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| Frank Francisco has agreed to a deal with the Rangers to avoid arbitration, according to the Sports Network. Terms were not disclosed. |
Our View: The 30-year-old vet nailed down a career-best 25 saves with Texas in 2009, and held a 3.83 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 49.1 innings. He would have had even more saves, but landed on the DL several times.
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| Rangers' skipper Ron Washington indicated that Frank Francisco is moving back into the closer's role, according to MLBblogs.com. |
Our View: Francisco has landed on the DL three times this season, but Washington feels comfortable with him as the closer while healthy again. C.J. Wilson will now work in a setup role.
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| According to the Star-Telegram, the Rangers have activated closer Frank Francisco from the 15-day disabled list. |
Our View: Francisco was dealing with walking pneumonia, heads back to the Ranger pen, but won't regain his closer role just yet. C.J. Wilson will continue to pitch the ninth inning until Francisco is considered ready to close.
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| Frank Francisco (pneumonia) is expected to be activated from the DL either today or tomorrow, according to the Dallas Morning News. |
Our View: As has been the case whenever Francisco has come back from injury this season, he's not expected to immediately resume his role as closer. Thus, he does not make a good play next week, as C.J. Wilson may have roughly another week or so of receiving Texas' save chances.
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| Frank Francisco is slated to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco Friday night, according to MLBblogs.com. He has been on the DL since July 10 due to pneumonia. |
Our View: Francisco will be evaluated after his outing to determine if he is fit to be activated from the DL. He could be back in Texas before the end of the week.
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| As expected, ailing closer Frank Francisco threw live batting practice on Wednesday, according to The Dallas Morning News. |
Our View: Francisco, who is recovering from pneumonia, says his arm is ready to go, and he is hopeful that he can avoid a rehab assignment. With C.J. Wilson filling in fine as the Rangers closer, and Francisco appearing increasingly creaky, don't count on that happening.
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| According to the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, Frank Francisco is expected to throw live batting practice on Wednesday. |
Our View: Francisco, on the DL since July 11th with walking pneumonia, had a successful bullpen session on Monday and could be headed for a rehab assignment if Wednesday's batting practice session goes well. C.J. Wilson will continue to handle the closing duties in his absence.
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| Frank Francisco has been placed on the DL, retroactive to July 11, with a mild case of pneumonia, according to the Dallas Morning News. |
Our View: Owners that can still make changes to their rosters, given that games have yet to commence this week, should replace Francisco immediately. Luckily, Francisco's most recent landing on the DL has nothing to do with the case of tendinitis that has shut him down twice this season. He'll be eligible to return from the DL this Sunday, with C.J. Wilson getting Texas' save opportunities in the meantime.
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| Frank Francisco is back in the closer's role with Texas for tonight's home game against the Angels, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: He has been shut down with tendinitis twice this season, but noted that he is feeling good again, and skipper Ron Washington returned him to the closer's role. He was previously working as a setup man. His fantasy value obviously goes back up following this news.
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| The Texas Rangers have activated closer Frank Francisco from the 15-day DL, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. In a corresponding move, the team optioned pitcher Guillermo Moscoso to Triple-A Oklahoma City. |
Our View: Manager Ron Washington told the media that Fancisco will not serve as the closer for Saturday's game, and the Rangers are expected to ease him back into the role. Francisco owners should get him activated in the next few days, but it wouldn't be a terrible idea to give him a few more days.
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| Frank Francisco fared well in his rehab outing Thursday with Double-A Frisco, according to the Star-Telegram. He is recovering from right shoulder tendinitis. |
Our View: He fired nine pitches over one inning of work. Francisco should be activated from the DL when first eligible Friday.
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| MLB.com reports that Rangers manager Ron Washington will ease Frank Francisco back into the closer's job once he returns. He hopes to be back for this weekend's series, but will make a rehab appearance at Double-A first. |
Our View: After starting off the season in a dominant fashion, he has made just five appearances since May 6. We don't expect him to make very many appearances in non-save situations before regaining the closer's job.
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| Frank Francisco, who has been recovering from tendinitis in his right shoulder, feels ready to return to the mound with Texas, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Francisco felt good following a bullpen session today. He should make one more rehab outing with Double-A Frisco, and could come off the DL when eligible Friday if he does not suffer a setback.
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| Frank Francisco has been placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 4 due to shoulder tendinitis. C.J. Wilson will continue to operate as the Rangers closer until he is eligible to return. |
Our View: Francisco has been phenomenal when healthy this season, however he's only made five appearances since May 6. Due to the retroactive nature of his DL stint, he could be ready to return this week. Don't expect the Rangers to rush him though as long as C.J. Wilson continues to throw well.
