The Blue Jays’ shuffle continues.

The Jays are in crisis mode following the frightening injury to left-hander J.A. Happ and poor performance of lefty Ricky Romero the past two nights.

On Thursday morning, they optioned Romero to Triple A Buffalo and designated right-hander Edgar Gonzalez for assignment, replacing them with Triple A righties Ramon Ortiz and Mickey Storey.

Happ and Romero lasted a combined 1 2/3 innings on Tuesday and Wednesday, making it critical that right-hander R.A. Dickey pitches deep into Thursday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Jays need a starter for Sunday, which would be Happ’s next turn. Ortiz, who has started at Triple A, could fill that void. Off days on Monday and Thursday could enable the Jays to further rework their rotation.

It was difficult to imagine Romero making another start after he lasted just 4 1/3 innings in two outings after returning from Class A Dunedin, where he began the season with the goal of reworking his mechanics.

The Jays believed that Romero was throwing the ball well after spending a month in the minors. But any improvements that he made did not translate to major-league success.

-Ken Rosenthal

Super-utility man Bill Hall, who excelled with the Red Sox in 2010 before struggling with the Astros and Giants last season, would like to correct a misconception.

Hall, a 10-year veteran, says teams assume that he will not play at Triple A because he elected free agency after failing to make the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.

But, as Hall puts it, “That’s not the case.”

Hall, 32, says he was reluctant to go to Triple A only with the Yankees, whose Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate will lead a nomadic existence their season while their ballpark in Moosic, Pa., is under renovation.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will play home games in six different cities — Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and Batavia, N.Y., plus Allentown, Pa., and Pawtucket, R.I.

“They are basically playing the whole season on the road,” Hall says. “My wife and I decided that I couldn’t live in a hotel all year. My daughter just turned 1 and I couldn’t do that to her.

“I don’t have any problem playing in Triple A. I just want to play. I’m not looking for any guarantees of a possibility of going to the big leagues. I was just looking for a better situation for my family.

“I’m ready to play now. I’m still working out hard and hitting and in shape. I can leave at the drop of a hat anytime, to anywhere.”

— Ken Rosenthal

Jamie Moyer pitched for the Baltimore Orioles from 1993 to ’95. For much of that time, ESPN’s Buster Olney was the Orioles’ beat writer and I was a columnist for The (Baltimore) Sun.

“Write about Moyer,” Buster would tell me.

“Nah,” I would reply. “Nothing to the guy.”

Buster and I must have had an exchange along those lines a half-dozen times, almost to the point where it was a running gag between us.

Back then, Moyer was practically the definition of non-descript, a left-handed swingman who both started and relieved. The Orioles were his fourth team; he had been by released three others. At the end of the ’95 season, his 10^th in the majors, he would be 59-76 with a 4.51 ERA - and about to turn 33.

Well, I should have listened to Buster.

Moyer was just getting started.

He signed with the Boston Red Sox when the Orioles allowed him to become a free agent after the ’95 season. Since then? He is an astonishing 208-128 with a 4.13 ERA.

And on Friday, at age 49, coming off Tommy John surgery, Moyer learned that he had made the Colorado Rockies’ rotation, capping one of the best stories of the spring.

I finally wrote about Moyer for The Sun after the left Baltimore and enjoyed success, noting that most fans and reporters barely even noticed when he left the Orioles. And of course, I’ve written about him many times since.

Outside of baseball, Moyer and his wife, Karen, not only are the parents of eight children, but also run a foundation dedicated to helping children in distress. Their efforts include Camp Erin, a network of free bereavement camps in more than 40 cities for children and teens ages 6-17.

To think, I once dismissed Moyer as inconsequential.

Every so often, I cringe at the memory, but smile thinking about all that Moyer has accomplished.

I’m happy to say, I could not have been more wrong.

-Ken Rosenthal

No team can easily withstand the loss of its closer and starting catcher, and a low-revenue club such as the Kansas City Royals is even more challenged when injuries strike at those positions.

The Royals do not expect to find a replacement for closer Joakim Soria, but they addressed their catching void and added outfield depth Tuesday, acquiring catcher Humberto Quintero and outfielder Jason Bourgeois from the Houston Astros.

The two veterans cost the Royals minor-league left-hander Kevin Chapman and a player to be named. Quintero, 32, will be a part-time replacement for injured catcher Salvador Perez. Bourgeois, 30, is a right-handed hitter who plays all three outfield positions and even second base.

Perez, recovering from surgery on his left knee, is expected to be out until at least June 15. Quintero will share time with Brayan Pena, each possibly playing 2 to 4 times a week. Pena is a switch-hitter. Quintero is a better defender, but offensively challenged, his career OPS is only .589.

Bourgeois, meanwhile, helps balance the Royals’ bench; the team’s other two reserve outfielders, Jarrod Dyson and Mitch Maier, both are left-handed hitters. In 109 plate appearances last season against left-handed pitching, Bourgeois had a .925 OPS. He also stole 31 bases in 37 attempts.

The Royals’ loss of Soria, who likely will require a second Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, did not create an urgent need. Right-handers Jonathon Broxton and Greg Holland will work the late innings, while righty Aaron Crow, who had been working as a starter, will return to the bullpen to increase manager Ned Yost’s options.

-Ken Rosenthal

The Phillies say they aren’t seeking a replacement for second baseman Chase Utley, who left the team Monday to be evaluated by a specialist.

