Vorstellungen » play a regular-season game for the Colorado Avalanche

MINNEAPOLIS -- The New York Yankees placed infielder Jayson Nix on the 15-day disabled list before their game Wednesday at Minnesota because of a strained right hamstring, and free agent infielder Luis Cruz was signed to fill in. Nix didnt play Tuesday against the Twins but said then he thought he would be able to play after a day to rest. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, however, an MRI test revealed a more severe Grade 2 strain than initially believed, and the team decided to shut down Nix. "I think we were all surprised," Girardi said, praising Nixs toughness but stressing the need for precaution with his injury-ravaged team. With Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira already on the disabled list, the Yankees are missing a whole lot of experience and production. Nix has started 40 games at shortstop and 24 games at third base, almost 80 per cent of their games with the season-long absences of Jeter and Rodriguez. Jeter has been recovering from surgery on his left ankle. Girardi said the team captain has been making progress in his rehabilitation and, he hopes, will soon return to the team. Another infielder, Eduardo Nunez, is on a rehab assignment with Class A Charleston for his strained left oblique. He is eligible to be activated this weekend, but Girardi declined to speculate on when Nunez would be back. The 29-year-old Cruz was let go by the Los Angeles Dodgers last week after hitting just .127 in 118 at-bats. Cruz has played shortstop, third base and second base during stints with Milwaukee and Pittsburgh since making his major league debut in 2008. Cruz was in the lineup Wednesday at shortstop, batting eighth. Tracy McGrady Jersey . Jim Leyland, in his eighth playoffs, has never had a starting rotation he trusts as much as the grouping of Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Doug Fister. Eric Gordon Jersey . -- The Kelowna Rockets earned their 16th straight win with a 7-2 rout of the Portland Winterhawks in Western Hockey League action Thursday. http://www.therocketsofficial.com/Authentic-Robert-Horry-Rockets-Jersey/ . In the other Group A game, the Czech Republic stunned Canada, 5-4 in a shootout. Dominik Simon scored the deciding goal in the tiebreaker. The United States scored its first three goals on power plays. "Overall, I love to see the power-play goals we were able to get tonight," said U. Austin Rivers Jersey . -- Cordell Cato scored his first goal of the season and the San Jose Earthquakes survived a full half playing a man down to beat FC Dallas 2-1 Saturday night. Clyde Drexler Rockets Jersey .com) - Brad Stuart has yet to play a regular-season game for the Colorado Avalanche, but that didnt deter the club from signing the veteran defenseman to a two-year contract extension on Monday.TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Chinas Wenjing Sui and Cong Han won gold at the ISU Four Continents figure skating competition while Canadas Natasha Purich and Mervin Tran finished fifth. Purich, from Sherwood Park, Alta., and Tran, from Regina, rose two spots for their best international result. Its their first season skating together. "Our long program wasnt as good as we would have liked," said Purich. "But we fought to the end and didnt give up. We know we can be bbetter.ddddddddddddquot; American teams finished second through fourth overall. Margaret Purdy of Strathroy, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., were seventh. Takahito Mura led Japan to a 1-2 finish in the mens singles while all three Canadians produced clean free skates. Jeremy Ten of Vancouver was ninth, Nam Nguyen of Burnaby, B.C., was 10th and Elladj Balde of Pierrefonds, Que., was 11th. Competition ends Saturday with the womens free skate. ' ' '