Update: Blue Jays Expect J.A. Happ To Be Released From Hospital Wednesday

May 7, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher J.A. Happ (48) falls to the ground and grabs his head after he was hit by a line drive and Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Desmond Jennings (8) looks on after he hit the triple off him during the second inning at Tropicana Field Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsJ.A. Happ may not have been able to dodge the line-drive that struck him on Tuesday night, but it appears the left-hander was able to dodge a bullet when it comes to the severity of the resulting injury.

Through a team release, the Toronto Blue Jays have announced that Happ is expected to be released from the hospital late Wednesday afternoon after undergoing some further testing.

It was a scary incident on Tuesday, when Desmond Jenning of the Rays lined the ball off of the left-side of Happ’s head. Happ layed on the ground for nearly 11 minutes before he was immobilized and taken away on a stretcher.

However, the pitcher was conscious when leaving the field, raising his hand to acknowledge a crowd that was obviously concerned for his well-being. In the end, he was lucky to escape the ordeal with a contusion and a laceration to his left ear.

Happ released the following statement through the hospital earlier today.

“I’m in good spirits,” Happ said. “I definitely appreciate the support of the baseball community. It’s been overwhelming the messages and kind words I’ve been getting. I just want to thank everyone for that, and I look forward to getting back out there soon.”

The Blue Jays have not yet announced what roster moves will be made regarding Happ, but one would assume that Happ will likely be added to the growing Blue Jays disabled list. The length of time will have to be determined by Happ’s test results, but given MLB’s strict concussion policy, a minimum of a 7-day DL stint should be expected.

Still, that would be a small price to pay given the incident we all witnessed on Tuesday night.