Howell (shoulder) allowed one hit and struck out two In one inning Thursday for High-A Dunedin, The Athletic's John Lott reports.

EDGE Analysis

Howell is eligible to return to the big-league club once he feels up to the task, and it seems that will happen sooner rather than later. However, Thursday was his first rehab game, and the left-hander will probably require another one or two more outings before rejoining the Jays' bullpen. A reasonable expectation for Howell's return would be after the weekend series when the team heads to Yankee Stadium for a three-game set beginning Monday.

Howell (shoulder) is expected to appear in a few rehab appearances with High-A Dunedin before returning to the big-league bullpen, Mike Wilner of the Blue Jays Radio Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

The left-hander has been on the disabled list since April 9 (retroactive to April 7, however), but it seems like he's been able to nurse his ailing shoulder back to full health in the meantime. Howell should be able to return to Toronto in the next week or so, and he'll likely resume a fairly prominent role in their bullpen once he's good to go.

Howell was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with a sore left shoulder, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.

EDGE Analysis

The DL stint will be retroactive to Howell's last appearance April 7, when he failed to record an out while conceding two runs on two hits and two walks to take the loss in relief. It's likely the shoulder issue may have contributed to his poor outing, so the Blue Jays are hopeful that some extended time off might be all the lefty needs to right the ship. It's a surprising development nonetheless for the durable Howell, whose last DL stint came all the way back in 2011.

Howell was tagged with the loss Friday after failing to record an out while giving up two runs on a pair of hits and walking two Rays.

EDGE Analysis

The Jays had come back from a four-run deficit to take the lead just before Howell entered the game. He allowed a pair of doubles while sandwiching in his first two free passes of the season. Despite the implosion, the team acquired Howell during the offseason to play a major role out of its bullpen this year, so expect to see him back on the hill soon.

Howell retired the only Orioles hitter he faced, Chris Davis, in his Blue Jays debut on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

Howell was brought in this year to replace Brett Cecil, and the left-handed specialist dove headfirst into that role on Opening Day. In his last seven seasons, Howell has averaged less than an inning of work in 434 total appearances. What owners saw Monday is what they can expect throughout the 2017 campaign. From 2013-2016, Cecil averaged 13-plus saves per season with Toronto, and Howell can be expected to do the same -- if not better -- with his new club.

Howell believes he will thrive against the competition in the AL East, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star reports.

EDGE Analysis

Howell, a native of the west coast, said the unique ballpark environments of the hard-hitting division is one reason he chose to join Toronto this offseason. "The AL East is so intense. All season long it's usually a close race, so there's usually no letup," the lefty said. "The crowd plays a huge factor when you're tired or struggling, in all aspects, really. But when you need it, they're there. You can get something out of it and it can break some guys down, too." The 33-year-old veteran will replace the departed Brett Cecil as the team's go-to lefty in 2017, affording Howell a realistic opportunity to notch 15-plus holds during the campaign.

Howell agreed to a one-year contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 33-year-old has spent the last four seasons in the Dodgers bullpen, accumulating a 2.49 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 205.2 relief innings. The southpaw has especially stymied lefties in the past, as they batted a collective .210/.283/.274 against him in 423 plate appearances with the Dodgers. He dropped off a little last year, posting a 4.09 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 50.2 innings, but the Blue Jays are hoping he can get back on track in their bullpen.

Howell has allowed just two runs in his last 18.2 innings to lower his ERA from 5.31 to 3.23.

EDGE Analysis

The big reason for Howell's success can be tied to his improvement versus right-handed batters, a group that batted .318 against Howell in 2016 but Re hitting just .186 this year.

Howell threw one inning, during which he gave up one run, in Saturday's victory over the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

Saturday's game saw Howell's scoreless streak of 6.1 innings come to an end when he gave up his first home run of the season, bringing his ERA up to 5.51. This is concerning, as Howell is coming off a 2015 campaign that ended with a 1.43 ERA, marking his third straight season below the 2.40 mark. However, having given up three runs across 9.1 innings in the month of May, Howell is showing signs of improvement and could progress to his normal form as the season goes on.

Howell has tossed scoreless innings in back-to-back appearances after allowing six runs in one inning over his first three appearances.

EDGE Analysis

Howell has never been a flamethrower, but his 85.4 mph average fastball velocity so far this year would be the lowest mark of his career if it sticks. With zero holds, Howell has a ways to go before regaining a shred of fantasy relevance.