Michael Lorenzen Becomes the Blue Jays’ Emergency Bulk Arm as Injuries Mount
The veteran right-hander worked 2 2/3 innings behind opener Braydon Fisher on September 9 as Toronto manages injuries to Shane Bieber and Jameson Taillon.
Michael Lorenzen was signed late last month to provide bullpen depth and length for the Toronto Blue Jays. On September 9, that role was on display in a bullpen game against the Athletics. Toronto was shut out 2–0 at Sutter Health Park, dropping the club to 73–74. Braydon Fisher opened with one scoreless inning before Lorenzen entered in the second.
Lorenzen worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and one walk while striking out two. Henry Bolte hit a solo home run off Lorenzen in the third inning, while Tommy White scored on Lorenzen’s wild pitch in the fourth. The outing was not dominant, but it showed why Toronto brought Lorenzen in: he can enter early, cover multiple innings and reduce the workload on the rest of the bullpen when the original pitching plan changes.
Lorenzen Is Covering the Innings Toronto Needs Now
The Blue Jays signed Lorenzen on August 27, eight days after the Colorado Rockies released him on August 19. The 34-year-old right-hander arrived with 12 major-league seasons behind him and experience working both as a starter and reliever.
His numbers in Colorado were difficult — Lorenzen posted a 7.08 ERA over 115 2/3 innings — so the move was less about adding a conventional late-season rotation upgrade and more about giving Toronto another flexible pitching option.
Manager John Schneider said the Blue Jays valued Lorenzen’s ability to provide length while the bullpen was in flux. Lorenzen made his Toronto debut on August 27, working two innings and allowing one earned run on three hits in a 13–2 loss to Kansas City.
His career has also included time as a two-way player, but Toronto signed him as a pitcher and has so far used him primarily to absorb innings. That flexibility becomes especially useful on nights when Toronto uses an opener, when a starter cannot work deep or when the bullpen has already carried a heavy workload.
The Rotation Is Running Out of Margin
Lorenzen’s role has become more important as Toronto manages injuries elsewhere in the rotation. Shane Bieber is on the 15-day injured list with right teres major inflammation, retroactive to August 21.
According to MLB’s September 9 Blue Jays injury update, Bieber threw from 75 feet on September 7 and was aiming to return to the mound later in the week. A possible return before the end of the season remains a target rather than a guarantee.
Jameson Taillon was placed on the 15-day injured list on September 5 with right elbow inflammation. MLB’s Blue Jays injury tracker lists his expected return as potentially out for the season. As of September 7, the club was waiting for Dr. Keith Meister to review Taillon’s MRI results, while Schneider had not completely ruled out a return.
Those absences leave Toronto with less room to work around a short start or a bullpen game. It also makes having someone who can give the team multiple innings without needing a traditional starter’s schedule more valuable.
What Comes Next
Lorenzen’s next assignments will depend on matchups and the health of Toronto’s rotation. After his September 9 appearance, he had a 7.02 ERA over 124 1/3 innings in 2026. That number makes it clear Toronto is not relying on Lorenzen as a late-season cure-all.
His immediate value is more practical: length, flexibility and the ability to take the ball when the pitching plan changes early. For a team dealing with multiple rotation injuries, those innings matter. The Blue Jays were 73–74 after the September 9 loss, one game behind Cleveland for the final American League Wild Card spot with 15 games remaining.
With little room left on the schedule, Toronto needs healthy innings wherever it can find them — and for now, Lorenzen is one of the pitchers being asked to provide them.
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