TORONTO – It didnt happen right away, this positive working relationship between centerfielder Colby Rasmus and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. It wasnt that the two men were at odds. Its just, sometimes, these things take time. Its especially true with a guy like Rasmus. Hes taken all kinds of advice through the years on how to be a better hitter and how to be a better player and sometimes too much information rattles around in his brain. "Weve crossed some humps for sure," said Rasmus. "Just getting to know each other better; him getting to know me a little better." It was a conversation in Kansas City that proved the turning point. Rasmus was scuffling, his batting average hovering around the so-called Mendoza Line (.200). Hed been trying things his way. Noticeable details, like how he would hold his hands out over the plate when he came set in his batting stance. There were less noticeable things, like his approach to particular pitchers, which also needed tweaking. Seitzer approached Rasmus. The coach asked his 27-year-old pupil to do it his way for one week. The hands came in a bit, the bat rested still on Rasmus shoulders to launch a more even swing through the strike zone and the results were immediate. Entering Sundays play, Rasmus had at least one hit in each of the nine games hed played in May. He was tied with Jose Bautista for the team lead with nine home runs. "I was probably more surprised than what he was that he was able to do it so quick and he did it immediately," said Seitzer. "It was amazing how he just went from a straight pull guy to having a willingness to go back through the middle of the field." For his entire career, Rasmus has been considered a dead pull hitter. Seitzer, with whom manager John Gibbons became familiar when the two served on Trey Hillmans coaching staff in Kansas City, was brought in to change the Blue Jays all-or-nothing offensive approach. The hitters would use all fields under his tutelage and get away from their pull-happiness. Seitzer would like to clarify. "I said, I dont care where the ball goes. What I care about is your approach," said Seitzer. "The quicker your hands, the better your swing, the more balls youre going to catch early and youre going to pull them but its the approach that allows for better recognition and the ability to repeat your swing path to where youve got a chance on balls that are cutting and sinking and the change of speeds." The hitting coach also plays the role of part-time psychologist. Different guys need different types of help. Rasmus doesnt need the proverbial kick in the rear. His issue never been work ethic; if anything, hes often worked too hard to the point of physical and mental fatigue. "Keep it light," said Rasmus of what he needs from Seitzer. "I guess make the game less than what it really is and I think hes learned that about me, that I dont need a lot of poking and prodding to give me a lot of energy out there because I like to compete, I like to play, I like to do good and I think hes starting to learn that about me. Hes been just kind of cutting up with me and trying to keep it light and we laugh. I think if Im laughing, its a good thing." Rasmus slash line had climbed to .234/.279/.516 before Sundays action. The on-base plus slugging is closing in on .800, moving toward the numbers of his two best seasons (.859 in 2010; .840 in 2013). His career on-base percentage of .315 suggests that statistic will improve as games pass by. The strikeout rate remains high, almost 33 per cent after Sunday, but Seitzer thinks Rasmus will end up cutting down on the whiffs with his new approach. "I feel like hes putting balls in play and fouling off more pitches that he would have swung through the first part of the season," said Seitzer. "Thats an encouraging sign for me." Rasmus admits to being too pumped up after hitting a grand slam in Pittsburgh. Hes still finding an even keel, having to remind himself that each at-bat isnt life and death. Seitzer has met a student hes better learning to understand as time rolls on. "I think Colbys very quiet, hes a very private person and what Ive learned about him is hes probably one of the most genuinely nice, kind, sincere, honest people that Ive ever been around," said Seitzer. "I told him he has an absolutely beautiful heart inside and I can see it. I see it everyday even when hes got a scowl on his face because hes either in his zone or a little frustrated." JANSSEN RETURNS The Blue Jays activated closer Casey Janssen from the disabled list in time for Sunday afternoons game with the Angels. Janssen strained his left oblique muscle on March 28 in Montreal. He felt a tweak during a warm up pitch, thought nothing of it and threw a scoreless inning against the New York Mets. He made three appearances for Double-A New Hampshire on a rehab assignment that began on Monday and concluded on Saturday. "In my last outing I told myself I was going to step on it a little bit more and get some more velocity and I did that," said Janssen. "Not that velocity is anything really but I know that the difference between throwing in a Double-A game and a big league game youre going to go through those adrenaline rushes where youre going to throw harder based on actual adrenaline and I wanted my arm to withstand it." Torontos bullpen entered play on Sunday with the fourth-worst ERA in baseball (4.77). Its 62 walks rank third-most in baseball. The Jays are hoping Janssens return settles down the relief corps as pitchers resume roles to which theyre more accustomed. "We had a nice bullpen last year," said Janssen. "We were able to pass the baton pretty well in the certain inning that they had and if we can back to that and start putting up some zeroes I think that would help everybody." "I just think it brings a bit of a comfort down there for those guys having Casey back," said pitching coach Pete Walker. "Obviously our staff, knowing that hes down there and hes a viable option to close out a game, it does put guys back into their more proper roles. Trying to mix and match and close out the ninth without him has been difficult." To make room for Janssen on the active roster, infielder Chris Getz was designated for assignment. ROGERS ALTERS DELIVERY Esmil Rogers, whos struggled early this season, looked noticeably different during his two-inning appearance in Saturdays game. He dropped to a three-quarters arm slot. Rogers went six up, six down. "He made a little bit of an adjustment the day before," said pitching coach Pete Walker. "Were trying to find a little more deception. Hes an over-the-top