Toronto has placed Jon Rauch on the disabled list after the closer underwent an emergency appendectomy in Seattle this morning.
Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star speculates that the Blue Jays may give Jesse Litsch an opportunity to save games in Rauch’s absence, but turning back to former closer Frank Francisco seems more likely considering he’s thrown nine straight scoreless outings in a setup role.
Rauch has been shaky since taking ninth-inning duties away from Francisco in mid-July, blowing three saves in seven chances while allowing eight runs in 14 innings. Recovery timetables from appendectomies vary, but there’s a good chance he’ll be ready to return when eligible in 15 days.