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| Frank Francisco reported that his shoulder was feeling better following a long toss session on Wednesday, according to the Star-Telegram. He is still considered day-to-day. "Every time I throw it gets better and better," Francisco said. "I don't know when I'll be ready. It could be two days, three days or two weeks. Who knows?" |
Our View: When Francisco is healthy, he has proven to be one of top options at closer. However, he has been sidelined more often than not over the past month. It sounds as if he will avoid the DL, and it's possible he could be ready to go for this weekend's games.
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| Updating an earlier report, the Rangers are uncertain if closer Frank Francisco will be available for tonight's game against Toronto while still nursing a sore right shoulder, according to MLBblogs.com. |
Our View: He should be held out of fantasy lineups until further notice, but he is improving and has avoided a trip to the DL for now.
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| The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting that Rangers' closer Frank Francisco is not expected to need a trip to the DL after being unavailable for the third consecutive game Sunday with tightness in his shoulder. |
Our View: Shoulder tightness in pitchers is usually a bad sign, but the Rangers aren't showing much concern. Earlier in the season, the team waited over a week before placing Francisco on the DL, but this looks like a different situation. Expect him to be back sometime this week barring some new injury news out of Texas.
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| Manager Ron Washington does not expect closer Frank Francisco to be available for today's game at Boston, according to the Dallas Morning News. |
Our View: He is nursing a sore shoulder, but Washington does not anticipate Francisco landing on the DL.
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| Frank Francisco was tagged with the loss against Oakland on Sunday after entering the 4-4 game in the ninth inning and giving up a home run to Adam Kennedy. |
Our View: The surrendered run was Francisco's first of the year. Still, it was not a save opportunity, so he remains without a blown save on the year and should continue to be one of the better closers in the league as long as he stays healthy.
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| Frank Francisco picked up his 10th save of the season on his first day back from the 15-day DL. He worked a scoreless 10th inning as the Rangers defeated the Astros 6-5 on Friday. He allowed one hit and struck out two. |
Our View: It looks like Francisco is back to his old self. He has been lights out for the Rangers since taking over the closer's role last August. He has not allowed a run since assuming the role.
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| The Sports Network reports that closer Frank Francisco has been activated from the 15-day DL and will be back in the bullpen for Friday night's game. He is fully recovered from right biceps tendinitis. |
Our View: One wouldn't have much difficulty arguing that Francisco was the best closer going when he landed on the DL. He has not given up a run since taking over the closer's job last August. In 13 appearances this season, he is 1-0 with eight saves and a 0.00 ERA.
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| Skipper Ron Washington is hopeful of Frank Francisco being available for Friday's game at Houston, according to the Associated Press. He has been recovering from right biceps tendinitis. |
Our View: Francisco was targeting Friday to come back as well. He was 9-for-9 on save opportunities, and should resume his role as the Rangers' closer upon his return.
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| Frank Francisco, who is recovering from right biceps tendinitis, threw a simulated game Wednesday, according to the Dallas Morning News. |
Our View: Francisco is targeting Friday for his return to Texas. He was a perfect 9-for-9 on save chances prior to going down, and hopefully he will remain strong upon his return to the closer's role.
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| Frank Francisco threw another bullpen session on Monday and is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Wednesday, according to the AP. The closer, who is dealing with biceps tendinitis, is expected to rejoin the team when he is eligible to come off the DL on Friday. |
Our View: Franciso was arguably the most dominant closer going when he landed on the DL. He has yet to give up a run through his first 14.2 innings this season. The Rangers used him in three consecutive games just prior to his stint on the DL, and it seems unlikely that they will use him so extensively once he does return.
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| Frank Francisco is expected to come off the DL Friday when first eligible, according to the Dallas Morning News. He has been recovering from biceps tendinitis. |
Our View: Francisco feels he is close to full health. He is yet to blow a save over nine chances, and should resume his closer's role immediately upon his return.
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| MLB.com is reporting that Frank Francisco has been placed on the 15-day DL by the Rangers. Francisco has been suffering from biceps tendinitis. |
Our View: Francisco came out on fire this season, so it's unfortunate that he has landed on the DL. Keep him on your roster until he comes back, because he is one of the better closers in the game when healthy.
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| According to the Dallas Morning News, Frank Francisco reported no pain after his scheduled bullpen session on Saturday. |
Our View: He appears to be pain free, but isn't satisfied with his results. His command is good, but Francisco thinks that his velocity is down and the ball isn't popping out of his hand like is usually does. Sounds like he a has a couple of kinks to work out still. He has another bullpen session on Monday and is set to rejoin the team after that. If that isn't enough time, or he suffers a setback, we'll let you know.
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| Frank Francisco is considered questionable for the weekend series against the Angels, according to MLB.com. He is recovering from biceps tendinitis. |
Our View: Francisco may not be ready to return until some point next week. C.J. Wilson could handle the closer's role until he comes back.
