Toronto Blue Jays Roster
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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right forearm extensor tendinitis. The club has recalled left-hander Brendon Little from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move. Francis interestingly pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Jays in their loss to the Royals on Wednesday but will seemingly miss some time moving forward. The 28-year-old cracked the rotation out of spring training but struggled out of the gate and has recently pitched in a multi-inning bullpen role. He has struggled to an 8.59 ERA across five outings (two starts) while allowing four home runs in 14 2/3 innings, good for a bloated 2.45 HR/9 clip.
The Toronto Blue Jays placed outfielder Kevin Kiermaier (hip) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with left-hip flexor inflammation and recalled utility man Addison Barger from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move. Kiermaier was injured in Tuesday's contest and will now miss at least the next 10 days. Considering the 34-year-old's injury history, it wouldn't be a surprise if he missed more than the required 10 days on the IL. Kiermaier will be eligible to return on May 4. Daulton Varsho is moving to center field and batting cleanup on Wednesday, while Barger will make his major-league debut in left field while hitting eighth against Kansas City Royals right-hander Alec Marsh. Barger, who hits from the left side, is likely to see some playing time against right-handed pitching and is worth a deep-league pickup for his power upside.
Outfield prospect Addison Barger is joining the Toronto Blue Jays in Kansas City on Wednesday and is expected to be active, according to a source. Barger offers left-handed power and the ability to play the corner-outfield spots as well as third base. It's notable after outfielder Kevin Kiermaier (hip) left Tuesday night's game with hip-flexor discomfort. The team's No. 6 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, was hitting .314 (22-for-70) with three home runs, 21 RBI and 17 runs scored in 19 games for Triple-A Buffalo before getting his first big-league call-up. The 24-year-old former sixth-round pick in 2018 could see decent playing time in the short term in Toronto's outfield if Kiermaier hits the injured list, making him worth a pickup in deeper fantasy leagues for his 30-homer potential from the left side.
Right-hander Kevin Gausman will be starting for the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday in the second game of their four-game series against the Kansas City Royals. Gausman struggled to begin the year with his velocity, but in his last start against the Yankees, the right-hander had success, as he went five innings and allowed just one run on four hits while striking out six. Gausman is 0-2 with an 8.16 ERA this season and will face a Royals lineup that is slashing .237/.306/.405.
Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano recorded his third save on Monday in a 5-3 victory against the Kansas City Royals. Romano allowed one hit (one homer) with one strikeout in one inning pitched. He has now recorded three saves in four games that he has appeared in while recording a 4.50 ERA with three hits (one homer), and three strikeouts in four innings pitched. He may not be flashy with the strikeouts but he is recording saves and makes for a decent option for depth across all leagues. He is worth monitoring as he came off the injured list recently with elbow inflammation and has been a high-end closer in recent seasons.