Latest news with #JeffHoffman
Toronto Star
7 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
The home-run bug continues to haunt Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman. That could force a change of plans at the trade deadline
Jeff Hoffman recovered from a disastrous May to re-establish himself as the big arm out of the Blue Jays' bullpen but, even as his numbers have improved, home runs have remained an issue. Hoffman has allowed 10 homers this season. The only reliever in the American League who has surrendered more is teammate Chad Green. That means even when the Jays closer appears to be in top form, he's often one pitch away from losing his grip on the game.
National Post
22-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Bichette leads way as Blue Jays drop Yanks for record 11th consecutive home win
Article content 'Winning helps. I mean it's something that we all had a goal of, but once you start seeing the wins come across the board, it becomes easier. Article content 'And having a bunch teammates that are willing to do whatever it takes to win makes it easier as well. So it's been a great group.' Article content The all-for-one, one-for-all chorus that is driving the narrative for these 59-41 Jays may cause cynics to roll their eyes, but with wins in 17 of their last 21 games — and now four in a row since the all-star break — there's something real about the vibes. Article content Witness the reaction to Davis Schneider, two batters after Bichette in the fifth. He fought Rodon through an epic 15-pitch at-bat that eventually resulted in an out, but it certainly softened the Yankees starter. As Schneider was being celebrated in the Jays dugout, a pair of Yankees errors helped the Jays to two more runs. Article content Put the ball in play 🤷♂️ — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 22, 2025 Article content Article content Witness the festive atmosphere all night as fans from field level to the 500s revelled in what felt like a huge win. Article content And witness the celebration as closer Jeff Hoffman recorded his 24th save on his bobblehead night, no less, as the vocal crowd erupted in approval. Article content 'I think some of it is personalities,' manager John Schneider said of the clubhouse mentality. 'Some of it is we've shown to be resilient. We've shown to just move on to the next thing, whether it's in game or after a game. They're pretty well-versed in just saying 'OK, what's important right now?' Article content 'It's nice that they're a very stable group.' Article content For further insight into what's happening with his team, Schneider was asked if he was surprised that these upstart and highly entertaining Jays have a better record than the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Article content The manager didn't flinch before his profound response. Article content 'It's baseball,' Schneider said. 'Teams on paper are teams on paper. There's certain things that aren't objectively qualified, but we've always had a lot of trust in the group. It's funny how it works out. There's still 63 games (62 after Monday's win) and a lot can happen. (But) it kind of shows what guys are made of and they believe they can play with anyone and they should. Article content 'This is where we had hoped to be, where we are really competitive in a tough division.' Article content It's also brought the Jays back to a place Bichette remembers when he first took note of the Jays back in 2015, the year before he was drafted by Canada's team. Article content 'I remember they were a super fun team to watch with a lot of great hitters,' Bichette said. 'They made splashes at the deadline. The atmosphere in the stadium was always super attractive. Article content
National Post
03-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Blue Jays reinstate reliever Yimi Garcia; Fluharty demoted
Article content The Blue Jays' bullpen, which has somehow persevered in the face of being stretched to the limit, was thrown a lifeline well before the first pitch was thrown Wednesday in the third game of a four-game series against the visiting New York Yankees. Article content Following the recent return from injury by Nick Sandlin, the Jays welcomed back Yimi Garcia, who landed on the injured list on May 24 because of right shoulder impingement. Article content Article content While Sandlin has done well in low leverage, Garcia is a high-leverage reliever capable of handling the duties of a closer, a role in which Jeff Hoffman has seemingly found his groove following a tough stretch that saw the right-hander get roughed up in the ninth inning of games when the Jays were nursing a lead. Article content The way Hoffman has responded of late, the way Yariel Rodriguez continues to shine in whatever role he's asked to embrace, and with Garcia back in the fold, the back end of the Jays' pen finds itself in the best shape it has been this season. Article content Prior to his injury, Garcia recorded three saves and six holds, while earning a 3.15 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 20 innings. Article content When he has been on his game, Garcia has looked just as formidable as Hoffman. Article content Toronto didn't require Hoffman in its rout of the Bronx Bombers on Canada Day, but it did turn to the first-year Jays closer in the series opener Monday when Hoffman helped preserve a 5-4 win. Article content A day earlier, he retired the side on strikeouts in Boston as the Jays took the series from the Boston Red Sox. Article content Hoffman entered Wednesday with 19 saves, third-highest among AL closers. Article content In his past 3.0 innings, Hoffman has recorded five strikeouts. Article content Depending on how the Jays plan to line up their bullpen, the possibility does exist of using Y-Rod in the seventh inning followed by Garcia and Hoffman. Article content Matchups dictate so much, but the bottom line is the Jays are well positioned in close late-game scenarios knowing three quality relievers, each a right-hander, are now available. Article content To make room for Garcia on the 26-man active roster, the Jays sent left-hander Mason Fluharty to the triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Article content Truth be told, Fluharty needed some kind of a reset, which can only be achieved in the minors. Article content When he did pitch in relief, Fluharty often did his job on most nights. He did hit a rough stretch of late. Article content
