ARLINGTON, Texas -- When Sean Lees left leg slid out from under him and he didnt get up, teammate Barry Church figured the Dallas Cowboys were in for some bad news on the first day of off-season practice. The fifth-year safety also knew Dallas defensive leadership was shifting his direction. "I was right behind him when it happened," Church said Wednesday, a day after Lee tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and put his season in jeopardy. "And thats one of my best friends on the team. Feels kind of awful. But we have his back no matter what." Cowboys coach Jason Garrett refused to offer any details on Lees injury after participating in a home run derby for charity at the home of the Texas Rangers. The team reported on its website that Lee has been told he has a torn ACL. Even with a quick recovery from such an injury, Lee wouldnt be ready until the second half of the season. His teammates talked like they were expecting to be without the linebacker who hasnt played a full season in his four years in the league. "You always have to stay positive," cornerback Brandon Carr said of a defence that was plagued by injuries a year ago and finished last in the league and is now without Lee and career franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware, who was released in March. "Its a very unfortunate situation -- a guy that works his butt off each and every day. He brings a lot to the table, but at the same time its the next man up mentality." First on that list might be Church, who assumed a leadership role when Lee missed the final three games last year with a neck injury and is versatile enough to fill the role of a linebacker for a few snaps. Church missed the last 13 games in 2012 with a torn Achilles tendon before bouncing back last year with the first 16-game season of his career. If the Cowboys are to break a three-year rut of 8-8 finishes and a four-year playoff drought, plenty will fall to him. And Lee has already told him that. "Me and a couple of the other guys are going to have to take over that defence, just lead the younger guys in the right direction," Church said. "Feel like we can do that." The oft-injured Lee went down during the 11-on-11 portion of Tuesdays practice. His left leg slid out from under him as rookie guard Zack Martin was closing in for a block, and Martin rolled over him. Contact isnt allowed in off-season workouts, but blockers frequently engage linemen and linebackers before plays stop in 11-on-11 drills. Lee was already on his way to the ground when Martin lunged over him. "I dont really know what happened," said Martin, the Cowboys first-round pick at No. 16. "Two guys playing hard, running to the ball." The 27-year-old Lee hasnt played a full season in four years. The middle linebacker has missed 15 games over the past two years, including five of the final six games in 2013. Lee signed a six-year extension worth up to $51 million last year, but durability-based incentives are built into the deal. Hes already likely to miss out on a bonus in 2015 for not playing enough snaps in 2013 or the coming season. When healthy, Lee is among the most productive linebackers in the league, leading his position with 11 interceptions since entering the league in 2010 despite missing 18 games. But his injury history dates to his college days, when he also tore a knee ligament during off-season workouts. The right ACL injury in spring practice in 2008 kept him out that season, pushing his senior year to 2009. He was already back at the teams practice facility a day after his latest injury, going over plays with some of the younger players. That group includes rookie fourth-round pick Anthony Hitchens, who could get a shot at replacing Lee. "He wants to win, if hes on the field or not," Hitchens said. "It means a lot to me, being a young guy that hes helping me out already. Hes been here for a while, so he knows all the pieces of the puzzle. So I always go to him and ask questions." Not that he wants it, but Lee apparently will have plenty of time to answer them. Discount NBA Jerseys . Ronaldo failed to connect on an ample number of opportunities at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. But Karim Benzema and Jese Rodriguez scored in each half for Madrid to come out of the first leg with the firm advantage. Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys . Roy says he will know more about Duchenes potential playing status Sunday. Duchene has been out since damaging the MCL in his left knee when he ran into a teammate against San Jose on March 29. 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DETROIT -- Torii Hunter hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting Detroit over the Oakland Athletics 7-6 Thursday and boosting the Tigers after Max Scherzer was denied his 20th win and Miguel Cabrera limped off with an injury. The Tigers scored four times in the ninth off Grant Balfour (0-3). A two-out walk set up Victor Martinez RBI single, then Hunter homered as the Tigers avoided a sweep. Scherzer gave up six runs in five innings. The no-decision left him with a 19-1 record. Cabrera hurt his abdomen making an awkward slide while trying to stretch a single into a double in the fifth inning. He was listed as day to day with discomfort. The reigning Triple Crown winner has been hobbled this month with a strain in his groin, abdominal and hip area. Hes also had a banged-up left leg. Cabrera got two hits before being injured, increasing his major league-leading batting average to .359. He leads baseball with 130 RBIs, and his 43 homers trail only Baltimores Chris Davis. Scherzers bid to be the first pitcher in the major leagues with 20 wins this season didnt look good at the start. Coco Crisp led off the game with a double and Lowrie hit a one-out, two-run homer on a thigh-high, 92-mph fastball. Scherzer held the As to only one hit over the next two innings, but they built a four-run cushion in the fourth on sacrifice flies by Daric Barton and Eric Sogard. Josh Donaldson hit a leadoff triple in the fifth and Brandon Moss homered deepp into the right-field seats to make it 6-1.dddddddddddd As starter Bartolo Colon was in a position to win his 15th game. He allowed only one run and five hits without a walk over five innings in his first start since Aug. 13, when a groin injury landed him on the disabled list. Prince Fielder hit a solo homer in the sixth off Jerry Blevins, who gave up another run and retired only one batter to let the Tigers pull within three runs. Oaklands Dan Otero and Sean Doolittle each followed with a 1 1-3 innings of scoreless relief, setting Balfour up to potentially pitch for his 34th save in 35 chances. He gave up a leadoff walk to Austin Jackson and walked Fielder with two outs. Balfour then got ahead 0-2 against Martinez, but couldnt get a third strike against him and that proved to be costly. Balfour gave up two hits, two walks and four runs and got just two outs in the pivotal inning that prevented the As from finishing off a four-game sweep. NOTES: Tigers manager Jim Leyland said the team has decided which players will be added to the roster when it expands to 40 players on Sept. 1, but declined to make any announcements. Leyland said the call-ups will happen in multiple groups, starting on Sept. 1 and continuing as minor league seasons come to an end. ... Moss four homers in the series were more than he hit in three of his first five major league seasons. Moss didnt reach double figures until last year, his sixth, when he hit 21 for Oakland. ' ' '