Don't Cry, Jeff Francis

Colorado Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis is scheduled to have exploratory surgery on his pitching shoulder next Wednesday and will likely miss the entire 2009 season.

The lefty went 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA, pitching through pain from May on. He finally landed on the disabled list and was shut down in September. This, coming after he enjoyed a 17-9 record and 4.22 ERA in 2007.

Francis hadn't felt much discomfort during camp this Spring, but changed his tune once seeing video of himself throwing on Tuesday.

"It didn’t look anywhere close. I was really disappointed," he said, knowing MRIs haven't turned up a clear description of the issue. "There is obviously something going on."

Francis and pitching coach Bob Apodaca noticed differences in his form and points of his windup where he was compensating to relieve the pain. His release went sooner and extension went shorter, leaving a lot to be desired for speed on the ball.

So the Rockies are gonna go with Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Marquis as their top four, with the fifth spot likely going to Greg Smith. The 25-year-old lefty, acquired in the Matt Holliday trade, went 7-16 with a 4.16 ERA over 32 starts last season.

[ESPN] | [Purple Row] | [Rockies Locker] | [The DL Informer]