SAN FRANCISCO -- Clayton Kershaw has an inflamed right hip joint and was scratched from his Sunday night start for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants. . He wasnt thrilled about it, because he said he thought he could still go. Manager Don Mattingly made the call with help from the trainers. "I felt good enough to pitch," Kershaw said. "It wasnt my decision." Kershaw began feeling some discomfort a few days earlier and went for a contrast MRI exam Saturday -- at the same time as centre fielder Matt Kemp -- and received a cortisone injection. Doctors ruled out a hernia and other issues. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner said he threw five pitches off the mound at AT&T Park earlier Sunday in front of the medical staff and believed he could pitch. "It was kind of all I needed to give me that peace of mind that I could do it," Kershaw said. "I thought I was going to get the chance. It puts Donnie in a tough spot, I understand that. He had to do what he thought was best." Mattingly said the decision was made to give Kershaw a couple of extra days to make sure he is healthy for the rest of the season, and the lefty is now scheduled to start Tuesday at Arizona. The Dodgers are in the chase for the division and NL wild-card spots. "None of it made any sense for him to pitch today. Were really trying to put him in a position to pitch the rest of the year," Mattingly said. "This is all about him having the best chance of being healthy the rest of the way." Still, Kershaw clearly didnt like the news. "I would have loved to pitch today. Thought I could have done it," Kershaw said. "You cant make all of your decisions, I guess. But Im going to get five more starts, regardless, for the rest of the season. You can hype this game as much as you want but Ive got to win the starts they give me, so thats what Im going to try to do." Right-hander Joe Blanton was set to start in Kershaws place against the Giants, who began the day with a 4 1/2-game division lead over Los Angeles. Blanton is 1-3 with a 6.17 ERA in six starts since joining the Dodgers in a trade from Philadelphia on Aug. 3 after Los Angeles claimed him off waivers. He was told Saturday to be ready because it was a "50-50" chance he would start. Blanton allowed a two-run double to Hunter Pence in the first inning. He needed 36 pitches to get out of the first, giving up as many runs that inning as Kershaw did total in any of his four starts facing San Francisco this year. Kershaw (12-7) is 5-2 with a 0.66 ERA in seven starts and eight appearances at AT&T Park. He is 1-3 in four starts this season against the Giants, who will miss facing the Dodgers ace in a series -- after 11 straight -- for the first time since September 2010. Kershaw was 7-3 with a 1.21 ERA during those 11 meetings. He said he doesnt know how he was injured. It caused him problems when landing, and he felt it running and throwing. "It just kind of came on," Kershaw said. "Maybe just tweaked it somehow." Kemp also could be back in the lineup Tuesday if all goes well. He received a cortisone shot in his inflamed left shoulder Saturday and reported no problems a day later. "It feels the same, dude. Well see tomorrow," Kemp said. "Its only one day. Its got to kick in." Kemp said he attended a concert Saturday night in the East Bay but wasnt at the Andre Ward-Chad Dawson fight in Oakland. "I didnt want to go watch people getting beat up -- Ive been beat up all year," Kemp said. "Stop the violence." [url=http://www.lionsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-brandon-pettigrew-jersey-... Pettigrew Jersey . Soria, a two-time All-Star with Kansas City, is recovering from elbow ligament-replacement surgery on April 3. The 28-year-old right-hander also had the ligament replaced in 2003. His agreement was revealed Monday by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced. Detroit Lions Jersey . Gio Gonzalez followed Stephen Strasburgs strong effort a night earlier by pitching 6 1-3 effective innings to carry the Nationals to a 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday. . -- The Jacksonville Jaguars released veteran wide receiver Lee Evans on Sunday and signed sixth-year receiver Demetrius Williams The team also placed third-year wide receiver Taylor Price on injured reserve with a foot injury and signed guard/centre Josh Beekman. [url=http://www.lionsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-mikel-leshoure-jersey-vt-... Leshoure Jersey . Stay warm and dry and most importantly, safe as we deal with Hurricane Sandy bearing down on us here on a Monday morning. Some quick thoughts. 1. JAMES HARDEN TRADE: A sign of things to come in the NBA with a much more punitive Luxury Tax on the horizon.It was the biggest move of the off-season, and it left many fans and followers of the league asking the same question: what were the Eskimos thinking? Less than a month after the conclusion of the 2011 season, Edmonton traded the face of their franchise for the past decade, Ricky Ray, to the Toronto Argonauts for a borderline starter in Steven Jyles, a kicker, and a second-overall draft pick. But after the bye week period, with Jyles coming off his best game with the green and gold and Ray struggling again with inconsistent play the week before, it may be time to re-evaluate the Ray to Toronto trade. That isnt to going so far as to say the Eskimos are the winners of the off-season swap, but rather to say it was one of those rare trades that worked out well for both teams – you know, just like Toronto and Edmonton insisted at the time, and we refused to believe. First, a simple look at the teams records suggests a win-win situation. The Eskimos are tied atop the West Division standings alongside everyones pre-season favourites, the BC Lions, while the Argonauts are also in a tie for first in the East after sitting at 1-5 this time last year. Looking at the two quarterbacks stats through six games, the difference in overall effectiveness isnt as large as may be perceived. While Ray has a higher completion percentage and has thrown for significantly more yards, Jyles has played a lower-rrisk game and has thrown just three interceptions to Rays seven. [url=http://www.lionsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-chris-houston-jersey-xi-6... Houston Jersey[/url]. Sure, Jyles has had his rough games this year, but Ray hasnt been impervious to early season struggles either. As CFL on TSN analyst Milt Stegall pointed out in Three Downs, Ray has a 7:4 TD to interception ratio in the Argos three wins, and just a 1:3 ratio in the teams three losses. And while some consider QB Rating to be among the most worthless stats in the game, its worth noting Jyles is less than five points lower than Rays on the year. As for the other pieces in the trade, K Grant Shaw has put together a solid campaign so far, connecting on 14 of 16 field goals with a long of 45, while the second overall draft pick was traded to allow Edmonton to net OL Austin Pasztor, WR Shamawd Chambers, and LB Ryan King. Chambers has recorded 10 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown for Edmonton this season while King has suited up for all six games. Where the Argos figure to benefit most from this trade is in the post-season. Its no secret Toronto is going for broke this year – the year they host the historic 100th Grey Cup – and having a proven vet behind centre, one who has been there before, will certainly boost their chances of playing for the Grey Cup in front of a home crowd. The Rouge asks: Through the first seven weeks of the season, are you reassessing the Ricky Ray to Toronto trade? ' ' '