Blue Jays’ J.A. Happ exits start with elbow injury

The injury fairy has not been forgiving to the Blue Jays in the first few weeks of the season. Toronto has seen both Josh Donaldson and Aaron Sanchez make their way to the disabled list before the season has even gotten warmed up. The newest name on the list of the fallen is J.A. Happ, who left yesterday’s 11-4 loss to Baltimore in the fifth inning.

Happ is in his second season with the Blue Jays after a brief stint in Pittsburgh. Last year, he garnered a 3.18 ERA over 195 innings pitched, striking out 163 batters. While he experienced minor shoulder and elbow issues in his eleven years playing professional baseball, especially during the early Philadelphia years, Happ has mostly avoided lingering injuries. The veteran southpaw finished sixth in Cy Young voting last season.

The 33-year old is slated to undergo an MRI today on his elbow to find the source of his soreness. Happ is scheduled to start on Friday against the Angels, but if his results come back grim, Toronto will once again be scrambling to fill another injury-induced void. If he does go down, Toronto will have to make a few calls to the farm for a replacement. The biggest front runners to take Happ’s spot? Casey Lawrence, Mat Latos, Mike Bolsinger, and Lucas Harrell, who are all at Triple-A. The Blue Jays are currently 2-10, coming in fifth in the American League East after a miserable start.