DENVER -- Major league batting leader Troy Tulowitzki has been placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Colorado Rockies because of a left hip flexor strain. cheap jerseys from china . The 29-year-old All-Star shortstop was hurt while running out a grounder at Pittsburgh on Saturday night. He was held out of the next two games before being placed on the disabled list, retroactive to Sunday. This is Tulowitzkis first trip to the disabled list this season but he has taken days off to rest his chronically tight legs. The leg issues date to 2008 when he tore the left quadriceps tendon. "That 08 injury really put me behind the eight-ball because when you completely tear a muscle, it never gets the same again," he said. "All the other muscles have to help support. I knew it was going to be a long road back from that injury. "I didnt know to the extent, but here we are six years later and its still giving me issues." Head trainer Keith Dugger said this latest injury is directly related to that tear. "He kind of tweaked the scar tissue around there and that little muscle on the side," Dugger said. "When you tear old scar (tissue) its never as bad as tearing a new muscle. Its a small strain. Its not healthy tissue that he tweaked." During the last off-season, Tulowitzki incorporated an extensive stretching regimen to help keep him on the field. He has continued the routine during the season, and he and manager Walt Weiss credit it as a reason he missed just six games before being injured again on Saturday. "Hes been able to stay healthy, and a big reason being the work he puts in every day," Weiss said. "He goes through a very tedious routine every day to warm up his legs and get ready to compete every night. The fact that he is so disciplined and never wavers from his pregame routine is one of the reasons why he has been able to stay relatively healthy." Tulowitzki is hitting .340 and is third in the NL with 21 home runs. He said he can continue to play at that high level when he returns to the lineup. "One thing I dont lack is confidence," he said. "When Im back Ill be a confident player out there, but to be a confident player you need to be confident in your body, so I have to be healthy before I come back. "Im not going to rush this thing, especially with where were at, theres no need to rush. I need to be 100 per cent." Left-hander Yohan Flande was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs and was to start Tuesday nights game against Washington. Flande was 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in three starts before being optioned to Colorado Springs on July 7. cheap nfl jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. jerseys from china . Players suspended during the season for a performance-enhancing drug violation will not be eligible for that years post-season. In addition, discipline will increase from 50 games to 80 for a first testing violation and from 100 games to a season-long 162 for a second. A third violation remains a lifetime ban.BOSTON – The Blue Jays scorching offence finished a three-game sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway Park and sits at or near the top of a number of the sports essential statistical categories. Toronto is first in home runs with 67; its second in slugging percentage (.445) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.773) and sixth in walks (168). Jose Bautista was the celebrated hero of April, smacking eight of his 11 home runs, working to a 1.065 OPS in the opening month. In May its been Edwin Encarnacion, the other half of the Blue Jays deadly three-four lineup combination, who has done most of the damage. With 11 of his 13 home runs this month, including four two-home run games and an OPS of 1.090, you could argue Encarnacions been carrying the lineup. Bautista doesnt want to hear it; not about himself and not about someone else. Theres plenty of credit to go around. "I think everybodys been contributing since day one," Bautista told TSN.ca. "Melky, for instance, is leading the league in hits. Adams (Lind) hitting .320. Brett (Lawrie), even though his average is down a little bit, hes got 20-something RBI. Everybodys helping out. Franciscos got seven, eight home runs and 20 RBI as well. Navarros hitting close to .300." While Bautista insists he hasnt been pitched to differently since Encarnacion has heated up, he expects opposing teams to change their approach once they peruse the pre-scout books and video. "Im sure its going to change," said Bautista. "I think people are definitely noticing and now its going to be more on their radar how hot he is so hopefully that means Im going to get a couple of more mistakes over the plate." Taking his word for it, teams may not be pitching differently to Bautista but at least they now are pitching to him. Consider that in April, while Encarnacion laboured through a relatively slow opening month, Bautista walked 30 times in 122 plate appearances (24.6 per cent). In May, through to the end of Thursdays game, Bautista has walked 11 times in 94 trips to the plate (11.7 per cent). Through Thursday, the Blue Jays had won six of seven and 12 of 17. They have a number of individuals at or near the top of a number of categories. They include: Melky Cabrera: 64 hits, the most in Major League BaseballEdwin Encarnacion: 13 home runs (Tied-3rd); 39 RBI (6th). Jose Bautista: 12 home runs (Tied 6th), 41 walks (1st); .435 on-base percentage (5th); .988 on-base plus slugging (5th). Mark Buehrle: Eight wins, the most in Major League Baseball; 2.16 ERA (8th). GIBBONS LIKES HIS OFFENCE The story of Torontos offensive production got lost earlier this season amid the worry over the starting pitching and the bullpen blowing leads. With the Jays winnning, the bats move to the forefront. wholesale jerseys. The skipper has seen it all year. "We can hit, top to bottom," said manager John Gibbons. "Its a strong American League lineup and thats kind of what you need in the American League. Were really a home run threat with most of those guys in that lineup we can burn you that way. I really like the approach we have at the plate. Were taking some hits the other way when its called for. The better pitchers, thats the way theyre attacking you. Were confident right now. You have good games when youre feeling good. Baseball is a game of ups and downs all year long but its a good strong lineup." HENDRIKS TO START FRIDAY The Blue Jays will recall right-hander Liam Hendriks from Buffalo on Friday and he will start the series opener against Oakland. R.A. Dickey will be pushed back to Saturday when he will throw on an extra days rest. "We just decided to split up Buehrle and Dickey," said Gibbons. "Theyre our old reliable guys, kind of our innings eaters." Hendriks is 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA and a 0.801 WHIP for the Triple-A Bisons. The 25-year-old is hoping for his first period of sustained major league success. In parts of three seasons with the Twins, Hendriks was 2-13 with an ERA of 6.06. A corresponding roster move will be made before Fridays game. HOME COOKING The Jays kick off a season-high 10-game homestand on Friday. After the Athletics come in for three, the Tampa Bay Rays will check in, followed by the Kansas City Royals for a four-game series. Toronto has a bus trip series to Detroit for three games June 2-4 and then will return home for six games, three each with the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins. For the Blue Jays, it isnt so much about capitalizing on home field advantage as it is trying to create a home field advantage. Toronto is 10-11 at Rogers Centre and 16-11 on the road. "We have to play good at home," said Gibbons. "Weve played actually better on the road this year than we have at home. Were there for awhile so hopefully we can take advantage of that." "I never want to have any outlook at any period of the season and start a sentence with We have to or We need to or Its imperative that we do anything," said Bautista. "Every time in baseball when you have that mentality things seem to go the other way. Weve just got to focus on the preparation, go out and give it our all every single day and take it one day at a time and hope for good results and if we get them, we get them." Oakland comes to town the leader of the American League West with a record of 30-17. Despite a 5-2, 11-inning loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday, the Athletics have won 11 of their last 13 games. ' ' '
