BALTIMORE – Jose Reyes ran the bases while Casey Janssen threw a bullpen session at Oriole Park on Saturday afternoon. Both men are close to being ready to play in minor league rehabilitation games. This is the one time when manager John Gibbons cant wait to see his starting shortstop and his closer leave the team. "The plan is theyre probably going to fly to Florida (on Sunday)," said Gibbons. "I know Reyes will probably start playing a game on Monday. Casey … its probably Monday or Tuesday." Janssen simulated a game situation during his side session. He warmed up like he normally would and then had hitters stand in the batters box to provide a game-like feel. He estimates he threw 35 pitches in total. "I think I threw pretty much as hard as I could without facing a hitter," said Janssen. "There wasnt any holding back or any questioning is it going to hurt type of stuff." While Janssen feels the worst is behind him, including the pain of his abdominal strain, theres still something there, although he struggles to describe it. "I feel stuff," he said. "It doesnt hurt. They say youre going to feel stuff and as long as it doesnt hurt well keep on going forward and thats what Ive been doing. Ive been able to do everything theyve asked me to do to this point and the next part of the progress is a game." Reyes, like Janssen, simulated game situations on the base paths. He reported feeling "good," much the same as when he first ran sprints before Fridays game. The plan, at the moment, is for Reyes and Janssen to play their rehab games for Single-A Dunedin, due to weather concerns surrounding both higher minor league affiliates in Buffalo and New Hampshire. While no firm timetable is set for either players return to the big league team, the Blue Jays have six games scheduled between Minneapolis and Cleveland through to next weekend. The air is still cool in both cities at this time of year. "I dont care about that," said Reyes. "If Im ready to play in Cleveland Im going to play." Dealing with the shift Every time Adam Lind steps into the batters box, he looks up and sees an exaggerated defensive shift to his pull side. Lind wonders if the man sometimes credited with inventing the sport is rolling over in his grave. "They said it in spring training, what would Abner Doubleday think? "He wouldnt even recognize it," said Lind. Very rarely will you see hitters change their approach to deal with the shift, which is typically applied against the dead pull power hitters. If they run into one, theyll elevate the ball but if they hit the ball on the ground, the defence will scoop it up. "It depends on the pitcher," said Lind. "If its someone that I dont feel, that Im consistently late with then I just try to hit it to the left side." "Sometimes you get them tinkering with it and trying to flip balls the other way, I mean it does you a favour in a lot of ways, it takes them out of what their game is," said manager John Gibbons. "The only thing, we have concerns at times doing it, there are a couple of guys out there that will lay down a bunt on you. They dont have to be good bunters. Say its a tight ball game, leading off an inning, not a one-run game but like a two-run game, you fear somebody might drop it down, it doesnt have to be a good bunt, they beat it out to get an inning going." In the scenario Gibbons just illustrated, youll see the shortstop cheat in on the grass to discourage the bunt. Colby Rasmus is another grip it and rip it left-hander in the Blue Jays lineup. He said in spring training he doesnt like to be considered a dead pull hitter anymore but old habits die hard. It used to be a hitter like Rasmus could get a read on the type of pitch and pitch location based on the defensive alignment but thats out the window with the shift. "I try not to even pay attention to it because then you start thinking about where theyre going to play you, where theyre going to pitch you, thinking maybe theyre going to shift so maybe theyre going to throw me in, thinking that Im just going to hit it into the shift and then they throw you everything away," said Rasmus. Lind says the part of the shift thats affected him most is when the opposition places its shortstop in line with the pitcher behind second base. On Friday night, against Chris Tillman in the second inning, Lind lined out to the shortstop, who positioned himself right where Lind hit the ball prior to the pitch. If its anytime earlier in the at-bat, the ball gets through. Lind understands. "Youve got to do it," he said. "Like, if you show patterns, whats the point of having the third baseman there if you never hit it there?" BB-Bautista Jose Bautista walked three more times on Saturday night, spiking his major league-leading total to 16 on the young season. "Theyre not going to give him anything to hit until Eddie gets going," said manager John Gibbons. "Right now, my guess, theyre going to make Eddie beat them. When he gets going, then its a little bit different." Encarnacion singled in the second inning and went 1-5 on Saturday night. Hes hitting .160 through the first 12 games and is still looking for his first home run of the season. USA Soccer Jerseys China . The Canadian Football Leagues all-time passing leader said he has not made a final decision, but he will discuss his future with Montreal Alouettes owner Bob Wetenhall on the weekend. USA Soccer Jerseys 2019 . Its the second straight year he has decided not to play as he cuts back his schedule. Stricker was replaced in the field by Ryo Ishikawa of Japan. