PLAYING TIME: Bautista, Votto to DL, Axford out as closer

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Bautista suffers wrist injury

José Bautista (OF, TOR) was forced to leave the July 16 game due to a wrist injury, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.  Ben Francisco (OF, TOR) took over in right field, and got another start there the next night, against a left-handed starter. Since returning from a hamstring injury June 25, Francisco has been limited to just 14 at-bats, but should be able to find more playing time now.  It is unclear how large his role will be initially, but it's worth noting that his career splits are nearly identical.  Against right-handers, Francisco has posted a .755 OPS and a home run every 31.3 at-bats, while vs left-handers, he has a .769 OPS and a home run every 30.1 at-bats.  Prior...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From PT Today

Eugenio Suárez will play mostly DH for the Reds; Luis Arraez will slide into 2B for San Francisco; Austin Hays lands in Chicago, and more.
Feb 2 2026 8:55am
MacKenzie Gore's trade has rotation implications for both Texas and Washington. Plus Bader lands in San Francisco.
Jan 28 2026 3:03am
A NYC-heavy column, with Bellinger, Peralta, Robert Jr. all affecting their teams' playing time outlook.
Jan 22 2026 9:57am
Bo Bichette moves to Flushing; Realmuto stays in Philly; Caratini to Minnesota; and more...
Jan 20 2026 9:08am
Kyle Tucker is rightfully pumped after pocketing $240M. What does it mean for the LA roster? Plus ripples from the Ranger Suárez and CIN-TB-LAA trade.
Jan 16 2026 9:33am

Tools