ATLANTA -- Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez says he has considered asking centre fielder B.J. Upton to work out his struggles in a minor league assignment. Upton, signed to the biggest contract in franchise history at five years, $75.25 million, has a .146 batting average, 109 points below his seven-year career mark with Tampa Bay. Gonzalez indicated that Upton has enough service time in the majors to refuse an assignment if he disagrees with the move. Gonzalez has spoken with Upton about his absence from the lineup, but not about an assignment in the minors. Upton is hitless in the Braves past seven games. He was out of the lineup Friday for the second straight night. Jason Heyward made his second start this year in centre as Atlanta hosted the Washington Nationals. Byron Murphy Youth Jersey . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Pat Tillman Jersey . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. http://www.thecardinalsshoponline.com/kyler-murray-cardinals-jersey-yp/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Custom Arizona Cardinals Jerseys . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Hakeem Butler Womens Jersey . Their experience showed Tuesday as the No. 10 Badgers blunted a Saint Louis surge to win 63-57 and advance to face West Virginia in Wednesdays finals of the Cancun Challenge. TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee and will be sidelined indefinitely.General manager Steve Yzerman announced the diagnosis Wednesday after Stamkos returned home for further evaluation of the injury the two-time NHL scoring champion suffered Tuesday night in a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.We are in the process of evaluating options for repair and rehabilitation and will release more information as it becomes available, Yzerman said.Stamkos, who last summer re-signed with the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2008 rather than testing free agency, scored his ninth goal against the Red Wings and leads the NHL with 20 points in 17 games.The six-time All-Star center grabbed the back of his knee and limped off the ice to the dressing room after colliding with Detroits Guustav Nyquist along the boards.dddddddddddd.Its the third significant injury Stamkos has had over the past three years.After helping Tampa Bay reach the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, he missed all but one game of last seasons playoffs after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot discovered near his collarbone. He also missed significant playing time three years ago, when he broke his right leg against Boston in November 2013 and was sidelined 45 games.The 26-year-old cited loyalty, respect and the potential to win for years as major reasons for re-signing with the Lightning rather than testing free agency, where he likely would have commanded much more than the $68 million hes scheduled to earn over the next eight seasons. ' ' '