Toronto Blue Jays' Reliever Steps Away From Team to Deal with Scary Family Situation

Toronto Blue Jays' star reliever Erik Swanson is away from the team because of a scary family situation.

Per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com on social media:

John Schneider just shared with us that Erik Swanson’s 4-year-old son, Toby, was hit by a car Sunday and airlifted to hospital.

Toby is “on the road to recovery and surrounded by family.” Swanson will be away from the team.

An emotional Schneider expressed his love and support.

Schneider says the entire #BlueJays organization will be there for Swanson's family to lean on: “

As a dad, I have two boys who are seven and five and it hits home. Baseball is just baseball, you know? You pray. You hope for the best. Thankfully, that has been the case so far."

Schneider says the entire #BlueJays organization will be there for Swanson's family to lean on:

“As a dad, I have two boys who are seven and five and it hits home. Baseball is just baseball, you know? You pray. You hope for the best. Thankfully, that has been the case so far."
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) February 27, 2024

Certainly, first and foremost, you hope that Swanson's family situation resolves itself positively. Everyone is rooting for that.

When Swanson does return, he will fill a vital role in the Jays' bullpen as one of their top relievers.

The 30-year-old is coming off a season in which he went 4-2 with a 2.97 ERA in 69 games. He was an integral part of the Jays making the playoffs for the second straight year as well. He struck out 75 batters in 66.2 innings.

Lifetime, Swanson has a 3.78 ERA in five seasons with the Seattle Mariners and Blue Jays. He was traded from Seattle to Toronto before the 2023 season in the deal that sent Teoscar Hernandez to Seattle.

He's become an extremely valuable bullpen arm in the last two years, making 57 and 69 appearances.

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