guy and maybe the hitters have a good view of the baseball. We just altered just a hair and he seems comfortable with it and he had a good outing (on Saturday)." Its been a tough year for Rogers. Hes allowed a staff-high five home runs in just 18 1/3 innings pitched and of late has been used by manager John Gibbons only in low-leverage situations. Anfernee Simons Blazers Jersey . The Maple Leafs may not have had a pick until the third round, but they have made the biggest move of the second day of the Draft, dealing defenceman Carl Gunnarsson and a fourth-round pick in the draft to the St. Brandon Roy Jersey . - Buffalo Bills running back C. http://www.blazersteamofficial.com/Jusuf...Blazers-Jersey/. The Incheon-based tea, of the Korea Baseball Organization said the deal for the 35-year-old Scott included a $50,000 signing bonus. Scott reached the major leagues with Houston in 2005 and hit 23 homers or more for Baltimore each year from 2008-10. Gary Trent Jr. Jersey . The CFL will help tackle womens cancers by playing four special "CFL PINK" games this weekend. Bill Walton Blazers Jersey . It was my fifth straight year attending and, as always, there are many interesting matters discussed as it pertains to the use of statistics in sports.MONTREAL - The spotlight is on Andrew Wenger as the Montreal Impact begin their third Major League Soccer regular season with a visit to FC Dallas on Saturday. Listen to the Impact vs. FC Dallas live on TSN Radio Montreal 690 starting at 8pm et. The first overall pick in the 2012 SuperDraft is expected to start at striker in place of star scorer Marco DiVaio, who is suspended for the opening three games. "Marco scored 20 goals last year, we all know that, so I dont think its going to land on any one guy to replace him," Wenger said this week. "Ill do my best to contribute, but itll be on every player on the team to contribute to a larger factor." DiVaio and midfielder Andres Romero were each suspended three games for their part in a melee that erupted late in their 3-0 playoff loss to the Houston Dynamo last season. And it could be a makeshift lineup on the field with their new captain Patrice Bernier and fullback Jeb Brovsky likely limited to substitute duty, if they play at all, as they recover from injuries. A possible lineup used in training this week had four players who were mainly substitutes last season, plus their first round draft pick Erik Miller, on the field. The suspensions and injuries and the fact that they had few off-season signings were why many observers predicted the Impact will take a step back after finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference and earning their first MLS playoff berth last season. Even the MLS website had them rated last in the 19-team league in their pre-season power rankings. The Impact hope to show they can do just as well or better. Former Chicago Fire manager Frank Klopas, who replaced the fiery Marco Schallibaum as head coach, will make his Impact debut in Dallas. The former MLS and Greek league player brings a blend of the European experience and a knowledge of how games are won in the more physical North American league. Klopas goal is to allow at least 10 fewer goals than the sometimes messy 49 they conceded in 34 games last season. His influence was felt at training camp, where the Impact failed to defend their Disney Pro-Classic trophy but put a lot of time into conditioning. He hopes to give more minutes to more players to keep the team fresh throughout the campaign. Schallibaums squad last season dominated MLS in the first half, but went 1-6-1 down the stretch. "With the amount of travel we do in this league, its not easy," said Klopas. "We play a lot of games, thats why you need depth. We have to be able to rely on everybody." The biggest challenge will be in the central defence, where former Italian giant Alessandro Nesta retired as a player but stayed with the club to do video analysis. Sppaniard Adrian Lopez, who tore an ACL after one game when he joined the club in August, is a month away from resuming full training.dddddddddddd And Colombian Nelson Rivas, whose only game in 2013 was the playoff loss in which he was ejected for two yellow cards, has a hamstring injury. That leaves their defence leader Matteo Ferreri as the only healthy regular in the middle. It appears lanky fullback Hassoun Camara will move inside to start the season. The Impact also traded midfielder and former captain Davy Arnaud to D.C. United and attackers Andrea Pisanu and Daniele Paponi were let go. It appeared that 21-year-old Uruguayan forward Santiago Gonzalez would be their lone signing, but midway through camp they got a boost with the arrival of former New York Red Bulls left back Heath Pearce. Pearce is coming off hip surgery in July, but is close to match fitness. His arrival could bump Brovsky to right back and make Camara a full time centre back. The Impact also hope that having midfielder Hernan Bernardello with the team from the start of camp will make him more effective than he was after joining the team last summer. The Argentine is the teams second designated player after DiVaio. He plays a holding midfield role, just in front of the defence. When Bernier returns, they are expected to be the teams engine, launching attacks from their back position. Bernardello will also allow Bernier, a clever passer, to move up more to support the attack. They hope that will spur Brazilian midfielder Felipe Martins, perhaps their best player in 2012, after a weak campaign under Schallibaum. Wenger feels getting more players involved will help the whole team. He said DiVaio was running away with the scoring title last season until teams realized you only needed to cover him tightly to shut down the Montreal attack. "If we can have a more balanced attack, that would be important," he said. Collin Warner, who is to replace Bernier for the opener, is another who may get more playing time under Klopas. "Theres a little more direction on where players are supposed to find each other in different holes and pockets on the field," said Warner. "Thats a positive for me, being a midfielder. "The overall style is a bit quicker, more one and two-touch, so thats good." Whether it translates into more points remains to be seen. Last season, the Impact opened with surprise wins at Seattle and Portland and rode that to a big first half. "Road games test morale and character," said Bernier. "Marco wont be here for three games, but a team doesnt win with one player. "Hes a very important piece up front, but guys have to seize the opportunity." ' ' '