Blue Jays: Austin Voth elects free agency after being DFA’d
Photo credit: © Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
Jun 2, 2026, 15:30 EDTUpdated: Jun 2, 2026, 15:21 EDT
Per MLB.com’s transaction log, Austin Voth has elected free agency for the second time this season.
After having his contract selected on May 27, Voth was designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays on May 30, a day after struggling against the Baltimore Orioles during the Blue Jays’ 6-5 comeback win. Right-hander Hayden Juenger was called up to take Voth’s spot on the active roster on Saturday.
The 33-year-old turned in a pitching line of 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, and was tagged for three home runs by the Orioles’ offence, including back-to-back blasts by Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo in the bottom of the fifth inning.
When all was said and done on Voth’s outing, the Orioles held a 5-0 lead and looked to be in full control of the contest. Voth tossed 70 pitches in the outing, so while the results weren’t great, the right-hander helped cover some key innings, as many of the Blue Jays’ relievers have been overworked early on due to injuries across the starting rotation.
Voth has appeared in two games out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays this season and has recorded a 9.00 ERA and 2.17 WHIP across six innings pitched. The right-hander has failed to miss bats, highlighted by just one strikeout over those six frames.
The Blue Jays originally signed Voth to a minor league contract on March 25, 2026, just prior to the regular season getting underway. After injuries struck in early April, Voth was first called up on April 5 and proceeded to toss 2.2 innings, allowing only one run during a 3-0 loss against the Chicago White Sox.
The next day, Voth was DFA’d and elected free agency on April 9. After two days, Voth ended up inking another minor league contract with the Blue Jays and spent the next month and a half in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons. In eight games with the Bisons this season, Voth was 1-2 with a 2.90 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.
While a return for a third stint with the Blue Jays may feel unlikely, it is worth noting that Eloy Jiménez has signed three separate minor league contracts after being let go by the organization. If Voth doesn’t return to the Blue Jays, the pitching depth in the upper minors will take a hit, and depth is something that all Blue Jays fans have realized the importance of this season.
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