Blue Jays' announce shocking roster move involving Bowden Francis

The loss of Francis to the IL is a notable development for the Jays, even though there's little information about his expected injury absence, as it opens a hole in their rotation.

Francis, who broke camp as the team's fifth starter after an excellent finish last season, has struggled badly recently. He has a 6.05 ERA and has given up 19 home runs and walked 27 in 14 starts, but he has continued to get starts largely due to a lack of better options.

With Francis struggling and the Blue Jays using a variety of bullpen arms for the fifth spot in the rotation in place of the injured Max Scherzer, extra pressure has been placed on veteran starters Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios and Kevin Gausman.

Scherzer (thumb) is scheduled to make his second rehab start for Buffalo on Wednesday.

Francis' next scheduled start date was Friday, against the Chicago White Sox.

Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reported that Francis has dealt with the shoulder issue for his last two to three starts.

The 29-year-old underwent recent imaging on the injury, which revealed no structural damage.

Schultz has pitched to a 3.06 ERA in eight games (two starts) and 17.2 innings for Toronto this season. He has a 3.13 ERA in 23 innings for Buffalo exclusively out of the bullpen.

Bruihl, 27, signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays in March. He has a career ERA of 4.62 in 76 major-league innings (two starts) with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.

He has a 3.81 ERA in 25 innings for Buffalo this season, again exclusively out of the bullpen.

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