dog at the MGM sports book, he is a skillful technical boxer whose power has improved since he began training with Roach in 2014. He also has a tremendous jab and

NEW YORK -- Trying to make a push in the crowded NL playoff race, the New York Mets plan to skip struggling right-hander Jacob deGrom the next time through the rotation.The team said it hadnt decided who will start in deGroms place Monday night against Miami, another club in the wild-card hunt. New York manager Terry Collins rattled off several potential candidates Friday, including Sean Gilmartin, Logan Verrett, Gabriel Ynoa and Rafael Montero.The latter three are in the minors. Rookie right-hander Seth Lugo, who earned his first major league win Thursday night at St. Louis, is scheduled to face the Marlins on Tuesday.The 2014 NL Rookie of the Year, deGrom is 7-7 with a 2.96 ERA in 143 innings. He had been on an extended roll, lowering his ERA to 2.29, before getting rocked for 13 runs and 25 hits over 9 2/3 innings in his last two outings, against San Francisco and St. Louis.Of course I want to be out there, but these past few I havent helped the team very much, so if thats in the best interest, then thats the plan we just have to go with, deGrom said. I want to be out there, but I think this is going to help me in the long run.The Mets pointed out that deGrom has responded well to time off in the past and they think a brief break will help him correct a mechanical flaw theyve discovered in his delivery.Falling over towards the first base side again. Arm slots 2 inches higher and 2 inches more toward first, so that tells me Im falling off that way, he said. That makes my stuff flat in the zone. I battled it early this year; I felt like I got it right. I dont know if I was just trying to do too much out there and started leaning back a little bit or what.I think were going back to the drawing board and try to get it where I need it to be, deGrom added. Ive been battling it all year. So, I hope this is an easy fix, but well try to get it right in these next few days.Still, the move was somewhat surprising considering the defending NL champions already were piecing together the back end of a banged-up rotation.Steven Matz, sidelined with tightness in his pitching shoulder, played catch Friday and is slated to throw off a mound Sunday. If all goes well, the lefty could come off the 15-day disabled list Wednesday to start against Miami.Matt Harvey is out for the season following thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and right-hander Robert Gsellman is scheduled to make his first major league start Sunday against the Phillies.In other news, second baseman Neil Walker was activated from the paternity leave list and batted cleanup against Philadelphia in the opener of a 10-game homestand. Walker and his wife, Niki, welcomed a baby girl named Nora on Tuesday.Its certainly amazing, Walker said. Supercedes any type of personal accomplishments that you ever come across. Thats very interesting when you see your kid for the first time. Its a pretty special moment. So Im looking forward to spending a lot more time with her as the season goes along and as the offseason goes along.I was certainly sad to leave this morning, he added. But Im back here ready to work, ready to get back to the grind here and push these last several weeks and start reaching our goal.To open a roster spot, New York optioned infielder T.J. Rivera to Triple-A Las Vegas.Right fielder Jay Bruce was back in the lineup after missing Thursday nights victory in St. Louis. Bruce left Wednesday nights game with cramping in his right calf.Collins said the Mets wanted to put Bruce through some pregame drills Friday to make sure he was healthy enough to play. Bruce struck out all four times he came to bat, drawing boos from the home crowd.Swell Water Bottle Sale . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. Swell Bottle Wood Collection . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. http://www.swellbottlesclearance.com/swell-bottle-resort-collection.html . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR. SWell Stone Collection Bottle . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Swell Black Bottle . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.LAS VEGAS -- Terence Crawford checks most of the boxes needed to become a boxing superstar.He has become a major ticket seller in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, where billionaire businessman Warren Buffett is a big fan and regular attendee of his fights. He has the triumphant backstory of overcoming a difficult upbringing in a rough neighborhood and surviving a gunshot that grazed his skull as a 21-year-old who was in the wrong placed at the wrong time -- counting his winnings after a late-night street dice game.Surviving that scary situation was a seminal moment in Crawfords life.I dont think about it a lot because I like to put it in the past and put it behind me and move on with my life, he said. But sometimes I do think about how I got a second chance and make the best of it.He has certainly done that because inside the ring Crawford also gets it done. He has shown tremendous skills and knockout power and has already won lightweight and junior welterweight world titles. He was the fighter of the year in 2014, knocking out then-unbeaten former featherweight titleholder Yuriorkis Gamboa in a memorable fight of the year contender.He can check another important box by beating the best opponent of his career to unify junior welterweight world titles -- and establish division supremacy -- against dangerous Viktor Postol on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.This is a very big fight for me at a very critical time of my career, Crawford said. This fight is more meaningful than the Gamboa fight at the moment because this fight can take me to that next level beyond the level that Im on right now. This fight