The San Francisco 49ers are easing linebacker Reuben Foster back into the system after he missed the start of the offseason program while dealing with a domestic violence case that was eventually dropped.
Foster was not allowed to participate in the offseason program until a judge ruled last week that he wouldn't have to stand trial on domestic violence charges. The judge determined there was no evidence that Foster ever hit his ex-girlfriend.
Foster rejoined the Niners last Thursday but has been held out of team drills as he gets back into form after missing more than five weeks of the offseason program while waiting for his case to be resolved.
He took part in individual drills during organized team activities but spent the time during team drills doing conditioning or watching teammates.
"Getting him up to speed won't take as long Troy Apke Jersey Elite ," defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. "I can promise you that when he gets out there, he'll be like a fireball. It will be cool to see."
Foster had a trying offseason following an arrest in February on charges of beating up his girlfriend. He was charged in April with felony domestic violence, forcefully attempting to dissuade a witness and felony possession of an assault weapon.
That led to the decision by the 49ers to keep him away from the offseason program and general manager John Lynch said Foster would be cut if it was proven he hit his girlfriend.
But the case quickly fell apart. The accuser, Elissa Ennis, recanted her accusations two days after telling police she was hit in the head eight to 10 times by Foster. She testified at a preliminary hearing earlier this month that the injuries were caused by a fight with another woman and she gave prosecutors video of that fight. She said she lied initially because she wanted retribution after Foster tried to end their relationship.
Judge Nona Klippen said recantations aren't uncommon in domestic violence cases but said there was no supporting evidence in this case that Foster had attacked Ennis and dropped the domestic violence charges. Foster still faces a misdemeanor weapons charge for having a Sig Sauer 516 short-barreled rifle in his home that was legally registered in Alabama.
Foster also had a misdemeanor marijuana case dismissed in Alabama this month when he completed a pretrial diversion program.
"Reuben is in a good spot right now," 49ers defensive assistant Johnny Holland said. "He's been through a lot in the offseason. Going through court cases you never know what's going to happen. He still has a long road to go but he's excited to be back out here. He's family. We wanted to keep him encouraged while he was away and we welcomed him back."
The 49ers drafted Foster 31st overall last year after questions about his health and character caused him to drop from being a possible top 10 pick.
Foster delivered on the field Seahawks D.J. Fluker Jersey , ranking second on the team with 72 tackles despite being limited to 10 games as a rookie because of injuries. He is being counted on now to be a key part of San Francisco's defensive future.
"For the 10 games he played in, I thought he was outstanding," Holland said. "His ceiling is very high. He's going to be better this year. We're excited to have him back and hopefully he can come back at full speed and his health is not a factor and he can be an outstanding football player."
Manager Ron Gardenhire called it a punch in the gut. The staggering Detroit Tigers now have to find a way to recover quickly and end their six-game losing streak.
Nicholas Castellanos‘ three-run homer gave Detroit a 4-1 lead against the Oakland A’s on Monday, but the bullpen couldn’t hold it. Oakland finished off the rally with Jed Lowrie’s solo homer in the ninth inning against Tigers closer Shane Greene.
The teams match up again on Tuesday night.
The Tigers’ slide began during a two-game series in Cincinnati. They were outscored 26-3 while getting swept in a three-game series at Cleveland before Monday’s late collapse.
“We all knew this was going to be a work in progress,” Gardenhire said. “You’re going to go through some ups and downs.
“Believe me, these (ones) are getting kicked in the gut right here because we really worked at it today and we had a lot of good moments. We didn’t have too many in Cleveland. These are the ones the challenge you. These guys will learn from this and we’ll get better from it Mike Hughes Vikings Jersey , I hope, but it doesn’t make us feel any better today. We’ll come back and regroup tomorrow.”
For the most part, the back end of Detroit’s bullpen has been reliable. Main setup man Joe Jimenez hadn’t given up a run in nine one-inning appearances this month before allowing three in the eighth. Greene hadn’t given up a run in 10 of his previous 11 outings.
“That hadn’t happened in a long time,” Gardenhire said, referring to Jimenez’s outing. “Probably early in the season was the last time he’s done anything like that and kind of had to fight it a little bit. Who knows? Maybe it’s because they haven’t been pitching enough lately. We went through a stretch where we didn’t use those guys four or five days and maybe that’s it, a little rusty.”
Oakland’s power display continued as Stephen Piscotty homered earlier in the game. The A’s have now homered in 26 straight road games Authentic Clive Walford Jersey , a major league record.
Frankie Montas, who has been Oakland’s most effective starter for the past month, will oppose Blaine Hardy in the second game of the four-game series.
Montas (4-1, 2.41 ERA) has produced four quality starts in five outings since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville in late May. He has allowed just one run in 14 2/3 innings in two road starts, including his last appearance at San Diego on Wednesday.
The Padres only managed one run with five hits in 6 2/3 innings and Montas had six strikeouts.
He’s 1-2 with a 7.88 ERA in three career outings against Detroit, including two starts.
Hardy (3-1 Tarvarius Moore Jersey Elite , 3.30 ERA) jumped into the Detroit rotation when Jordan Zimmermann and Francisco Liriano were on the disabled list. With both of those veterans back, Hardy is now part of temporary six-man rotation.
He made six consecutive starts and allowed two or fewer runs in five of them before a relief appearance in Cincinnati on Wednesday. He faced four batters against the Reds and recorded only one out.
Hardy has made 10 career relief appearances against the A’s, posting a 1-0 record and a 1.74 ERA.
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