“Words Taken Out of Context”: Eric Lauer Reflects on His Final Moments in Toronto

Eric Lauer has had a rough start to 2026. The pitcher has repeatedly criticized the Blue Jays for how they've been using him.

Proof that things didn't go well? His former manager (John Schneider) went out of his way to publicly put him in his place—something he normally never does.

All of this to say that his poor performances and the fact that he clearly no longer fit in with the organization led to him being traded to the Dodgers… despite the Blue Jays' need for a starter.

And yesterday, for the first time since his trade, Lauer spoke to the media.

Eric Lauer reflected on what he called a “fresh start” with the Dodgers, said he “cleared up” some of his comments he made about how he was used in Toronto and pointed to some tweaks he could make to try to get his season on track: https://t.co/cjxa9Ic6pR

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 20, 2026

Instead of owning up to what he said, Lauer claimed that parts of his interview were taken out of context when he said he didn't like pitching as a starter after an opener.

The problem? There's no additional context: he was asked the question, he answered… and people didn't like seeing him criticize the system while he was pitching poorly.

Newest Dodgers pitcher Eric Lauer, acquired from the Blue Jays, met with the media in San Diego and addressed his recent comment about Toronto's use of an opener before his starts.

“I think some of that, or a lot of that was kinda taken out of context,” Lauer said. “There were… pic.twitter.com/QOeusKleds

— Fredo Cervantes (@FredoCervantes) May 20, 2026

He's right to say that most starters don't like it. But the question was asked of him, not of most starters… and he chose to tell the truth.

The point here isn't necessarily to put him on trial. The point is more to mention that Lauer, who will be used as a starter in L.A. starting next week, will be better off in a new environment. In Toronto, it was getting to be too much…

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