The Toronto Blue Jays have designated right-hander Michael Lorenzen for assignment, ending a brief and mostly unsuccessful late-season experiment with the 34-year-old veteran.
The Blue Jays announced the decision on Friday.
The move comes three weeks after Toronto signed Lorenzen to a one-year deal following his release by the Colorado Rockies.
The Jays hoped the former All-Star could stabilize an overworked pitching staff and provide length in relief or spot starts. Instead, the results stayed poor.
Lorenzen finishes the year 3-13 with a 7.21 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, and 90 strikeouts in 127.1 innings across 32 games (25 starts).
His Toronto stretch was short and bumpy. Used primarily out of the bullpen after arriving August 27, he posted an 8.49 ERA over his last six appearances (11.2 innings).
A particularly rough outing against Detroit on September 15—two innings, five earned runs, including a three-run homer—underscored why the club moved on with only about 10 games left.
Lorenzen had been a low-risk pickup. Colorado remained on the hook for most of his $8 million salary; Toronto owed only the prorated major-league minimum.
Manager John Schneider initially praised his versatility, saying the club valued “availability for length and availability to do a lot of different things.” Lorenzen himself told the team he could throw 100 pitches if needed. The results never matched that flexibility.
The right-hander has bounced around the league. He debuted with the Cincinnati Reds in 2015, made the All-Star team with Detroit in 2023, and threw a no-hitter that same year.
Stints with the Angels, Phillies, Rangers, and Royals followed. A 4.64 ERA in 2025 with Kansas City suggested he still had something left. Coors Field in 2026 exposed the limits: a 7.08 ERA in 25 starts for the Rockies, with opponents hitting .338. Road numbers were better but still well above average.
Toronto sits 76-77 and fourth in the AL East, still chasing a wild-card spot as it opens a series in Texas. Designating Lorenzen clears a 40-man roster spot and active roster flexibility as September call-ups and injury returns continue.
For a club that has leaned heavily on its bullpen all year, the veteran’s inability to miss bats or limit damage made him expendable.
Lorenzen can now be claimed on waivers, outrighted if he clears, or elect free agency given his service time. At this stage of the season and with these numbers, another big-league opportunity before October is uncertain.
The Jays’ short-term gamble on a change-of-scenery arm simply did not pay off.
