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Injury Report – Francis to make another triple-A rehab outing, Green and Rodríguez beginning assignments this weekend, Votto close to returning to game action

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation | By Thomas Hall | Last updated 5/17/24

Some much-needed reinforcements should be arriving soon for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Bowden Francis (forearm), who struck out four over two shutout innings in his first rehab start with triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, is slated to make another appearance Saturday with the Bisons, manager John Schneider told reporters Friday, including The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath.

The Blue Jays skipper also revealed that reliever Chad Green (shoulder) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at triple-A on Sunday, while starter Yariel Rodríguez (back) will pitch Tuesday. He added that Joey Votto (ankle) has been participating in batting practice and running the bases in Dunedin, Fla., this week and could appear in a game soon.

Correction to this: Bowden Francis is actually pitching with Triple A tomorrow. Green remains on Sunday. https://t.co/2rINimi6DU

— Kaitlyn McGrath (@kaitlyncmcgrath) May 17, 2024

Toronto’s pitching depth has been thinned out considerably due to injuries, leaving the club without a traditional multi-inning reliever in its bullpen while forcing Zach Pop and Nate Pearson into prominent relief roles. Alek Manoah has also been called upon in the starting rotation amidst Rodríguez’s absence.

Coming off an impressive outing versus the Minnesota Twins last Sunday, where he punched out six and allowed zero earned runs (three unearned) over seven innings, Manoah seems likely to remain in the rotation moving forward. As such, the Blue Jays could transition Francis and Rodríguez to the bullpen upon their returns.

One way or another, the club’s pitching staff appears closer to returning to full strength as each day passes — and it couldn’t be coming at a more opportune time, with a pivotal 13-game stretch versus sub-.500 opponents on the horizon.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

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