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He also had a bone chip removed. Hoffman missed the final weekend of the season, going on the IL with forearm inflammation. It was his first absence of any sort since 2022. He’s expected to resume throwing in eight weeks and should have a normal spring training, if there happens to be a normal spring training. Barring an expensive signing, he seems like the current favorite to close for the Twins next year.

Hoffman heads to the shelf with two games remaining in the regular season. The 33-year-old has shared the closing role in Minnesota with Andrew Morris for the last couple weeks. He’s recorded one save along with a strong 2.50 ERA and 27/12 K/BB across 18 innings since being acquired from the Blue Jays at last month’s trade deadline. There should be some clarity on his health heading into the offseason at some point in the coming days.

Hoffman was summoned to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth with a two-run lead over the Giants. He walked the leadoff man, then hit the next batter before a sacrifice bunt put the tying run in scoring position. The Giants would bring one run across on a force out before Hoffman struck out the final batter to secure the win with his sixth save of the season.

Aaron Gleeman reports that the Jays are covering $3.77 million of the approximately $14.2 million that Hoffman is owed through the end of next year. The 33-year-old Hoffman figures to go back to closing in Minnesota after losing his job in Toronto to ex-Twin Louis Varland. He has a 3.94 ERA this season, but that comes with a 75/18 K/BB and only four homers allowed in 48 innings. He’s allowed three earned runs in 22 1/3 innings since the beginning of June. The acquisition of Hoffman probably makes Yoendrys Gómez droppable in mixed leagues.

Hoffman was instrumental in Toronto’s playoff success last year, but found himself out of the closer role with the emergence of Louis Varland, who ironically came over from the Twins at last year’s deadline. The 33-year-old should bolster Minnesota’s relief corps as they attempt to make a playoff push in the final two months.

The rally started with a soft liner that Ernie Clement could do nothing with and included a couple of more singles, a couple of steals and a long go-ahead sac fly that would have been a homer in 15 ballparks. The earned runs were the first allowed by Hoffman since June 6. He had since allowed one unearned run in 13 innings. He’s still throwing well enough to resume closing, but it seems highly unlikely that the Jays will give him that chance as long as Louis Varland remains healthy.

If was Hoffman’s error, but it might have been Kazuma Okamoto’s mistake. After Joey Loperfido tripled in the eighth, Hoffman tried a pickoff play, but Okamoto wasn’t aware of it and the throw sailed past him into right field. If it was something Hoffman did on his own, it’s his fault. But it might have been called from the dugout. Hoffman went on to strike out Yainer Diaz and retire Cam Smith on a flyout, so if not for the miscue, he might have escaped the jam. As it, is turned into his fifth loss of the year.

Hoffman came into a 6-1 game with one on and immediately gave up the homer to Alonso, adding one run to both his and Spencer Miles’ ledger. He then struck out Coby Mayo and induced a soft groundout from Leody Taveras. The home run ball, a far bigger issue last season, was the fourth allowed by Hoffman in 27 1/3 innings this year. It’s the absurd .492 BABIP that has caused most of Hoffman’s problems this season. He probably won’t be receiving any save chances in the short term after giving up five runs in the ninth the Orioles last Saturday.

Louis Varland had shut down the heart of the Orioles lineup in the eighth inning before Hoffman took the mound with a four-run lead in the ninth. It didn’t go well. Hoffman struck out the first batter, then allowed the next six batters to reach, bringing three runs in and loading the bases. Connor Seabold took over and walked in a run before Pete Alonso walked it off with a base hit. Hoffman had been pitching better of late, making six straight scoreless appearances. Though Saturday’s implosion certainly won’t help his cause in retaking the closer role. Varland remains the reliever to roster in Toronto.

Hoffman had a three-run cushion, but he didn’t need it in setting down Brandon Lowe, Oneil Cruz and Endy Rodríguez. Hoffman was the easy choice to close today after Louis Varland had a two-inning save Friday. Varland should be back on the role on Sunday if the Jays have a chance to extend their streak to five straight days with a save.

