J.A. Happ injury update: Elbow causing issues

J.A. Happ left his last start with elbow soreness, and Toronto has now learned more about the injury.

The injury that forced Toronto Blue Jays’ pitcher J.A. Happ to leave his start in the fifth inning on Sunday was caused by elbow inflammation, according to TSN’s Steve Phillips.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network previously reported that Happ’s injury, which was evaluated by team doctors on Monday, was not believed to be serious.

Happ is coming off a fantastic 2016 season in which he went 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 195 innings. He was a vital piece of Toronto’s pitching staff, which posted an AL-best 3.78 team ERA last season. Happ is off to a slow start this year, however. He’s 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA, although he does have 20 strikeouts and zero walks through 16 innings.

Happ left Sunday’s 11-4 loss to the Orioles in the fifth inning with apparent elbow discomfort. After the game, Happ told reporters:

"“The last pitch of the fourth inning I felt kind of a pull, a tug, in my elbow,” Happ said. “I went back out there for the fifth and it just kind of got progressively worse. I tried my last pitch, a fastball, and it just grabbed on me enough. Kind of involuntary type of reaction. We’re going to find out what’s going on in there and then make a decision from there.”"

While it seems like Happ has avoided a significant injury, his ailments could not have come at a worse time for the Blue Jays. Toronto is a Major League-worst 2-10 on the season. Former MVP Josh Donaldson, fellow starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez, and reliever J.P. Howell have all recently been placed on the disabled list.

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While there’s been no official word, it’s likely Happ will be placed on the disabled list and miss at least a couple starts. However, Blue Jays can exhale a bit, as the southpaw has apparently avoided a potential serious injury.