Blue Jays to place ace Roy Halladay and closer Scott Downs on disabled list

Blue Jays pitchers Halladay and Downs headed to DL

PHILADELPHIA — Toronto ace Roy Halladay is headed to the disabled list.

The Blue Jays plan to put Halladay and closer Scott Downs on the DL on Thursday, further depleting their injury-riddled pitching staff.

Right-hander Casey Janssen was placed on the 15-day DL before Wednesday night’s game against the Phillies. Left-hander Brad Mills was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to take Janssen’s spot, and he is slated to make his major league debut at Philadelphia on Thursday.

The rash of injuries leaves the Blue Jays without their top five starters. Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum and Jesse Litsch also are on the DL.

“This was not a good day, but they went out and played hard,” manager Cito Gaston said after the Blue Jays beat the Phillies 7-1.

The team will replace Halladay and Downs on Thursday.

“I’d just hate to get in a situation where I’m coming out of a game early and we’re all in a jam,” said Halladay, who strained his right groin last Friday. “I don’t see it as a setback. I just see it as, we had a chance that we could play out to see if I could get back.”

Downs strained his big left toe during Tuesday’s 8-3 victory. He was injured while swinging at a pitch. Janssen has inflammation in his surgically repaired shoulder.

The 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner, Halladay is 10-1 with a 2.53 ERA this season. Downs has eight saves to go with a 1-0 record and 1.98 ERA. Janssen missed last season following surgery in spring training. He went 2-3 with a 6.23 ERA after returning on May 23 at Atlanta.

Mills was 1-8 with a 4.48 ERA in 13 starts at Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League.