Bowden Francis Pitches Gem, Loses No-Hitter In The Ninth Inning
Toronto Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis was excellent on Wednesday as his team fell to the New York Mets 6-2. Francis pitched eight no-hit innings until giving up a home run to Fransisco Lindor in the ninth frame. He did not factor into the decision. Still, Francis' line was incredible: he pitched eight innings, gave up one hit, and walked and struck out one. The 28-year-old has been on a tear since returning to the Jays' rotation. In his past seven starts, he is (4-1) with a 1.50 ERA, a 0.44 WHIP, and a 5:46 BB: K in 48 IP. Francis seems to have at least earned a chance to compete for a rotation spot in 2025, and with that, he has increased his fantasy value and draft stock, too. Francis will look to continue his torrid stretch at his next start on Wednesday on the road against the Texas Rangers.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Bowden Francis continued his ridiculous run with seven more shutout innings, this time against the Boston Red Sox. Francis once again allowed just one hit while striking out five and walking none. It's been an incredible stretch for the 28-year-old, who has come out of nowhere to become a must-roster pitcher in fantasy. He now has four consecutive outings where he has allowed one run or less over seven-plus innings, and over those four starts he has allowed just six combined hits. If he is still out there in a shallow league, go get him as quickly as possible.
Bowden Francis Flirts With No-No, Strikes Out 12 In Dominant Performance
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Bowden Francis took a no-hitter into the ninth inning on Saturday during Toronto's 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Francis lost the no-hitter after giving up a solo HR to Taylor Ward but was spectacular along the way, striking out 12 Angels and recording his seventh win of the season. Francis has been very strong as a starter, allowing just four ER over his last four starts since Toronto moved him into the rotation. This marks his third straight start going seven innings or deeper, including a prior start against the Angels where he only gave up one hit in seven innings. The 28-year-old now also has four straight starts with seven or more strikeouts, giving him plenty of value from a fantasy perspective. Fantasy managers looking for starting pitching help need to snag Francis off the waiver wire if available. His next scheduled start is set for Thursday when the Blue Jays finish off a four game series in Boston against the Red Sox. Boston's bats should provide a tough test for the righty, though they've been prone to strikeouts that may make Francis a solid DFS option.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Bowden Francis had seemingly no issues on the mound during Sunday's outing against the Chicago Cubs. Francis struck out seven batters while allowing three hits over seven shutout innings during Sunday's win. His splitter was basically unhittable during his game as he gave up no hard hits when using it. This is now back-to-back strong outings from Francis. He'll carry 4.38 ERA into his next outing against the Los Angeles Angels. He could be an interesting streaming option against the struggling Halos offense.
Toronto Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis (5-3) had the best start of his young career on Monday night as the Jays beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2. In seven innings of work, Francis gave up one hit (a homer to Micky Moniak), walked none, and struck out eight. This gem brings Francis' ERA down to 4.92 on the season, and he will now surely get another turn in the rotation. He is available in 81% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues and is someone fantasy managers can pick up as a streamer. With how thin the Jays' pitching is this year, a starting job should be Francis' to run with. He looks to get another chance on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs.
Bowden Francis Likely To Start During Doubleheader On Monday
The Toronto Blue Jays are expected to call up right-hander Bowden Francis from Triple-A Buffalo to have him start one of the games of their doubleheader against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi is lined up to pitch on Friday against the division-rival Texas Rangers, with right-handers Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios scheduled to go on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Francis, 28, has posted a bloated 5.82 ERA (5.32 FIP) and 1.47 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 14 walks in 16 appearances (only three starts) in his third year in the big leagues, but he has tossed nine scoreless innings with 13 K's and only one walk in his two starts since being sent to Buffalo. Despite his two recent strong starts on the farm, Francis will be a pretty risky deep-league streaming option for fantasy managers against the first-place O's.
Brandon Eisert Returns To Major Leagues, Bowden Francis Demoted
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Brandon Eisert was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, July 14, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays optioned right-handed pitcher Bowden Francis to Triple-A. Eisert made one major league appearance earlier this season on June 17 and tossed two scoreless frames. He allowed one hit and three free passes. At Triple-A Buffalo, the Oregon State product posted a 5.17 ERA and 1.66 WHIP across 31 innings. The southpaw should continue to operate in a bullpen role in his second stint in the major leagues and could eventually be used in a bulk relief role, as he recorded over six outs in several outings in the minor leagues this season.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis did a solid job against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. The right-hander allowed three hits and a walk over four scoreless innings. The 28-year-old struck out three batters while needing only 49 pitches to navigate over four innings. It's unclear if he'll get another chance in the rotation or head back to the bullpen. If he stays in the rotation, Francis will get the Cleveland Guardians next weekend.
Trevor Richards To Open, Bowden Francis To Serve As Bulk Reliever
The Toronto Blue Jays announced that right-hander Trevor Richards will serve as the team's opener on Tuesday night against the visiting Baltimore Orioles, with right-hander Bowden Francis (forearm) expected to get the bulk of the innings in relief. Francis will be activated off the 15-day injured list for the assignment. Richards tossed 3 1/3 innings of relief last week against the Chicago White Sox and has gone more than an inning in seven of his 25 relief appearances this year, but fantasy managers looking for a streamer should still avoid the 31-year-old veteran. His last appearance came on Sunday against the Pirates. Francis, 28, has been out since late April with forearm tendonitis and had an ugly 8.59 ERA and 1.70 WHIP with 17 K's and seven walks in 14 2/3 innings for Toronto before going on the IL. Francis will be on a limited pitch count and should be avoided for streaming purposes.
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis (forearm) is currently being considered to take right-hander Alek Manoah's (elbow) next turn in the starting rotation after he was put on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a right-elbow sprain. In Francis' last minor-league rehab outing on Tuesday for Triple-A Buffalo, he picked up the win while giving up an unearned run on one hit while walking one and striking out five in 3 2/3 innings of work. The 28-year-old has been out since late April with forearm tendonitis, but his outing on Tuesday with the Bisons was likely his last before he returns to the big-league roster. Francis will be returning to an ugly 8.59 ERA and 1.70 WHIP with 17 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings over five appearances (two starts) for Toronto before his injury, but he could be worth a look as a deep-league streamer now that Manoah is out for an extended amount of time.
Bowden Francis
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Blue Jays