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| Updating an earlier report, Frank Francisco was able to play catch today without any issues, according to the Star-Telegram. |
Our View: He will throw again tomorrow, with hopes of being available to play Saturday or Sunday. He has been recovering from biceps tendinitis.
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| Frank Francisco is feeling better while recovering from biceps tendinitis, and the Rangers are hopeful he can return to the bullpen Friday, according to the Dallas Morning News. |
Our View: If the closer is not ready for Friday, manager Ron Washington said the team may be forced to make a roster move. He has not pitched since May 6.
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| According to MLBlogs, Frank Francisco's condition is improving. He suffering from biceps tendinitis, but is slated to throw a side session tomorrow. |
Our View: Assuming the side session goes well, Francisco could be available to pitch in the weekend series against the Angels. He has been stellar this season, so this is good news for Francisco owners.
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| Frank Francisco is dealing with biceps tendinitis and hasn't made an appearance in almost a week, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. |
Our View: Francisco has been brilliant this season with a 0.00 ERA and nine saves on the season, so this is frustrating for the Rangers and fantasy owners. An MRI didn't reveal anything, but he will be held out of games for the next three days. C.J. Wilson and Eddie Guardado will get the save opportunities in his absence.
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| Frank Francisco is a perfect 8-for-8 on save chances this year as the savior at the end of the Rangers' bullpen, according to the Rangers Official Website. |
Our View: In addition to the saves, Frank has gone 13.2 innings without allowing a run and has only permitted nine base runners leading to a 0.66 WHIP. He has been fantastic in the early going and is an early leader for the Fireman of the Year award.
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| Rangers management believes Frank Francisco's success is due to improved secondary offerings (beyond his fastball), and teammates note that the closer is smarter about how he pitches, the Dallas Morning News reports. Francisco has yet to allow a run over 10.2 innings this season. |
Our View: Francisco still relies mainly on his heater, but he has been better about mixing in his split-finger offering. It's very good news that the sides are split on which area of Francisco's game is the most improved. We're beginning to buy more into his hot start, although the toughest months for pitching in Texas are still to come.
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| Frank Francisco threw another perfect ninth inning and earned his sixth save of the season in the Rangers' 5-4 win over the A's on Tuesday. |
Our View: Francisco has yet to allow an earned run this season in 10.2 innings and is looking like a shutdown closer in Texas. We know the Rangers have the offense, but if they have security in the bullpen and keep getting quality starts out of Kevin Millwood they might have a winning record this season.
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| Frank Francisco allowed one hit and struck out another while shutting out the Orioles in the ninth inning in Monday's 6-4 win. It was his fifth save of the season. |
Our View: Francisco has yet to give up a single run in 9.2 innings of work this season and he has allowed just one free pass. He has been as dominating as any closer in the game to start the season.
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| Frank Francisco got the last five outs as the Rangers beat the Blue Jays 5-4 on Tuesday. He allowed no runs while giving up two hits and a walk. |
Our View: Curiously, Francisco did not register a strikeout. Perhaps the fact that he knew he would have to throw more pitches than normal led him him to reduce his velocity some. Regardless, he got the job done again and has not allowed a run in seven innings of work this season.
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| According to MLB.com, Rangers' manager Ron Washington said that he would not hesitate to use Frank Francisco in the eighth inning of games in the future. Washington had originally hoped to use Francisco in the ninth only and use former closer C.J. Wilson as the setup man. |
Our View: It's always nice when your closer gets you some saves and strikeouts, but sometimes a closer pitching more is not necessarily a better thing. Watch to see how Francisco handles throwing more than one inning in a game.
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| Closer Frank Francisco worked a flawless ninth inning as the Rangers put away the Indians 9-1 on Monday. He managed one strikeout while retiring the only three hitters he faced on 13 pitches. |
Our View: Last year's closer C.J. Wilson pitched the eighth. Francisco is a fireballer that should see plenty of save opportunities this season, but following Wilson's excellent spring, he may be on a short leash.
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| Frank Francisco picked up his second save of the spring in the Rangers 8-5 win over Oakland on Thursday. The closer allowed one hit and struck out two in his only inning of work. |
Our View: Francisco should be a good source of saves with Texas this season. C.J. Wilson held the job last season and managed 24 saves despite a 6.03 ERA. Francisco should certainly top those numbers in 2009.
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| Frank Francisco picked up a save in the Rangers 5-3 win over the Royals on Wednesday. He allowed no hits, walks, or runs while striking out one in the ninth inning. |
Our View: Francisco should win the closer's job in Texas and he could be a nice source of saves. C.J. Wilson got 24 saves with Texas last season despite a 6.03 ERA.
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| Reliever Frank Francisco will sign a one-year deal on Tuesday with the Rangers and avoid arbitration, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Francisco is the leading candidate to close games for the Rangers next season. He picked up five saves at the end of last season, and in 63.1 innings, he had 83 strikeouts. He had a 3.13 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 58 appearances.
