The bad news just keeps flowing for Blue Jays right-handed reliever Erik Swanson.

During his pre-game meeting with the media, Jays manager John Schneider noted that Swanson experienced some soreness in his right forearm while throwing before his scheduled appearance with the Dunedin Blue Jays yesterday. With the injury, Swanson is flying into Toronto today to be checked out by the Blue Jays’ doctors before any further action is taken. Schneider noted that this injury ‘crept up’ on Swanson, and all the reports from his previous throwing sessions didn’t indicate he was experiencing any soreness or problems.

So far this year, Swanson has appeared in zero games within the Jays system as he was ramping up for his first rehab appearance yesterday in Dunedin.

It’s been a frustrating couple of years for Swanson, who missed time on the IL to start the 2024 campaign with right forearm inflammation. He then struggled to find his 2023 form with the Jays, resulting in a demotion to the minor leagues in late May before returning to the club in mid-July for a postseason push, where he found some success. For the season, Swanson posted a 5.03 ERA through 39 1/2 innings of work to the tune of a 1.27 WHIP.

While the Jays’ bullpen has been successful out of the gate, having a healthy Swanson in the mix would be another weapon for Schneider to go to for a handful of scenarios, given his splitter-heavy approach. When healthy and effective, the Jays have turned to him in tough situations, with the right-hander appearing in 69 games for the club in 2023, posting a 2.97 ERA with a 3.51 FIP.