Blue Jays announce pair of roster moves prior to last game before All-Star break

Sunday afternoon's matchup against the Diamondbacks will be the Blue Jays' last game before the All-Star break. The club is limping into the break sporting a 43-52 record that's put them 14 games back in the AL East and four games behind the fourth-place Rays.

Prior to Sunday's game, the Blue Jays took to social media (X link) to announce a pair of roster moves that will shift things around in their bullpen. Right-hander Bowden Francis has been optioned to Triple-A while left-hander Brandon Eisert is being recalled from the Buffalo Bisons.

Blue Jays option Bowden Francis, recall Brandon Eisert

Francis, 28, has had a weird season so far. He broke camp in the starting rotation, fulfilling a dream of his that he's always been chasing. The starts were okay, but the results offered quite the mixed bag. He was shuffled back to the bullpen as a multi-inning option and things haven't gone much better. All told, he's got 16 appearances (three starts) with a 5.82 ERA, 5.34 FIP and 70 ERA+.

Francis has seen a dip in strikeouts while both his walk and hit rates are elevated compared to last season's numbers. He was dominant in a 20-game showing (all in relief) in 2023, so the Blue Jays still have high hopes about his future, even if he's struggled to find his footing this year. He'll be back.

Eisert, 26, is back for another go-round at the game's highest level. His big league experience to this point has consisted of one two-inning appearance in which he walked three batters and allowed a hit but did not have any runners come in to score.

The left-hander was an 18th-round selection by the Blue Jays back in the 2019 MLB Draft and has been gradually making his way through the rankings ever since. This year is his third in Triple-A and while his numbers haven't jumped off the page, he's striking out over 13 batters per nine innings, which is something the Jays could use more of out of their bullpen that has struggled mightily this year.

Prior to Sunday's contest, the Blue Jays' bullpen ranks 29th in baseball in ERA and 30th in both FIP and HR/9. Injuries to Yimi Garcia and Jordan Romano have forced unlikely names like Eisert, Ryan Burr and Brendon Little into unexpected roles, but even when Romano was healthy, he didn't look like himself. It's been a weird year, and the Jays could use a revitalized Francis after the trade deadline comes and goes.