GLENDALE, Ariz. Mario Hezonja Jersey . -- Josh Beckett said he will be ready for the start of the Dodgers season after having a rib removed last July in a surgery to alleviate a nerve condition that was affecting his right arm "I dont have numbness and tingling, anymore," Beckett said Monday. No doubts, either. The right-hander is expected to battle newly acquired Paul Maholm for the fifth spot in the Dodgers starting rotation this spring. Beckett, the fifth starter before last years mid-season surgery, breezed through his first bullpen session Monday in Arizona. He threw 30 pitches with no sign of trouble. "Im not tentative," said Beckett, who reported to camp a day late so he could attend a wedding. "Im going to throw as hard as I can and see what happens. Right now, I feel great. Ill throw the ball until I blow out and Im hoping thats not for a few more years." The Dodgers signing of Maholm on Saturday is considered a hedge against the possibility of further injury to Beckett, a three-time All-Star whom the Dodgers acquired from Boston along with Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto in a 2012 trade. "Josh is doing really well, but hes coming off tough surgery and theres not a lot of history with that surgery, so well see where things go," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. Beckett underwent the same surgical procedure that former St. Louis Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter underwent in July 2012. Carpenter went on to pitch in six more games in 2012 -- three in the regular season and three in the playoffs. But Carpenter did not pitch in 2013. He announced his retirement in November. Beckett said he has spoken to Carpenter. He said he was told Carpenters nerve condition was more severe than his own. Beckett also said the surgery was more complicated. Dr. Greg Pearl of Dallas performed both procedures. Carpenters experience and advice helped, he said. "It got me through the mental part," said Beckett, who was 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA when he landed on the disabled list on May 14. Neck problems and numbness in his right hand had troubled Beckett for the last few years. It got to the point where he learned how to drive with only his left hand. There were times, he said, when he couldnt feel the steering wheel with his right. "Its crazy how simple things become difficult to do," he said. The surgery, which also includes removal of some connective tissue, alleviated pressure on a nerve in his neck, he said. He never felt any pain. But there were moments when he had no control of his pitches. "I didnt know if I was going to throw it over the backstop," he said. "I had no idea where it was going to go." Beckett arrived in camp with his confidence bolstered by three workouts during the last couple of weeks in Texas. He threw off a mound twice, on Jan. 31 and again on Feb 3. Cold weather forced him inside on Feb. 6 where he threw 38 pitches off a flat surface. Beckett has no illusions about the competition he faces in camp. "Its just if hes healthy," Mattingly said. "Josh throws the ball good. Hes been a quality pitcher for a long time and he still has good stuff. How he bounces back, well see. Weve had nothing but positive reports all winter. Josh has never been in the bullpen. Obviously, its a competitive situation. Were not handing anything out for anybody. If hes healthy, well see." Beckett expects to have more time to prepare than the Dodgers calendar might indicate. They break camp in Arizona after a March 16 game and travel to Australia for a pair of regular-season games in Sydney against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 22 and 23. "Im probably not going to start opening day in Australia," Beckett said. "Theyre paying a guy a lot of money to do that. Not all of us are getting ready for those days. Some of us have a little more time than it appears we do." NOTES: Outfielder Yasiel Puig is already in camp. Mattingly might open the season with the versatile Puig at the top of the Dodgers batting order. .The rest of the team is scheduled to report on Thursday. Walt Frazier Jersey . But sometimes the way you lose takes precedence over the final score. And how the Jets lost the 5-4 game to the New York Islanders on Thursday is what had Coach Claude Noel hot after the game. Allan Houston Jersey .Ryan Anderson had 14 points for the Pelicans, who trailed 78-63 after three periods before trimming the deficit to 86-83. Jrue Holiday had 13 points and Eric Gordon added 12 for New Orleans.Mike Scott and Jeff Teague each had 11 points for Atlanta. http://www.knickssale.com/kids-tracy-mcgrady-knicks-jersey/ .2 million deal for the upcoming season with right-hander Garrett Richards.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday because the announcement hadnt been made.SAITAMA, Japan -- Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje captured silver in ice dance at the world figure skating championships Saturday, missing the gold by a mere 0.02 points. "Im just feeling ecstatic right now," Poje said. "This one moment is because of the combination of all the hard work that weve had, especially over these past couple of years, and showing by our grit and determination that we wanted to be up near the top. I feel that we deserve to be up here now, and its an amazing feeling and we want to have more of it." The dancers from Waterloo, Ont., scored 175.45 to finish second behind European champions Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy. Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France were third with 175.37. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont finished eighth with 153.86 points, while Alexandra Paul of Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam of Barrie, Ont,. were 10th with 148.76 points. Mao Asada of Japan topped the free skate in womens singles to capture her third world title. Asada, who held a slim 1.42-point lead after the short program, under-rotated three jumps but finished with 216.69 points, 9.19 ahead 15-year-old Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia. Italys Carolina Kostner, the 2012 world champion, took the bronze with 203.83 points. Kaetlyn Osmond of Marystown, N.L., was 11th, while Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., was 13th. "It wasnt the performance I wanted to have," Osmond said. "I love this program, I have loved skating it and I really wanted to show it off tonight." Weaver and Poje have skated in the shadow of Canadian world and Olympic champpions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir for several years. Bernard King Jersey. But Virtue and Moir, and Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, gold medallists last month at the Sochi Games, are expected to announce their retirement soon. Neither of the teams competed at the world championships, leaving two spots on the podium up for grabs. "Its an incredible feeling. Im without words," Weaver said. "I cant believe that we performed the free dance today the best we have all year under the pressure of the circumstances of the top teams being so close. Im just so proud of Andrew and I and the work we have done this year and that we just havent given up in our careers and that is what has brought us to this moment." The silver sends the Canadian team home with two medals. Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., won bronze in pairs earlier in the week. Asada, who finished sixth at the Sochi Olympics, also won the world championships in 2008 and 2010 and became the first Japanese three-time champion. Skating to Sergei Rachmaninovs "Piano Concerto No. 2," Asada opened with her trademark triple Axel but under-rotated that one as well as a triple flip and double loop, but she earned high style points after impressing the judges. "I was able to control myself and I have done what I had to do," Asada said. "I was much more nervous than I was for the short program but the cheering from the fans was with me and made me relax." Yuna Kim, the defending champion, has retired and Olympic gold medallist Adelina Sotnikova of Russia wasnt competing at the worlds. ' ' '