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TORONTO - Josh Johnson is headed to the disabled list with tightness in his right forearm, putting into doubt the remainder of what has been a miserable season for the big right-hander. The move, announced less than 90 minutes before the start of Tuesdays game against the Red Sox, came as a surprise considering manager John Gibbons mentioned only hours earlier his pitcher would be ready to make Wednesdays start. "I felt good coming into today," said Johnson. "Everything was getting better and better each day and then all of a sudden today I kind of felt the same thing. I dont know where it came from. Before the last start it was the best Id felt in three years, probably." The problem began during that start in Seattle. Johnson experienced tightness but ground through five innings, enough to secure just his second win of the year. The pain lingered for a couple of days before subsiding. The tightness returned while Johnson was playing catch during batting practice on Tuesday afternoon. He insists its a muscle problem and doesnt believe the matter is related to the Tommy John ligament replacement surgery he had in 2007. When asked to point to where the pain was emanating, Johnson directed eyes toward the base of the forearm. By way of contrast, Brandon Morrows tightness was on top of his forearm. Hes since been diagnosed with an entrapped nerve and prescribed rest. General manager Alex Anthopoulos hastily called together reporters and announced right-hander Thad Weber would be recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. Either Weber or Esmil Rogers will make Wednesdays start. "Not right now," said Anthopoulos, when asked if one of Ricky Romero or prospects Marcus Stroman or Sean Nolin would be considered to take Johnsons place. "Weve talked about all of them, I guess, at various times. Not for now but that could change at any time. "Right now, especially with the way its lined up and we need a starter for (Wednesday,) its as much about whos on turn at this point." What this setback means for Johnsons season isnt clear. His stint on the disabled list can be backdated to August 7 but its difficult to envision a scenario which would have Johnson back by the 22nd. With less than seven weeks left in the season and with a rehab stint likely required before a return to the big league mound, assuming Johnson gets healthy, the calendar is not his friend. "Its been tough," Johnson said of his season, which includes only 16 starts, two wins and a 6.20 ERA. "Still got to find a way to get back out on the mound. Thats the only good part about it, is being out there. Even though I was struggling I was out there, I felt great when I was out there so its very frustrating." RASMUS INJURED Colby Rasmus "tweaked" his left oblique on a check swing during Sundays game against Oakland and missed a second-straight game. "I sneezed this morning and I felt it, which is not a good thing," said Rasmus. "But coughing it dont bother me and just doing regular rotations its fine but when this side goes down its in my hip is when I feel it." The Blue Jays are holding out hope Rasmus can return to the lineup, possibly as early as Wednesday, but a stint on the disabled list seems just as likely a reality. Oblique injuries, as Brett Lawrie, Brandon Morrow and Rajai Davis can attest, have a tendency to linger. During periods of rest theres no pain but when baseball activities resume, problems can recur. Manager John Gibbons says the club wont wait long to make a decision if Rasmus continues to have problems through the week. "We cant let it linger," he said. Glenn Hall Jersey . "There are a lot of things that are going very well in this organization. Im not coming in here to rip things apart," Nicholson told reporters Friday. "I know what Hockey Canada was when I started, and I know where this (Oilers) organization is today. CM Punk Jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, it doesnt appear the offer was warmly received by the team. Blue Jackets director of hockey operations John Davidson and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said on Wednesday the team has made offers of $6 million for two years, $32 million for six and $46 million over eight years but each one was refused by the restricted free agent centre and agent Kurt Overhardt. http://www.officialblackhawksfanstore.co...ckhawks-jersey/. Jurrjens signed a minor league contract with Cincinnati in May, and was 2-3 with a 4.46 ERA at Triple-A Louisville. He has a 53-37 record with a 3.63 ERA in seven major league seasons, including five with Atlanta. Pierre Pilote Jersey . On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000 bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, among other restrictions. Chris Chelios Jersey . Nainggolan scored his first Italian league goal at Bologna, in October 2010, and he also opened his Roma account there following his January move from Cagliari. The Belgium midfielder volleyed home Miralem Pjanics cross from close range eight minutes from time.OKLAHOMA CITY - Prior to Sundays game - a game no rational person expected them to be competitive in, let alone win - Raptors coach Dwane Casey spoke about his teams newfound mental toughness. "I like the toughness factor in certain situations where last year and two years ago wed get bumped, get hit [and] wouldnt respond," Casey said an hour and a half before facing the league-best Thunder, a team that hadnt yet lost at home. "Weve grown up from that standpoint and learning how to win is huge." To suggest that