Blue Jays excuse Will Wagner to attend dad Billy Wagner’s Hall of Fame induction

DETROIT – Infielder Will Wagner has been placed on the Toronto Blue Jays’ restricted list ahead of Saturday night’s game in Detroit.

Wagner is being given the day off so he can travel to Cooperstown, N.Y., to watch the induction of his father Billy Wagner into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Outfielder Alan Roden was recalled from Toronto’s triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, N.Y., to take Wagner’s spot on the Blue Jays roster.

Will Wagner is hitting .243 with six runs batted in and a stolen base over 36 games with Toronto this season. The 26-year-old is in just his second MLB season, both with the Blue Jays.

Roden has split time between Toronto and Buffalo this year, hitting .206 with one home run and eight RBIs with the Blue Jays.

Billy Wagner had 422 saves, 1,196 strikeouts and a 2.31 earned-run average over 16 years in Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves.

Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and left-handed pitcher CC Sabathia are being inducted into Cooperstown in their first year of eligibility. First baseman Dick Allen and outfielder Dave Parker are also being honoured.

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The elder Wagner was elected with 82.5 per cent of Baseball Writer’s Association of America voters supporting him on his 10th ballot.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2025.