DUNEDIN, Florida - Melky Cabrera envisioned the worst-case scenario when he was diagnosed with having a benign tumour in his back. Hernan Perez Jersey . "I thought he was going to pass away, I was going to die, I was going to leave his kids behind and his family," said Cabrera through third base coach Luis Rivera, translating Spanish to English. "I know one day hes going to die but I wasnt ready to do that yet." It was a harsh dose of reality for Cabrera not long after turning 29 last August 11. It was a strange time. Finally, Cabrera had a proper diagnosis for the knee tendinitis and quadriceps inflammation that had sent him to the disabled list earlier in the season. But to that point, Cabrera couldnt understand why hed been rendered relatively immobile on the field. The tumour, which if left untreated would have continued to grow and could have ended up wrapping itself around Cabreras spinal cord causing paralysis, even death, was about the size of a walnut at the time it was surgically removed. The scar on Cabreras back is about five inches long and runs straight down the spinal column. "I was worried because of the way I was playing and the pain I was feeling in my legs and his back," Cabrera said through Rivera. "I didnt know what was wrong with me until I they decided to check. I found out, my family and myself, it was a tumour. They didnt know if it was benign or cancer and we were real worried." Once the stiches came out ten days after the surgery, Cabrera immediately began working out. He started slowly, capped at curls with 15 and 20-pound dumbbells. By December, Cabrera had moved his offseason home to Tampa. Teammate Jose Bautista lives in the area and the two began two-a-day workouts immediately, including cardio and weight training in the mornings and baseball related activities, namely hitting, in the afternoon. Cabrera is plenty motivated to have a bounce back season. Limited to 88 games last year, he posted a .279/.322/.360 slash line. He was coming off a 50-game suspension in 2012 for performance enhancing drug use. Now in the final year of the $16 million, two-year contract, Cabrera is playing for his next deal while trying to shake a shady past. In solid physical shape and moving better than he has in more than a year, Cabrera is reunited with his hitting coach from three seasons ago in Kansas City, Kevin Seitzer. "Im real happy that hes here," said Cabrera through Rivera. "Hes a real good hitting coach. He knows what kind of swing I have and he can work with me better." NAVARRO CATCHES BUEHRLE Asked before Fridays game if he could remember catching a pitcher who works as quickly as Mark Buehrle, Dioner Navarro didnt waste any time responding. "Nobody," he said. Navarro wouldnt offer a prediction of how things would go, which necessitated a follow up when he left the game after six innings. "On the positive side I dont have to do conditioning now," joked Navarro. "It was fun. I think hes still trying to build in as spring training goes along. I dont think he was throwing as hard as he can. His mechanics looked fine. The ball was coming out fine. He likes to work fast, thats for sure." Buehrle threw two innings, allowing a run on two hits. He struck out one and walked one. "First thing I told him when we met, I said, Listen, I dont shake off, so I like the sign down and hope youve got a game plan back there, because I dont really go over one, I dont follow one, so I just kind of go off [the catchers signs]," said Buehrle. "Thats big for them to know the hitters and know what I like to throw in certain situations. So far, were just working on some stuff right now and getting his feedback on certain pitches that Im throwing, so its good." Buehrle sat in on a handful of advanced scouting meetings two years ago in Miami, at the request of then-Marlins pitching coach Randy St. Claire, but felt he wasnt benefitting from the information. Hed prefer if Navarro and pitching coach Pete Walker worked out the plan. Hell just throw the pitches, joking that if things go wrong it leaves the blame on the catcher. "We take the blame," said Navarro. "Hey, its been like that for 100 years. When somebody does good, good job. When something goes bad its the catchers fault. Ive got no shame on that. I take the blame. Its okay with me." IZTURIS ACCEPTING OF BACK UP ROLE As long as the regulars stay healthy, Maicer Izturis will find himself back in the role he had with the Angels. Hell play some second base, some shortstop and some third base and be a late-game option off the bench for manager John Gibbons. "Ive been in that situation before in Anaheim with Aybar and Howie Kendrick," said Izturis. "For me, Im coming in ready to help the team win. I just want to make the playoffs and win that thing. I think weve got everything here. We need to just compete." A 10-year veteran, Izturis also is serving as a mentor to Ryan Goins, who ended last season as the Jays second baseman and is expected to have the starting job when camp breaks. "Just be consistent, play good defense," said Izturis of his advice to Goins. "Hes got the same game that I do. Just play defense, move the runner, take