ANAHEIM, Calif. -- After two years of riding the shuttle between Anaheim and Salt Lake City, right-hander Nick Tropeano will get the chance to establish himself in the Los Angeles Angels rotation during the second half of the season. After nearly two years of inactivity, right-hander A.J. Griffin hopes to do the same with the Texas Rangers.Griffin and Tropeano will face each other when the Angels and the Rangers begin their three-game series Monday night at Angel Stadium.Tropeano is in his second stint this season with the Angels, who acquired him and catcher Carlos Perez from the Houston Astros for catcher Hank Conger in November 2014. Los Angeles recalled Tropeano from Triple-A Salt Lake when left-hander Andrew Heaney severely injured the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow during his first start this season.Tropeano responded by winning three of five decisions and by compiling the best earned-run average by any starter in the injury-riddled rotation, 3.25, before a tight right shoulder placed him on the disabled list June 4. Activated on June 24, the Angels sent him back to Salt Lake.I dont think anyone who is optioned down is pleased, Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia told MLB.com at the time. Nicks a competitor, and he wants to come up here and wants to make footprints in the big leagues. We all feel he will.But the Angels recalled Tropeano on July 3 to replace Jhoulys Chacin in the rotation. In two starts since, the right-hander has permitted just three runs, nine hits and two walks in 11 innings while striking out 12 and lowering his ERA for the season to 3.12.Tropeano made 23 starts last year for both Salt Lake and Los Angeles, with the bulk of them coming for the minor league Bees. In four stints with the Angels, Tropeano went 3-2 with a 3.82 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings.Griffin, meanwhile, won three of four decisions this year following his recovery from Tommy John surgery in April 2014. Before the surgery, Griffin went 14-10 for the Oakland Athletics in 2013. Afterward, the right-hander threw just 14 1/3 total innings in four combined starts for Class A Stockton and Triple-A Nashville in the Athletics system. After Oakland released him, the Rangers signed Griffin as a free agent during the offseason.In his first four appearances, Griffin went 3-0 while recording five quality starts in his first five games this year. Through May, opponents were batting only .212 against him. But after allowing three runs, three walks and four hits in 2 2/3 innings May 7 against the Detroit Tigers, Griffin went on the disabled list because of a stiff right shoulder.Since being activated June 25, Griffin bears little resemblance to the pitcher who started the season. The right-hander has yet to surpass five innings in any of his four starts, and allowed 11 earned runs and 22 hits in 18 1/3 innings. Griffins last start was his worst of the year and accounted for his only loss. In a 15-5 rout by the Minnesota Twins on July 10, Griffin gave up six runs on nine hits in five innings while throwing 94 pitches.Griffins performance since returning from the disabled list, combined with the presence of starters Derek Holland and Colby Lewis on the 60-day list, provide motivation for general manager Jon Daniels to reinforce the Rangers rotation before the Aug. 1 trading deadline.Were focused on the pitching side, Daniels told MLB.com. We want to do what makes sense for the team. Terry OReilly Jersey .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. David Pastrnak Jersey . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. http://www.thebostonbruinshockey.com/bobby-orr-hockey-jersey/ . 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Given it took five years for her last major award to sink in, Caitlin Foord admits it might be a little while before she understands the enormity of being crowned Asian womens player of the year.Foord edged Matildas teammate Lisa De Vanna and Chinas Tan Ruyin to claim the continents top gong at the Asian Football Confederation annual awards in Abu Dhabi, following in the footsteps of fellow Australians Katrina Gorry in 2014 and Kate Gill in 2010.It makes the 22-year-old Sydney FC utility just the second player to have won the senior and junior Asian individual titles, after clinching young player of the year in 2011.Looking back at the youth player of the year award, I was perhaps too young to really think too much of it, Foord told AAP.The trophies Ive won in previous years dont really sink in until a few years later when I look back on them and think, wow, that was a good year for me and it is a big achievement.I think itll be the same with this one.Part of that has to do with Foords surprise given she doesnt consider this year to have been her best.I thought we had a great year as the Matildas but, for me, I hit some hurdles along the way so I didnt expect to win at all, she said.By her own admission, 2016 has been a rollercoasster ride of emotions.ddddddddddddWhile the Matildas dominant Olympics qualification campaign was a massive high, their quarter-final penalty-shootout loss to Brazil six months later in Rio was the undisputed low point.All the while Foord was battling to overcome a broken collarbone, a recovery capped by a goal against eventual Olympic gold medallists Germany.Its just the latest in an already sparkling career that belies the veterans youth.In 2011, aged 16, she became the youngest Australian woman to play at a World Cup in Germany and, last year, was a key figure in the Matildas historic World Cup run to the quarter-finals in Canada.I still look at 2011 as my best year, breaking into the Matildas and then experiencing my first World Cup and winning an award at the World Cup was very special, Foord said.This year was a good year but I didnt think it was my best year, but Ive still got a few more years to go and Im still learning.UAE star Omar Abdulrahman took out the mens player of the year award.Australians Kate Jacewicz and Renae Coghill were also honoured at the awards with a referees special award. 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