But their latest injury – a broken bone in infielder Michael Martinez’s foot – almost certainly means that the team will pursue a utility man.

Martinez suffered his injury Tuesday when he was hit by a pitch in a Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

Pete Orr and Hector Luna are the non-roster veterans in Phillies’ camp. But with rookie Freddy Galvis now expected to open the season at second, the team would prefer an upgrade.

Club officials say that they are committed to Galvis as Utley’s short-term replacement, and that they expect Utley to return this season.

-Ken Rosenthal

-Ken Rosenthal

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty adamantly denied last week that the team was considering trading first baseman Joey Votto, saying, “We’re not shopping him. We’re not entertaining offers . . . He’s one of the best players in the game. Why would we trade him?”

Well, the Reds actually have very good reasons to trade Votto – he will earn $17 million in 2013, he is a free agent after that season and it’s doubtful that the team can sign him to a long-term deal at market value.

But Jocketty doesn’t need to act now.

The Reds’ more likely strategy is to wait for the two top free-agent first basemen, the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols and Brewers’ Prince Fielder, to sign their next contracts.

At that point, the Reds could offer Votto an extension – and they also would have a better idea of which teams might be interested in trading for Votto, the 2010 National League MVP.

If Votto rejected the Reds’ offer, the team could simply keep him until the end of his contract, paying him $9.5 million in ’12 and then the $17 million in ’13.

Or, the Reds could start listening to trade offers, telling their fans, “We took our best shot, but couldn’t get a deal done.”

The Reds would not want to trade Votto within the NL Central, so their options would increase if Pujols and Fielder remained in the division – say, Pujols with the Cardinals and Fielder with the Cubs.

Either way, talk of a Votto trade is certain to resurface. The Reds opened last season with a $76 million payroll, only to see their home attendance increase by less than 2,000 per game coming off a division title.

It would be difficult to imagine them committing nearly one-fourth or even one-fifth of their payroll to Votto in ’13 when they would be not assured of keeping him long-term.

-Ken Rosenthal

B.J. Upton, long a target of the Nationals, is not the team’s only focus in its search for a center fielder.

The Nats also have talked to the Twins about a trade for Denard Span, according to major-league sources.

The Twins possibly could address two needs in such a deal — acquiring a shortstop, Ian Desmond, and a late-inning reliever.

The Nats are unwilling to trade closer Drew Storen and reluctant to trade All-Star setup man Tyler Clippard, sources say.

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However, the Twins likely would want better than a right-hander such as Todd Coffey or Henry Rodriguez in a package for Span.

In addition to Upton and Span, the Nats also are looking at the Cardinals’ Colby Rasmus and Astros’ Michael Bourn sources say.

The team considers Desmond a player with promise, but his .584 OPS is the lowest in the National League. Some club officials want to move second baseman Danny Espinosa to short and promote Steve Lombardozzi to second.

Span, 27, is under a club-friendly contract — he is earning $1 million this season, $3 million next season, $4.75 in 2013 and $6.75 million in ’14 with a $9 million club option for ’15.

The concern with Span is that he has not played since June 6 due to a concussion. He currently is on a rehabilitation assignment.

— Ken Rosenthal

B.J. Upton might not be Carlos Beltran, but he’s rapidly emerging as a potential alternative for teams in the Beltran sweepstakes.

The  Giants, while continuing to pursue Beltran, also are showing interest in Upton, according to major-league sources.

Upton, 27, would be a logical fit for the Giants, upgrading their offense and providing strong defense in center field behind the National League’s top pitching staff.

Beltran, 34, is a superior offensive force to Upton, but his full no-trade clause and pending free agency make him more problematic as a trade target.

Upton can be obtained without restriction and is under club control through next season. The Giants and other clubs likely would be more willing to sacrifice prospects for a player they could keep for another year.

The Indians, a team that showed early interest in Beltran, also is pursuing Upton, sources say. Several other suitors for Beltran - the Braves, Phillies and Rangers – also could target Upton.

The Giants are using Nate Schierholtz as their primary right fielder. The addition of Upton would give the team three outfielders – Upton, Andres Torres and Cody Ross - for two spots.

Ross, a right-handed hitter, could platoon in left with Torres, a switch-hitter who has been much stronger from the left side this season. Torres plays all three outfield positions. Upton has played center almost exclusively in his career.

Playing for the defending World Series champions at sold-out AT&T Park could energize Upton, who occasionally has drawn criticism for his seemingly disinterested play in Tampa Bay.

Upton also could be motivated by playing in the same division as his younger brother Justin, who is the right fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

-Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi

Quick, guess which player ranks third in OPS among AL third baseman, behind only Kevin Youkilis and Alex Rodriguez.

Why, it’s Wilson Betemit, of course!

No team but the Royals offered Betemit even a minor-league contract after the White Sox declined to re-sign him as a free agent in 2009.

But here’s Betemit, 29, batting .311/.377/.437, transforming himself into either part of the Royals’ future or a valuable trade chip.

The Marlins are among the teams tracking Betemit, whose position is threatened by top prospect Mike Moustakas.

The Royals, though, don’t necessarily need to trade Betemit, a switch-hitter who would offer the team versatility and protection against injury in the future.

As one club official puts it, “It’s hard to win championships without guys like Wilson Betemit.”

-- Ken Rosenthal