A taxed Toronto Blue Jays bullpen is getting some help.
The Blue Jays claimed reliever Paul Sewald off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, the team announced.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Sewald is expected to arrive in Toronto Thursday night and will likely be active for Friday's game against the New York Yankees.
Sewald, 36, struggled in 45 games with the Diamondbacks this season, posting a 6.23 ERA across 39 innings with 44 strikeouts and nine walks.
Over his last nine innings since July 1, the right-hander has allowed 13 runs (12 earned) on 14 hits, including six home runs.
However, he has been a reliable reliever as recently as 2024, when he had 16 saves for the Diamondbacks. He also excelled over parts of three seasons with the Seattle Mariners from 2021-2023, collecting 52 saves with an ERA that never finished higher than 3.06.
Now, he'll join a Blue Jays bullpen that's been heavily used during the team's current stretch of 30 games in 31 days. Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles earned his first career save Tuesday, closing out the Blue Jays' 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Sewald, the Blue Jays recalled pitcher Jake Bloss and then placed him on the 60-day injured list.
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