Toronto Blue Jays Have Two Starting Rotation Candidates if Injury Woes Continue
The Toronto Blue Jays are currently dealing with some injury concerns in their starting rotation as both Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman are experiencing some shoulder discomfort.
There's no word yet on if one or both of the righties will be sidelined for Opening Day, but if they are, reports indicate that Mitch White or Bowden Francis could be ready to step in.
With regards to White, courtesy of 'The Athletic.'
White has flashed an uptick in velocity this spring with his four-seam fastball touching 97 mph — he averaged 93.9 on the pitch last season — which he attributed to feeling healthy, moving better and minor mechanical changes.
The organization still has a significant interest in seeing if White is a viable starter or, at the very least, suited for a bulk-innings role. Without any minor-league options left, White should break camp with the club — either as a starter or swingman — and it’ll be up to him to make the most of the opportunity.
The 29-year-old has spent parts of four years in the big leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Blue Jays. He's 3-11 lifetime with a 4.96 ERA. He appeared in a career-high 22 games during the 2022 season.
As for Francis:
Francis has yet to make an MLB start, but he impressed last season when he had a 1.73 ERA in 36 1/3 innings pitching in a bulk-innings role. He’s garnered praise from many in the organization, including starter Chris Bassitt, who expressed his belief that Francis could step into a rotation role and thrive.
Francis arrived in camp with the mindset to win a job and “show them that I belong.”
The Blue Jays are coming off a season in which they finished third in the American League East. They advanced to the playoffs again, but fell in two games to the Minnesota Twins in the wild card round. It's the second straight year that the Jays haven't won a playoff game.
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