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| Frank Francisco earned his fifth save since taking over the role as closer for the Rangers. He disposed of the A's in order in the ninth inning of the team's 6-4 win. |
Our View: Francisco has not given up a single run since getting named to the ninth inning role, and it is very possible he could be the team's stopper next season.
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| Frank Francisco picked up his third save of the season in the Rangers 6-4 win over the Mariners, and he did it in impressive fashion, striking out the side. Of the ten outs necessary to get his three saves, Francisco has recorded strikeouts on seven of them while allowing just a single base runner. |
Our View: 14 of Francisco's 16 pitches on Tuesday were strikes, and he has been amazing in his very short period of time as a closer. If other owners in your fantasy league have not been made privy to Francisco's success, by all means pick him up.
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| With C.J. Wilson injured and Eddie Guardado now in Minnesota, the new closer for the Rangers is likely going to be Frank Francisco, according to the Dallas Morning News. |
Our View: Francisco probably should have been closing over Guardado anyway, just to see if he could be a candidate to do it next season. Francisco is a good option because of his ability to strike opposing hitters out. He has punched out 65 batters in 52.1 innings this season, and carries a 3.78 ERA and 1.24 WHIP into the ninth inning role. Pick him up if he's avaliable and your fantasy team needs saves.
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| The season ending injury to C.J. Wilson means that "Everyday" Eddie Guardado is now the closer in Texas. However, don't rule out Frank Francisco as the Rangers' closer du jour in September. |
Our View: After Eddie serves up his share of long balls with his 85 mph fastball and the Rangers fall completely out of the Wild Card race, the team will be looking towards the future. Francisco could be that arm.
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| Assuming Eddie Guardado takes his time recovering from his sore ankle and shoulder, it appears Frank Francisco will be called upon for eighth inning duties for the Rangers. In his last seven appearances he has not allowed a run while striking out nine and walking just one batter. |
Our View: Francisco combines a variety of pitches with accuracy and could be a long term solution for the setup role in the Rangers' bullpen. He has not allowed any of his 10 inherited runners over his last seven games to score.
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| The Rangers have called up Triple-A hurler Frank Francisco, according to The Dallas Morning News. In eight games (nine innings) for Triple-A Oklahoma, Francisco allowed just three hits, three walks and no runs. And he struck out an eye opening 16. To make room on the roster, the team sent Dustin Nippert to the DL with his right foot discomfort.
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Our View: Francisco will fight for playing time out of the Rangers' pen, and his fantasy stock is on the rise. He is on our radar, following his recent dominance in Triple-A.
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| Former chair-thrower Frank Francisco converted his fourth save of the season at Triple-A Oklahoma on Friday. |
Our View: Francisco could be helping the Rangers right now, but instead he is mowing down Triple-A hitters. He has not allowed a run this season in seven appearances, and he has an impressive 14/3 K/BB ratio in eight innings. Francisco’s career has not gotten completely back on track since Tommy John surgery and an unfortunate chair throwing incident in Oakland, but he still has the stuff to pitch at the end of games in the majors.
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| Frank Francisco agreed to a one-year deal with the Rangers on Tuesday. He posted a 4.55 ERA in 59 relief appearances with Texas this year. Francisco has pretty good stuff, but he's going to have to knock down his walk rate (5.76) if he's going to have continued success. |
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| As expected, the Rangers recalled Frank Francisco on Friday, according to the AP. Francisco hasn't pitched in the majors since 2004 as he has been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He posted a 1.84 ERA in 14 2/3 rehab innings for Double-A Frisco. |
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| Frank Francisco will rejoin the Rangers Friday and be available for the final three weeks, the Dallas Morning News reports. Francisco is coming back from Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched in the majors since 2004. Francisco was solid in 14.2 innings at Double-A this year, with a 1.84 ERA and 22 strikeouts (against just four walks). |
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| The Rangers are still holding out hope that Frank Francisco will be able to pitch for them this season, according to the Dallas Morning News. Francisco has been sent to short-season Class A Spokane, and if everything goes well there, he could join the Rangers this weekend. Francisco is recovering from Tommy John surgery. |
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| Frank Francisco was activated off of the disabled list at Double-A Frisco, according to the Rangers website. Francisco, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery, had been on a rehab assignment at Single-A Spokane. |
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| Frank Francisco is expected to be assigned to Single-A Spokane in an effort to get him some innings while he recovers from Tommy John surgery, according to the Rangers website. However, he is not expected to return to Texas this season. |
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| Frank Francisco is scheduled to throw a 30-pitch bullpen session today, according to the Dallas Morning News. He has complained of elbow soreness, and his recovery from Tommy John surgery has been slow. |
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