TORONTO -
The Toronto Blue Jays will place ace Roy Halladay and closer Scott Downs on the disabled list Thursday, a day after right shoulder inflammation forced starter Casey Janssen to the 15-day DL.
The flurry of injuries leaves the team without its top five starters and best reliever. Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum and Jesse Litsch were already on the DL.
Halladay has been nursing a strained right groin suffered in his outing last Friday against Florida and the club hoped he might be ready to pitch Saturday in Washington. But he threw a bullpen session Wednesday and realized that wasn't possible.
Downs, meanwhile, was diagnosed with a strained big left toe suffered in Tuesday's 8-3, 10-inning win at Philadelphia. He was hurt while swinging at a pitch during a rare interleague at-bat.
No replacements for Halladay and Downs were immediately announced, but top prospect Brad Mills had his contract purchased from triple-A Las Vegas to replace Janssen in the starting rotation.
Mills, 24, nearly earned a spot with the Blue Jays out of spring training and will make his big-league debut Thursday in Philadelphia.
In 13 starts for the Las Vegas, he's 1-8 with a 4.48 ERA but has held opponents to three or less runs in 10 of his 13 starts.
Mills joins a makeshift staff that currently includes converted reliever Brian Tallet plus rookies Scott Richmond of North Vancouver and Ricky Romero.
Janssen returns to the disabled list after having issues with his surgically repaired shoulder in the spring.
The 27-year-old rejoined the Blue Jays last month and is 2-3 with a 6.23 ERA in five starts. He had surgery on his torn labrum in the spring of 2008.
