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Blue Jays no longer can count on Eric Lauer
TL;DR
Eric Lauer's performance has significantly declined in 2026, creating challenges for the Toronto Blue Jays. The team's pitching depth remains compromised due to injuries.
Key points
- Eric Lauer's performance has declined in 2026
- Toronto Blue Jays face pitching challenges
- Injuries are affecting the team's pitching depth
Eric LauerToronto Blue Jays
Blue Jays no longer can count on Eric Lauer originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
If it felt like Eric Lauer's 2025 season with the Toronto Blue Jays was too good to be true... maybe it's because it was.
The lefty has come crashing back to earth in a big way in 2026, and it's a problem for Toronto.
It might not be an immediately solvable one, because the Blue Jays' pitching depth is still too injured to fix all of this in one fell swoop.
But the reality is that Lauer hasn't been close this season to the pitcher he was a year ago, and given he'd been mediocre most of his career until his unexpected 2025 breakout, maybe this is more par for the course.
Lauer went 4.1 innings on Monday night in a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing three earned runs and striking out two.
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He's actually been a tad better lately at limiting runs, but his ERA is still at 6.03 for the season. His WHIP is also a not-good 1.50.
This isn't really what the Blue Jays would've wanted to see out of Lauer after he complained earlier in the season about not wanting to pitch behind an opener.
On Monday night, the Blue Jays let Lauer start the game. It didn't start well, though, as he gave up a three-run homer in the first inning. Maybe he could've used an opener after all.
Toronto didn't plan on Lauer being in the starting rotation this season, but injuries to the likes of Shane Bieber, Jose Berrios, Cody Ponce and the since-returned Trey Yesavage pushed him into action.
At this rate, the Blue Jays are likely hoping they get healthy sooner rather than later so Lauer can be put into a less-pivotal role.
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Q&A
What happened to Eric Lauer's performance in 2026?
Eric Lauer's performance in 2026 has drastically declined, impacting the Toronto Blue Jays' pitching strategy.
How does Eric Lauer's decline affect the Toronto Blue Jays?
Lauer's decline poses a significant problem for the Blue Jays, who are already struggling with pitching depth due to injuries.
What are the current injury issues affecting the Blue Jays' pitching staff?
The Blue Jays' pitching staff is currently hampered by multiple injuries, complicating their ability to address Lauer's performance issues.
