The Toronto Argonauts will likely have to do without Ricky Ray for a third of the season, leaving the No. 1 quarterbacking duties to a player with only one CFL start under his belt.

Ray was put on the six-game injured list Tuesday, leaving little doubt his recovery from off-season shoulder surgery is a long time away.

Although the Argos could take him off the injured list earlier, it’s unlikely given Ray’s age (35), the seriousness of the injury (torn rotator cuff) and that he hasn’t taken a snap yet in training camp.

If Ray misses six games, the targeted return for last year’s most outstanding player in the East Division is Aug. 14 in Winnipeg.

The newly crowned No. 1, Trevor Harris, 29, looked good in his only CFL start in the final regular season game last season. But he’s very short on experience, although he knows the Argonauts system having played here in a supporting role since 2012.

Harris will start his second pre-season game Thursday against the Alouettes in Montreal.

Behind Harris are quarterbacks in Mitchell Gale, who has two seasons behind him in the Argo system, and Logan Kilgore, who joined the team late last season.

Neither Gale nor Logan has started a CFL regular season game, leaving the Argos one injury away from disaster at the quarterback position.

That’s why the Argos reached out Saturday to sign CFL veteran Adrian McPherson, who played five seasons with the Montreal Alouettes as backup to Anthony Calvillo.

By putting Ray on the six-game injured list, his salary (believed to be in the area of $320,000) is exempt from the salary cap.

However, Ray will not be allowed to practise with the team while he is on the injury list.

If the Argos feel his recovery is going more quickly than anticipated and he needs to miss only the first five games, his targeted return date would be the first game at the Rogers Centre on Aug. 8 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

However, his whole salary would count against the cap if he returns before six games.

This doesn’t mean that the Argos will use the salary cap relief to sign another quarterback.

Argonauts GM Jim Barker said the thinking behind putting Ray on the six-game injured list now is to set Ray’s mind at ease so that he will not feel pressure to come back sooner.

This gives him a date to have in mind so he can relax and focus on his rehab, Barker said.

Head coach Scott Milanovich had a slightly different interpretation on why the move was made Tuesday.

“Ultimately, it was because I didn’t want you guys asking about it next week and game week,” Milanovich told reporters. “That’s the truth. We didn’t want the distraction.”

In the meantime, Ray can throw on his own on the sidelines and continue with his off-field rehab. He just can’t practise with the team.

Ray has thrown the ball to a team staff member prior to practices, but under doctor’s orders, the numbers of balls he throws and the length of the throws is strictly controlled.

Monday was a good day for Ray, the head coach said.

“He felt less pinching, less pain when he threw,” Milanovich said, adding it’s still too early to tell if Ray can return by Aug. 14.

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“I’m hopeful it’s before that so we can pull him off the six-game (injury list),” Milanovich said.

Meanwhile, in another roster move Tuesday, the Argos called back running back Lyle McCombs after they cut him two days earlier.

McCombs was needed after tailback Curtis Steele went down with a knee injury at practice Monday.