Dodgers Adding Former Blue Jays, Padres Starting Pitcher Amid Rash of Injuries

The Los Angeles Dodgers are making a pitching addition as their staff continues to get hit by injuries.

Left-hander Eric Lauer, who was designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays this past week, is joining the reigning back-to-back World Series champions, per Katie Woo of The Athletic.

It's currently unclear if it's a trade or a waiver claim.

The Dodgers are signing Eric Lauer, sources tell The Athletic. Lauer, who played a big part in the Blue Jays playoff run, was DFA’d by Toronto last week. Pitched 8 games, made 6 starts. Gives Dodgers some options with their pitching currently relatively thin.
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) May 17, 2026

Lauer was DFA'd after eight games (six starts) for Toronto this year, where he struggled, sporting a 6.69 ERA with 26 strikeouts over 36.1 innings of work. He walked 16 and allowed a American League-worst 11 home runs.

Lauer was used behind an opener (or in relief) in his two non-starts. He was outspoken about not liking the strategy.

“It’s definitely different,” Lauer said last month. “To be real blunt, I hate it. I can’t stand it. But you work with what you got.”

“You can make it work the best you can,” Lauer added. “It’s just, hopefully it’s not something that we will continue doing. But you know, that’s above my pay grade.”

Lauer's final appearance with the Blue Jays came in relief. He pitched the final five innings of their May 10 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, allowing six runs across five innings. He was DFA'd the next day.

While Lauer struggled this season, he played a key role in the team's World Series run in 2025.

In the regular season, Lauer made 28 appearances (15 starts), sporting a 3.18 ERA with 102 strikeouts over 104.2 innings of work. In the postseason, he made five appearances, sporting a 3.12 ERA over 8.2 innings. He pitched 5.2 scoreless innings against the Dodgers in the World Series.

Eric Lauer Career History

Lauer was initially drafted by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He debuted with San Diego just two years later in 2018, and pitched 261.2 innings across two seasons with the Padres. He had a 4.40 ERA.

The Padres traded Lauer to the Milwaukee Brewers after the 2019 season. He struggled in limited action in 2020 before having strong seasons in 2021 (3.19 ERA across 118.2 innings) and 2022 (3.69 ERA across 158.2 innings).

He then struggled in 2023 and didn't get back to MLB until 2025. In 2024, he signed minor league deals with both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros before playing in the Korea Baseball Organization.

Lauer was able to ressurect his career in Toronto last season. This year, though, the 30-year-old didn't find the same success.

How Will Eric Lauer Fit With Dodgers?

The Dodgers pitching staff has been ravaged by injuries as of late.

Blake Snell (elbow) and Tyler Glasnow (back) are out. The Dodgers are currently sporting a five-man rotation, which isn't ideal with their starters used to additional rest.

“Right now, I don’t know if we have six candidates,” manager Dave Roberts said on Friday.

Lauer could theoretically get some spot starts in the rotation. He could also factor into the team's bullpen plans, which continues to deal with injuries, too.

Left-handed pitcher Jack Dreyer was placed on the injured list Sunday morning. He joins Edwin Díaz, Brock Stewart, Ben Casparius, Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips as key relievers on the shelf.

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