National Post
29-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Blue Jays bullpen locks down series win at Fenway, Yankees up next
Following back-to-back blowouts with the Blue Jays and Red Sox exchanging lopsided outcomes, Sunday's series rubber match at Fenway Park was close and competitive with the normal quirkiness inherent to the historic venue on full display. Article content The Jays jumped out early with the long ball before the Red Sox drew even 2-2. Toronto regained the advantage for good in the fourth inning when the bottom of the order produced a pair of runs, setting the stage for an ending that highlighted the Jays' bullpen, capped off by closer Jeff Hoffman putting the final touches on a 5-3 Blue Jays win. Article content Article content Article content The Jays never trailed, though at no time did this game ever seem secure, which is par for the course at Fenway. But in a park in which no lead is ever safe, the Jays bullpen made sure this one was, as four relievers provided the visitors with 4.2 innings of one-hit ball to improve to 45-38 and remain three games behind the AL East-lead New York Yankees, who move into the Rogers Centre on Monday to start what looms as the hitherto series of the year. Article content The following are three takeaways from a win that was accomplished with just six hits and gave the Blue Jays a 4-2 record on their two-stop road trip. Article content 1. Foibles of Fenway Article content Virtually anything is possible when venturing into Fenway, with its iconic Green Monster in left field and the Pesky's Pole in right. Article content One day after scoring just one run in a lopsided loss to the Bosox, the Jays turned on two pitches in their first at-bats to produce two runs. Article content Addison Barger went deep into right field off Boston starter Walker Buehler, who had just struck out leadoff hitter Bo Bichette. Then, one pitch after yielding Barger's bomb, Buehler saw Vladimir Guerrero Jr. go deep by crushing a ball into the Monster seats. Article content Barger's blast was his ninth of the season, Guerrero's his 12th to give him the club lead. Article content Speaking of the Pesky's Pole, Carlos Narvaez, who bats right-handed, sliced a ball for a home run off Jays starter Eric Lauer to lead off the second — the poke travelling a mere 337 feet. Article content 2. Zero-sum game Article content A battle of jersey No. 0's played out pitting Buehler and Andres Gimenez, the featured player Monday against the Yankees when his replica jersey will be given away to fans at the Rogers Centre. Article content In the top of the fourth, Gimenez drove in a run as the Jays regained the lead, 3-2, then promptly stole his club-leading 10th base of the season. Article content The Jays would plate two runs in the inning, both with two outs. The inning ncluded three walks and ended when Tyler Heineman, who had just forced home the fourth Toronto run following a free pass, was picked off at first base with Bichette at the plate.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
John Schneider Had Words for Jeff Hoffman After Blue Jays' Loss to White Sox
John Schneider Had Words for Jeff Hoffman After Blue Jays' Loss to White Sox originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Blue Jays fell 4-2 to the Chicago White Sox at Rogers Center on Sunday, dropping the rubber game of the three-game set and finishing their homestand at .500 (3-3). Chicago mounted a three-run rally in the eighth inning—including a double by Miguel Vargas—after Toronto's offense had tied the game in the seventh. Advertisement The loss was ultimately handed squarely on the shoulders of reliever Jeff Hoffman. The right-hander entered the eighth with a runner on and couldn't field a routine grounder, allowing a run to score. Moments later, he surrendered the go‑ahead RBI double after also surrendered a walk to start the appearance. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23).John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images After the game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider didn't hesitate to defend his reliever. In a strong message, Schneider communicated his faith in Hoffman. 'We trust the [expletive] out of Jeff Hoffman," Schneider said. "I do. It's easy to point blame at him, but he's been on the other side of us winning a whole lot of games. It's a tough stretch for him, but we know he'll come out of it." Thus far in 2025, Hoffman has tallied 17 saves and struck out 44 batters—but carries a bloated 5.29 ERA and a WHIP of 1.11, with 20 runs allowed in his 34 appearances this season. After his All-Star campaign in 2024, his inconsistency has been a thorn in Toronto's late-game hopes. Advertisement Toronto's situation could be improving soon, including a day off Monday followed by a West Coast trip. The Blue Jays open the next series on Tuesday in Cleveland, with Chris Bassitt expected to start—setting the tone while Hoffman works to regain his form Related: Blue Jays Predicted to Make Trade After Max Scherzer News Related: Blue Jays Make Jose Berrios Announcement After Leaving White Sox Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
