BUFFALO, N. Air Force 1 Discount .Y. -- With one sweet swing, Edwin Encarnacion showed the Toronto Blue Jays what they hope to be getting back soon. After missing more than a month with a strained right quadriceps muscle, Encarnacion is close to rejoining the Blue Jays in the middle of their playoff chase. Now on a minor-league rehab stint with the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, Encarnacion is one step away, and on Tuesday night he showed evidence of his progress by hitting a first-pitch, no-doubt grand slam. Encarnacion, who led off as the designated hitter, went 1 for 4 with the grand slam, a fly out, a pop up and a ground out. He reported no problems after the Bisons 7-5 victory. "Its a lot of fun to be playing and have a game like today," Encarnacion said. "I feel great with my leg, thats the main thing right now. It feels great: no problems swinging, no problems running." With the bases loaded in the second inning Encarnacion made short work of a first-pitch slider from Norfolk Tides starter Steve Johnson, showing the right-handed power stroke the Blue Jays could desperately use by smacking the ball over the fence in left. "I was just looking for something in the strike zone and make a good swing on it," Encarnacion said. "He handed me the slider and I made a good swing on it." The plan is for Encarnacion to play two more games with the Bisons before meeting up with the Blue Jays on Friday in Chicago. Despite missing the past month, the 31-year-old still leads the team in home runs (26) and trails only Jose Bautista in runs batted in (70). After suffering a recent setback that delayed his return to the injury-ravaged Blue Jays, the main objective during the final step of Encarnacions rehab is to get him to the majors in one piece. "I dont know if hes quite there where he wants to be with his leg there. But well play that by ear," manager Gary Allenson said before the game. "Keeping him healthy through the next couple days is important." When Encarnacion was injured in Oakland on July 5, the Blue Jays were half-game back of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. Going into Tuesday nights game at the Seattle Mariners they were six back, making the second wild-card spot their most realistic shot of reaching the playoffs. Encarnacion has watched every game since going on the disabled list and been in communication with his teammates. "Ive been talking to every guy," he said. "They want to see me there soon." Recently, the Blue Jays have had to try to stay afloat without Encarnacion, first baseman Adam Lind and third baseman Brett Lawrie. Lind (fractured right foot) was activated in time to bat cleanup against the Mariners on Tuesday, while Lawrie (straight left oblique) is out until at least September. Toronto manager John Gibbons said last week his hope was to have Encarnacion and Lind split first-base and designated-hitting duties when they returned, which would allow Juan Francisco and Danny Valencia to platoon at third. Encarnacion wants to be back sooner rather than later, but not at the expense of quality hitting. "I just try to be available to play not 100 per cent but close to help my team win games," he said. "I dont want to go there and play only 50 or 60 per cent because I (wouldnt) help my team. I want to make sure that Ill be 100 per cent and be healthy to help my team." Although Allenson joked that the slugger might not be the ideal lead-off hitter, Encarnacion was there to maximize his at-bats. Hes expected to play first base Wednesday night, with Thursday afternoons game plan still up in the air. No matter the plan, outfielder Kevin Pillar, who appeared in 26 games for the Blue Jays this season, doesnt think it hurts to have Encarnacion in Buffalos lineup for a little while. "Its always nice having guys like Eddie come down and if you can just pick his brain for a day or two and just get a chance to watch him hit, Im pretty sure hes not going to miss a beat," Pillar said. "Watching a guy like him come into spring training without maybe a whole lot of live pitching and hit the way he does, itll just be fun for us and fun for the people of Buffalo to get a chance to see him play." Knowing hes in charge of a major asset for the parent club, Allenson said a decision to send Encarnacion home from third might be a little more conservative than with other players. Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said "explosive movements" while running were the biggest concern for Encarnacion. "I think thats what he might need to protect," Anthopoulos said last week. "If hes hitting a chopper down the third-base line and hes really trying to sprint down the line or hes trying to stretch an extra-base hit and things like that." Perhaps even more telling than the grand slam was Encarnacions grounder that made him test his quadriceps running down the first base line. "I feel good," he said. "I feel great and I think everythings going to be all right." Steps away from being back with the Blue Jays, Encarnacion wont be expected to push himself too hard the rest of this week as he inches back. "If he just goes up when he gets done here, goes up and DHs, thats a big bat to have in the lineup," Allenson said. "More than anything for Edwin, as long as he gets his timing down, sees some pitches and gets comfortable where he gets it going again it will be just fine." Air Force 1 Low Outlet .Lets go back to the Avs, who have become one of the funnest teams to watch in this years playoffs. Air Force 1 Clearance . At quarterback, all agree that Andy Dalton has been a wonderful surprise, but to truly progress he has to play his best in the playoffs. The two losses in the wildcard rounds keep the evaluation on Dalton open -- just like it did for Peyton Manning many years ago and Matt Ryan until last year. https://www.cheapairforce1outlet.com/ . The question all fans want to know heading into this light heavyweight affair is will Rua display his true potential. Working with UFC welterweight fighter Demian Maias team in Sao Paulo Brazil and having training partners such as fellow UFC stand outs Fabio Maldonado and Daniel Sarafian, the 32-year old feels very well prepared for Friday nights encounter.ALTENMARKT-ZAUCHENSEE, Austria -- Marie-Michele Gagnon ended a 30-year drought for Canadian women in World Cup combined events by earning her maiden victory on Sunday. Gagnon was 1.37 seconds off the lead in 16th after the super-G portion but went ahead of the field after posting the second fastest time in the slalom run. "Its really exciting, a magical moment," said Gagnon, who wasnt even born when Gerry Sorensen won a combined event in Puy St. Vincent, France, on Jan. 8, 1984 for the last triumph by a Canadian woman. "My teammate Erin Mielzynski won two years ago in Ofterschwang. She was the first Canadian woman to win in slalom in like 40 years," Gagnon said. "That was unbelievable and I didnt expect our team to make history again." Gagnon finished in an overall 2 minutes, 5.55 seconds to beat second-place Michaela Kirchgasser of Austria by 0.32. Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany trailed Gagnon by 0.39 in third. Nicole Hosp of Austria, who led the competition after the super-G, finished fourth. "Its amazing. I was quite surprised," said Gagnon, whose only previous podium came in a slalom in Are, Sweden, in 2012. "I didnt expect that after the first run. I knew I had to do a really good slalom run to be on the podium. I just tried to do my best and it looks like the pieces of the puzzle have come together." The super-combined format was introduced at the start of the 2005-06 season to replace the classic combined races, which consisted of one speed run followed by two slalom legs. No Canadian skier -- male or female -- had ever made the podium in a super-combined before. The last Canadian to get in the top three of any combined event was Emily Broydon, who came third in San Sicaro, Italy, in 2005. The combination of super-G and slalom at Sundays event suited Gagnon, who was in the top 10 of two super-G races this season and in the top six of all four slaloms. "I am happy with my season so far and this tops it off for sure,&quuot; said Gagnon, coming off a disappointing season following her first top-three finish at the end of the 2011-12 campaign. Air Force 1 Store. "I ended that season really strongly and I came in the season after and I was expecting a lot," Gagnon said. "But I was trying too hard. This year, I just try my best. I know I have done all the work in training." Second-place Kirchgasser made an even bigger jump as she climbed from 20th after the super-G. "I knew something would still be possible (after the first run)," said the Austrian. "But after my slalom run, I first thought it wasnt enough." Kirchgasser failed to finish five races this season, but said she had forgotten about 2013 already, adding "2014 has been really good so far." Hoefl-Riesch regained the lead in the overall standings one day after she lost it to Austrias Anna Fenninger after Saturdays downhill. The German has 731 points and Fenninger, who finished eighth, 709. Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein is third with 673. "Of course I am really happy," Hoefl-Riesch said. "But theres also a little bit of disappointment. It wasnt perfect skiing from me. And I missed second place by 0.07 yesterday and again today. But all in all it was a very satisfying weekend." Earlier Sunday, most of the 19 starters who failed to finish the super-G went out at the Panorama, a sharp right turn about 40 seconds into the run. Going into the curve with too much speed made it difficult to make the next gate. Julia Mancuso, who won the super-combined in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee in 2007, also went out at that point. Her American teammate Lindsey Vonn, who has a record 12 podium finishes in super-combined including a win here in 2009, is out for the season because of a right knee injury. It was the first super-combined event of the season and the only one before the Sochi Olympics next month. The womens World Cup travels to nearby Flachau for a night slalom on Tuesday. ' ' '