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KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Atlanta has released pitcher Freddy Garcia, who was contending for a spot in the Braves battered rotation. The team announced the decision Monday, the deadline for Garcia to be put on the major league roster -- which would have triggered a $1.25 million guaranteed salary. "They said they didnt want to pick it up. I have to go," said Garcia, who started Game 4 of last years NL division series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 37-year-old right-hander was let go despite a strong outing Sunday, when he limited the New York Mets to an unearned run and two hits over 5 1-3 innings. He was 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA in five spring training starts. With Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy out for the season, and Mike Minor on the disabled list through at least mid-April as he comes back from a sore shoulder, the Braves are pursuing a trade, waiver-wire deal or signing. "Its a fluid situation," general manager Frank Wren said. "There could be other things that happen. Be patient." Clubhouse attendants already were preparing for the arrival of right-hander Aaron Harang, who was released from a minor league contract by Cleveland on Monday. If a move isnt made, the opening-day rotation would consist of Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, rookie David Hale and non-roster invitee Gus Schlosser. Ervin Santana, signed late in spring training to a $14.1 million, one-year contract after Medlen and Beachy got hurt, is set to join the rotation the second week of the season after building his arm strength. Gavin Floyd, coming back from elbow surgery, could be ready by the end of April along with Minor. Minor is scheduled to make his first appearance of spring training Saturday in an exhibition at Rome, Ga., against a Braves minor league squad. Floyd is to pitch for the first time Friday in a minor league game. "Out rotation depth will change drastically in a few weeks and that was part of our decision," said Wren, who insisted that cutting Garcia wasnt financially motivated. Garcia, who has won 156 games, was visibly shaken. "I want to pitch, but not going to the minor leagues," he said. "I come here and try the best I can. I threw yesterday the way I want to pitch and they decided to go the other way. ... They made a decision, and I got to go with it." The team trimmed its active roster to 29 players by optioning left-hander Ryan Buchter and outfielders Jose Constanza and Joey Terdoslavich to Triple-A Gwinnett, and reassigning infielders Tyler Greene and Tommy La Stella to the International League team. The demotion of Buchter left another non-roster pitcher, Ian Thomas, as the second left-hander in the bullpen behind Luis Avilan. Nike Shoes Dunk . The eighth-year point guard played in his 500th career game on Sunday, a 98-93 win over the Orlando Magic. Does he feel like hes played in that many games? "No," he said initially, before reconsidering. Wholesale Nike Dunk . The 25-year-old native of Milford, Conn., has 18 points in 41 games this season. The five-foot-eight 166-pound centre also has 28 points (10-18) in 15 games with AHL Oklahoma City. http://www.cheapnikedunk.net/.com) - Former foes from the Mountain West Conference battle in the 23rd annual Las Vegas Bowl, as the 23rd-ranked Utah Utes clash with the Colorado State Rams at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday. Cheap Nike Dunk . - Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin has cleared league-mandated concussion protocol and has returned to practice as a full participant. Wholesale Nike Dunk China .com) - Australian Open champion Li Na, former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and former world No.LOS ANGELES -- Brandon Phillips gets as much of a charge out of making a defensive gem to save a run as he does hitting a home run. Wednesday night, he was able to do both in the same inning to help the Cincinnati Reds pin a frustrating loss on two-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. Phillips and Homer Baileys seven effective innings led the Reds to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. "Regardless of who was pitching, it feels good just to come through for the team and do something positive to get us going in the right direction," Phillips said. "We havent been really scoring that many runs and havent been getting many clutch hits. Kershaws one of the best pitchers in the game, but tonight we just hit some mistakes." Phillips, a four-time Gold Glove second baseman, robbed Andre Ethier of an RBI single when he made a diving stop of his grounder in the hole and threw him out after a leadoff double by Dee Gordon. Bailey escaped the inning unscathed by striking out Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez. "I feel like defence wins championships and offence sells tickets," Phillips said. "That defensive play I made really saved the game. Im surprised I got to that ball. I didnt really see it come off the bat really good." Bailey (5-3) allowed two runs and five hits while striking out six. The right-hander has won consecutive starts for the first time this season following his 5-3 victory over St. Louis last Friday. "It was good for me, especially with the April I had," Bailey said. "Obviously its not how I wanted to start the season. It took a little while to get my legs underneath me. I would have liked to put up a few more zeros, but doing it against Clayton -- and the fact that we scored three runs -- you just make sure you lock them down. It was a really big win. We needed that one. You dont ever want to get swept. I dont care where youre at or who youre playing." Ethier, who drove in a season-high four runs Tuesday night, was 0 for 3 against Bailey and is hitless in 21 career at-bats against him with seven strikeouts. "He was just moving the ball so well," Ethier said. "Hes one of those guys who can be wildly effective at times, and other times he can spot up a pitch and throw something in there at 93-944 -- then reach back for 96-97 -- and its moving all over the place.dddddddddddd He can throw his other pitches for strikes, too, so its a tough combination. In the past, Ive seen a lot of cutters from him, and tonight I didnt see one. It was all two-seam fastballs and one breaking ball." Puig, who has reached base safely in 29 straight games, led off the Dodgers sixth with an opposite-field homer to right-centre that narrowed the gap to 3-2. But former Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton retired Puig and Ramirez on flyballs for the last two outs in the eighth after replacing Manny Parra with a runner at second, and Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect ninth for his fifth save. Kershaw (3-2) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings and struck out nine. He retired 14 of his next 16 batters after Phillips homer. The left-hander, who led the majors in ERA in each of the previous three seasons, has a 3.57 mark through his first six starts this year. He missed all of April because of a strained muscle in his back, after beating Arizona March 22 during the Dodgers season-opening two-game trip to Australia. Matt Kemp, who hadnt started a game in left field since his rookie year, was back there Wednesday on the eighth anniversary of his major league debut. It was his eighth career start in left, and first since June 21, 2006. Todd Frazier doubled over Matt Kemps head leading off the sixth and scored on a wild pitch to give Cincinnati a 3-1 lead. Only one of the last 34 home runs Kershaw has given up has been with more than one man on base. That was a three-run shot by former Seattle catcher Miguel Olivo, who eventually joined the Dodgers in January as a free agent -- and was released last week after biting off a piece of Triple-A Albuquerque teammate Alex Guerreros left ear during a dugout brawl. NOTES: Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully was back in the Dodgers TV booth after missing two games because of a chest cold. ... Canadian-born OF Jamie Romak, promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque because of Crawfords injury, pinch-hit for Kershaw in the seventh and grounded out to second on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues. ... Dodgers RHP Brandon League retired both batters he faced. He hasnt allowed an earned run in a career-best 22 innings spanning his last 16 appearances. ' ' '