Enquirer/Beacon athlete of week Northern Kentucky/Indiana football
Northern Kentucky/Indiana football is the Nov. 17, 2025, Enquirer/Beacon Orthopaedics athlete of the week featured category.
Pitcher Erik Swanson, a Terrace Park native and former Mariemont High School standout, announced his retirement after seven seasons in MLB.
Swanson, who turned 32 in September, made 120 appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays over the past three seasons. Earlier in his career, he made 126 appearances over four seasons for the Seattle Mariners.
Swanson left spring training in Feb. 2024 after his 4-year-old son, Toby, was hit by a car and airlifted to a hospital Sunday in Clearwater, Florida.
In 2019, Swanson was with Seattle when he became the first former Mariemont HS standout to make his big-league debut. He faced his hometown Cincinnati Reds later in the same season.
Swanson grew up as a neighbor of former Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman.
Toronto acquired Swanson in a trade with Seattle in Nov. 2022. In his first season with the Blue Jays, Swanson posted a 2.97 ERA in 69 relief appearances.
In 2025, Swanson posted a 15.19 ERA in six appearances before the Jays designated him for assignment in June. Swanson had dealt with a median nerve entrapment during spring training and had right forearm soreness in April.