Toronto Blue Jays claim INF Ben Cowles off waivers from Chicago Cubs; place Bowden Francis on 60-day IL
The Toronto Blue Jays made a pair of roster moves on Wednesday, as the team announced they have placed pitcher Bowden Francis on the 60-day injured list and claimed infielder Ben Cowles off of waivers from the Chicago Cubs.
Francis was placed on the injured list after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his UCL in his throwing elbow.
The news continues a disastrous stretch for Francis, who was tagged by many around the team and in the media to be a prominent contributor in the pitching rotation entering the 2025 campaign after he had a brilliant end to his season as a starter in 2024.
Francis struggled in 2025, though, pitching to a 6.05 earned-run average over 14 starts before he was placed on the injured list in June with a right shoulder impingement and would go on to miss the rest of the season.
The timing of this surgery, as camp opens, means Francis will miss the entirety of the 2026 season, as the recovery timeline for UCL surgery is usually at least 12 months.
Cowles, 26, was designated for assignment earlier in the week by the Cubs. The native of Rochester, New York has bounced around in the minor leagues since being selected in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft by the New York Yankees. He has made stops with the Yankees, Cubs and Chicago White Sox.
Cowles split the 2025 season between the Cubs and White Sox in Triple-A, hitting .235 with nine home runs over 128 games played. Over 459 career games in the minor leagues, Cowles has made 216 starts at shortstop, 140 starts at second base and 92 starts at third base.
