Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Brian Wolfe has died, the team announced on Wednesday, Sept. 16. He was 45.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Blue Jay, Brian Wolfe,” the team said in its social media posts. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
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Wolfe’s wife, Rachell, posted on Facebook on Tuesday, Sept. 15 that he passed away that day.
“(After) a really really difficult and torturous battle Brian Wolfe passed away early this morning,” she wrote.
The cause of death has not been made public.
Brian Wolfe was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1999 MLB Draft after he starred at Servite High School in Anaheim, California. According to the Los Angeles Times, in his sophomore year he went 8-0 and had an ERA of 0.27. The Fullerton, California, native spent eight years in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut in 2007 with the Blue Jays.
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Wolfe spent three seasons in MLB, all in Toronto. He made 72 appearances and went 5-5 with a 3.81 ERA, tossing 47 strikeouts, 22 walks and allowing 79 hits.
After becoming a free agent in December 2009, Wolfe played in Japan from 2010 to 2018. He spent a few years with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, the same team where Shohei Ohtani cut his chops. Ohtani and Wolfe were both on the team in 2013.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Brian Wolfe dies at 45
