Former Blue Jays Pitcher Brian Wolfe Dies at 45

Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Brian Wolfe died Sept. 15 at age 45, his wife, Rachell, announced, saying he had endured a “really, really difficult and torturous battle.” No cause of death has been disclosed. A Fullerton, California, native and 1999 sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Twins, Wolfe made his major-league debut with Toronto in 2007 and appeared in 72 games over three seasons, compiling a 5-5 record and 3.81 ERA. He continued his career in Japan for nine seasons with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Saitama Seibu Lions, winning Japan Series titles with the Hawks in 2014 and 2015. Wolfe also played alongside Shohei Ohtani during Ohtani’s first season with Nippon-Ham, while former major-league outfielder Brandon Barnes remembered him as a close friend and mentor.