend," Carolina coach Kirk Muller said. Semin then tacked on his highlight-reel empty-net goal that capped the Hurricanes best month in a while. They went 10-4 in January, and their previous 10-win month in March 2009 led into their only playoff apppearance since 2006, when they won their only Stanley Cup. Dan Connolly Patriots Jersey. Skinner put Carolina up 2-1 off a draw 1:51 into the second. After Jordan Staal won a faceoff, the puck found Skinners stick and he beat Halak with a wrist shot from the slot that clipped the goalies glove for his seventh goal of the month. "Didnt really mean to bank it off his glove and in," Skinner said. "You just try and get it to the net sometimes." That turned out to be enough support for Khudobin, who earned the decision in every game this month for Carolina. He helped the Hurricanes leapfrog idle Columbus and Philadelphia in the division standings, with 59 points. When the night started, only 11 points separated second place from the cellar in the Metropolitan. The Hurricanes never trailed on Friday, taking advantage of some sloppy play early by the Blues -- who were whistled for three penalties in the opening 11:25. Carolina went up 1-0 when Gerbe one-timed a slick cross-ice pass from Andrej Sekera 3:46 in. "The puck had moved, and there was an opening there and he found a soft area," Sekera said. "He was wide open, so I just tried to get it to him, and he did a pretty good job." The Blues, who have the leagues second-best power-play unit, tied it at 9:23 when Backes beat Khudobin high for his 150th career goal with St. Louis but just his second since Dec. 14. "Its nice to be back on the scoreboard but were more interested in winning," Backes said. "Tonight was a game where they brought a hard-skating, tough-checking game, and we didnt have a ton of answers for it." NOTES: St. Louis finished the month 9-5-0. ... The Blues entered with 37 points on the road, the second-best total in the league, but have not won in Raleigh since 2009. ... Carolina G Cam Ward, out all of January with an unspecified lower-body injury, made a conditioning start Friday night with Charlotte of the AHL. ' ' ' |
