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METAIRIE, La. -- Saints linebacker Dannell Ellerbe stood in front of his locker with a smile, showing an eagerness to talk about his health.Thats been subject in more ways than one since Ellerbe arrived in New Orleans last season. Hes been with the club for 22 regular-season games, playing in just six last year and none so far this season.Im feeling a lot better now, said Ellerbe, who has been sidelined since preseason with a quadriceps injury. I feel like Im close and Im happy.Asked if he felt well enough to play this weekend against Seattle, Ellerbe responded, Oh, yeah, but also emphasized that coaches, in consultation with trainers, would make the final call. He was officially listed as limited in practice on Wednesday.Ellerbe, who was part of Baltimores 2012 Super Bowl championship team before spending a pair of seasons with Miami, has been a top play-maker on the Saints defense since he joined the club -- when hes been able to play. In the few games he players last season, he was in on 39 tackles and credited with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and quarterback hurry.His lack of availability on game days has made him a magnet for criticism on talk radio, mainly by frustrated fans whove questioned his toughness and drive.Certainly, the Saints defense, ranked 29th in the 32-team NFL, could use him -- and Ellerbe insists he understands that better than anyone.I need to be out there. I missed too much time already, Ellerbe said.As for those whove been critical of his motivation to return, he said, the first thing they dont understand is Im not out here trying to get hurt.Mentioning his two young boys, Ellerbe said he understands that a continued lack of availability on game day represents a threat to his livelihood and the standard of living he wants to provide for his family long-term.I need this just as bad as anybody else in the locker room, Ellerbe said.Ellerbe noted that hes tried numerous lifestyle changes in an effort to improve his health.I changed everything about my diet and now I did a lot of steps to stay from being in the training room, Ellerbe said.Ellerbe described his diet as very strict, noting that he eats only organic foods that fight inflammation, such as bison, sweet potato and halibut fried in peanut oil. He also hired a personal chef and dietitian in the past year.He said his primary goals in doing so were to improve his general health and recovery from the physical toll football takes on the body, as well as to reduce his reliance on anti-inflammatory and pain medicine.Now, I feel like Im close, Ellerbe said. I mean, we dont want to do nothing prematurely, but I feel like Im good.Game notes CB Delvin Breaux practiced for the first time -- albeit on a limited basis -- since fracturing his fibula in Week 1. ... OT Andrus Peat returned to practice on a limited basis, as did rookie running back and special teams regular Daniel Lasco. ... Those missing practice were: LT Terron Armstead (knee), LB Stephone Anthony (hamstring), CB Sterling Moore (abdomen), WR Jake Lampman (knee) and DT Nick Fairley (non-injury related).---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wendell Carter Jr. Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Chandler Hutchison Jersey . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. http://www.cheapbullsjerseyschina.com/ . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. Discount Bulls Jerseys . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Youth Bulls Jerseys . -- Ryan Blaney provided more evidence that Penske Racings No. WASHINGTON -- For a guy who was originally supposed to have the weekend off, Bryce Harper was pretty productive on Saturday. Harper drove in three runs after talking his way into Washingtons lineup, Ryan Zimmerman knocked in the go-ahead run and the Nationals rallied for a 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres. Adam LaRoche homered, and Denard Span and Ian Desmond added two hits apiece as the Nationals won their third straight and moved three games over .500 (45-42) for the first time since mid-May. Harper, who was named to the NL All-Star Team on Saturday along with starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, texted Davey Johnson and lobbied for playing time earlier in the day after the Washington manager said Friday night that he was probably going to give the young slugger the weekend off. "In his text he said, Play me or trade me," Johnson said before the game. "And so since tradings out of the question I guess Im going to play him." Harper walked with the bases loaded in the third, hit an RBI single in the fifth and drove in the tying run in the seventh with a sacrifice fly. "Yeah, I mean I was pretty serious about what I said," Harper said of his text. "You know I want to play. I want to play every day and if he wants to put me in the lineup then I want to be in the lineup. And if he doesnt then Im going to try and make him put me in the lineup. "Its something that I want to do every day and Im going to grind through everything I do and play as hard as I can and good things happen." Since returning from the disabled list and homering in his first at-bat Monday night against Milwaukee, Harper had gone 0 for 19 before his RBI single. He was 0 for 4 with a sacrifice fly in Friday nights 8-5 win over San Diego. Jesus Guzman hit a three-run homer and doubled for San Diego, which has lost eight straight. The Padres went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position Saturday. Ross Ohlendorf (2-0) got the win, Drew Storen pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth for his 24th save. Soriano allowed a pair of singles with one out, but retired pinch hitter Mark Kotsay and Everth Cabrera -- on a diving stop by LaRoche at first -- to end it. The Nationals trailed 4-3 when they came up in the seventh. Span and Desmond singled off reliever Nick Vincent (2-1) with one out, and left-hander Joe Thatcher came on to face Harper. After a wild pitch advanced both runners, Harper lifted a fly ball to left and Span scored easily after the catch to tie it. Zimmerman followed with a RBI single off Luke Gregerson to score Desmond with the go-ahead run. "Weve been playing better lately and obviously scoring runs later in the game and getting hits like that, so (weve) got to keep doing that and take it one game at a time slowly just kind of creep up," Zimmerman said.dddddddddddd Trailing 3-1 in the sixth, the Padres got one-out singles from Carlos Quentin and Chase Headley. Johnson lifted Jordan Zimmermann after he had thrown 101 pitches and brought in Ohlendorf to face Guzman, who deposited a 1-1 fastball in the Padres bullpen to give San Diego the lead. "I tell you, this game is weird," Guzman said. "Ive had three or four home runs to give us the lead, and weve lost. And we win the game (earlier in the season) at home when I get hit by pitch." Zimmermann, who was suffering from neck stiffness, allowed three runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings, striking out four and walking one. "Its been going on for a little while, but Ill be fine," he said. "Today I was just deep in the counts and they were battling and made me work out there, and it was probably one of the hottest games Ive ever pitched in, so that definitely doesnt help." San Diego starter Jason Marquis went six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. He struck out three, walked three and also contributed at the plate with a double and an RBI groundout. "Its not fun," Marquis said. "Especially after the hole we dug out of early. We put ourselves in a good position to stay in it." Washington took the lead in the third. Anthony Rendon led off with a single and Kurt Suzuki doubled him to third. Ryan Zimmermann struck out, but Span walked to load the bases. Desmond grounded into a fielders choice, with Rendon out at home, but Harper walked to make it 1-0. LaRoche made it 2-0 when he led off the fourth with his 13th homer of the season, a line drive into the Nationals bullpen. "That was a wild game," Johnson said. "We had chances to put Marquis out of his misery early and couldnt do it, but kept battling." San Diego got a run back in the fifth when Logan Forsythe walked and later scored on Marquis grounder to short. Washington got it right back when Span singled, stole second, went to third on a bloop single by Desmond and scored on Harpers single. NOTES: Padres C Yasmani Grandal was hurt on Rendons slide and left the game with a right knee sprain. Padres manager Bud Black said hell go on the disabled list. . Johnson said starting pitcher Ross Detwiler experienced discomfort in his back when he threw his bullpen session and headed for the disabled list. . Black said 2B Jedd Gyorko (groin) did some running before Saturdays game and hopes to play a minor league rehab game in the middle of next week. . San Diego LHP Robbie Erlin (1-1, 4.34 ERA) opposes Stephen Strasburg (4-6, 2.24) in Sundays series finale. ' ' '