Starting pitcher Josh Johnson, who has a history of arm injuries, posted a 6.86 ERA in his first four starts. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

An MRI on Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Josh Johnson revealed inflammation in his right triceps and he hopes to return late next week, Johnson told reporters on Saturday.

Johnson was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday and has been inconsistent in his first four outings, posting a 6.86 ERA and 1.88 WHIP.

He has dealt with numerous arm problems in the past, including Tommy John surgery in 2007 and shoulder inflammation in 2011.

“Just a little tiny bit of inflammation and that’s it. All good news,” he said on Saturday afternoon.

The 6-foot-7 right-hander will play catch on Sunday and Monday before deciding on when his next start will be, according to CBSSports.com.

Johnson’s performance has been one of the main issues plaguing the Blue Jays, who sit in last place in the AL East at 9-15 despite high expectations entering the season.

Toronto acquired Johnson, also-injured shortstop Jose Reyes, pitcher Mark Buehrle and utilityman Emilio Bonifacio from the Marlins in an offseason blockbuster.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins are close to agreeing to a blockbuster deal that would send shortstop Jose Reyes and pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle to Toronto, as first reported by FoxSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal.

#BlueJays and #Marlins are in midst of EPIC trade right now, sources say. And I mean EPIC.—
Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 13, 2012

ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that top outfield prospect Jake Marisnick will be included in the package headed to Miami, along with veteran shortstop Yunel Escobar.

The Blue Jays-Marlins trade is done… This is going to be one of the all-timers, with Reyes, Johnson, Bonifacio, Buck, Buehrle…holy crow.—
Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 13, 2012

The Marlins considered trading Johnson, a 28-year-old right-hander who finished fifth in Cy Young voting in 2010, before the trade deadline last season, in the midst of his 8-14 campaign. Buehrle went 13-13 with a 3.74 ERA last year, his first with Miami after signing a four-year, $58-million contract.

Miami signed Reyes to a six-year, $106-million deal last offseason, and the former Mets All-Star hit .287 and stole 40 bases for the last-place Marlins.

The Marlins could look to trade starter Josh Johnson this offseason. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Miami Marlins will dangle starter Josh Johnson as “trade bait” this offseason, The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported Sunday.

From Cafardo’s report:

Despite some talk out of Florida that the Marlins won’t deal Johnson, who can become a free agent after 2014, the 28-year-old will be trade bait. The Marlins would likely get a boatload back from teams such as Baltimore, Toronto, Boston, Kansas City, Minnesota, Texas, and the Dodgers. The Red Sox were interested at the trade deadline. The 69-win Marlins look as if they’re cleaning house again and they, like Cleveland, could be a good trading partner for the Red Sox.

Johnson’s name came up near the trade deadline in July, and the Marlins could look to maximize their potential return by dealing him this offseason. He has one more year left on his current contract, during which he is due $13.75 million.

The injury-prone Johnson pitched a full season in 2012, but he fell off from his performance level in earlier seasons. Still, he went 8-14 with a 3.81 ERA and had 165 strikeouts in 191 1/3 innings.

The Miami Marlins are unlikely to trade pitcher Josh Johnson. (Sarah Glenn/Getty Images)

The Miami Marlins likely will not trade starting pitcher Josh Johnson before Tuesday’s trade deadline, reports ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.

The 28-year-old Johnson, a two-time All-Star, had been expected by many to be moved this July. The Marlins were reportedly asking for top prospects to get the pitcher.

The Texas Rangers were one of the teams believed to be interested in Johnson. But after the Angels traded for pitcher Zack Greinke, there were reports that Texas would not try to match Los Angeles’ move by trading for Johnson.

Stark reports that Johnson didn’t help his trade value with an average performance Sunday while 15 scouts looked on. Johnson gave up only one earned run in five innings but walked six batters.

Johnson is 6-7 this season with a 4.04 ERA in 21 starts.

The Rangers think the asking price for a Josh Johnson trade is too high. (Sarah Glenn/Getty Images)

Even after getting beat by the Los Angeles Angels in the Zack Greinke trade sweepstakes, the Texas Rangers are not looking to fill their starting-pitching hole by trading for Miami Marlins’ hurler Josh Johnson.

MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reported that the Rangers are unwilling to give up a big package of minor leaguers for Johnson because they are concerned about his health and his home vs. road splits.

The Rangers are in need of a starter after losing Colby Lewis for the season and with Roy Oswalt battling back issues. But the Rangers are worried about Johnson’s injury-prone nature, as he has started at least 30 games in just one of eight seasons in the major leagues. And they are worried that Johnson is a product of Marlins Park — he is 5-4 with a 3.35 ERA at home, compared with just 1-3 and a 5.48 ERA on the road.

And the Marlins are reportedly asking for interested teams’ top two or three prospects in exchange for Johnson. The risks, combined with the price, are turning the Rangers away. The Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox are also interested in acquiring Johnson.

SI.com’s Joe Lemire wrote Friday that a reactionary move like acquiring Johnson would be out of character for the Rangers front office:

It may have appeared that the Rangers’ signing of Yu Darvish, which followed the Angels’ additions of Wilson and first baseman Albert Pujols by a month, was an answer to Los Angeles’ moves, but Darvish was carefully scouted by Texas over years, meaning the two events were hardly connected.

Perhaps such planning will change now — after all, that division is quickly growing into the wild, wild West.

Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson might not go anywhere if the team doesn’t lower their asking price for him with the trade deadline approaching. (Sarah Glenn/Getty Images)

The Miami Marlins are continuing with their fire sale, seemingly offering a new player every other day.  This time, it’s right-hand pitcher Josh Johnson who is on the trading block, reports ESPN.com. 

But for other clubs to land Johnson, they are basically going to have to give up their farm system.

Several baseball sources told ESPN.com the Marlins are asking for each team’s top two or three prospects in every trade scenario involving Johnson. ”They’re asking for a ton,” an American League general manager said.

Reports are that the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox are interested in dealing for Johnson.

Johnson is 6-7 with a 4.14 ERA and 105 strikeouts this season for the Marlins, who begin the day 45-53, good for 4th place in the National League East.