Blue Jays activate J.A. Happ, place Kawasaki on paternity leave list

The Toronto Blue Jays have activated left handed pitcher J.A. Happ from the bereavement list.

Happ is scheduled to start on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays, was placed on the bereavement list following his start on Monday against the Oakland Athletics.

He gave up a leadoff home run then gave up only two hits while striking out six through seven innings of work in a Jay’s loss to the Seattle Mariners on August 12th. It was his first start since being placed on the 60 day disabled list. The left hander was activated from the disabled list on the seventh of August.

J.A. is 2-2 with a 5.11 ERA in nine starts this season.

As the Blue Jays activate Happ once again, they have placed fan favorite Munenori Kawasaki on the paternity list in a corresponding roster move.

The 32-year-old shortstop was recently called up for his third stint with the Blue Jays. Kawasaki is hitting .205/.309/.286 over 72 games with Toronto this season. He can remain on the paternity list for a maximum of three days, as he and his wife are expecting the birth of their child.

In other Blue Jays news, Josh Johnson will be cleared to throw from a mound as soon as the discomfort in his right forearm goes away.

Dr. James Andrews concurs with initial opinion that Johnson is dealing with a strained forearm and nothing related to the elbow according to the Toronto Sun.

While the MRI results were encouraging, it’s very possible Johnson won’t return to the rotation this season.