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. – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Erik Swanson has left the team to be with his family after his son, Toby, suffered serious injuries after he was hit by a car on Sunday.
The four-year-old boy remained in critical condition at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., Clearwater Police said Tuesday in a news release.
“Thanks to the incredible work from Clearwater first responders, Toby is on the road to recovery and is surrounded by his family,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said in a statement. “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.”
Police and fire crews responded to a call Sunday morning in Clearwater Beach involving a young boy who was struck by a car and sustained potential life-threatening injuries, police said.
The child was struck by a 2024 Ford Expedition being operated by a valet driver near the Opal Sands Resort, according to an updated release issued by public information officer Rob Shaw.
The driver remained on scene and was cooperating with the investigation, the release said.
Details on the injuries were not released.
The Blue Jays’ player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., is about 10 kilometres away from the Clearwater Beach area.
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.
Over his career, the six-foot-three right-hander is 8-14 with 10 saves and a 3.78 ERA in 195 games.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2024.
With files from The Associated Press.
