TORONTO – It didnt happen right away, this positive working

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. Keith Tkachuk Jersey . LOUIS -- Known for his game-managing and defensive skills, Yadier Molina made another statement with his bat. Teemu Selanne Jersey . A groundswell for raising the number of playoff qualifiers to seven in each conference figures to get plenty of support from the 32 owners. Most notably, Arizonas Bill Bidwill, who saw his Cardinals go 10-6 and not get in, while Green Bay (8-7-1) qualified by winning the NFC North. http://www.officialwinnipegjetspro.com/ ... ts-jersey/. -- Billy Andrade hasnt played much competitive golf over the past four years. Bobby Hull Jersey . In a matchup of teams battling head-to-head for the final playoff spot in Major League Soccers Western Conference, the Whitecaps run to the post-season took a hard hit when FC Dallas blew open a tie game with two goals in the final minutes for a 3-1 victory Saturday night. Teppo Numminen Jersey . The third baseman whipped the ball across the diamond to second baseman Aaron Hill. He quickly tossed it to shortstop Chris Owings, who flipped over his shoulder to left fielder Cody Ross.Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - The top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats will put their unblemished record in harms way on Saturday afternoon, as they play host to the 21st-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels at Rupp Arena. John Caliparis Wildcats have opened the season with 10 straight wins to solidify their position atop the national polls. Kentucky was last in action on Tuesday and may have shown some chinks in the armor, with a rather bland 56-46 victory over Columbia. This game closes out an eight-game homestand for the Wildcats, who will tangle with UCLA in Chicago next week. Roy Williams Tar Heels have a pair of losses on the season, falling to Butler (74-66) and Iowa (60-55). However, the team got back in the win column and moved to 6-2 on the season with Sundays 108-64 rout of East Carolina. This game begins a three-game road trip that has UNC playing at UNCG and against Ohio State in Chicago next week. North Carolina holds a 23-13 advantage in the all-time series with Kentucky and won last years matchup in Chapel Hill, 82-77. When North Carolina is at its best, it dominates play at both ends of the floor. The Tar Heels enter this contest averaging a hefty 81.6 ppg and boast of an impressive +17.8 scoring margin. The team also lives comfortably in terms of rebounding (+6.8) and turnover margin (+3.0). The starting five has been instrumental in UNCs success thus far, as the entire set averages double figures. Marcus Paige leads the perimeter assault with a team-best 14.0 ppg. Kennedy Meeks has been a monster in the paint, delivering on nearly 64 percent of his shots and averaging a double-double with 13.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per outing. Further scoring depth comes in the form of Brice Johnson (11.3 ppg), Justin Jackson (10.44 ppg) and J.ddddddddddddP. Tokoto (10.0 ppg). The Tar Heels erupted for a season-high 108 points last time out, blowing past East Carolina. UNC shot 60 percent from the floor, including a scorching 71.9 percent in the second half, where they tallied a whopping 60 points. Johnson (19 pts, 17 rebs) and Meeks (12 pts, 11 rebs) both posted double-doubles. Tokoto poured in 19 points and doled out eight assists, while Nate Britt tacked on 10 points off the bench. The Wildcats have dominated the competition this season thanks to stifling defensive play. Kentucky leads the nation in both scoring defense (45.8 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (.287), while also outrebounding foes (+12.4) and forcing more turnovers (+6.2). A young team did take a hit in terms of its veteran leadership this week however, as big man Alex Poythress suffered a torn ACL on Thursday and is lost for the season. Kentucky still has plenty of talent in the frontcourt to assuage the loss, with junior Willie Cauley-Stein (10.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg), sophomore Dakari Johnson (9.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and freshman Karl-Anthony Towns (9.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.8 bpg). Balance comes in the form of guards Aaron Harrison (9.8 ppg), Devin Booker (8.4 ppg) and Andrew Harrison (7.3 ppg, 3.7 apg). The usually efficient Wildcats really struggled offensively against Columbia last time out, shooting a mere .367 from the floor, a number weighed down by an ugly 2-of-17 effort from behind the arc (.118). However, Kentucky did own a huge advantage over the Lions on the boards (41-28) and held Columbia to just .375 shooting efficiency. Aaron Harrison led the team with 14 points in the win. Cauley-Stein recorded a double-double for Kentucky, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds. ' ' '