some pitches, play for the team. Weve got a lot of players with power and speed. Thats what I try to tell him to help him understand his game." Izturis is fully healed following a season-ending ankle sprain late last August. He began running the bases and taking ground balls in November. LINDS BEARD GETTING ATTENTION Adam Linds goatee is being compared to the beard worn by former professional wrestler Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Shown a photo of Neidhart, Lind laughed and said, "Hes got a better tan." KRATZ DOES COMMERCIALS Check out these three commercials featuring new Blue Jays catcher Erik Kratz, done last year in Philadelphia for Godshalls Quality Meats. Some funny stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGOjaXfwdfg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bltl70SVyuU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oQi1uuq2xI Drew Pomeranz Jersey . However, it wasnt a problem on Monday night. Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves for his 56th career shutout in the New York Islanders 3-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night. Junior Guerra Jersey . And, just for good measure, lets say the lottery team finishes the game short-handed because two starters come down with the very same injury. https://www.cheapbrewers.com/529y-david-freitas-jersey-brewers.html . Coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal endured another demoralizing result after rallying for a 2-1 lead -- only to concede a fluke equalizer.VAL-DOR, Que. - Alec Jon Banville scored three times and Philippe Cadorette made 47 saves as the Baie-Comeau Drakkar defeated the host Val-dOr Foreurs 5-1 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Gabryel Paquin-Boudreau and Charles Poulin also scored for the Drakkar (26-12-4) while Felix Girard and Denis Gorbunov each tacked on two assists. Thomas Gobeil scored the lone goal for the Foreurs (27-16-1). Antoine Bibeau started in net for Val-dOr, but left the game in the third period after allowing four goals on 22 shots. Keven Bouchard replaced Bibeau and stopped five-of-six shots in 13 minutes of relief. --- ISLANDERS 4 CATARACTES 3 (SO) CHARLOTTETOWN -- Anthony Cortese scored the only goal of the shootout and Mason McDonald stopped 44 shots as the Islanders edged Shawinigan. Craig MacLauchlan had a goal and an assist for Charlottetown (17-21-5) and Daniel Sprong and Bradley Kennedy each scored once. Sebastien Gauthier scored once for the Cataractes (10-27-6) and assisted on goals by Gabriel Slight and Alexis DAoust. Shawinigans Storm Phaneuf made 28 saves in a losing cause. --- WILDCATS 5 MOOSEHEADS 1 HALIFAX -- JC Campagna and Christophe Lalonde had a pair of goals apiece as Moncton toppled the Mooseheads. Josh Puglsey also scored for the Wildcats (23-19-2), Ivan Barbashev had three assists and Campagna tacked on an assist for a three-point night. Darcy Ashley scored the lone goal for Halifax (26-16-1) while defenceman MacKenzie Weegar led his club with five shots on goal. Kevin Darveau turned aside 28-of-33 shots for the Mooseheads. --- SAGUENEENS 4 PHOENIX 3 (SO) CHICOUTIMI, Que. -- Laurent Dauphin scored once in regulation and then the shootout winner as the Sagueneens slipped past Sherbrooke. Nikita Liamkin and Domenic Beauchemin also scored for Chicoutimi (22-21-1). The Phoenix (14-25-5) got goals from Jeremy Roy, Jean-Christophe Laflamme and Chase Harwell. Trent Grisham Brewers Jersey. Julio Billia made 34 saves for the Sagueneens while Sherbrookes Maxime Lagace stopped 31 shots in a losing cause. --- OCEANIC 6 REMPARTS 3 QUEBEC CITY -- Samuel Courtemanche and Sebastien Sylvestre each had two goals and an assist as Rimouski doubled up the Remparts. Peter Trainor and Felix-Antoine Savage also scored for the Oceanic (26-11-7), who improved to 10-0-2 in their last 12 outings. Anthony Duclair had a goal and an assist for Quebec (23-12-8), which lost in regulation for the first time in eight games, while Adam Erne and Zachery Moody scored once. Rimouskis Philippe Desrosiers made 32 saves for the win as Francois Brassard allowed six goals on 30 shots for the Remparts. --- SCREAMING EAGLES 4 ARMADA 3 BOISBRIAND, Que. -- Maxim Lazarev broke a 3-3 deadlock at 17:17 of the third period to lift Cape Breton over the Armada. Justin Hache and Cameron Darcy had a goal and an assist each for the Screaming Eagles (21-17-3) and Charles-Eric Legaire scored once. Christopher Clapperton, Nikita Jevpalovs and Frederic Bergeron scored for Blainville-Boisbriand (27-8-7) while Samuel Hodhod chipped in with two assists. Alex Bureau made 23 saves for Cape Breton. Etienne Marcoux stopped 24 shots for the Armada. --- TIGRES 1 OLYMPIQUES 0 GATINEAU, Que. -- Samuel Blais scored the games only goal at 8:46 of the third period as Victoriaville blanked the Olympiques. Blais goal came by way of power play for the Tigres (17-19-6) while goaltender Francois Tremblay stopped 35 shots for the shutout. Simon Tardif-Richard led all Gatineau (27-15-1) skater with five shots on goal. Anthony Brodeur kicked out 33-of-34 shots for the Olympiques, who had their three-game win streak halted. ' ' '