Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jamie Moyer throws in the first inning during a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Miami, Monday, May 21, 2012.Lynne Sladky/AP
Desperate times call to desperate measures -- and the Toronto Blue Jays certainly fit that bill these days.
With the loss of yet another starting pitcher to injury during Monday's game in Boston against the Red Sox, the Blue Jays have reportedly signed 49-year-old Jamie Moyer to a minor league contract.
Moyer is en route to Toronto's Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas. It is unknown when the left-hander might join the big league club.
The Blue Jays have also recalled Canadian pitcher Scott Richmond who is expected to join the team in Boston and pitch for the time being out of the bullpen.
The American League club is strapped for starting pitchers.
Monday night in Boston the Blue Jays lost their fourth starter in two weeks when Henderson Alvarez left the game in the sixth inning with right elbow soreness.
The Blue Jays won the rain-delayed affair 9-6 in the first of a three-game series at Fenway Park.
Brandon Morrow, Kyle Drabek and Drew Hutchison have also been sidelined with arm issues in what has been an incredible run of misfortune for the Blue Jays starting pitching staff.
Moyer started the season with the Colorado Rockies where he became the older pitcher to win a Major League Baseball game.
He went 2-5 with a 5.70 ERA with the Rockies in 10 starts before he was designated for assignment.
Moyer signed a minor league contract with Baltimore on June 6 and was 1-1 at Triple-A Norfolk before he was released on Saturday.
Alvarez is to have an MRI on his sore elbow on Tuesday and the Blue Jays remain hopeful that he won't have to miss a start.
Moyer's signing appears to fly in the face of that optimistic outlook.
Should Moyer be added to the Blue Jays 25-man roster he will be teammates with Omar Vizquel who, at 45, became the oldest player to start a game at shortstop for Toronto.