ATLANTA -- Having dealt with plenty of injuries this season, the Atlanta Braves vowed to move on after losing Jason Heyward. [ur

ATLANTA -- Having dealt with plenty of injuries this season, the Atlanta Braves vowed to move on after losing Jason Heyward. James Conner Jersey . The outfielder had surgery Thursday on his broken right jaw after being struck by a pitch. The team has not said how long he will be out, but he could miss the rest of the regular season. Atlanta has a commanding lead in the NL East and hopes Heyward will recover in time for the playoffs. "We lost a big piece, but teams lose that a lot of times," manager Fredi Gonzalez said in St. Louis, where the Braves began a four-game series against the Cardinals. "Weve got plenty of candidates." Dr. Glenn Maron operated on Heyward in Atlanta, one day after he was injured in New York against the Mets. Plates were inserted in both places where the jaw was fractured -- along the right side and near the chin. "We havent talked time frame," Gonzalez said. "It wasnt wired shut. Thats a good thing." Before his injury, Heyward had become one of the Braves hottest hitters. He was batting .253 with 13 homers and 37 RBIs. Plus, hes one of baseballs top defensive outfielders. "Hes a tough one to replace," Gonzalez conceded. The loss of Heyward is the latest in a staggering string of injuries for the Braves this season, even while building a 15-game lead before the series in St. Louis. Already, the Braves have lost six players to season-ending operations, including starting pitcher Tim Hudson and key relievers Eric OFlaherty and Jonny Venters. "Weve just got to find a way to pick up where he left off," centre fielder B.J. Upton said. "Weve got the personnel to fill in and pick up the slack." Heyward got off to a slow start this season, his struggles heightened by an emergency appendectomy in late April. But he sparked the offence after moving to the top of the batting order last month, filling a role that had been a major problem. "You just dont replace an outfield piece like that," said utilityman Evan Gattis, who likely will take on a bigger role. "Its a big loss. Well battle it out and see what happens." The Braves have relied largely on stellar pitching to carry them to the top of the division, ranking second in the league in ERA (3.18) before they faced the Cardinals. Upton and second baseman Dan Uggla are in the midst of dreadful seasons, both hitting under .200. Uggla is on the disabled list recovering from laser eye surgery. Outfielder Reid Johnson is also on the DL with an Achilles tendon injury and the Braves arent sure when hell return. Barring a trade, the Braves will have to get by with a makeshift lineup. In Thursday nights game, the Braves went with Jordan Schafer in the leadoff spot and playing centre field, started Gattis in left and shifted Justin Upton to Heywards spot in right. B.J. Upton did not start. Also, the Braves claimed infielder Elliot Johnson off waivers from Kansas City, reinstated pitcher Paul Maholm from the disabled list and optioned infielder Phil Gosselin back to Triple-A Gwinnett. Johnson started against the Cardinals. "Well just all have to step up," Justin Upton said. "We know what we have to do." Alejandro Villanueva Youth Jersey . The CFL unveiled its 2014 schedule Wednesday and the Redblacks will play their first-ever regular-season game in Winnipeg against the Blue Bombers on July 3. Greg Lloyd Jersey . The German has taken the pole for three straight races -- winning the first two. Hes aiming for a third consecutive win at the Yeongam circuit and, most importantly, a fourth consecutive F1 championship. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Jack-Lambert-Jersey/ . The Tinkoff-Saxo rider was still dealing with the right shin he broke in a crash which ended his Tour de France on Stage 10. He hoped to defy his doctors and race in the home Grand Tour he won in 2008 and 2012, but he says there have been complications in his recovery.BARCELONA, Spain -- Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid both slipped up in the Spanish league on Sunday to tighten a compelling title race even further. Atleticos march toward its first title since 1996 hit a bump when it lost 2-0 at Levante, although its city rival failed to make up much ground as Madrid needed a spectacular injury-time equalizer from Cristiano Ronaldo to salvage a 2-2 draw at home against Valencia. Barcelona had written off its title defence after drawing 2-2 with Getafe on Saturday, but its rivals stumbles have put it right back in the hunt. Barcelona trails Atletico by three points, while Madrid was left five points behind with an extra game to play after Ronaldo deftly used the sole of his right boot to turn in a cross in the 92nd minute. "It was a tough round for all three at the top and the league is more wide open than ever," said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. "I always said it would come down to the last game." Madrids draw meant that Atletico can clinch the title if it takes four points from its last two games because it holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Madrid if they end up level on points. Atletico hosts Malaga next weekend before finishing the season at Barcelonas Camp Nou. "Now the league is that much more interesting," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said after his teams nine-round winning run came to a halt at Ciutat de Valencia stadium. Levante pressed Atletico early and was rewarded when Papakouly Diops corner kick hit Atletico left back Filipe Luis in the chest. The ball bounced out of reach of scrambling goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois before settling into the net in the seventh. Atletico improved after bringing on substitutes Arda Turan and Adrian Lopez after halftime but conceded again when striker David Barral beat Courtois in the 69th. Far from bemoaning the setback, Simeone said that defeat was "the best thing that could happen" to his team to keep it focused on the run-in not only to the league title but also to the Champions League final with Madrid on May 24, a week after the league concludes. &qquot;Three weeks of high intensity and emotion await us," Simeone said. Alejandro Villanueva Jersey. "This is the ideal moment for my men, for my players. We have three finals ahead of us and we have to concentrate on the first of those against Malaga next Sunday." Four days after its commanding 3-1 victory at Chelsea to reach the final of the Champions League, Atletico was brought down by the modest Levante side that has outperformed expectations thanks to coach Joaquin Caparros defensive focus and Keylor Navass goalkeeping. "We didnt want to mess up a title for anyone, I hope they (Atletico) win it," Barral said. "We want to finish the league in the best fashion we can." The match was marred at the finish by a group of Atletico fans who directed racist jeers at Diop. The player from Senegal responded by doing a dance. He later called for an end to such racist displays. Valencia arrived to the Bernabeu after its demoralizing exit from the Europa League semifinals when it conceded an injury-time goal to Sevilla on Thursday, while Madrid was flying high from its rout of Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Valencia turned to a set piece to grab the lead in the 44th when defender Jeremy Mathieu got in front of Raphael Varane inside the six-yard box to head in a corner kick. Ancelotti sent on Angel Di Maria at halftime to spark Madrids attack, and the forward lobbed a ball for Ronaldo to flick on for Sergio Ramos to nod home in the 59th and add to his two goals against Bayern. Valencia wasnt done, however, and Dani Parejo drove in a squared pass from Feghouli in the 65th after Seydou Keita had won the ball in midfield to start the move. Ronaldo then appeared to save Madrid from a costly defeat by flicking in Di Marias cross to take his league-leading tally to 31 goals this season. He reached 50 goals in all competitions for the fourth straight season. Elsewhere, Ramon Azeezs last-gasp goal gave 10-man Almeria a 3-2 win at home over relegated Real Betis to help pull his team out of the drop zone, while Sevilla drew 0-0 at home with Villarreal. ' ' '