Brian Wolfe, former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, dies at 45

Former Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Brian Wolfe has died at the age of 45. His wife, Rachell, announced his passing on social media, stating he died after a “really really difficult and torturous battle.” Specific details regarding the cause of death have not been publicly disclosed.

Wolfe, a native of Fullerton, California, was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the sixth round of the 1999 MLB Draft. He played three seasons for the Blue Jays between 2007 and 2009, making 72 appearances and recording a 3.81 ERA.

Following his time in the Major Leagues, Wolfe enjoyed a successful nine-year career in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, where he was teammates with Shohei Ohtani, and later played for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, winning consecutive Japan Series titles in 2014 and 2015. He concluded his professional career in 2018 with the Saitama Seibu Lions.