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Player Outlook
Erik Swanson, who was traded from Seattle to Toronto prior to the 2023 season, continued to find success as one of the majors' top setup men. The 30-year-old finished fourth in the league with 29 holds while establishing new career-highs in games played (69), innings (66.2), strikeouts (75) and saves (four). The right-hander threw his splitter at a much higher clip (47.5 percent) than years past while tossing significantly fewer heaters. Swanson's 34.7 percent fastball usage was his lowest of his career and a massive 20 percent drop from 2022. With a 6.2 percent walk rate and near 30 percent strikeout rate for his career, Swanson is certainly capable of closing, but remains behind Jordan Romano in the pecking order for saves in Toronto.

Fantasy Stats

Year fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
ip
Innings Pitched
w
Wins
l
Losses
sv
Saves
so
Strikeouts
bb
Base on Balls (Walk)
era
Earned Run Average
whip
Walks and Hits Allowed Per Inning
2024 0.00 0.00
2023 188.52.7 66.7 4 2 4 75 21 2.97 1.10
2022 1682.9 53.7 3 2 3 70 10 1.68 0.91
3y Avg. 1412.7 52.0 2 2 3 60 14 2.60 1.04
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Fantasy Performance by Week
7%
Roster
2%
Start

Fantasy News

  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Bound for IL

    Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed Wednesday that Swanson (forearm) will begin the season on the injured list, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. It's confirmation of what had been expected, though an official IL move is still pending. Swanson has been throwing on flat ground as he works his way back from right forearm tightness, and a return to mound work is expected soon. With both Swanson and Jordan Romano (elbow) out, the Blue Jays are expected to use a committee at closer to start the season. Chad Green, Yimi Garcia and Tim Mayza seem to be the most likely candidates.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Likely ticketed for IL

    Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Swanson (forearm) will likely begin the season on the 15-day injured list, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. Toronto appears set to head into Opening Day without its top setup man in Swanson and its closer in Jordan Romano, who is unlikely to be available for the first couple weeks of the season while building back up from an elbow injury. Swanson seems to be in a similar spot to Romano in his recovery from a right forearm tightness, as the former has been able to play catch in recent days and is expected to resume throwing off a mound around the middle of the week. If Swanson is able to throw multiple bullpen and live batting practice sessions without issue, he could head out on a brief minor-league rehab assignment before joining the Toronto bullpen when or shortly after he's eligible to come off the IL on April 9. While Swanson and Romano are both temporarily out of the Blue Jays' bullpen mix, Yimi Garcia, Chad Green and Tim Mayza could be candidates to pick up saves.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Plays catch again

    Swanson (forearm) played catch again Friday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports. The right-hander has played catch two days in a row after a brief shutdown period with forearm tightness. The Blue Jays' intention is wait until the end of camp before deciding whether Swanson will be part of the Opening Day roster or need a stay on the injured list.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Plays catch Thursday

    Swanson (forearm) played catch Thursday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. Swanson "felt great" during the session, per Blue Jays manager John Schneider. More should be known within the next few days as to whether Swanson will be able to avoid a stint on the injured list to start the season, but he took a nice step Thursday.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Returns to Blue Jays' camp

    Swanson (personal) has returned to Blue Jays' camp, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports. Swanson was away for a few days after his son, Toby, was struck by an SUV on Sunday in Florida. Most importantly, this means Toby's condition is improving. Secondarily, Swanson can now resume his throwing program and has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Gets $2.75 million

    Swanson agreed to a one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Blue Jays on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. Swanson was an excellent setup man for closer Jordan Romano in his first year with the Blue Jays after getting traded from Seattle. Swanson had a 2.97 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 75 strikeouts, four wins and four saves in 66.2 innings.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Returns from IL

    The Blue Jays activated Swanson (back) from the 15-day injured list Monday. As anticipated, Swanson will rejoin the Toronto bullpen after a minimum-length stay on the shelf while he recovered from thoracic spine inflammation. Swanson delivered a perfect inning of relief in his lone rehab appearance at Triple-A Buffalo over the weekend and should be ready to step back into a key setup role in front of closer Jordan Romano.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Set for IL return Monday

    Swanson (back) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list Monday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports. Swanson spun a scoreless frame in his lone rehab appearance with Triple-A Buffalo and looks ready to return following a minimum-length stay on the IL with thoracic spine inflammation. He'll likely return to a setup role once Toronto activates him ahead of its four-game set with the Rangers that begins Monday.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Could be in line for brief IL stint

    The Blue Jays are optimistic that Swanson (spine) will be in store for an abbreviated stay on the 15-day injured list, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports. Swanson landed on the IL on Sunday with thoracic spine inflammation, an injury that cropped up a day earlier in his relief appearance against the Guardians. While Swanson may still face an uphill battle to be ready to return from the IL when first eligible Sept. 11, the Blue Jays expect that he'll be cleared to start throwing again following a 10-day shutdown period. A precise target date for his return would then be established based on how his spine responds after he gradually ramps up the intensity of his throwing.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Hits IL with spine inflammation

    Swanson was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with thoracic spine inflammation. Swanson left early in his relief appearance in Saturday's game against Cleveland with what the Blue Jays initially labeled as right mid-back discomfort, but the right-hander later underwent an MRI that revealed a more precise diagnosis, per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca. The Blue Jays called up right-hander Jay Jackson from Triple-A Buffalo to take over the active roster spot of Swanson, who has picked up three wins, four saves and 28 holds to go with a 3.10 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 67:19 K:BB across 58 innings this season.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Exits with back discomfort

