Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Bowden Francis Hurts Shoulder, Heads to Injured List

The Toronto Blue Jays have placed right-handed pitcher Bowden Francis on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement, the club announced Tuesday afternoon.

Francis last took the mound Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing one hit, three walks, two hit batsmen and two earned runs in 3.2 innings on 74 pitches. It was a continuation of his ongoing shaky stretch, which dates back to late April.

Prior to his 29th birthday on April 22, Francis boasted a 3.13 ERA and 1.043 WHIP through four starts. He has a 7.68 ERA and 1.805 WHIP in his 10 outings since, bringing his season ERA to 6.05 and his season WHIP to 1.531.

Francis was 9-5 with a 2.88 ERA and 0.903 WHIP for his career heading into 2025, only becoming a full-time starter towards the end of 2024. Between Francis' struggles and Max Scherzer's thumb injury, the Blue Jays haven't had as much starting pitching depth as they would have hoped, but the veteran trio of José Berríos, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt has been as steady as ever at the top of the rotation.

In a slew of related moves, Toronto recalled right-handed pitcher Paxton Schultz from Triple-A Buffalo and selected left-handed pitcher Justin Bruihl to the big league roster. Right-handed reliever Erik Swanson was designated for assignment after making six appearances with a 15.19 ERA and-0.5 WAR this season.