Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis to miss entire 2026 season

The night before pitchers and catchers report to the Toronto Blue Jays Spring Complex in Dunedin, Canada's Team was a dealt a significant blow to their pitching depth.

Bowden Francis, guru of the clubhouse and break out pitcher in 2024, is set to undergo UCL reconstruction surgery and will miss the entire 2026 season.

It's the second injury announcement of the day, following the news that outfielder Anthony Santander is set to have labrum surgery on his left shoulder and will miss 5-6 months.

Both surgeries are set to happen Wednesday under the supervision of Dr. Keith Meister.

Much like Santander, Francis also battled injuries throughout most of 2025, after a strong 2024, including one of the most legendary Septembers in recent memory.

While Francis wan't expected to make the opening day roster, his injury is still costly. Jake Bloss is likely out for the year, Adam Macko likely needs another month or two of recovery, and Ricky Tiedemann needs to prove he can stay healthy.

Even without Francis, the Blue Jays rotation will be the story of camp, as they have six legitimate starters and theoretically five spots. But as the saying goes, these things often take care of themselves.

Hopefully Bowden can recover and be fully healthy for 2027.

Also read on Blue Jays Central :
Toronto Blue Jays' Shane Bieber to begin 2026 season on injured list