Rockies bringing back Jeff Francis

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DENVER -- Jeff Francis returned to the Colorado Rockies, signing a contract with his first major league team hours before starting against the Los Angeles Angels.

To make room on the roster for Francis, the Rockies designated reliever Esmil Rogers for assignment.

Francis, 31, was the Rockies' first-round draft pick in 2002 and from 2004-2010, he went 55-50 with a 4.77 ERA in 150 starts for Colorado. In 2007, when the Rockies went to the World Series, Francis went 17-9 with a 4.22 ERA.

Shoulder problems cost him the entire 2009 season. He went 6-16 with a 4.82 ERA for Kansas City last year.

He signed a minor league contract this year with Cincinnati with an opt-out date of June 1. At Triple-A Louisville, he went 3-6 with a 3.72 ERA.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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