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CLEVELAND -- Indians first baseman Nick Swisher hit off a tee and survived batting practice without feeling stabbing pain in his left shoulder. Hes ready to test it in a game. Swisher moved closer to returning to Clevelands lineup on Friday after missing nearly a week with an injury that has been bothering him most of this season. Swisher had hoped to be available as a pinch hitter for the Indians series opener against Minnesota, but manager Terry Francona said its more likely that he wont play until Saturday. Also, Indians closer Chris Perez threw a bullpen session that Francona said went "very well" as the right-hander tries to come back from a strained right rotator cuff. Perez has been on the disabled list since May 27, and the two-time All-Star had a rough outing earlier this week for Double-A Akron. Indians All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera took grounders and did some agility drills as he recovers from a leg injury that landed him on the DL on June 4. Cabrera will travel with the team to Baltimore next week, and as long as he doesnt have any setbacks, hell be activated while the Indians are on the road. Francona said Perez will throw a simulated game on Sunday in Akron and will likely make another rehab appearance before the Indians consider activating him. Perez gave up five runs -- three homers -- in one inning earlier this week for the Aeros. Francona said it was Perezs idea to pitch the simulated game. Earlier this week, Perez said "everything" felt wrong when he faced Trenton and was clobbered during his brief outing. As for Swisher, he will have to manage his shoulder injury for the remainder of this season. He had been dealing with some pain for several weeks and then aggravated the injury when he took a big swing trying to hit a home run last Saturday against Washington. He has missed Clevelands past four games. Swisher received a cortisone shot on Monday and has been getting treatment. He came to the ballpark and hit off a tee on Thursday, an off day for the Indians. He had typical soreness, but nothing like what hes been feeling. "You can deal with the soreness and all that stuff, but the sharp pain is what were trying to get rid of," he said. "And knock on wood, man, whatever they did it really feels good right now." Swisher, who signed a four-year, $56 million deal with the Indians in December, has only been on the disabled list once in his career -- in 2005 for Oakland-- but now that hes gotten older, the 32-year-old knows he has to take better care of himself. "I try to take a lot of pride in being on the field," he said. "This isnt one of those things thats kind of going to go away. The biggest thing is to take accountability for it. Those days of showing up at 11:30 (for a day game) and getting ready to play are gone. I need to strengthen my shoulders up a little more." Francona intends to be careful with Swisher, but he said its vital his first baseman monitor himself. "Hes going to have to manage it all year and I think he understands that," Francona said. "This is going to have to be part of his routine." Doug Flutie Youth Jersey . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Frank Gore Youth Jersey . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. http://www.authenticbillsfanaticfootball.com/authentic-jordan-poyer-bills-jersey/ . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Zay Jones Youth Jersey . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Josh Allen Womens Jersey .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. RICHMOND, Va. -- The National Federation of State High School Associations has directed its members to regulate the number of pitches a high school player can throw in a game amid growing concerns about overworking young arms.The federation did not proscribe a specific number, but a limit must be established by next season, said Elliot Hopkins, the NFHS director of sports and student services. The limits will go into effect in the spring of 2017.All 50 states plus the District of Columbia are federation members, Hopkins said Tuesday. Each state except Michigan has its own sports medicine advisory committee that will likely be involved in settling on a specific number.I think theyre better suited to determine what the number is, Hopkins said, noting the number in warmer climates, where baseball season starts earlier, might be higher.Some states such as Texas have already established their limit at 125 pitches, and Alabama, Colorado and Kentucky have said that will be their number, too, Hopkins said. Minnesota will use 105 during the season and 115 or 120 in playoffs.Anecdotal evidence suggested it was time to make the change. As a member of the USA Baseball sports medicine advisory committee, Hopkins said he sits between well-known sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews and former major league pitcher Tommy John at meetings. Andrews in 1974 pioneered a surgery, first performed on and then named for Tommy John, that reconstructs the ulnar collateral ligament in a pitchers elbow, allowing pitchers to resume their careers after rehabilitation.During those meetings, Dr. Andrews always expressed how more and more of his service, and his surgeries, revolved around younger kids, Hopkins said.USA Baseball, the national governing body for amateur baseball, in 2014 launched the program Pitch Smart, which sets age-appropriate guidelines for the number of pitches a pitcher as young as 7 can throw and the amount of rest pitchers should get between pitching apppearances.dddddddddddd Most amateur baseball leagues have adopted the guidelines, which set 120 pitches as the maximum recommended for pitchers ages 19-22. The guidelines then also require they receive four days of rest.One impact Hopkins hopes will come from the rule change will be the involvement of more players.You have maybe three or four pitchers in your bullpen typically, he said. Now, well get some kids who really cant throw five innings, cant give you five innings, but they can give you a solid two, and now youve got a bullpen and you get more kids involved.The federation will no longer require its member associations to require a certain amount of rest between appearances by a pitcher.Virginia coach Brian OConnor, whose team won the national championship in 2015, called the changes a step in the right direction but was not sure a single pitch count number will have the desired effect.Somebody could throw 75 pitches three different times in a week, he said.Its not a be all, end all, said Sean Ryan, a high school coach in Richmond whose team at Benedictine plays in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association and will not be subjected to the federation rules. He noted that a young pitcher often moves to another position during a game, or in the teams next game, where he continues throwing in between innings and in the game.Like other sports, youth baseball has a cottage industry offering year-round, specialized instruction. OConnor said he is a big believer in athletes playing several sports, not just baseball.It has everything to do with, I think, other sports creating better athleticism in players and I think its important that they stay competitive year round, he said. I would rather see them on a basketball court working together as a team and staying physically active and competing to win. ' ' '