Blue Jays' Bowden Francis: Looks good in rehab outing

Francis (forearm) struck out four batters and allowed only one hit over two scoreless innings Tuesday in a rehab appearance for Triple-A Buffalo.

The right-hander was shut down in late April due to forearm tendinitis, but Francis' sharp rehab outing suggests he's just about ready to rejoin the big-league staff. Alek Manoah is coming off a strong start as the fifth starter, so Francis will likely be ticketed for long relief when he returns. After a couple rough outings in the rotation to begin the season, Francis has 2.84 ERA and 5:3 K:BB in 6.1 relief innings for the Blue Jays.