Jeffrey Hoffman: Everything you need to know

Hoffman (4-4) took the loss Saturday as the Blue Jays fell 6-5 to the Orioles, coughing up five runs on three hits and two walks in only one-third of an inning. He struck out one. After Louis Varland got the call in the eighth inning to face Baltimore's 2-3-4 hitters and protect a 4-1 lead, Toronto tacked on another run in the top of the ninth before handing the ball to Hoffman. Hoffman struck out Samuel Basallo to begin the frame but then unraveled after plunking Coby Mayo, with the final two runs on his ledger coming after he'd been replaced by Connor Seabold. After six straight scoreless appearances that included two wins, two saves and a hold, Hoffman seems no more trustworthy in high-leverage spots than he did when he was removed from the closer role in late April. Following Saturday's disaster, he sits with a 6.31 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 45:10 K:BB through 25.2 innings on the season.

Hoffman (4-3) earned the win Thursday against the Orioles after tossing a scoreless seventh inning, allowing one hit and striking out two. Hoffman allowed a two-out single to Jackson Holliday, who then stole second base, but he ended the threat by striking out Blaze Alexander. Hoffman has two wins, two saves and a hold over his last five appearances, allowing zero runs and posting a 9:0 K:BB across five innings, and the right-hander owns a 2.84 ERA across 12.2 innings (13 appearances) since the beginning of May. That's a step in the right direction compared to the 6.39 ERA he posted over March and April.

Hoffman (3-3) picked up the win over the Marlins on Wednesday, giving up two hits in 1.1 scoreless innings. He struck out two without walking a batter. The right-hander entered the game with two outs in the sixth inning and got helped along by Tyler Heineman's arm -- the catcher threw out two of three would-be base stealers while Hoffman was on the mound. Hoffman has recorded a win, hold or save in four straight appearances, posting a 0.00 ERA and 7:0 K:BB in four innings during that span as he attempts to turn his season around. Per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, Hoffman credits his recent success with increased slider usage to match the pitch mix he employed with the Phillies in 2023-24, his most dominant years as a reliever. He still carries a 4.81 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 24.1 innings on the year, however, and he's unlikely to regain the closer role as long as Louis Varland remains effective.