Blue Jays Place Bowden Francis On Injured Lis

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The Austin Shenton Jersey Blue Jays announced today that right-hander has been played on the 15-day injured list with right forearm extensor tendinitis. Left-hander was recalled in a corresponding move. At first glance, the lo s of Francis might not seem to be too significant since he was operating as the clubs long reliever. However, when combined with other details, it highlights the thin starting depth for the Jays. The club has a strong five-man rotation at the moment in , , , and . The latter is the least established of that bunch but he has looked solid so far, with a 3.86 earned run average through his first three starts, striking out 28.8% of batters faced. But with Francis now on the shelf, its unclear who the club would turn to if any of those five suffered an injury. was in the mix earlier this year but he was recently squeezed off the roster and traded to the Giants, so hes no longer an option. is theoretically a po sibility, but the Jays likely arent too excited about turning to him again. He was a borderline ace in 2021 and 2022 but struggled badly last year, with his ERA ticking up to 5.87. Here in 2024, he started the season on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. He has been on a rehab a signment in the minors in recent weeks but hasnt looked great, having allowed 18 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings. Reading the stat line on a rehab a signment cant always tell you everything since a pitcher might simply be focused on getting the ball over the plate and staying healthy while caring le s about the results. However, relays that the eye test was also not good during Manoahs outing for Buffalo last night, with his velocity noticeably down. Prospect had been throwing in Triple-A and could have been considered an option until recently, but he was sent for an MRI due to some discomfort in his throwing elbow. Its still unclear what the next steps are for him but his last appearance was two weeks ago. For now, the rotation is in okay shape but injuries are fairly inevitable. Even if everyone stays healthy, Rodrguez might hit a wall at some point. He didnt pitch at all last year after the World Baseball Cla sic, as he didnt return to his team in Japan while trying to be declared a free agent. Even prior to that mostly dormant season, he was working as a reliever in the NPB and will be challenged to suddenly shoulder a starters workload for all of 2024. With Francis and Tiedemann hurt, White gone and Manoah struggling, the Jays will have to think about who is next up. is on the 40-man roster but he is a 37-year-old journeyman. is also on the roster but hes not yet reached Triple-A and only has three Double-A starts on his track record. Given the sudden subtraction of depth, the Jays will likely keep a close eye on the waiver wire or perhaps make a small trade to add some veteran depth. If they want to turn to free agency, guys like and are still out there, though they would need a few weeks to get into game shape after mi sing Spring Training. Zack Littell Jersey Click here Click here Click here