The Philadelphia Phillies' bats were alive and well north of the border as they opened June with a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. Rob Thomson's club notched a huge 8-3 win over the Blue Jays on Tuesday evening, ending the Phillies' losing streak at four consecutive games.
As the Phillies celebrated their latest win, Tuesday's contest also marked a reunion with one of the club's former hurlers, Jeff Hoffman. The ex-Philadelphia reliever spent the two previous seasons in the City of Brotherly Love before signing a three-year, $33 million contract with the Blue Jays in the offseason.
While some players easily forget about their old teams once they join a new one, Hoffman proved that wasn't the case before being reunited with the Phillies.
Former Phillies RHP Jeff Hoffman Still Thinks Fondly of Old Team
In the lead-up to Tuesday's action, Hoffman admitted to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Lochlahn March that he still keeps in close contact with some of his ex-Phillies teammates despite leaving town in the winter.
"I try to keep up with everybody," Hoffman revealed. "Obviously, we’ve got our own stuff going on here, so I got to kind of have my priorities, but I feel like every night I’m pretty much checking box scores and seeing who got in there, who didn’t, and how everybody’s doing."
Watching Hoffman head to Canada wasn't easy for Phillies fans wanting to see him re-signed. The Latham, NY native was one of the best relievers in the Majors last season, going 3-3 with a 2.17 ERA, 10 saves, and 89 strikeouts across 68 outings (66 1/3 innings) en route to his first-ever MLB All-Star nod.
Although he "did definitely want to be back" in Philadelphia, Hoffman admitted the chances of a return were low once extension conversations fell apart during the 2024 campaign. Once the offseason arrived, "it was pretty clear early on" that he wouldn't be playing another game with the Phillies.
At first, Hoffman was thriving after leaving Philadelphia, going 3-0 with a 1.10 ERA, 23 strikeouts, and seven saves in his first 14 outings with the Blue Jays. The former 2014 first-rounder hasn't played well since then, though, pitching to a putrid 13.50 ERA in his last 12 games, which also included three blown saves across nine opportunities.
Whether or not Hoffman gets the chance to turn things around against the Phillies remains to be seen. Having said that, he made it clear Philadelphia holds a special place in his heart, even if he doesn't get to face his former club in the coming days.
"I’m really thankful and grateful for the opportunity that they gave me and that allowed me to do what I’ve what I’ve done, and come here and make some money and put my family in a great position to be successful moving forward," he said.
The Phillies are currently FanDuel Sportsbook's -110 moneyline favorite over the Jays just over eight hours away from Game 2 of their series. Mick Abel (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will draw the start for Philadelphia while Jose Berrios (2-2, 3.86 ERA) will take the mound for Toronto.
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