Notes

BLUE JAYS

Johnson scratched from start

NEW YORK - The Toronto Blue Jays scratched Josh Johnson from his start against the New York Yankees on Friday night because of right triceps tightness, and the team hopes the precautionary move will keep him from missing any further outings.

“We kind of wanted to play it smart and make sure I’m not out an extended period of time,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he felt something in his previous start, against the Yankees in Toronto on Sunday, and skipped his usual side session this week. He described the area of the injury as where the triceps and biceps meet, far from the elbow and shoulder. Johnson had elbow reconstruction surgery in 2007 and missed nearly all of 2011 because of shoulder inflammation.

“It’s nowhere near the shoulder, the shoulder feels great,” Johnson said. “It’s one of those things that came out of nowhere and you have to deal with it.”

He had a magnetic resonance imaging Friday, saying the test was ordered because of the unusual location of the pain.

“Hopefully it’s no big deal,” Manager John Gibbons said.

Johnson has struggled in four starts since coming to Toronto in an off season trade with Miami that also netted Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle. Reyes is on the disabled list with an injured ankle.

The right-handed Johnson is 0-1 with a 6.86 ERA. TIGERS

Verlander to make next start

DETROIT - Detroit ace Justin Verlander is expected to make his next start despite a blister on his pitching thumb that caused him to leave Thursday’s game.

Tigers trainer Kevin Rand says Verlander’s blister is something the right-hander has had to deal within the past as well, but it doesn’t look as if he’ll miss any more time.

Verlander left Thursday’s game against Kansas City after seven innings. The Tigers led 3-2 when he was taken out. They went on to lose 8-3 in 10 innings.

Rand spoke with reporters before Friday night’s game against Atlanta.

A couple of other Tigers are also battling minor ailments. Reliever Phil Coke is day-to-day with a left groin strain, and outfielder Andy Dirks is still bothered by the right knee he bruised in spring training.

CARDINALS Adams placed on DL

ST. LOUIS - Rookie Matt Adams of the St. Louis Cardinals, who is batting .542 in eight games, has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique.

Adams hasn’t played since he had two hits in a 7-3 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. He was scratched from Monday’s game at Washington after complaining of soreness.

The 24-year-old Adams has 3 home runs, 8 RBI and a 1.042 slugging percentage in 24 at-bats as the backup first baseman. The DL move was made retroactive to Monday.

RAYS Minor leaguer gets 50-game ban

NEW YORK - A minor league pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization has been suspended for 50 games for testing positive for two performance-enhancing substances.

The commissioner’s office announced the penalty for right-hander Jose Disla on Friday. He tested positive for metabolites of stanozolol and nandrolone, violating the minor league drug program.

Disla is on the Dominican Summer League Rays, and his suspension will begin at the start of the DSL season.