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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. Hoffman 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to begin the frame but then unraveled after plunking Coby Mayo, with the final two runs on his ledger coming after he'd been replaced by Connor Seabold.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
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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
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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.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Records save Saturday
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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
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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
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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.
Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Drops into closer committee
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GM Ross Atkins announced Friday that Hoffman could still see occasional save chances but will no longer be the primary closer as the Blue Jays shift to a committee approach, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Manager John Schneider was noncommittal about Hoffman as Toronto's closer earlier this week after the reliever near blew his fourth save of the season, so it's not a major surprise the club is making a change. It doesn't appear to be a full demotion for the 33-year-old right-hander, who recorded 33 saves with a 4.37 ERA during the 2025 regular season, but it also wouldn't be surprising for him to get some work in lower-leverage spots. Hoffman has surrendered nine earned runs with a 24:6 K:BB across 10.2 innings this year. Louis Varland was the only other player mentioned as a potential closer, but the Blue Jays are also expected to utilize some other arms for the ninth inning.
Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Manager noncommittal on closer role
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Blue Jays manager John Schneider did not commit to Hoffman as his closer when asked Wednesday if he would consider using other relievers in the ninth inning, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
Schneider said he's "not ready to make a firm comment" on the closer role, noting that he wants to have a discussion with Hoffman before announcing a decision. Hoffman was pulled from a save chance Tuesday versus the Angels with the bases loaded and one run already in. He was relieved by Louis Varland, who closed things out by inducing a game-ending double-play ball on the one and only pitch he threw. Hoffman has struck out 24 in 10.2 innings this season, but he's walked six, blown three saves and posted a 7.59 ERA and 2.06 WHIP. If Schneider does opt for a change at closer, Varland should be next in line.
Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Nearly blows game for Toronto
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Hoffman hit two batters and allowed one run on two hits while striking out a batter during the Blue Jays' 4-2 win over the Angels on Tuesday.
Hoffman got the call to protect the Blue Jays' 4-1 lead in the ninth. He started the inning strongly by striking out Zach Neto, but the right-hander's night quickly turned for the worse. Hoffman yielded a single to Mike Trout before hitting the next two batters he faced. Blue Jays manager John Schneider saw enough after his closer gave up an RBI single to Yoan Moncada, turning to Louis Varland to close things out -- which he did on just one pitch that produced a double play. Hoffman wasn't charged with a blown save, but the fact he was pulled from a high-leverage situation is not a good sign for his job security as Toronto's closer. He sits at a 7.59 ERA, 2.06 WHIP and 24:6 K:BB across 10.2 innings.
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Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Fans three in third save
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Hoffman notched a save against the Angels on Monday, allowing one hit and striking out three batters over a scoreless inning of work.
Hoffman entered with a three-run lead in the ninth inning and gave up a single to the first batter he faced. However, the right-hander proceeded to strike out the following three hitters to close out the contest. This was a much-needed performance for Hoffman after he picked up a loss and a blown save while yielding six runs over 1.2 innings across his previous two appearances. Manager John Schneider has expressed confidence in Hoffman as the team's closer, and at least for Monday, that confidence appeared justified.
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