With Louis Varland unavailable after pitching in the previous two games, Hoffman slid back into the ninth inning role and performed flawlessly. He got Cody Bellinger on a line drive to first base and then punched out Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Paul Goldschmidt in succession to end it. It’s going to take an injury or a series of implosions from Varland for Hoffman to reclaim his closer’s gig, but it was nice to see him have success in the role once again on Thursday.

Hoffman has pitched two hitless innings since losing his closer’s role last week, and he was particularly sharp in the 10-pitch outing tonight. He’s now struck out 27 of the 64 hitters he’s faced this year. That 42.2 percent K rate that would obliterate his previous high of 33.6 percent.

Jeff Hoffman will attempt to iron out his issues in lower-leverage appearances. The Jays won’t say as such, but this probably makes Louis Varland the favorite for saves. Pitching well for the Jays at the moment are Varland (0.00 ERA in 13 innings pitched), Tyler Rogers (0.73 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched) and Braydon Fisher (2.08 ERA in 13 innings pitched) — saves will likely come out of that trio. But Varland is the easy pickup in fantasy leagues where he’s available.

Schneider claimed that he doesn’t want to make a knee-jerk decision, but “we’ll re-evaluate everything, talk with him, see how he’s doing. He’s going through it, obviously, a little bit.” Nothing is certain, but that does sound like a manager who is thinking about giving his closer a break from high-leverage innings while they try to figure out how to help him. “How can we be there to support you? How can we help you get ahead of hitters? Is it mechanical? Is it between the ears a little bit? What’s going on and how can we help?” We still believe the Blue Jays would like to have Hoffman close, so he could easily return to the role if the team figures out what’s going on, but Louis Varland needs to be added in all formats in case the Blue Jays do decide to give Hoffman a break from closing games.

Hoffman has been awful to begin 2025, but this looked good. The 33-year-old did allow a hit, but he struck out the heart of the Angels’ order to procure his third save of the season while lowering his ERA to 6.97. The Blue Jays are showing faith in Hoffman, and for now, fantasy managers should reticently do the same.

Hoffman allowed three hits and a walk, and while he struck out two, it’s tough to get excited about a pair of punchouts in a game where you give up a salami in one inning. That grand slam came in a 2-2 game in the eighth inning by Corbin Carroll, and it sees his ERA inflate to an ugly 7.71. Hoffman had his issues in 2025 as well despite Toronto reaching the World Series, and while there’s no obvious answer behind him to close out games, this is a situation that has to be monitored.

Tuesday night saw a good amount of blown saves, and there were two in this game alone. Hoffman was handed a 6-4 lead, but it didn’t matter because he simply couldn’t throw strikes with three free passes. That’s already the third blown save of the season for the 33-year-old, and at some point,you have to wonder how long Toronto can put up with this. Fantasy managers should be prepared for a potential change in the coming weeks, if not sooner.

Hoffman had to face the top of the Dodgers order today. He struck out Shohei Ohtani before Kyle Tucker singled and Will Smith walked. He then got Freddie Freeman to chase strike three and induced an easy groundout from Max Muncy to end the game. Hoffman is just 2-for-4 saving games, but he has a 15/2 K/BB (with the only previous walk being intentional) in 6 2/3 innings.

Hoffman retired the first two batters before Derek Hill dropped down a bunt that tied the game after Tyler Heineman, who had just replaced Alejandro Kirk, made an errant throw to first. Hill wound up on second on what was ruled a single. Tristan Peters followed with a clean single to end it. It’s Hoffman’s second blown save, but this won’t be held against him. He’s allowed one earned run and posted an 11/0 K/BB in 4 2/3 innings to open the season.

Hoffman came in to pitch in a 5-1 game, so no save. He allowed a hit, but he was able to keep the runner at bay while also adding a strikeout. Hoffman has allowed one run over his first three appearances with one save thus far.