means a lot, and I do look at it as the biggest fight of my career to date.Its a fight that matches undefeated boxers in their primes who are 1-2 in the division, in whichever order one elects to place them. Such pairings are rare. The winner is also on the short list to land a Nov. 5 fight against the great Manny Pacquiao.This fight I think is the best fight certainly thats been offered to date [this year] to fight fans, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said at Wednesdays final news conference. It matches two terrific young fighters, each a champion, each with the same record, 28 wins and no defeats, each holding a belt from their respective organizations.It has everything that great fights have had for all the years Ive been associated with boxing. Ive been in boxing for over 50 years, and Ive been associated with great, great fights. This fight, to me, is up there with any of the fights that Ive promoted.Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), headlining in Las Vegas for the first time and also making his third title defense, has heard the talk about his potential as a breakout star for the past few years but has remained focused on his preparation rather than reading his clips or listening to fan chatter.There is no pressure on me being looked at as boxings next superstar, but there is a lot of hard work in becoming one, said Crawford, 28. Im really excited to be on the big stage and Im on that big stage because I paid my dues in the gym and in the ring. Thats the reason I have accomplished so much as a fighter -- pride of performance -- and thats why I am going to win on [Saturday].If Im going to solidify my position as the new face of boxing, it starts by unifying the 140-pound division.Brian McIntyre, Crawfords trainer and co-manager with Cameron Dunkin, has been with him for many years and has long been a believer.There is no pressure because its his destiny, McIntyre said. All we have to do is keep on winning. The media and the public will see Terence as the best fighter in the world. I dont care who Postol has in his corner [Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach], there is no way were letting Postol come to our country and taake home Terences title.dddddddddddd We are a way better team than they are.We have a deep history with each other and we have the heritage that produces legends as well as champions. Postol cannot beat Terence. And Freddie Roach is going to have a front-row seat to watch his fighter get drilled.Regardless of McIntyres prediction, Postol appears to be the most formidable opponent of Crawfords career.On paper, you could make a case that Postol will be the toughest man I have faced inside the ring, but I wont really know that until I fight him, Crawford said. When I go into camp, I always assume the opponent Im training for will be my toughest test. Its the only way I know how to train.I cannot afford an off night. Its unacceptable and its dangerous. No one is going to give me anything in a fight. I have to earn it the old-fashioned way, and thats by taking the fight to my opponent and winning it. Against Postol, Im not just defending my belt. Im out to take his too. Thats the reason for taking such a tough fight. It is because I wanted to fight the best fighter out there [and] beat the best fighter out there to show that I am the best fighter in the division.Postol, 32, of Ukraine, first announced himself on the world stage in 2014 with an upset against longtime contender Selcuk Aydin, whom he brutally knocked out in the 11th round of a world title elimination fight. Two bouts later, Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) scored another upset, dominating Lucas Matthysse before stopping him in the 10th round of a fantastic performance in October.He does have some good victories, he has a title and he is undefeated, McIntyre said. So if you look at those credentials, you cant ask for a stronger opponent than that for Terence. Both fighters are risking their titles and their undefeated records -- everything that they have worked so hard to earn -- and that is something that appeals to us and appeals to fans who are looking for the best to fight the best. A victory will lead to bigger and tougher tests, and we welcome that too. I know Terence is the best fighter in boxing. We want him to have the opportunities to prove it.Although Postol is a heavy underdog at the MGM sports book, he is a skillful technical boxer whose power has improved since he began training with Roach in 2014. He also has a tremendous jab and, at 5-foot-11, will have a 3-inch height advantage over Crawford.Ive been fighting people taller than me and larger than me all my life, Crawford said. Ive been short for 28 years and I havent been stopped yet. Postol is nothing to me. Hes just another guy that Im fighting. Im not training for Postol, Im training for myself -- to be the best I can possibly be. I do that, then no one can beat me. Im confident in my abilities and I am confident that I am going to destroy Postol.As for the perception that Postol has a dominant jab, Crawford said, Its funny how all of the people are giving Postol all of the credit for his jab but nobody is talking about how good my jab is. So Im loving it. Im loving it. Im loving it how everyone is talking about how good his jab is.Come fight night, Crawford will have the chance to show if he has the better jab. He will also have the chance to continue making his case that he can become a major star.I have worked very hard to get to this point in my career -- to earn the right to headline my first pay-per-view event, Crawford said. Its very exciting, but I need to keep my eye on the ball. This isnt just opening night for a new phase of my career. I want this to be the beginning of a long run as boxings next pound-for-pound star and a worthy successor to Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. ' ' '