TORONTO - Edwin Encarnacion will take batting practice before Fridays series opener against the Orioles, a crucial test for his ailing left wrist. After hitting off a tee on Thursday afternoon, the Blue Jays slugger is confident of an imminent return to the lineup. “Maybe Saturday, maybe (Friday), depends on how I feel,” said Encarnacion. Encarnacion last played on Saturday in Minnesota. After the game, an 11-2 win over the Twins, he was seen entering manager John Gibbons office with his wrist wrapped in ice. The pain intensified over the past couple of weeks. Encarnacion is hitless in his last 12 plate appearances (0-8 with three walks and a sacrifice fly.) Encarnacion has already secured a second-consecutive 100-RBI season. With 36, he is four home runs shy of a second-straight 40-home run year. Rasmus feeling good Day by day, Colby Rasmus is ramping up his workouts and baseball activities in anticipation of a weekend return against Baltimore. “Feeling good; the body feels good,” said Rasmus. “I think Im getting over the soreness a little bit, getting back on the turf and amping up the swings. Like today, I took pretty much game speed swings and it felt good so well go from there.” Rasmus went on the disabled list on August 11 with a strained left oblique. He suffered a setback during rehabilitation, which is common with his type of injury. “Its definitely a tough injury because its hard to tell,” said Rasmus. “Its something you use everyday so its hard to shut those muscles down to let them heal. I told myself when I got hurt and I was going down there that Im going to try to take a mental break. That way if I was able to come back Id be fresh.” Its expected Rasmus will get the bulk of the playing time in centre field when he returns. Gibbons will use the other two outfield spots to parcel out playing time to Anthony Gose, Rajai Davis, Moises Sierra and Kevin Pillar. Buehrle on Albers Mark Buehrle watched closely as Canadian lefthander Andrew Albers started for the Twins against the Blue Jays on Sunday. The two have been compared due to their low-velocity, finesse styles. “He throws more fastballs than I do,” said Buehrle. “He throws a bit harder. Similarities: It seems like he works quick; he was pumping, filling up the strike zone, getting strikes early. Guys were kind of off balance and thats the name of the game. It doesnt matter how hard you throw, its keeping guys off balance and then hitting your spots and as far as that aspect goes, I think he did pretty well.” Buehrle stressed that his observations were based only on Albers start against the Jays. He hasnt seen footage of Albers other work. “His off-speed, his curveball, it seemed like he didnt throw many for strikes,” said Buehrle. “Whether they were bouncing them in the dirt or throwing them too high ,it just seemed he wasnt too consistent with the curveball. But everything else, its just about location. Again, from sitting in the dugout I couldnt see if he was missing spots, hitting location wise, but the way he was keeping guys off balance, its just keep on attacking the strike zone.” Any advice for Albers? “When its a fastball situation, throw something else,” said Buehrle. “Hitters in fastball counts are sitting on fastballs so just have confidence to throw those other pitches in those situations.” Fake Balenciaga From China . Louis Cardinals a hard-fought victory. The Colorado Rockies intentionally walked Yadier Molina with one out and runners on first and third to load the bases for Kozma. Balenciaga Shoes Sale . Cilic cruised to victory, beating the seventh-seeded Seppi 6-1, 6-3 in just 72 minutes. He faced only one break point, winning 24 out of 29 points played on the first serve. https://www.fakebalenciaga.com/. “Im not sure well get Melky Cabrera at all,” said Gibbons. The 29-year-old left fielder struggled all season with knee and hamstring problems. Cabrera was first on the disabled list from June 27-July 20 with tendinitis in his left knee. Fake Balenciaga Shoes . LOUIS -- The Atlanta Braves used a two-run rally in the ninth to end their road trip with a win. Fake Balenciaga .Y. -- A month ago, Syracuse was unbeaten, ranked No.TORONTO - According to Masai Ujiris wish list, the Toronto Raptors draft picks will be tough, eager to play defence, able to blend in well with coach Dwane Caseys playing style, and one of them will be a shot blocker. The Raptors general manager has his list of possible draft selections whittled down to a handful ahead of Thursday nights NBA draft in Brooklyn, New York. The Raptors, who have auditioned dozens of players over the past couple of weeks, have the 20th overall pick in the first round, as well as the 37th and 58th picks in the second. "I think probably by (Tuesday), it will be narrowed down to probably five guys (for the No. 20 spot), and that doesnt include guys that could fall," Ujiri said. "And about 600 at 37," he added laughing. Ujiri said part of his pre-draft research is figuring out players who are capable of giving Casey what he wants. "Were an aggressive team, were going to play tough, play hard on the defensive end and stop people, and we are going to play up-tempo on the offensive end," Ujiri said. "We have to bring in those kinds of players, we cant just draft anybody to come here and throw to Dwane Casey, that wouldnt be fair." He and his staff will go for the best player on the board rather than draft specifically for position, although he said hed be happy if a shot blocker happened to be available at one of their three picks. Ujiri, who was still with the Denver Nuggets during last years draft, hasnt entirely ruled out moving up to a higher pick. "(But) I dont do heartbreaks very well," he said. "Those trades and talks, people dont understand, we talk about a hundred trades and maybe two happen. Thats just the nature of our business. "Well be aggressive, but our energy is focused on 20 rather than wasting our time on whats not. If theres anything, I always feel like those kinds of things almost come to you rather than you chase them. If we smell anything anywhere, well be aggressive, but 20 is what were counting on." Toronto didnt have a pick in last years draft. They selected Terrence Ross with their No. 8 pick in 2012. They selected Kareem Rush at No. 20 in 2002 and traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. The previous year, they took Morris Peterson at No. 21. Ujiri saidd its been a gruelling few weeks of pouring over the specifics of this years draft class.dddddddddddd "We do a lot of mechanics, pictures, analytics, background checks, psych tests and all that stuff. When they come for workouts, there are so many things you look at, foot speed, how tall they are, their demeanours, so many things," he said. "Its a huge process for us and just builds and builds and builds. "Now hopefully by Wednesday morning we will have gathered all the information we have. And then mess it up with a trade or something," he added, laughing. The difficult part is judging a players potential — "we have to figure out where the player is now and what he will be in a couple of years from now or four years from now." Point guard Kyle Lowry led the Raptors to their first post-season appearance in six seasons, where they were eliminated by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. Lowry becomes a free agent on July 1, but Ujiri said his status wont be a factor in how the Raptors select in the draft. "We are going full force after Kyle Lowry, and if theres a talented point guard in the draft. . . well go for talent in the draft. But Kyle Lowry is our target," he said. Several Canadians have been among the players whove worked out for the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre, including point guard Tyler Ennis, forwards Melvin Ejim and Khem Birch and seven-foot-two centre Jordan Bachynski. There could be as many as five to eight Canadians taken in the draft, led by Andrew Wiggins, the Vaughan, Ont., star whos expected to go No. 1 or 2. Ujiri pointed out that plenty can happen between now and Thursday night. Three days before the NBA draft, there have already been a couple of surprises. Highly-touted prospect Joel Embiid had surgery last week on the stress fracture on his foot. Draft prospect Isaiah Austin has been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a career-ending condition. "I walked into (the office) today and was like Please, no news thats going to throw me off right now. Because it will keep coming, there will be something tonight, tomorrow morning, there will be something, thats just the nature of the draft," Ujiri said. "You love it, thats why we do it, theres always action." ' ' '