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/. American Lindsey Jacobellis was third, while Japans Yuka Fujimori finished just off the podium. Maltais, from Petite-Riviere-St-Francois, Que., earned bronze at the 2006 Olympic Games and is set to return to the Games this February in Sochi, Russia. USA Soccer Pro Shop . -- Kevin Harvick pulled away on a restart with 47 laps to go and ended Chase Elliotts two-race winning streak in NASCARs Nationwide Series with a dominating victory early Saturday at Richmond International Raceway. Fake USA Soccer Jerseys . Rosbergs time of 1 minute, 33.185 seconds at the Bahrain International Circuit was a quarter of a second faster than Hamilton, who had to abandon his final flying lap after running wide at the first corner. CLEVELAND -- Mike Pettine got a second look from the Browns, who could be zeroing in on their next coach. Buffalos defensive co-ordinator had his second interview with Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner on Tuesday night, a person familiar with the Browns plans told The Associated Press. The meeting took place in Mobile, Ala., site of the Senior Bowl, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team is not commenting during its search. Pettine is the first candidate to meet twice with the Browns. He spent four hours with Haslam, Banner and other members of Clevelands front office but was not offered the job. Pettine had impressed the Browns during his first interview last week, and club officials flew to meet with him again -- a strong sign of their interest. However, the person familiar with the teams plans said the Browns left Mobile and had another interview lined up for Wednesday. The Browns are in the fourth week of their search for their seventh full-time coach since 1999. Pettine just completed his first year with the Bills, and he improved the teams defence in every statistical category. Though the Bills still struggled against the run, they finished second in the NFL with a franchise-record 57 sacks. The 47-year-old Pettine spent four seasons as a defensive co-ordinator under Rex Ryan with the New York Jets before joining the Bills. Pettine also has worked as an assistant in Baltimore. Bills Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas hopes Pettine stays put. "Hey .Browns leave our DC alone," Thomas posted on his Twitter account. Earlier, Adam Gase, Denvers highly regarded offensive co-ordinator, called Haslam and informed him he was withdrawing his name and would not interview after the Super Bowl. The 35-year-old Gase, who will lead the Broncos high-powered offence against Seattle, was the first candidate contacted by the Browns after they fired Rob Chudzinski following a 4-12 season. Gase declined an initial interview request because he wanted to concentrate on the playoffs, and the Browns would have had to wait until after Feb. 2 to speak with him. Haslam said last week the team is "preparedd to wait as long as necessary" to hire a coach, and the Browns quickly moved ahead without Gase, who enjoys his role with the Broncos and may not be ready for a head coaching gig.dddddddddddd The Browns are the only team without a head coach and have interviewed at least eight known candidates -- the list is still growing -- to become their fourth coach in the past six years. Besides Pettine, the team has set up a second interview with Seattle defensive co-ordinator Dan Quinn. The 43-year-old Quinn, who presided over the NFLs top-rated defence this season, met with the Browns on Jan. 1. Per NFL rules, the Browns can conduct a second interview with Quinn by Sunday, but are not permitted to offer him a job until after the Seahawks season is over. Gase drew the Browns attention and soared up their wish list of candidates after helping quarterback Peyton Manning shatter several league records this season. Also, Haslam received a glowing recommendation on Gase from Manning, who has a long-standing relationship with the Haslam family because of their Tennessee ties. Gase, too, fit the outline -- young, offensive-minded -- of the type of coach Banner wanted to bring to the Browns, who have lost at least 11 games in each of the past six seasons. Gase is the second high-profile coach to remove his name from consideration. New England offensive co-ordinator Josh McDaniels also told the Browns he was not interested in pursuing their opening. The Browns also have interviewed former Tennessee coach Mike Munchak and Dallas special teams co-ordinator Rich Bisaccia, and both be brought back for second meetings. The team also plans to meet with Atlanta offensive co-ordinator Dirk Koetter. San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh said he has been contacted by the Browns about members of his staff. Cleveland may want to interview defensive line coach Jim Tomsula or offensive co-ordinator Greg Roman. Harbaugh would not confirm which coaches Cleveland asked about and was reluctant to offer much information. "To go into any further detail, I dont think helps our situation, their situation," he said. "Their search is their search." ' ' '
