Blue Jays option reliever Erik Swanson to Triple-A Buffalo

After some serious struggles early in his 2024 season, the Toronto Blue Jays announced they have optioned reliever Erik Swanson to Triple-A Buffalo.

ROSTER MOVES:

🔹 RHP Chad Green has been reinstated from the 15-day IL and will be active tonight

🔹 RHP Erik Swanson optioned to Triple-A pic.twitter.com/eY4tRQul9F

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 28, 2024

The Blue Jays acquired Swanson during the 2022 offseason in a deal that saw Teoscar Hernandez head to the Seattle Mariners. He was very solid in his first season with the Jays, posting a 2.97 ERA and 75 strikeouts through 66.2 innings. Unfortunately, he hasn’t come close to duplicating those numbers this season.

Through 13.2 innings this season, Swanson had posted a horrific 9.22 ERA, which made it nearly impossible for manager John Schneider to throw him on the mound in high-leverage situations.

In Swanson’s defence, he rightfully had his mind on other things during spring training earlier this year. His four-year-old son, Toby, was struck by a vehicle in late February and suffered some significant injuries. Thankfully, he wound up being okay and could return home a short time later.

In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays also announced that Chad Green had been reinstated from the 15-day IL. He hasn’t pitched for the Blue Jays since suffering a right shoulder strain in mid-April, but he was performing well prior, having given up just two earned runs through 7.2 innings on the season.

The Blue Jays will be hoping that a stint at the Triple-A level can help get Swanson back on track. Nearly their entire bullpen has struggled so far this season and has played a big part in why they own an underwhelming 24-29 record through 54 games thus far.

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