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DETROIT -- That sweet swing is still there. No matter how banged up Miguel Cabrera has been, hes always a threat to hit the ball where nobody can catch it. Its the rest of his duties that have looked more and more painful. Those jogs out of the batters box became progressively slower -- and although Cabrera helped the Detroit Tigers win the AL Central for a third straight year, even they cant be sure what to expect from their best hitter in the post-season. "Hes not 100 per cent," manager Jim Leyland said. "Hes been playing in a lot of pain. Hes a real tough guy. I think if anybody knew the pain hes playing in, they probably wouldnt believe it." After winning the Triple Crown in 2012, Cabrera was even better for much of this season. By the end of August, he looked well on his way to one of the American Leagues best offensive seasons of the last 50 years. His final numbers were still terrific -- a .348 average with 44 homers and 137 RBIs -- but toward the end, a number of nagging problems began to add up. "It doesnt matter right now," Cabrera said. "Youve got to be ready to play. Go out there and play hard." Cabrera missed a game in early July with a bad back, and on July 22 against the Chicago White Sox, he exited early with what the team said was a sore left hip flexor. After missing four games, the star third baseman homered in his first at-bat July 27 against Philadelphia. That began a remarkable pattern in which Cabrera would miss time because of one injury or another -- but still put up staggering numbers when he did play. He was bothered by a strained lower abdomen, but after missing a few days in early August, he came back to help Detroit sweep a key four-game series at Cleveland. Then he homered in all three games of a road series against the New York Yankees, twice off Mariano Rivera. The first homer off Rivera was the most memorable -- a tying two-run shot in the ninth inning that came while Cabrera was still hobbling after fouling two balls off his left shin in the at-bat. The Tigers ended up losing, but it was still one of the highlights of the season. Then on Aug. 20, Cabrera aggravated a strain in his groin, abdominal and hip area. He kept playing, never going on the disabled list, but his numbers finally dipped a bit. At the end of an Aug. 26 game against Oakland, Cabrera was hitting .359 with 43 homers and 130 RBIs. Since then, hes hit .284 with only two extra-base hits in 25 games. Now the Tigers enter the AL division series against the Athletics hoping their slugger has had enough time to work through his various ailments. "Every day we can give Miggy off and let him rest his groin is a good thing," said right-hander Max Scherzer, who will start Game 1 on Friday. The abdominal and groin issues have probably been most apparent when Cabrera has been running the bases. Getting from home to second even on a hard-hit ball has looked like more of a challenge for him lately. Of course, it should be noted that the Tigers were in control in the Central throughout September, clinching the division title in the fourth-to-last game of the season. Detroit didnt need Cabrera at full speed. "The injury is still there," Leyland said. "I think some days its worse than others." After the Tigers clinched, Cabrera had four hits in a two-game span at Miami. "This time of year it gets late real fast, but I really like the way hes swinging the bat right now," Leyland said. "I think his timing is back pretty darn good." Cabrera hopes so. He may end up winning a second straight MVP award despite his slow September, but what matters now is whether he is healthy enough to help Detroit return to the World Series after the Tigers made it there and lost in 2012. "Im feeling good. Im feeling ready to go," he said. "No time to think what happened in the past. We need to keep positive and try to be ready to play." .C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes used a strong third period to extend their winning streak to three games. . Fielder has been out with a herniated disk in his neck, and surgery was recommended after a follow-up exam and another scan Thursday with Dr. http://www.seahawksfansofficial.com/sha ... ersey/.com) - The surging Montreal Canadiens will try to match their longest winning streak of the season when they visit the Florida Panthers for Saturdays clash at BB&T Center. . The moves were the first punitive steps taken by the Dolphins since a report on the NFLs investigation of the case was released last week. Investigators found that guard Richie Incognito and two teammates engaged in persistent harassment directed at tackle Jonathan Martin, another offensive lineman and an assistant trainer. . Although taking two of three from the Baltimore Orioles wasnt nearly as uplifting as winning the World Series, it still felt pretty darn good. Felix Doubront and four relievers combined kept Baltimores potent lineup in check, and David Ortiz had three of Bostons 12 hits off Wei-Yin Chen in a 4-3 victory Thursday night.After the Penguins defeat in Game 6, it was reported that the teams principle owner and former captain, Mario Lemieux, came down to the locker room to calm the 26-year-old captain down. During their talk, Lemieux was reported to have discussed with Crosby how a captains erratic behaviour can negatively impact the team.Lemieuex told Crosby... "You cant behave the way you did at the end of the game, it gives off a bad vibe to your teammates, it gives off a vibe that might be portraying you in a negative light, especially when youre struggling."Lemieux followed that up with a statement that Crosby has most likely understood since the first time he stepped foot onto an NHL rink. "..star players just have to fight through things like this"Super Mario has been Sidney Crosbys mentor ever since the Penguins selected him first overall in 2005, and he certainly can empathize with the Penguins current captain on what it feels like when emotions get the best of a player during a heated contest.Theres no better example of Lemieux letting his emotions get the better of him than during this bout between him and then referee, Kerry Fraser. The incident started when Lemieux received a high-sticking penalty, and while he sat in the box Fraser skated over and shared a few words that sent the Penguins captain into an uncontrollable rage. Lemieux shot outt of the penalty box towards Fraser before being restrained by teammates and promptly sent to the dressing rooms with a game-misconduct penalty.ddddddddddddThe 1993-94 season was a trying one for Lemieux, just one year removed from announcing he had been diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma while also coming off of an off-season surgery to fix a herniated muscle in his back. The injury to his back caused Lemieux to miss fifty-eight games that season and his mounting frustration with his injuries began to show, especially in his incident with Fraser. There was another occurrence earlier in Lemieuxs career where he let his frustration boil over, one that would serve Crosby as a sobering reminder of what can happen when a star player picks a fight with the wrong guy. During a regular season game between the Capitals and Penguins, an irritated Lemieux engaged in a shoving match with Bob Gould that turned into a fist fight. The end result? A broken Jaw for Lemieux and a night spent at George Washington University Hospital.Crosby definitely already knows what it feels like to have a broken jaw, and were sure it wasnt too enjoyable. The last thing the Penguins need in Game 7 is their captain engaging in unnecessary fights. So, to Sid the Kid, it may be best to take Lemieuxs advice, as he certainly knows what happens when keeping it real goes wrong. ' ' '