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Hoffman walked one and struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning Friday to record his ninth hold of the season in a win over the Mariners.
The right-hander kept a combined shutout going after Dylan Cease delivered seven scoreless frames, before Hoffman handed the ball off to Louis Varland in the ninth. Hoffman hasn't allowed an earned run since June 6, and over 11 appearances since then he's produced a 0.79 WHIP and 15:5 K:BB in 11.1 innings while picking up one win and two holds.
Hoffman (4-4) took the loss Saturday as the Blue Jays fell 6-5 to the Orioles, coughing up five runs on three hits and two walks in only one-third of an inning. He struck out one.
After Louis Varland got the call in the eighth inning to face Baltimore's 2-3-4 hitters and protect a 4-1 lead, Toronto tacked on another run in the top of the ninth before handing the ball to Hoffman. He struck out Samuel Basallo to begin the frame but then unraveled after plunking Coby Mayo, with the final two runs on his ledger coming after he'd been replaced by Connor Seabold. After six straight scoreless appearances that included two wins, two saves and a hold, Hoffman seems no more trustworthy in high-leverage spots than he did when he was removed from the closer role in late April. Following Saturday's disaster, he sits with a 6.31 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 45:10 K:BB through 25.2 innings on the season.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Earns another win
Rotowire
Hoffman (4-3) earned the win Thursday against the Orioles after tossing a scoreless seventh inning, allowing one hit and striking out two.
Hoffman allowed a two-out single to Jackson Holliday, who then stole second base, but he ended the threat by striking out Blaze Alexander. Hoffman has two wins, two saves and a hold over his last five appearances, allowing zero runs and posting a 9:0 K:BB across five innings, and the right-hander owns a 2.84 ERA across 12.2 innings (13 appearances) since the beginning of May. That's a step in the right direction compared to the 6.39 ERA he posted over March and April.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Collects win Wednesday
Rotowire
Hoffman (3-3) picked up the win over the Marlins on Wednesday, giving up two hits in 1.1 scoreless innings. He struck out two without walking a batter.
The right-hander entered the game with two outs in the sixth inning and got helped along by Tyler Heineman's arm -- the catcher threw out two of three would-be base stealers while Hoffman was on the mound. Hoffman has recorded a win, hold or save in four straight appearances, posting a 0.00 ERA and 7:0 K:BB in four innings during that span as he attempts to turn his season around. Per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, Hoffman credits his recent success with increased slider usage to match the pitch mix he employed with the Phillies in 2023-24, his most dominant years as a reliever. He still carries a 4.81 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 24.1 innings on the year, however, and he's unlikely to regain the closer role as long as Louis Varland remains effective.
Hoffman notched a save against the Pirates on Saturday, striking out all three batters he faced in a scoreless inning.
Hoffman entered in the ninth inning with Toronto holding a three-run lead and dominated with three punchouts, throwing nine of 13 pitches for strikes. The save was Hoffman's second in the past three days after he lost his hold on the closer role in late April. Louis Varland has since taken up that mantle and has thrived, but he was presumably unavailable Saturday after tossing two frames en route to a save Friday. With that in mind, Hoffman probably isn't a reliable target for saves moving forward, though he's pitched relatively well in May, giving up four earned runs while recording a 13:1 K:BB over 10.1 innings spanning 11 appearances.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Steps up for fourth save
Rotowire
Hoffman secured the save Thursday against the Yankees, striking out two in a clean ninth inning.
Closer Louis Varland worked each of the past two days for the Blue Jays, opening the door for Hoffman to claim his first save opportunity since April 20. The 33-year-old right-hander should remain a stable source of holds in fantasy leagues that count them, but Varland has allowed only a pair of earned runs across 25.2 innings this year and has pulled away as Toronto's preferred closer. Through 22 frames, Hoffman has converted just four of his seven save chances to go with a 5.32 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 37:8 K:BB.
Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Adapting well to setup duties
Rotowire
Hoffman struck out two in a perfect seventh inning Tuesday to record his third hold of the season in a win over the Red Sox.
The right-hander has collected holds in three straight appearances with a 4:1 K:BB in 2.1 innings over that span, although the first of those outings was the one that encouraged the Blue Jays to finally remove him from the closer role in favor of Louis Varland. A prolonged stretch of success for Hoffman could allow him to regain ninth-inning duties, but Varland isn't doing anything yet to suggest he's going to give the job back. Hoffman may simply be better equipped mentally for a setup role -- he thrived in that assignment with the Phillies in 2023-24 before signing with the Jays in free agency, racking up 32 holds with a 2.28 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 11.98 K/8 in those two seasons.
