The Toronto Blue Jays designated left-handed starting pitcher Eric Lauer on May 11 after he posted a 6.69 ERA with a 1.49 WHIP and 26 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings across eight appearances (six starts).
Six days later, Toronto traded Lauer to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash. The southpaw has quickly turned his season around since joining the back-to-back World Series champions.
Former Blue Jays Castoff Eric Lauer Reviving Career With Dodgers
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JULY 22: Eric Lauer #33 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park on July 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images)
Since becoming a Dodger, Lauer has recorded a strong 3.35 ERA in 45 2/3 innings across eight outings (seven starts).
Lauer hasn’t improved his walk rate much since joining Los Angeles; in his 45 2/3 innings with the Dodgers, he has allowed 12 free passes, only four fewer than he surrendered in his 36 1/3 innings with Toronto this year.
Lauer hasn’t increased his strikeout rate, either, as he has recorded the same number of strikeouts with Los Angeles as he did with Toronto earlier this season.
The reason Lauer has been more successful with the Dodgers is simple: he has allowed fewer hits. Opponents are hitting .223 against the Dodgers version of Lauer. Meanwhile, the left-hander had a poor opponent batting average of .264 with the Blue Jays this season.
It was a bit surprising that the Blue Jays gave up on Lauer so quickly this year. Last season, he recorded a 3.18 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP and 102 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings across 28 appearances (15 starts) with the Blue Jays.
Lauer also performed well for the Blue Jays during their magical postseason run, posting a 3.12 ERA in 8 2/3 innings across five outings.
The Blue Jays may have cut Lauer loose for reasons other than on-field performance.
Toronto retained Lauer through arbitration this past offseason. He filed at $5.75 million and the Blue Jays at $4.4 million. Toronto won, and he told Sportsnet’s Hazel May that he felt he couldn’t earn as much after being moved to the bullpen late last year because the team called up Trey Yesavage and acquired Shane Bieber.
The Blue Jays signed Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce in the offseason, making Toronto’s rotation appear crowded. Lauer made it clear he wanted to start.
Because of injuries to José Berríos, Kevin Gausman and Yesavage, Lauer began the year in Toronto’s rotation. But he still had gripes with the Blue Jays. Two of his appearances with the Blue Jays came after an opener. “To be real blunt, I hate it. I can’t stand it,” Lauer told Keegan Matheson of MLB.com when asked how he felt about pitching after an opener.
It’ll be interesting to see if Lauer continues to succeed with the Dodgers despite his low strikeout rate. He notably had a rough 5.28 FIP with Los Angeles before his start against the Phillies on Wednesday. And his .213 BABIP suggests he may be getting a bit lucky.
The Dodgers are also dealing with multiple starting pitching injuries, with Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell on the IL, and Shohei Ohtani taking a break from pitching.
For now, it appears Lauer is just holding down the fort until Los Angeles’ rotation gets fully healthy. If the Dodgers eventually have every starter healthy, Lauer may find himself moved to a bullpen role, which, if history tells us anything, he won’t be happy about. Regardless, the left-hander deserves credit for the strong results so far with the Dodgers.
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