TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays made several changes to their pitching staff Tuesday, placing starter Bowden Francis on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement and designating reliever Erik Swanson for assignment.

The team also selected left-hander Justin Bruihl to the major-league roster and recalled right-hander Paxton Schultz from Triple-A Buffalo.

After a stellar second half of the 2024 season, Francis earned a rotation spot but has struggled this year. He posted a 2-8 record and 6.05 earned-run average over 14 starts.

The move to the IL was retroactive to last Sunday, the team said.

“He’s been dealing with it for probably the last two or three starts but not enough to hold him out,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “I think just after (his last start) Sunday, we wanted to get some imaging done.

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“There’s nothing structurally wrong, just some inflammation in his shoulder. So hopefully we’ll get that calmed down and get him back on track.”

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The team announced the moves a few hours before the start of a three-game series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Swanson, meanwhile, was 1-0 with a 15.19 ERA over six appearances this season.

He was a reliable high-leverage option for the Blue Jays in 2023 but his ERA rose to 5.03 last season from 2.97 a year earlier.

Swanson dealt with a median nerve entrapment in training camp and experienced right forearm soreness in late April. Schneider said it was a “tough conversation” when he gave him the news.

“It kind of happens in the game when things aren’t going your way,” he said. “And he understands that part of it. It’s still hard to move on from a guy like that that’s meant a lot for you the last couple years.”

There could be some relief on the way for the Toronto pitching staff.

Starter Max Scherzer (thumb), who has made just one appearance for the Blue Jays, was slated to throw 70-75 pitches on Wednesday for Triple-A Buffalo, Schneider said.

Nick Sandlin (lat strain) was slated to throw for the Bisons on Tuesday night and fellow reliever Yimi Garcia (shoulder) planned to throw a live bullpen session Thursday at the team’s development complex in Florida.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025.

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Two Ontario men are facing charges in a labour trafficking investigation at a local sushi restaurant.

In a news release, Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) says it began investigating in March after receiving a report that three adult men from Mexico were being exploited while employed at the August 8 Sushi Restaurant on North Service Road West in Oakville.

Police say the men were brought to Canada and forced to work under poor conditions through “deception and coercion.”

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Investigators say the victims lived in cramped, overcrowded and unsanitary conditions and that they were made to feel powerless and dependent. Police also say their rights, including their sexual integrity, were violated.

Search warrants were carried out at the restaurant and two homes in Oakville and several items were seized.

Police say additional victims have since come forward.

On June 11, 2025, police arrested two men.

A 46-year-old man, the restaurant’s owner, has been charged with human trafficking, receiving money from the crime, employing foreign workers without permission, and possessing property obtained through crime.

A 27-year-old man, the head chef, is charged with human trafficking and receiving money, as well as sexual assault, withholding ID documents and hiring foreign workers illegally.

Both men are being held in custody while they wait for a bail hearing in Milton.

Police believe there may be more victims. Anyone with information is asked to call Halton police non-emergency line or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers.

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Officials say the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is one step closer to opening and remains on course to finally launch in September as Toronto’s transit agency takes over running trains on the line.

At an event on Tuesday, Metrolinx interim-CEO Michael Lindsay said the Toronto Transit Commission had taken over control of the 28 trains on the mid-town line as various tests continue.

“About a week ago, we moved control of the line from the backup operations command centre to the TTC’s command centre at Hillcrest, which means as of today or tomorrow, movement of trains on the line is actually governed by the TTC, as it will be when the line is in revenue service,” Lindsay said.

Giving the TTC control of the trains themselves takes the line closer to completion. Lindsay said civil infrastructure and driver training are both complete; a 14-day formal trial and a 30-day practice are still necessary before the whole project is officially finished.

The latter will mean “literally run(ning) the system as it will run when it is open to the public with no passengers on it.”

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A spokesperson for the TTC clarified that the transfer of control does not mean the complete transfer of the line.

“The good news, though, is that this week, train operations were transferred into our Transit Control Centre from a temporary control centre as testing, training and construction continue,” a spokesperson said.

“We leave it to the province to announce an opening date when we are confident the line is ready for safe and reliable operations.”

While control of the trains has been transferred from Metrolinx to the TTC, other parts of the line have not yet been given to the transit agency.

Crosslinx Transit Solutions, the consortium responsible for constructing the line, is currently counted as the project manager. When the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is ready to open, the TTC will take on the lead role and Crosslinx will be responsible only for its maintenance.

Empty retail spaces built into the stations will be given to the TTC to fill with businesses once the line is officially done, and control of ticketing and revenue collection needs to be passed to the agency as well.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said Tuesday he hoped the line would still open by September, as previously planned.

“As long as we ensure it’s a safe and reliable system, we’re on track for that date,” he said.

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