4 Blue Jays players who are dragging the team down this year

It's no secret that the Blue Jays have had a disappointing start to the season. While they started off strong, they hit a bit of a swoon at the end of April, and currently sit at 15-16.

Toronto has several players working through cold streaks, some of which have been more impactful than others

Let's explore take a look at four Blue Jays players who are weighing the team down this season.

4 Blue Jays players who are dragging the team down this year

Bowden Francis

Last season, Bowden Francis emerged as an under-the-radar gem in the Blue Jays rotation. He had a 2.72 ERA in 13 starts in the second half last year, and carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning in two starts. He started the season strong, which led to him having the lowest ERA (2.97 ERA) in Blue Jays history through his first 17 career starts.

That success has been replaced by struggles as of late, however.

He has a 5.28 ERA through six starts this year and has given up an MLB-leading 11 home runs this season.

He had the worst start of his career his last time out when he gave up seven runs in three innings against the Red Sox.

Francis' struggles with the longball have leaked into the rest of the pitching staff as well. Toronto pitchers have given up 44 home runs this year, which is tops in MLB.

While Francis has picked up two wins this season and is the in the 70th percentile in walk rate (6.9%), he's in the 8th percentile in barrel rate (14.6%) and the 5th percentile in hard-hit rate (51%), both of which are incredibly disappointing. The Blue Jays will need to start considering alternatives if Francis continues to struggle.

But, on the other hand, they don't have a ton of alternatives. Jake Bloss is the only starter in Triple-A on the 40-man roster, but he has a 5.75 ERA in 20 1/3 innings with Buffalo this year. Alek Manoah is another option but he isn't expected to make his debut this season until August and will need to be eased into action.

Nathan Lukes

Lukes hasn't been very impressive so far this year. While he's shown flashes in the field and was a solid substitute while Daulton Varsho was on the injured list, he's been one of the weaker links at the bottom of the Blue Jays' order.

He's hitting .256 with five RBI and 10 hits across 39 at-bats this year, and is a bit redundant on the current roster. Myles Straw is also a solid defender and has been doing better at the plate (.304 average in 46 at-bats).

Lukes roster spot could be better utilized on someone else.

Josh Walker

The 30-year-old Walker is no stranger to struggles on the mound, as he came into the season with a 6.45 ERA in 22 games with the Mets.

He started the season as a depth option in Triple-A before he being recalled on April 21st due to a plethora of injuries in the bullpen.

While he's only appeared in two games this year, he's allowed four runs in 3 2/3 innings across two appearances. Both of his appearances came in blowouts.

He'll likely be the first player sent back to the minors once some of the reinforcements are healthy. He was good with Triple-A Buffalo this year (2.57 ERA in seven innings) and has a career 3.95 ERA in the minors.

It's clear the Blue Jays don't trust him in any kind of situation that has any kind of leverage, and it seems like he's nothing more than a depth arm.

Ernie Clement

While Clement was a Gold Glove finalist at third base last year, he's gotten off to a slow start at the plate this year. He's batting .230 this year with five RBI and a .533 OPS through 29 games.

While Clement has ranked in the 91st percentile in sprint speed (28.8 ft/sec), and the 97th percentile in Outs Above Average (4), he has an OPS+ of 55.

But he needs to improve on his hard-hit rate (1st percentile, 17.7 %) and chase rate (9th percentile, 36%) if he wants to be an everyday contributor. The Blue Jays offense has struggled this year, which has made Clement's shortcomings at the plate look a little more magnified.