Blue Jays reliever Erik Swanson is coping with a median nerve entrapment in his throwing arm, because the Jays introduced to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and different reporters yesterday. Swanson obtained a cortisone shot to take care of the problem, and gained’t throw for just a few days whereas the shot takes impact.
It nonetheless appears seemingly that this setback is sufficient to put Swanson on the injured listing at the start of the season, as was associated final week when Swanson reported discomfort in his throwing elbow. An MRI got here again clear with none signal of structural injury, so Swanson has at the least averted any sort of longer-term elbow downside.
A median nerve entrapment (which is said to carpal tunnel syndrome) isn’t precisely a small matter since nerve points don’t have any set restoration timeline. On the plus aspect, there hasn’t been any indication that Swanson may miss any nice period of time, even when a extra concrete plan may not be identified till the right-hander begins throwing once more.
Acquired from the Mariners within the 2022-2023 offseason, Swanson was excellent in his first 12 months in Toronto, however accidents contributed to a tough begin to his 2024 marketing campaign. Swanson handled some forearm tightness throughout final 12 months’s Spring Coaching and a subsequent IL stint delayed his begin to the season, and he then struggled so badly over his first 18 appearances that he was despatched to Triple-A. Swanson returned to the large leagues after the All-Star break after which appeared like his previous self, making for some relatively obtrusive splits — a 9.20 ERA in 14 2/3 innings within the first half and a 2.55 ERA over 24 2/3 frames within the second half.
Given the dismal state of Toronto’s bullpen final season, the Blue Jays badly want Swanson to remain wholesome and absolutely bounce again to his previous type as a key setup man. New signing Jeff Hoffman appears to be in line for the nearer’s job, with Chad Inexperienced, Yimi Garcia, Nick Sandlin, and Swanson all lined up for high-leverage work.
