J.A. to D.C.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Sunday that J.A. Happ will represent the club at Major League Baseball’s All-Star showcase in Washington next week.

It’s the first time that the left hander has been appointed to the All-Star squad.

Happ was beat up in his last two starts, resulting in his ERA jumping to a somewhat pedestrian 4.44. However, while poor starts against the Tigers and Yankees may wind up diminishing his value in the trade market, they won’t change the fact that Happ has been the Blue Jays’ most consistent player to this point.

He’s made a team-high 18 starts, winning 10, while riding a career-best pace by striking out 115 batters in 105.1 innings.

Happ deserves the nod after an unexceptional first half of the season for the Blue Jays, which has failed to produce any true standout individual performances.