Happ on track to return Wednesday for Blue Jays

ANAHEIM -- Left-hander J.A. Happ likely will make his return to the Blue Jays' starting rotation on Wednesday in Seattle.

Happ made his third rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo on Friday night and allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings. He threw 95 pitches, allowing six hits and three walks while also recording six strikeouts.

The next scheduled day for Happ to throw would be Wednesday and that lines up perfectly with when the Blue Jays need another starter. The outing normally would have gone to right-hander Todd Redmond, but he was optioned to the Minors after a disappointing start Friday against the Angels.

"It will probably be Happ," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He's solid, he's healthy. He threw a lot of pitches [Friday night], but that's what he does."

Happ hasn't pitched in the Major Leagues since he was struck on the head by a line drive off the bat of Tampa Bay's Desmond Jennings in early May. He suffered a minor skull fracture on the play but it was a sprained right knee that ended up forcing him to miss so much time.

The native of Illinois has made a total of five rehab starts in the Minors and is now appropriately stretched out to make a return. The seven-year veteran began the season as the Blue Jays' fifth starter and owns a 4.23 ERA over the course of his career.