Bowden

Francis

It’s just a procedural move to free up a roster spot for Ben Cowles. Francis underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month and is not expected to be back in Toronto’s plans until 2027.

Francis missed the final 3 1/2 months of last season, but that was due to a shoulder impingement. He’s turning 30 in April, so this is obvious a giant setback to his career. Francis was a huge surprise down the stretch for the Jays in 2024, posting a 1.33 ERA and a 49/6 K/BB in his final eight starts that year. However, he struggled to a 6.08 ERA in 14 starts before getting hurt last year, and he wasn’t in the Jays’ immediate plans for 2026.

Francis could potentially be an option to operate as a multi-inning relief weapon in the postseason. The 29-year-old righty hit the injured list back in mid-June with a shoulder impingement after struggling to an inflated 6.05 ERA across 64 innings over 14 starts at the outset of the year.

The procedural move opens up a spot on Toronto’s 40-man roster ahead of the upcoming trade deadline. Francis was shut down earlier this month after suffering a setback in his recovery from a right shoulder impingement. It’s unclear at this juncture whether he’ll make it back before the regular season concludes.

The 29-year-old hurler felt a “bit cranky shoulder-wise” according to manager John Schneider, so the team will back off of him for the next 10 days in an effort to get that to calm down. It sounds like he may be facing a lengthy absence here, as even when he is cleared to resume throwing it’s going to take a while for Francis to build back up.

It’ll be the first one that the 29-year-old hurler has thrown since landing on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement in mid-June. There’s still no timeline on when Francis may be ready to rejoin the team’s starting rotation, but this will at least be a small step in the right direction.

Francis had a better outing last time out against the Phillies, but he’s really struggled in going 2-8 with a 6.05 ERA in 14 starts this season. He’ll rest up and likely aim for a return after the break. The Jays should be getting Max Scherzer back soon, but they’ll get by with Eric Lauer and Spencer Turnbull making starts for now.

Francis got through three quiet innings against the Phillies before unraveling in the fourth, walking three batters and hitting two more to bring two runs in without a hit. He’d leave with two outs and the bases loaded at 74 pitches and four strikeouts. The 29-year-old right-hander ends the day with a 6.05 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and a 54/27 K/BB ratio across 64 innings. He’ll take on the White Sox in Toronto on Friday.

Francis gave up five hits, walked five and struck out two. The 29-year-old right-hander continues to give up plenty of power to left-handed hitters. Brooks Lee, who hadn’t hit a home run in almost a month, took him deep for a solo shot in the fourth inning. Francis’ 6.12 ERA in 60 1/3 innings this year is a far cry from his 3.30 ERA in 103 2/3 innings last year. He’s not a recommended fantasy option at this point. Francis will get the Phillies next weekend if he remains in the rotation.

Just when it seemed like Francis might be turning things around, this happens. He’s posted a 3.98 ERA in his previous four starts, lowering his season mark from 5.66 to 5.04. If he can’t bounce back and put together a nice outing Sunday against the Twins, he could find his rotation spot in jeopardy.