Former Blue Jays pitcher Brian Wolfe has died at 45, his wife confirmed Wednesday.

Rachell Wolfe shared the news in a Facebook post, describing his final stretch in raw, personal terms.

"I am sorry to write this but after a really really difficult and torturous battle Brian Wolfe passed away early this morning," she wrote.

The Blue Jays confirmed the news the same day through a statement on Instagram.

"We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Blue Jay, Brian Wolfe," the team wrote. "Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time."

His exact cause of death was not immediately known.

Looking back at Wolfe's path through pro baseball

Wolfe, a Fullerton, Calif. native, was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the sixth round of the 1999 MLB Draft.

He spent years working through Minnesota's minor-league system before being released in May 2005.

His path through affiliated baseball reflects the reality most professional players live, years of development, travel, and grinding through the minors, often without ever reaching the sustained big-league recognition fans associate with the sport's biggest names.

Wolfe eventually found his way to a Blue Jays uniform at some point in his career, the connection that ties him to Toronto's own history and explains the tribute from the organization this week.

Rachell Wolfe's description of the battle he fought suggests a difficult, prolonged illness, even without specific medical details attached.

For a family processing a loss described in such visceral terms, the outpouring from his former organization offers some public acknowledgment of a life that touched professional baseball, even without ever becoming a household name.

The Blue Jays organization and Wolfe's former teammates will likely share additional memories and tributes in the days ahead.