SURPRISE, Ariz.
https://www.newenglandfootballshop.com/23-Jersey . -- The Texas Rangers say ace Yu Darvish has no structural damage in his stiff neck but will likely begin the season on the disabled list. Darvish was examined Wednesday by Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas. The right-hander will start a throwing program this weekend and wont need any injections. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels says he expects Darvish will be put on the 15-day DL. The Rangers open Monday at home against Philadelphia. "I would think so, yes," Daniels said. "Thats kind of where its headed. Were looking at 10 days already. He will play catch Saturday and if he continues to improve, then well put a plan together from there." "Thats going to be two weeks. Hes not going to ready to break. Its a relief thats its positive news from the exam," he said. Darvish led the majors in strikeouts last year. With him out, Tanner Scheppers will start the season opener. Scheppers will be making his first big league start after 115 relief appearances. "Scheppers is making his first big league start on opening day," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Hes profiled as a No. 1 kind of guy. The innings he pitched last year were under a lot of pressure and I think he can handle the pressure that goes along with opening day." The Rangers said Nick Martinez will be their No. 5 starter to begin the season. He has pitched in just five games above Class A. Martin Perez will start the second game and Robbie Ross the third and Joe Saunders the fourth, giving the Rangers four left-handers to start the season. None of the five was in the Texas rotation to start last year. Martinez, a right-hander, was not even in the big league camp. He finished last season 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA with Double-A Frisco. He was 12-7 with a 2.50 ERA last year between Myrtle Beach and Frisco. "Martinez gives us an opportunity," Washington said. "He has the stuff to pitch at the major league level. I think its on us to make certain to keep him in the mental state that he needs to be in. I think he can go out there and hold that spot down until we get Colby (Lewis) and Harry (Matt Harrison) back." Harrison, an 18-game winner in 2012, is rehabbing from a neck injury. Derek Holland will start the season on the DL because of knee surgery and Lewis is recovering from forearm and hip issues. "We, maybe not you, but we feel confident that we are going to be competitive and are going to win some ballgames," he said. The 23-year-old Martinez, 23, was an 18th-round pick in 2011 out of Fordham. "Weve had a number of injuries to our pitching staff," Daniels said. "Its obviously a little quicker than we anticipated with Nick. Given the injuries and looking at our options, we had the most confidence in Nick. There was an opportunity for someone to seize it." "As an organization, we feel Nicks the right guy for that opportunity," he said. "Nicks got three solid pitches, four really, plus command and has tremendous makeup. Hes an athlete, a shortstop-second baseman in college. Hes been durable. Hes smart. Hes poised. He attacks the strike zone." The Rangers made a series of roster moves. They signed right-hander Scott Baker, who was released by Seattle, to a Triple-A Round Rock contract. The 32-year-old Baker has a 63-48 record with a 4.14 ERA in 160 big league games. Texas claimed two players off waivers, getting infielder Donnie Murphy from the Cubs and right-hander Seth Rosin from the Dodgers. Rosin is a Rule 5 draft pick and must remain on the 25-man major league roster all season or be offered back to Philadelphia. Murphy can play second base, shortstop and third. The Rangers were in the market for a second baseman with Jurickson Profar out 10 to 12 weeks with a torn muscle in his right shoulder. The 31-year-old has played in 290 major league games in eight seasons with Kansas City, Oakland, Miami and the Chicago Cubs. He spent most of last season with Triple-A Iowa, hitting .265. The Rangers also released right-hander Tommy Hanson rather than guaranteeing his $500,000 salary, which would have increased to $2 million when the season started. Hanson was 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in four exhibition games.
https://www.newenglandfootballshop.com/57-Jersey . Last year, Islanders forward Colin Mcdonald released a "Do It For Colin" campaign to promote his teammate and friend John Tavares for the EA sports honour:The most popular sports voting video ever has to go to Chris Bosh who showcased his comedic abilities in his effort to get fans to vote him into the 2008 All Star Game:You can vote for TJ and other star players for the NHL 15 cover vote here.
https://www.newenglandfootballshop.com/91-Jersey .Best moustache: How can we not give this to Lanny McDonald? Check out the duster for yourself.As their Subway Series shifts to Citi Field, the New York Yankees and New York Mets will both turn to rookies on Wednesday evening with differing expectations. Watch the action on TSN2 and TSN GO at 7pm et/4pm pt. After dropping a pair of games to the Mets in the Bronx, the Yankees losing streak in this series has reached six in a row. They also have lost a season- high four straight overall and hope that Masahiro Tanaka can stop the bleeding in the first of two straight in Flushing. The right-handed Tanaka has yet to lose as a Major League pitcher, going 5-0 with a 2.57 earned run average through seven starts. However, dating back to his time in Nippon Professional Baseball, the Japanese hurler is unbeaten in his past 41 regular-season starts, going 33-0 since Aug. 19, 2012. Tanaka has won two straight starts and is coming off a 5-3 victory at Milwaukee on Friday. He gave up two runs on seven hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven. He has won all three of his road starts this season while posting a 2.61 ERA. The 25-year-old also is the first Yankees rookie to begin his career 5-0 as a starter since Whitey Ford went 9-0 over 12 starts in 1950. The Mets have decided to give their future a shot on Wednesday night as 23- year-old Rafael Montero will make his MLB debut. Hell take the place of fellow righty Jenrry Mejia, who shifts to the bullpen. Montero is regarded as the Mets second-best pitching prospect behind Noah Syndergaard and went 4-1 with a 3.67 ERA in eight starts this season with Triple-A Las Vegas. In 24 starts at that level over the last two seasons, he is 9-5 with a 3.25 ERA while striking out 119 batters over 130 1/3 innings. And while the Yankees are looking for Tanaka to get them back on track, the Mets are simply ready to see what Montero can bring to the table. "We think hes ready now," Mets general manager Saandy Alderson told his clubs website of Montero.
https://www.newenglandfootballshop.com/39-Jersey. "I think everybody in our system thought that he was ready. That doesnt mean hell have a positive result on Wednesday, but were confident that Montero is somebody who can be successful long term." Though the Mets have allowed 14 runs over the first two games of this extended series, they have gotten plenty of offense themselves in winning both games at Yankee Stadium. They jumped out to a quick lead on Tuesday night and rolled to a 12-7 win. Former Yankee Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy both hit three-run homers, with Murphy driving in four runs in total and David Wright adding three hits with two RBI to the Mets third straight win. Zack Wheeler gave up five runs on seven hits and six walks in 4 1/3 innings for the Mets and Daisuke Matsuzaka earned the win with 3 2/3 innings of relief work. "Any way we get wins is good, especially when we come up against a very tough team like the Yankees and to do it in their ballpark is obviously big," said Granderson. "It puts us in a position now to win the series but it definitely isnt done yet because we know the Yankees arent going to quit." The Mets have won the past six meetings in this series after having gone 3-9 against the Yankees in 2011-12. Vidal Nuno gave up seven runs -- five earned -- on four hits and four walks in just 3 1/3 innings to suffer the loss. The leftys ERA climbed nearly a full point to 6.43. "He just got some balls in the middle of the plate today," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "Hes a guy who has to live on the edges and they made it hurt." Brian McCann hit a two-run homer and Yangervis Solarte added a solo shot for the Yankees, who have lost nine of their past 13 games overall. McCann finished with three hits and three RBI. ' ' '