Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Erik Swanson walks to the dugout during a pitching change in the seventh inning of Game 2 of an AL wild-card baseball playoff series against the Minnesota Twins Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, in Minneapolis. Swanson will be away from the team indefinitely after his son was hit by a car and hospitalized on Sunday in Florida, manager John Schneider said. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Bruce Kluckhohn
LAKELAND, Fla. – Blue Jays reliever Erik Swanson will be away from the team indefinitely after his son was hit by a car and hospitalized on Sunday in Florida, manager John Schneider said.
The Toronto skipper provided a statement Tuesday before the Blue Jays’ pre-season game against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field.
“Erik Swanson’s son, Toby, was hit by a car Sunday and was airlifted to nearby hospital,” Schneider said. “Thanks to the incredible work from Clearwater first responders, Toby is on the road to recovery and is surrounded by his family. Erik will be away from the team for a while, family comes first.
“Our love, support, and prayers are with Erik, (wife) Madison, Toby, and the entire Swanson family. Out of respect for Erik and his family, we’re not going to comment further on this.”
The Blue Jays’ player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., is about seven kilometres away from Clearwater.
Swanson, 30, made 69 relief appearances for the Blue Jays last season. He was 4-2 with a 2.97 earned-run average.
He spent his first four seasons in the big leagues with the Seattle Mariners.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2024.
