Former Brewers starting pitcher returns to MLB after more than a year away

Remember 2021? When the Milwaukee Brewers had just six starting pitchers start more than 95% of their games? That consistency seems impossible these days, with the Brewers seemingly adding or subtracting a new starting pitcher every week. But while folks will remember the three All-Stars at the top of the 2021 rotation, Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, and Brandon Woodruff, they might be quick to forget the starting pitcher who had the fourth-lowest ERA on the starting staff, Eric Lauer.

Lauer initially arrived in Milwaukee by way of an offseason trade in November of 2019. He and infielder Luis Urias were sent to the Brewers by the San Diego Padres in exchange for starting pitcher Zach Davies and outfielder Trent Grisham. At the time, the trade seemed relatively even, and to this day, you would be hard-pressed to find a lopsided winner from the swap. Grisham had some impressive seasons in San Diego, but so did Urias in Milwaukee. Davies had a sub-3.00 ERA during the COVID season before being traded by the Padres to the Chicago Cubs as part of the Yu Darvish trade.

However, while the performances of Grisham, Urias, and Davies were somewhat expected given their track records, what wasn't anticipated was the turnaround that Lauer made during the 2021 season. After posting ERAs north of 4.30 in his two seasons with San Diego, and allowing 16 earned runs in 11 innings during the shortened 2020 season, Lauer looked like a new pitcher in 2021. He made 20 starts for the Crew, posting an ERA of 3.19 and striking out nearly a batter per inning. His low-90s four-seam fastball had new life and improved movement, and his changeup was much improved from the one he displayed in San Diego. But as quickly as these improvements came, they faded away, and by the 2023 season, Lauer had seemingly lost his way on the mound.

Eric Lauer returns to MLB with the Toronto Blue Jays after struggling to crack a major-league roster for more than a year

After a disappointing 2023 season marked by injuries, underperformance, and split time between the Triple-A and major league rosters, Lauer elected free agency, and the Brewers were content with letting him walk away. He signed minor league contracts with both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros at various points in 2024, making appearances with their respective Triple-A affiliates, before signing with the Kia Tigers of the KBO league in South Korea to finish the year.

Lauer didn't perform particularly well at any of his three stops in 2024, but it was still enough to earn him a minor league contract with an invite to big-league camp from the Toronto Blue Jays during this past offseason. As the Blue Jays deal with several injuries in their rotation, it was Lauer's name that was called upon to cover bulk innings in Wednesday's matchup with the Boston Red Sox, despite him holding a pedestrian 4.50 ERA in his first five starts with Toronto's Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons.

Lauer was decent in his return last night. He covered four innings for the Blue Jays after taking over for opener Yariel Rodríguez, and allowed two earned runs while striking out four. Lauer relied on a sinker in last night’s outing, rather than the four-seamer that he threw a majority of the time during his Brewers tenure. The sinker led to one of his four strikeouts, with the other three coming on a cutter and two sliders.

With no minor league options remaining, Lauer could be a 40-man roster crunch casualty in the near future, but for now, he looks to build upon a solid outing on Wednesday as he awaits his next assignment. Still just 29 years old, there's a chance that Lauer can reignite his career and become a rotation mainstay once again.