Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider announced Tuesday that reliever Erik Swanson will be away from the team after his four-year-old son was hit by a car on Sunday and was airlifted to a hospital.
Schneider added that Toby Swanson "is on the road to recovery and surrounded by family."
John Schneider just shared with us that Erik Swanson’s 4-year-old son, Toby, was hit by a car Sunday and airlifted to hospital.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) February 27, 2024
Toby is “on the road to recovery and surrounded by family.”
Swanson will be away from the team. An emotional Schneider expressed his love and support.
Swanson, 30, is set to enter his second season with the team following a trade last offseason with the Seattle Mariners with whom Swanson played in his first four big league campaigns.
In 69 appearances last season, Swanson was 4-2 with a 2.97 earned run average and 1.095 WHIP over 66.2 innings pitched. He struck out 75 batters and walked 21.
The injury to Swanson's son is not the first familial tragedy to strike the Jays in recent seasons. Julia Budzinski, the 17-year-old daughter of first base coach Mark Budzinski, was killed in a boating accident in the summer of 2022.