    Swanson exited Saturday's game against Cleveland with right mid-back discomfort. Swanson faced just two batters before suffering the injury, recording one out and allowing one hit. He's been a key part of the bridge to Jordan Romano this season, recording a 3.10 ERA in 58 innings, so the Blue Jays won't want to be without him for an extended period.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Shaky in fourth save

    Swanson gave up a run on three hits in two-thirds of an inning Saturday to record his fourth save of the season in a 5-4 win over the Red Sox. Tim Mayza worked the eighth inning without much trouble and retired the first batter in the ninth, but Swanson proceeded to give up three straight singles after he entered the game and escaped blowing the save only when Connor Wong's high fly to left-center field came up inches short of being a walkoff hit off the Green Monster, and instead led to Reese McGuire getting doubled off second base. Swanson has gone 2-for-2 in converting save chances since Jordan Romano (back) landed on the IL, but Jordan Hicks -- who had pitched three of the prior four days -- appears to be first in line to handle closing duties until Romano returns.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Notches one-out save

    Swanson picked up his second save of the season Sunday, giving up a hit before recording the final out of a 7-5 win over Arizona. The Blue Jays took a 7-2 lead into the ninth inning, but Mitch White made a mess of things by walking the bases loaded with two outs, forcing Swanson into the game as Jordan Romano (back) was unavailable. The right-hander did serve up a bases-clearing double to Ketel Marte before closing out the win, but all the runs were charged to White. Swanson has seen his numbers erode over the last month or so, and he carries a 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 9:2 K:BB in his last 12.1 innings. He remains in Toronto's high-leverage mix and has six holds over that stretch in addition to Sunday's save, but Yimi Garcia may be the more trusted arm from the right side at the moment.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Corrals first save

    Swanson picked up the save Saturday against the Mets. He allowed one hit while striking out one over a scoreless inning. Swanson received his first save opportunity of 2023 and came through with a scoreless inning to earn his seventh career save. Though Swanson is typically used as a setup man and has excelled in that role, he was handed the ball in the ninth with Jordan Romano resting after pitching back-to-back days. Through 27 appearances (27.2 innings), Swanson owns a 2.93 ERA with 34 strikeouts but will likely only enter the fantasy conversation if Romano misses significant time.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Stuck with loss Tuesday

    Swanson (1-1) took the loss against the Red Sox on Tuesday, striking out one and allowing a solo home run in the eighth inning. Connor Wong lofted the fourth pitch Swanson threw over the Green Monster for what proved to be the game-winning run. The long ball snapped an eight-appearance scoreless streak for the right-hander, and overall the former Mariner has been exactly as advertised in a setup role for the Blue Jays, posting a 1.84 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 20:6 K:BB through 14.2 innings with eight holds. Should Jordan Romano be unavailable at some point, Swanson seems the most likely candidate to step in and handle ninth-inning duties.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Notches second hold

    Swanson struck out one in a perfect eighth inning to record his second hold of the season in Wednesday's win over the Royals. The former Mariner is showing his 2022 breakout was no fluke, posting a 4:1 K:BB through his first 3.1 innings with the Blue Jays. Swanson joins Yimi Garcia and Tim Mayza as the main late-inning options ahead of closer Jordan Romano, and in that role he should easily top last year's career high of 14 holds.
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  • Blue Jays' Erik Swanson: Sent to Toronto

    The Blue Jays acquired Swanson and left-hander Adam Macko from the Mariners on Wednesday in exchange for outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. Swanson quietly emerged as one of the majors' top setup men in 2022, finishing with a 1.68 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 70:10 K:BB across 53.2 innings for Seattle while nabbing three wins, three saves and 14 holds. In Toronto, Swanson will face a more blocked path to the ninth-inning role with incumbent closer Jordan Romano coming off his first All-Star campaign. Swanson should at least remain a solid late-round target in deeper mixed and AL-only leagues for fantasy managers looking for stability in the ratio categories.
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  • Mariners' Erik Swanson: Takes second loss Sunday

    Swanson (2-2) took the loss against the Royals on Sunday, allowing two runs on three hits over one-third of an inning. Swanson was also charged with his second blown save of the season in what was his second straight loss, blowing an 11-8 lead by allowing a pair of RBI singles and a two-run double. Swanson's stumbles are exceedingly rare during a season in which he's been one of manager Scott Servais' most reliable bullpen options -- he's still carrying a 1.85 ERA and 0.95 WHIP alongside an 11.7 K/9 despite the recent struggles.
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  • Mariners' Erik Swanson: Continues dominance Saturday

    Swanson, who notched his 13th hold with a perfect eighth inning in a win over Atlanta on Saturday, has pitched to a 2-0 record, 0.95 ERA and 0.79 WHIP with two saves and seven holds in the 19 innings he's logged since the All-Star break. The right-hander has consistently flummoxed opposing bats all season, as he's carrying a 1.00 ERA and 0.82 WHIP overall in 47 appearances (one start). Swanson is therefore an excellent setup option for manager Scott Servais while frequently working as part of a 1-2 punch with closer Paul Sewald, who's been a revelation in his own right with 19 saves.
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  • Mariners' Erik Swanson: Grabs first win

    Swanson (1-0) recorded the win over the Rangers on Tuesday, allowing an earned run on two hits over one inning. Asked to preserve a 3-3 tie when he entered in the ninth, Swanson actually failed to do so by giving up a go-ahead RBI single to Ezequiel Duran. However, he ultimately walked away with his first win courtesy of Seattle's two-run rally in the home half of the frame. Swanson's stumble was an exceedingly rare one, as Tuesday marked only the fourth time he'd allowed a run across 29 appearances this season.
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