B.J. Ryan (52) is currently sidelined with a left trapezius injury. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

Toronto Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan and rookie starter Ricky Romero will head to Florida this week to begin rehabilitation assignments as they inch toward a return from injury.

Ryan, out with a left trapezius injury, will head south Tuesday or Wednesday, general manager J.P. Ricciardi said Monday, while Romero, nursing a strained right oblique, is set to start for Dunedin on Friday.

There's no firm timetable for Ryan's return, while Romero will make a pair of starts before being re-evaluated.

"I'm hoping, but he might get three," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "We just don't want him to go on the DL again because if you take him off you've got to start him all over again.

"We're going to see what happens, give him some competition, see if he reaches back and gets a little bit more and something happens. I'm hoping he's OK."

With Casey Janssen (right shoulder) set to start Thursday and again May 12 in Dunedin before being re-evaluated, the Blue Jays rotation could have a very different look to it in a couple of weeks.

Jesse Litsch (right forearm) is about a week behind Janssen and Romero.

The trio's return would stabilize a very patchwork staff that features ace Roy Halladay, converted reliever Brian Tallet and rookies Scott Richmond, Robert Ray and Brett Cecil. The latter two were here well before the team planned.

"I see them both having at least two to three more starts," Ricciardi said of Ray and Cecil.

"They're here, not by design. It's just more out of what's available.

"Ray gave us a chance to win [Saturday], so that's all that we can really ask. As long as they keep doing that, it allows us to keep waiting on the other guys."

'It's not exactly how we drew it up'

The injuries, along with the struggles that led to David Purcey's demotion, have forced the Blue Jays to improvise more than they intended in the rotation.

So far they've managed more than all right, given the departure of A.J. Burnett and the long-term injuries to Dustin McGowan and Shaun Marcum.

"I thought at this point we'd have a little better one through five," Ricciardi said of the rotation.

"But what really goofed us up was probably the injury to Litsch or Romero, because we had Litsch, Romero, Richmond, Doc and Purcey and, if one of those guys scuffled, we could have filled in. But what we've had to go and fill in three spots, so it's not exactly how we drew it up."

Ricciardi said Marcum (elbow surgery) will throw bullpens for the rest of the month and perhaps pitch in minor-league games by June. McGowan (shoulder surgery) is playing catch.

Ryan, meanwhile, will likely pitch in a couple of minor-league games before being promoted to double-A New Hampshire.

"There's nothing wrong as far as him throwing right now," said Gaston. "But we want to see him go down and get in some games.

"We want him to be right when he gets back here."