minute with a brilliant

TORONTO – Given his history, Joffrey Lupul had some concerns when he began to experience tightness in the lower back just days before training camp was due to begin. "But I felt great all summer," said Lupul. "I said that to the training camp staff, I havent had any issues. I was training, skating, golfing – which is hard on your back – so it hasnt been something thats been bothering me all summer. It just came one day." Sidelined with back spasms for the first six days of camp, Lupul joined his teammates at practice for the first time on Wednesday morning. As was the plan, the 29-year-old participated in the first of two practice sessions, looking and feeling like his old self. "Everythings fine," he explained after about an hour on the ice. "Obviously not the way I wanted to start the camp, but just happy everythings feeling better now." "Hes moving much better, felt much better," observed Leafs coach Randy Carlyle following the practice. "We think hes an option for us in the next couple exhibition games." Entering his fourth season with the Leafs, Lupul first sensed tightness in the back during the final week of informal workouts – working extensively with skating coach Barb Underhill – but rather than exercise caution, he decided to push through it, "which probably wasnt the right idea the week before camp" as the tightness worsened into "pretty painful" spasms. Held to just 16 games in 2013 because of injuries – broken right forearm and concussion – Lupul had his first serious bout with the back in the fall of 2009 when he required multiple surgeries while still with the Anaheim Ducks. Given that scary history – which included a debilitating infection from surgery – and the relative unimportance of exhibition play for a player of his status, he and the team opted for patience and precaution. "I obviously have some history there and some issues with the low back," he said, "but I believe since I had surgery, this would be the first time Ive ever missed time with it. These arent regular season games. I would probably be handling this different if we were playing regular season games." Lupul didnt believe the injury would linger into the regular season and expects to be ready for October 1st. "At this stage in the season," he continued, "you take things slow and make sure youre feeling good for October 1st. Thats our plan right now." Jacob Waguespack Blue Jays Jersey . He could have transferred when academic sanctions barred the Huskies from the NCAA tournament his junior season. Ernie Whitt Blue Jays Jersey . Parmelee hit a game-ending shot in the ninth inning and the Minnesota Twins overcame David Ortizs big night to beat the Boston Red Sox 8-6 on Tuesday. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/3236h-carl...-blue-jays.html. The stress, the waiting, the whispers about whether he doped during his stellar cycling career, all of it ended when - after nearly two years - federal prosecutors closed an investigation of him last week without bringing any charges. Anthony Kay Blue Jays Jersey . Or, for that matter, the aged. Juan Guzman Blue Jays Jersey . Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders.BERLIN - Franco di Santo scored twice for Werder Bremen to beat Hertha Berlin 2-0 and jump from the Bundesliga relegation zone to 12th place on Sunday.The home side made the better start and went close through Jannik Vestergaard early on, before Davie Selke brought a flying save from Thomas Kraft after beating a defender.Di Santo finally made the breakthrough in the 43rd minute with a brilliant effortt from a difficult angle over Kraft and in off the far post.ddddddddddddThe Argentine sealed the result with a mishit volley from Clemens Fritz cross that bounced beyond the helpless Kraft in the 69th.Bremen moved two points clear of Hertha, which is just one point above the relegation places.Augsburg was hosting Hoffenheim later with both sides hoping to secure European qualification. ' ' '