Former Blue Jays are taking wildly different paths as the season winds down, and the contrast is hard to miss.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is the one whose year has gone off the rails. A former All-Star and longtime Blue Jays favorite, Gurriel has built a reputation as a steady run producer, usually good for 20-plus home runs and 80-plus RBIs.
But that version of him hasn’t shown up in 2026. The Arizona Diamondbacks designated him for assignment this past weekend after a rough season that has fallen well short of expectations.
In 51 games with Arizona, Gurriel has hit .210/.254/.290 with 13 runs scored, two home runs and 22 RBIs. His struggles have come after a difficult stretch of health problems over the last couple of seasons, including an ACL injury in his right knee near the end of 2025 and hamstring and abductor issues in 2026. With Ryan Waldschmidt, Tommy Troy and Jordan Lawlar giving the Diamondbacks more life in the outfield, Gurriel’s inconsistency ultimately pushed him out.
Eric Lauer’s season has had a completely different shape. He opened 2026 struggling with Toronto before landing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and that move gave him a real boost.
Over 14 appearances with Los Angeles, the left-hander went 7-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, striking out 46 in 72 innings. He also put together a strong nine-game run after arriving, allowing three runs or fewer while averaging at least five innings each time.
That revival has now been interrupted. Lauer was moved from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL this past week because of elbow inflammation, and that wiped out any chance of him returning for the postseason if the Dodgers make it. The 31-year-old had been hoping to pitch in meaningful late-season games, just as he did during the Blue Jays’ postseason run last year, but that wait will have to continue.
Jeff Hoffman, meanwhile, has quietly settled in as a useful bullpen arm for the Minnesota Twins. He was sent there at the trade deadline after an uneven first half with Toronto, a stretch that included losing the closer’s job. Hoffman found his footing before the deal, and that steadier form has carried over in Minnesota.
Across 15 relief outings for the Twins, Hoffman has posted a 2.63 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, allowing four earned runs, no home runs and striking out 21 in 13.2 innings. He has also picked up seven holds and has not blown a save. For a Blue Jays bullpen that could have used that kind of stability, Hoffman’s new home has looked a lot more comfortable than his old one.
In Other News...
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Is Now At Center Of Torontos Biggest Problem
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has always been the kind of bat the Blue Jays could build around, which is why his 2026 slide has landed with so much force. The six-time All-Star first baseman is not producing at the level Toronto has come to expect, and the drop from his 2025 numbers has been sharp enough to change the way the lineup looks and feels around him.
For a club whose offense has gone from fourth to last in runs per game, Guerreros reduced power has become more than a slow start or an isolated slump. His current OPS sits third on the team despite his place among the highest-paid players, which puts Toronto in an awkward spot as it tries to figure out whether the lineup needs a spark, a reset, or something more significant from the player it was supposed to revolve around. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Suddenly Face A Costly Problem In The Wild Card Race
The Blue Jays left Detroit with one of those losses that can linger well beyond a single night. Toronto had chances early, put pressure on the Tigers in key spots and still came up empty, a missed opportunity in a crowded Wild Card race where every game seems to carry a little more weight. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. came to the plate with runners on base more than once, but the big hit never arrived, and the offense could not turn those openings into the kind of cushion this team needed.
Torontos problem was not limited to the lineup, either. With key relievers unavailable, the margin for error shrank even further once the game tightened, and the Blue Jays had to navigate it without some of the bullpen options they would normally lean on in a late-season push. In a race this tight, nights like this can add up quickly, especially when a club gets traffic on the bases and still walks away with nothing to show for it. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Waste Another Strong Night In A Brutal Late Collapse
Jos Soriano gave the Blue Jays exactly what they needed for most of the night, working six strong innings and putting Toronto in position to leave with a win. For a while, it looked like another straightforward case of solid pitching carrying a team that has been trying to find steadier footing, and the Blue Jays had enough going to keep the game tight into the later innings.
Instead, the Tigers chipped away when it mattered most, with Kazuma Okamotos seventh-inning home run starting the turn and the finish coming apart in painful fashion. A defensive misplay in the ninth inning opened the door for the winning run, turning what had been a promising night into a 6-5 loss and another reminder that Toronto is still giving games away late. [Read more 🡒]