The Toronto Blue Jays continued to add pieces to their pitching staff Wednesday, claiming veteran reliever Paul Sewald after the right-hander was designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Sewald, 36, served as the Diamondbacks' closer for the bulk of the season, amassing 24 saves, but his ERA, which was at 3.18 on June 19, has skyrocketed to 6.23 over 45 appearances this season -- including a 24.55 ERA over his past six outings.
Sewald, who has 44 strikeouts over 39 innings, was demoted from Arizona's closer role on July 28, after blowing a save against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 24 saves were second in his career only to the 34 he posted in 2023 for the Seattle Mariners and Diamondbacks, who he joined before their World Series run.
"It was a brutal decision," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters Monday. "He's meant so much to this organization. He's closed our 24 games, he solidified things for our '23 run, he had a number of saves in '24 before he got banged up. ... To say goodbye to him, was not easy. It's agonizing."
The move gives Toronto another late-inning option ahead of current closer Louis Varland, who has 25 saves and a 1.31 ERA since taking over the role from Jeff Hoffman earlier this season.
Entering Wednesday's games, Toronto (58-63) is 3½ games behind the Texas Rangers for the final American League wild-card spot.
To make room for Sewald on the active roster, the Blue Jays recalled right-hander Jake Bloss and placed him on the 60-day IL as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.