Dodgers Officially Make Trade, Acquire Starting Pitcher From Blue Jays

The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially announced their acquisition of left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Dodgers acquired Lauer in a trade with the Blue Jays, sending cash to complete the deal.

In order to make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

The Dodgers acquired LHP Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred RHP Brusdar Graterol to the 60-day injured list.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 17, 2026

Who is Eric Lauer?

Lauer, 30, is a veteran starting pitcher who was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays this past week.

Lauer made eight appearances (six starts and two long relief outings) for Toronto, sporting a 6.69 ERA with 26 strikeouts to 16 walks over 36.1 innings of work.

Lauer was outspoken about not wanting to pitch behind an opener this year. In his six starts, he had a 6.15 ERA across 26.1 innings.

While Lauer struggled this year, he played a key role in the Blue Jays' World Series run last year.

In the regular season, he made 28 appearances (15 starts), sporting a 3.18 ERA with 102 strikeouts over 104.2 innings of work. As a starting pitcher, he had a 3.77 ERA across 74 innings. As a reliever, he had a 1.76 ERA across 30.2 innings.

In the postseason, Lauer made five appearances, allowing three runs over 8.2 innings.

He was dominant in the World Series against the Dodgers, pitching 5.2 scoreless innings across two appearances. He recorded the final three outs of Toronto's 11-4 Game 1 win. He then pitched 4.2 innings in the 18-inning Game 3 thriller.

Lauer was initially drafted by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He debuted in 2018 as a top prospect within the organization, but was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers after the 2019 season.

He spent four years with Milwaukee before being out of MLB in 2024. He signed minor league deals with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros before playing in the Korea Baseball Organization.

Overall, across parts of eight seasons in MLB, Lauer has a 4.26 ERA over 737.2 innings. He utilizes five pitches, mainly relying on a 90.4 mph fastball while also mixing in a changeup, cutter, slider and curveball.

Brusdar Graterol Suffers Setback in Return to Dodgers

As for Graterol, he was on a rehab assignment and appeared to be nearing a return. Then, he suffered a setback, and now has no timetable to return.

Graterol last appeared on an MLB mound in the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees. He made just seven regular season appearances in 2024 and hasn't pitched at the MLB level since.

Graterol took to social media to send a message after his latest setback.

"Baseball is not easy," Graterol wrote. " But it's no reason to give up. LFG."

Baseball is not easy

But it's no reason to give up.
LFG
— brusdar graterol (@BrusdarGraterol) May 16, 2026

In Graterol's last full season in 2023, he made 68 appearances for the Dodgers, sporting a 1.20 ERA over 67.1 innings of work. He has a 2.78 ERA across 188 career appearances at the MLB level.

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