Rockies' Jeff Francis Goes On DL

Colorado had been getting a lot of love from pre-season pundits, but their path turned rough this morning, with the news that Jeff Francis would be going on the disabled list. He had pitched five shutout innings against the Cubs on Thursday, but reported pain under his left armpit the next day. He said:

"It's hurting pretty bad, but not like before. I don't know if that's good news or bad. I threw the ball (Thursday) in a way I hadn't thrown it in a long time. It was probably taxing on my shoulder and it probably wasn't ready for it. Needless to say, I'm pretty disappointed."

The "not like before" reference is because Francis missed all of 2009, after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum. He had apparently recovered from that, was scheduled to make the second start of the season for Colorado, in Milwaukee, but his spot in the rotation will now be taken by left-handed Greg Smith. There's no immediate plans for Francis to undergo an MRI, and he is expected to travel with the team to Milwaukee, before returning to Denver for examination.

For more reaction from Rockies' fans, visit Purple Row.