Blue Jays DFA Former All-Star In Latest Roster Shuffle
The Blue Jays have designated Michael Lorenzen for assignment, the team announced.
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 18, 2026
RHP José Rodríguez has been selected to the Major League roster. pic.twitter.com/qrX2TGCNKc
Lorenzen, who had been a starter the previous five years, struggled out of the bullpen for Toronto since joining the team in late August. In six appearances, he was touched up for an 8.49 ERA. His last outing, earlier this week against the Detroit Tigers, was the last straw, when he was blasted for four hits, three walks and five earned runs in two innings.
The 34-year-old was an All-Star as recently as 2023, the same year he threw a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies. He came back in 2024 to have a nice season split between the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers, with a 3.31 combined ERA.
This year, however, split between the Jays and, previously, the Colorado Rockies, Lorenzen has surrendered the most earned runs of any pitcher in baseball, at 102. Overall, he has a 7.21 ERA, and batters are teeing off on him, hitting .339 with a .945 OPS. Yikes.
Sure, a lot of that can be attributed to the thin air of Coors Field in Denver, but his performance with the Jays was even worse than with the Rockies.
RHP José Rodriguez has been recalled from Triple-A and will be active for Toronto Friday night in the opener of a huge three-game set with the Texas Rangers.
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