Casey was foreshadowing is giving him too much credit. He couldnt have known or genuinely expected what was about to happen. No one did. But he was on to something. This is a different Raptors team than the one Casey was referring to, the one that would cower from adversity in years past. They were supposed to go winless on this exceptionally difficult Western Conference road swing. Instead, theyve won their first two games. “Im seeing it growing," Casey said of his teams resiliency after shocking the hosting Thunder, 104-98, winning four straight on the road for the first time since 2002. "It was one of those things where our guys fought through it and we could have folded or packed it in but they stuck with it and stuck together most of all and didnt fall apart." He called it their best win of the season, which is a given. To take it one step further, it was the Raptors most impressive victory of the three-year Casey era and for all the criticism Torontos coach takes, he had his fingerprints all over it. Casey earned his pay check Sunday evening. He didnt sit down, he didnt relax. He couldnt, not against this team. The Raptors got off to a quick start but withstood the inevitable counterpunch, they rose above spotty officiating and stood their ground when they needed to the most. Through it all Casey was manic on the sidelines. "Sit down Coach," a Thunder fan behind the Raptors bench kept yelling. He didnt. The Raptors were coming off an impressive win in Dallas, defeating a Mavericks team that was 11-2 at home on Friday. The Thunder, winners of nine straight and 17 of 18 overall, were perfect in 13 games at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Toronto threw the first punch and led by six at the break. They were "the aggressor," as Casey puts it, and they paid for it. The Thunder had attempted 22 free throws at the half, making them all, while Toronto shot just 10. That trend continued into the third when, finally the lopsided officiating began to seep into the psyche of a young team that has never been known for their mental resolve. A nine-point lead early in the third quarter turned into a nine-point deficit going into a fourth. Collectively Raptors fans thought, here we go again. The Thunder were fighting back - as we expected - and the Raptors couldnt catch a break from the officials. They missed 17 of 19 field goal attempts to end the frame. Thats when something seemed different. They didnt run, they didnt hide, they hit right back. For that, Casey and his players unanimously credited the work of veteran newcomer John Salmons. "I thought John Salmons maturity came through," Casey said of the reserve forward, who scored nine of his 14 playing the entire fourth quarter.dddddddddddd "He has a settling effect when hes in the game and it helps us. It rubs off on DeMar and Terrence. He doesnt get rattled." "John Salmons, I mean give him the game ball, offensively and defensively," added Kyle Lowry. "Just, here, take the ball. He was a big-time player tonight." For the second straight game Salmons came up big when it mattered most. On Friday he slowed down Monta Ellis and two days later he was a big part of the brigade that frustrated Kevin Durant, holding him to 24 points on 5-of-16 shooting, 1-of-6 in the fourth, and forcing his six turnovers. A 12-year vet, Salmons was an afterthought in the seven-player deal that sent Rudy Gay to Sacramento earlier this month. He was - and probably is - a temporary Raptor, a contract that can be moved at the deadline or easily bought out in the offseason. A day after the trade was finalized, he stood in front of the local media without much in the way of emotion or excitement, complaining about being tired from the trip. He has brought more to this team than anyone could have expected. "Im not a rah-rah guy at all but Ive been around for a long time," he said. "Ive experienced a lot so I just try to give my advice when I can." Taking the lead of Salmons, his teammates remained even-keeled when things looked to be going south. Nobody panicked. They executed and made good decisions, the right plays down the stretch. "Weve done a great job of just everyone cheering for each other, supporting each other and nobodys getting their head down," said Lowry, who continues to play the best basketball of his career, leading the team with 22 points and nine assists on Sunday. "Everyones focusing on winning the game no matter how bleak it looks." DeRozan played well, scoring 17 points against a tough defender in Thabo Sefolosha, someone who has given him fits in the past and once again, Amir Johnson was the unsung hero. Johnson - who recorded a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds - made some crucial defensive plays down the stretch, switching off on Durant and swatting a Russell Westbrook floater in the final two minutes of the game. "I cant [say enough], theres too much to say about him," Lowry said, or attempted to say about Johnson. "Hes just an unbelievable player. He had his struggles (early in the season) but we all said hell be alright once he finds his groove. And look at him, hes playing unbelievable. He guarded Kevin Durant as tough as he did and the other night he guarded Dirk (Nowitzki) as tough as he did. You just have to tip your hat to him." Back atop the Atlantic Division, the Raptors play their final game before a three-day Christmas break in San Antonio on the second night of a back-to-back Monday. The Spurs have the third-best record in the West and are 9-3 at home. The Raptors are not supposed to win. Care to bet against them? ' ' '