TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays wont have their usual closer available for the start of the regular season. James Rodriguez Real Madrid Jersey . Casey Janssen was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday due to a strain in his left abdominal area and lower back. Fellow right-hander Sergio Santos will take over the closers role while Janssen is out of the lineup. Janssen, 4-1 with 34 saves and a 2.56 earned-run average last year, was limited at spring training because of shoulder soreness. But on Friday, he felt some minor discomfort in his lower back while warming up during a pre-season game against the New York Mets in Montreal. An MRI exam revealed a mild strain, general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Sunday on a conference call. "We dont expect him to be out too long," Anthopoulos said. "There was a scenario where we could have just waited maybe five or six days and try to get him back going. But we want to just have this thing resolved and not nag at him." The move was retroactive to Saturday. Janssen, 32, allowed one earned run and four hits in three innings over three pre-season appearances. Hes expected to throw on flat ground to keep his arm in shape before trying to pitch from a mound. The Blue Jays also recalled catcher Erik Kratz from triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, a day ahead of Torontos season opener at Tampa Bay. Kratz hit .400 in spring training and had been sent to minor-league camp earlier in the week after losing the backup job to Josh Thole. Santos, 30, made 29 appearances for the Blue Jays last season. He was 1-1 with one save and a 1.75 ERA. Also Sunday, former reliever Dustin McGowan pitched a simulated game and Anthopoulos said it appears hell be ready to start Friday against the New York Yankees. "Hes done so well," Anthopoulos said. "We dont expect any changes at all. So far, so good. He felt good, felt strong, and we expect him to be good to go for Opening Day in Toronto." McGowan, 32, was named to the starting rotation earlier in the week. The right-hander made his debut with the Blue Jays in 2005 but has battled injuries throughout his career. McGowan had a 2.45 ERA in 25 appearances last season and did not record a decision or a save. realmadridteamshop.com/Karim-Benzema-Real-Madrid-Jersey.html . Irving was stripped of the ball by Norris Cole in the closing seconds of the 96-95 loss to the Heat, who rested LeBron James and most of their stars. Irving immediately ran off the floor and to the locker room instead of participating in a jersey giveaway on "Fan Appreciation Night. Karim Benzema Real Madrid Jersey . - As the birdies mounted during Saturdays third round of the Viking Classic, it looked as if Chris Kirk could do just about anything he wanted at Annandale Golf Club.LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Andrew Wiggins is finding it hard to be everybodys Super Bowl. That was the way that Kansas coach Bill Self described the up-and-down season of his talented freshman forward. One day, Wiggins will be pouring in 26 points against Florida, the next day he will be struggling to get his shot off against UTEP. Its already been a season of growing pains for the No. 1 recruit in last years class, and while the eighth-ranked Jayhawks are starting to soar, Wiggins is still searching for his stride. "Hes so naive in so many ways," Self said. "I dont think he thinks about the fact hes everybodys Super Bowl when they have a chance to play against him. "Weve told him," Self said, "but I dont think hes felt that yet." After easily knocking off No. 24 Baylor on Monday night, Kansas (14-4, 5-0) has roared to five straight wins and first place in the Big 12. The last four of them have come against Top 25 teams, making the Jayhawks the first to accomplish that feat since North Carolina in 1997. Wiggins has been a big part of that success, of course. He scored 22 points against Kansas State, and poured in 17 against Iowa State and Baylor. But he also was held to nine points on 2-of-9 shooting against Oklahoma, and a season-low three points against Oklahoma State. Taken together, those are solid numbers for just about any freshman in America. Wiggins isnt just any other freshman. Ever since successfully dueling with Duke star Jabari Parker at a summer tournament, Wiggins has been anointed the next big thing. NBA scouts have flocked to Allen Fieldhouse to see him -- there were 28 in attendance last Saturday, when the Jayhawks knocked off the Cowboys. And hes done enough to prove that he could have a big future in the professional ranks. But hes also left many of those scouts, his coaches and just about every fan who has filed into the Phog hungry for more. "I think hes done well," Self said. "I also think theres another step he can take. He leaves me wanting more, so when people say certain things, I cant be upset. I want more, too." Self has tried to treat Wiggins like anybody else, in part to temper some of the otherr-worldly expectations. Karim Benzema Jersey. The prized forward has only done two one-on-one interviews with the media -- one of them with The Associated Press in December -- since the start of the season, and unless he has a big performance, Wiggins generally isnt made available to reporters following games. "Its a no-win, everything lose situation," Self said. "Theres no way to live up to the hype." When he does have a chance to speak, Wiggins has acknowledged that he didnt expect college basketball to be so hard. Players are bigger and stronger, faster and more athletic. There are no nights off, especially with Kansas playing the nations toughest schedule. "Yeah, I think so," Wiggins said, when asked whether hes starting to figure things out. "Im trying to be more aggressive right now, driving to the basket, getting good shots." Self said that some of the criticism levelled at Wiggins is unfair. After all, his stats -- 15.2 points, 6.1 rebounds per game -- are similar to those of Ben McLemore, who was the seventh overall pick in the draft after his only season playing in Lawrence. Then theres this difference: Wiggins will turn 19 next month, while McLemore had to redshirt a season and was two years older than Wiggins during his own freshman season. "Its just a different world," Self said. "These kids are entering school with the hype and in a lot of ways hes handled it beautifully in how hes deflected it, but in some ways he hasnt understood or we havent done a good job of explaining to him, because of the society and the media hype, if you dont produce, youre going to be the most talked-about person." Self would be fine if Wiggins is the most talked-about person at Kansas, of course, provided its for his accomplishments rather than his shortcoming. "So many times people get hung up on overall stats and things like that," Self said. "Hes just young, and with all the hype coming in, anything he did was going to be less than what the hype said he should do. And the bottom line is he figured it out, and hes playing his natural position, and hes learning to impact the game more and more." ' ' '
