The Toronto Blue Jays will have to make do without regulars Reed Johnson, B.J. Ryan and Troy Glaus for the next little while.

Johnson, 30, learned Monday that he will require surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back.

Reed Johnson has been having back problems since spring training.
(Chris Gardner/Associated Press)

The veteran left-fielder will undergo the procedure Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla., and not return to the lineup until July.

"He could have tried to rehab it," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "But surgery was the best option to really get it right."

Johnson is hitting .265 with a home run, seven runs batted in, six runs scored and two stolen bases in seven games out of the leadoff spot this season.

Sweet-swinging rookie Adam Lind will play left field in Johnson's absence.

"Reed is our spark plug," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He is our leadoff guy.

"He makes things happen. When he is rolling, we're good.

"He is one of the better outfielders in baseball. Naturally, you're going to have a drop off."

Ryan, 31, was examined Monday by renowned sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala., who diagnosed a sprained left (pitching) elbow.

"It's serious enough," Ricciardi said. "But not as serious as it could have been."

Ryan, Toronto's all-star closer, will miss four-to-six weeks.

"That is probably what we expected, maybe we expected a little worse," Ricciardi said. "He will work with our trainers and we will reassess where he is at in four weeks."

Ryan struggled to pitch with the injury, going 0-2 with a 12.44 earned-run average and blowing two of five save opportunities before visiting Andrews.

Frasor tabbed as closer?

Veteran reliever Jason Frasor may replace Ryan as Toronto's closer, although Shaun Marcum earned the save in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.

In a related move, the Blue Jays promoted rookie reliever Jamie Vermilyea from the triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs to fill Ryan's roster spot.

"We are just going to have to hold the fort down," Ricciardi said. "What are you going to do?"

Glaus, who has been hampered by a bone spur in his left heel and a tender hamstring, will be put on the 15-day disabled list.

Glaus, 30, was forced to depart in the third inning of last Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Tigers, the second time in six days he left early.

The all-star third baseman has not played since.

"We did not want to put him out there and play for two days and, then, it flares up again," Ricciardi said. "This way we rest him and, hopefully, get things right."

Glaus is hitting .333 with two HRs and five RBIs in eight games.

With files from the Canadian Press