It will be Eric Lauer on the hill for the Toronto Blue Jays in Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener.
The southpaw gets the start as the American League champions welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to Dunedin, FL.
Lauer, 30, is set to enter his eighth big league season and second with the Blue Jays. The Elyria, OH native proved to be an invaluable member of the team’s staff in 2025, operating both as a starter and out of the bullpen. Lauer was 9-2 in 28 appearances, including 15 starts, with a 3.18 earned run average and 1.108 WHIP over 104.2 innings pitched. He struck out 102 batters and walked 26.
Lauer pitched 8.2 innings across five appearances in the team’s run to the World Series last fall with 5.2 of those innings coming in the Fall Classic.
Lauer, who spent six seasons in the majors with the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers before pitching for the KBO’s Kia Tigers in 2024, lost his arbitration case against the Blue Jays earlier this month and will now earn $4.4 million this season.
The Jays open their regular season on Mar. 26 at Rogers Centre against the visiting Athletics.