The Blue Jays acquired the veteran hurler this past offseason from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Canadian prospect Connor Panas. Richard has been sidelined since spring training with a stress reaction in his right knee.
The 35-year old made a rehab start for the Buffalo Bisons last week tossing 3.1 innings of shutout ball while fanning four Triple-A hitters. Richard will be the 11th different pitcher to start a game for Manager Charlie Montoyo already this season.
Richard made 27 starts last season for the Padres accumulating a 7-11 record with a 5.