Erik Swanson felt some elbow discomfort last week, but an MRI showed no structural damage. How long will the reliever be sidelined, and how will his absence affect the bullpen?
The Blue Jays got some encouraging news last week, as an MRI on reliever Erik Swanson's ailing right elbow revealed a median nerve entrapment, rather than structural damage. He received a cortisone shot and will be able to begin throwing in the next couple of days. With Opening Day on March 27, Swanson likely starts the season on the injured list. Nerve injuries are always tricky because there is no set timetable for a return, but the righty is not expected to miss an extended perid of time.
If Swanson does begin the season on the IL, the back end of the Blue Jays bullpen will feel his absence. Swanson struggled and got demoted during the first half of the 2024 season, but he was a completely different pitcher in the second half of the season, throwing 24 2/3 innings, posting a 2.55 ERA and holding opponents to a batting average of .172. Swanson was outstanding on the mound in 2022 and 2023, posting 1.68 and 2.97 ERAs, respectively.
Although it's certainly due for some positive regression after being the worst unit in baseball in 2024, the Blue Jays bullpen looks to be a massive weakness. Free agent signees Jeff Hoffman and Yimi García are the only projected relievers who finished 2024 with ERA under 3.85. García and Chad Green will fill the set-up roles. The Blue Jays will need to hope that Swanson's stint on the IL is short and that when he returns, he's not the early 2024 version. If (or more realistically, when) the team loses a reliever with a longer-term injury, they won't have many great options to fill in. According to FanGraphs' depth charts, Toronto is projected to get just 2.4 WAR from its bullpen, which ranks 20th in baseball.
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