Blue Jays rally around Swanson with son recovering from accident

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Prior to the Blue Jays’ 6-4 loss against the Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on Tuesday, manager John Schneider shared the difficult news that reliever Erik Swanson’s 4-year-old son, Toby, was hit by a car on Sunday and airlifted to a hospital.

An emotional Schneider expressed his love and support for Swanson and his family.

“Thanks to the incredible work from Clearwater first responders, Toby is on the road to recovery and is surrounded by his family,” the Blue Jays said in a statement. “Erik will be away from the team for a while, family comes first. Our love, support and prayers are with Erik, Madison, Toby and the entire Swanson family. Out of respect for Erik and his family, we’re not going to comment further on this.”

Schneider, along with some of Swanson’s teammates, learned of the news Sunday.

“We have unbelievable resources up and down this organization,” Schneider said. “We have an unbelievable group of guys who are in that clubhouse who are very, very close. They spend a lot of time together off the field along with other families. You lean on those guys. You come together as an organization as quickly as you can and help however you can. The guys have been great. Erik and his wife, Madison, are very thankful for the support, and we’re going to continue to give it as long as we need to.”

Since coming to the Blue Jays prior to the 2023 season, Swanson has endeared himself in the clubhouse and become a cornerstone of Toronto’s tight-knit bullpen group. This is a group that’s grown particularly close as some have spent many years together in the organization and have had children around the same time.

“As a dad, I have two boys who are 7 and 5, and it hits home,” Schneider said. “Baseball is just baseball, you know? You pray. You hope for the best. Thankfully, that has been the case so far. You realize how quickly things can change. You don’t take things for granted.”

Schneider says that the Blue Jays will offer the organization’s full support to Swanson, his family and the players in the clubhouse who have such a close relationship with him. Many in this organization were with the Blue Jays in 2022, when Mark Budzinski’s 17-year-old daughter, Julia, died in a tragic accident. Players, coaches and staff throughout the organization rallied around the beloved coach.

Many in the clubhouse know Swanson’s son, Toby, well. In late 2023, Toby threw out the ceremonial first pitch alongside Tim Mayza’s young son, Everett. These players and their families will now be there for Swanson and his family to lean on.

“We’re going to continue to be there for them,” Schneider said. “Baseball is secondary when you’re talking about family and life. We’re going to support him. The guys have been absolutely phenomenal with him so far, and you can’t forget about players’ wives and significant others who have reached out as well. It’s been a rough couple of days, but it’s really, really nice to see the support for Erik.”