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PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin remains convinced linebacker LaMarr Woodley is an impact player when healthy. "Hes been solid," Tomlin said. "Not only this season but over the course of his career." Heres something else Woodley has become: injury prone. The Steelers placed Woodley on injured reserve Tuesday with a strained right calf, ending Woodleys season and perhaps his time patrolling the left side of Pittsburghs 3-4 defence. He limped off the field in the first quarter of Sundays 30-20 win over Cincinnati and did not return. Tomlin ruled Woodley out of this weekends game at Green Bay. With Pittsburgh (6-8) all but out of the playoff picture, the team moved Woodley to IR later to the day to give the club some roster flexibility. Pittsburgh signed journeyman linebacker Jamaal Westerman to take Woodleys spot on the 53-man roster, though quickly improving Jason Worilds will start in Woodleys place against the Packers (7-6-1). Woodley is in the third year of a six-year, $61.5 million contract he signed in August, 2011. The 29-year-old is scheduled to be Pittsburghs second-highest paid player next season behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, with a salary cap hit of $13.59 million. Considering the teams significant cap issues, the emergence of Worilds and rookie Jarvis Jones and Woodleys spotty healthy history, he could be expendable by the summer. Its a path that seemed unthinkable three years ago. Woodley appeared to be the next great Steelers linebacker after racking up 35 sacks from 2008-10, helping lead Pittsburgh two a pair of AFC championships and one Super Bowl title. The day he signed his extension in 2011, Woodley talked at length about wanting "to leave my stamp when Im done playing here." His work is only half finished. Woodley hasnt played a full 16-game schedule since 2010. He missed six games in 2011 and three more in 2012 with hamstring issues. He appeared back to his usual self early this season, recording a sack in four straight games at one point. It all changed during a 23-10 win over Buffalo last month, when he tweaked his left calf. Despite saying repeatedly he felt optimistic about his chances, he spent three weeks on the sideline watching Worilds flourish in his absence. Considered on the way out after the Steelers chose Jones in the first round of last Aprils draft, Worilds instead has blossomed. Following a slow start, he played so well the Steelers decided to make Jones a role player while giving Worilds the bulk of the playing time at right outside linebacker. Worilds moved to the left side, where he played in college, after Woodley went down and his production has skyrocketed. Worilds leads the Steelers with 7.0 sacks and has evolved into more than just a pass rush specialist. When Woodley returned against Miami two weeks ago, the Steelers actually moved him to the right side for the first time in his career so Worilds could continue to work on the left side. Though he will be a free agent after the season, Worilds wont come close to commanding the kind of money Woodley will be due if Woodley stays on the roster in 2014. Throw in the teams significant investment in Jones and Woodley could be part of a sizable roster makeover in the off-season if the Steelers miss the playoffs for the second straight year. While Tomlin agreed Jones needs to work on his upper body strength to deal with left tackles who outweigh him by 50 pounds or more, Tomlin is pleased with Jones progress. Jones has just one sack but has shown an ability to get around the ball. He batted down a Cincinnati 2-point conversion attempt last week, keeping the Bengals two scores behind. "Although his numbers might not be jumping off the page at you, I really think that hes settling in and playing harder and faster and displaying understanding at an increased rate every week," Tomlin said. "I think thats an element of playing well and producing plays. Youve got to know what to do." NOTES: Tomlin said defensive end Brett Keisel, who has missed four of the last five games with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, will "definitely" practice on Thursday and could play against the Packers. .... Nose tackle Steve McLendon, who has sat out the last two games with an ankle injury, is also expected to practice at some point. Houston Rockets Jerseys .C. - Phoenix Suns coach Jeff Hornacek says guard Goran Dragic will return to the starting lineup against the Charlotte Hornets after missing the last two games with a strained back. Gary Clark Rockets Jersey . Which is to say, the top of this years draft class is not as dynamic or exciting as the 2013 class of Nate MacKinnon, Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Drouin and Seth Jones and its not as strikingly promising as the highly-anticipated 2015 slate of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. https://www.rocketsrookiesshop.com/Ryan-...ion-Jersey/.The Toronto Raptors guard, who will represent the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Sunday, says he doesnt complain in the face of adversity "because I know this little girl is just happy for anything. Tyler Ennis Jersey . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. Getting Creative The Pittsburgh Penguins will try their best to acquire Ryan Kesler from the Vancouver Canucks before the Trade Deadline. Steve Francis Jersey . “The fact that he was willing to do the deal the way we wanted it to be done showed that he wanted me to be a part of something great," Lowry said, noting that Ujiri willingness to sign off on the proposal that both Lowry and his agent presented to the GM was the final straw that convinced him to return.CHICAGO -- Tyson Ross struck out a career-high 11, and the light-hitting San Diego Padres broke out for a season-best nine runs in the sixth inning in a 13-3 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night. Ross (9-10) allowed one run, five hits and one walk in six innings to reach a career high in wins. He went 3-2 in five July starts, but gave up just four earned runs in 35 innings. Rene Rivera had three hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs. Will Venable had three hits and two RBIs, and Alexi Amarista and Chris Nelson also drove in two runs apiece with singles in the sixth-inning outburst that gave the Padres their highest scoring output this season. San Diego led 3-1 entering the sixth, but after the first two Padres reached base, Cubs starter Edwin Jackson (5-11) was pulled because of cramping in his right hand and was replaced by Brian Schlitter. The first nine Padres reached as San Diego, which carried an MLB-worst .215 batting average into the game, sent 15 men to the plate. The Padres, who finished with 14 hits, used relievers Tim Stauffer and Nick Vincent to complete the game. Starlin Castro, Luis Valbuena and Chris Coghlan drove in Chicagos runs. Jackson dropped his fourth straight decision over six starts, allowing five runs and seven hits. He hasnt won since June 20 against Pittsburgh. He was followed by fiive relievers as Chicago lost for the 13th time in 16 games.dddddddddddd The Padres tagged Jackson with two quick runs with two outs in the first. The Cubs cut it to 2-1 in the fourth and had runners on second and third with two outs. But Ross fanned John Baker for his eighth strikeout to end the threat. Riveras solo shot to lead off the fifth made it 3-1. National League home run leader Anthony Rizzo swung and missed a 3-2 pitch in the dirt with two out in the fifth to apparently end the inning. But the pitch got away from Rivera, and Rizzo reached first with Arismendy Alcantara taking third. Padres manager Bud Black asked for a review, claiming the batted ball struck Rizzo, but the play was upheld. NOTES: The Padres plan to recall RHP Jesse Hahn and start him in Atlanta on Friday against LHP Alex Wood (7-7). Hahn, 24, is 5-2 in seven starts with San Diego this year. ... Padres rookie Jake Goebbert, a former Northwestern University standout, started in left field after sitting out Wednesday. Goebberts parents own a pumpkin farm in nearby Hampshire, Illinois, and he had a large group of friends and relatives in the stands. ... Cubs C Welington Castillo was rested after drawing boos during Wednesdays 8-3 loss when he didnt run out a comebacker to the pitcher. ... Cubs LHP Travis Wood (7-9,) will face St. Louis RHP Joe Kelly (2-1) on Friday. ' ' '