WASHINGTON -- Yes, that was Bryce Harper, not a mirage, in the Washington Nationals clubhouse, ready to return from the disabled list. Authentic Jerseys For Sale . Manager Davey Johnson wanted to be sure. "I went in there and said, Is that really you? Are you OK? Are you ready to go?" Johnson said. "He shook my hand and said Im ready. It seemed like I hadnt seen him in half a year. It seems that long." The 20-year-old sparkplug of a slugger was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list Monday, following his recovery from a knee injury that stemmed from a collision with the Dodger Stadium fence. Harper missed 31 games with bursitis, diagnosed after he reinjured the left knee several times after he kept trying to play for two weeks following the mishap in Los Angeles on May 13. He pronounced himself fit after going 4 for 11 with a double, a triple and a home run during a four-game rehab assignment last week with Single-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg. "A little swelling, but not much," Harper said. "Nothing to be cautious about. I feel good, and its to the point where I want to play." Harper said he will wear padding to protect the knee. He was in the starting lineup, batting third and playing left field for the homestand opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Nationals were 25-19 when Harper played, 16-21 when he didnt. That added up to a middling 41-40 mark at the halfway point for a consensus preseason pick to repeat as NL East champions. He was batting .287 with 12 homers and 23 RBIs when he went on the DL. "Not only his bat, but I think the energy he brings, he takes a lot of the focus and hes a competitor," Johnson said. "Just to have that 20-year-old energy running around 100 per cent, Im sure hes still probably going to run into the wall, Im sure hes going to dive headfirst. ... I dont want to put a damper on that. Thats who he is, and thats how he plays the game, and thats great." The return of Harper was the last thing the struggling Brewers needed. Milwaukee arrived in Washington on a five-game losing streak. "Well see after the series how bad of a break it is. ... What it does is it adds a guy who can drive the ball out of the ballpark," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "He can hit any pitch, and you have to be really careful with how you pitch him." Harpers return puts Johnson closer to the lineup envisioned at the start of the year, except that Anthony Rendon has replaced the demoted Danny Espinosa at second base. All thats left is for catcher Wilson Ramos to return from a left hamstring injury. Ramos was scheduled to catch seven innings at Potomac on Monday and could return to the major league club as early as Thursday. Johnson moved Rendon from second to seventh in the batting order to create a left-right-left-right-left top of the order consisting of Denard Span, Jayson Werth, Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche. "Its all about matchups late in the ballgame that you want to create," Johnson said. NOTES: Johnson said LHP Ross Detwiler had a good bullpen session Monday and is on pace to start Wednesday as scheduled. Detwiler had stiffness in his lower back after his last start. ... The Nationals optioned RHP Erik Davis to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Harper. Jerseys For Sale Outlet . JOHNS, N. Discount Jerseys For Sale .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. https://www.jerseysforsalechina.com/ . - Houston defensive end J.MONTREAL -- Tomas Plekanec had no problem Saturday night shutting down Sidney Crosby. Plekanec was matched up with Crosby, and kept the Penguins star without a point as the Montreal Canadiens edged Pittsburgh 3-2 at the Bell Centre. "You want to make sure hes not on the score sheet, and thats what weve done," said Plekanec. "When hes not on his game, when the game doesnt go his way, hes frustrated. "Thats what you want to accomplish. We wanted to get under his skin and make sure he wasnt on his game. When Crosbys slashing guys, jumping guys, you know hes off his game." Crosby had four shots on the night, a minus-1 rating, and finished with a 22 per cent success rate from the face off circle. Plekanec said Crosby trash-talked all game long. "He was talking all the time," said Plekanec. "I didnt say anything. I was just listening. Im a good listener." Unlike Crosby, the Czech forward scored on the night, his seventh of the year, and finished 16 for 21 from the face-off circle. "Every aspect of his game was excellent," said head coach Michel Therrien of Plekanecs performance. "Hes a smart player. Hes playing the right way. Hes always in a good position on the ice. Hes doing a lot of good things. Im confident putting guys like that on the ice. "Its always a challenge to face the leagues best player, but he was up for the challenge." Pacioretty scored twice for the Canadiens (13-9-2) to extend their win streak to three games, and Carey Price made 29 saves, including a big one on Crosby early in the first period. "When you make a couple of stops early, it definitely helps you get comfortable," said Price, who now has a 2.05 goals-against-average and a .935 save percentage. "Were just trying to get a win. In order to do that, we have to play well against (Crosby). But they have a lot of other guys who can put the puck in the net." Pittsburghs (15-9-0) James Neal, beat Price twice in the third period. With the score 3-0 early in the final period, Neal reduced the deficit when he rifled a shot over Prices glove annd into the roof of the net on the power play. Fake Jerseys For Sale. He added another late in the game, sidestepping Price and sliding his fourth of the year in the back of the net on the backhand at 17:07. Despite the two third-period goals, Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma thought Price was the difference in the end. "In the third period, in the last four minutes, we had some flurries around the net, some pucks in there, and he was strong," said Bylsma. "We werent able to crack him there. In the first period, he gave us three or four real good saves that were the difference." After a scoreless first period, Pacioretty scored his sixth of the year at 1:53 of the second to put the Habs ahead 1-0. Pacioretty intercepted a weak clearance by Pens defenceman Olli Maatta in the neutral zone, skated across the blue-line, and snapped a quick, low shot off the post and in. "They go in sometimes, and sometimes they dont," said Pacioretty. "And when youre feeling good, they do. I have that shot in my bag, and when Im doubting myself, it probably doesnt go in. But Im feeling good right now." Plekanec added to the Canadiens lead when his wrist shot beat Marc-Andre Fleury between the legs, and Pacioretty scored his second of the game, the eventual game-winner, a minute later after stealing a bouncing puck from Evgeni Malkin on the Pens blue-line. Fleury made 26 saves for the Penguins. Montreal has now outscored its opponents 12-6 during its three-game win streak. The Habs are coming off a 3-2 victory against the Capitals on Friday in which they scored three times in less than five minutes in the first period to secure the victory. The Canadiens travel to Buffalo to face the Sabres on Wednesday. Notes: This was the first of three matchups between the Habs and Penguins this season. The teams meet again In Pittsburgh on Jan. 22. ... Sidney Crosby leads the league with 30 points. a P.K. Subban leads the Canadiens in points with three goals and 17 assists. a Habs defencemen have now gone seven games without scoring. a Pittsburgh sits first in the Metropolitan Division. ' ' '