The Toronto Blue Jays have received bad news on outfielder/third baseman Addison Barger, whose IL stint looks to be extended.
Barger has been on the IL since May 11 for an elbow injury, retroactive to May 10. He was put on the IL just one day after returning from the injured list for an ankle injury.
He has been slowly ramping his way back, and there was hope that he could start a rehab assignment. But it appears that won’t be happening anytime soon.
Blue Jays Get Negative Addison Barger Update
According to the team, Barger is now dealing with a back injury, and he will be shut down for the foreseeable future while he recovers from his ailment.
“Addison Barger now has a stress fracture/reaction in his back. He will be shut down for a couple weeks,” wrote Blue Jays reporter Mitch Bannon on X.
It’s the latest negative injury update for a Blue Jays team that has seen so many of its hitters and pitchers go on the IL this year for a variety of different ailments.
Just when the Blue Jays thought they might be getting their slugging outfielder/third baseman back, it looks like it will be a little while longer until that happens.
Last season, Barger hit 21 home runs with a .756 OPS and a 103 OPS+ for the Blue Jays, and he was also money for the team in the postseason.
This year, he has played in just nine games and had only 28 plate appearances as he has been banged up all season.
Blue Jays Right Now
The Blue Jays begin a three-game series on Monday night against the New York Mets and Bo Bichette, who returns to Rogers Centre for the first time since leaving the team this past offseason as a free agent.
The Blue Jays are in free-fall mode at the moment, having lost six straight games. They were just swept in a four-game series by the Texas Rangers, and star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. struggled once again, leading to frustrated fans asking for him to be benched by manager John Schneider.
However, Schneider has remained steadfast in his decision not to bench Guerrero, and he is starting at first base once again on Monday night, while hitting third in the lineup.
If the Blue Jays are going to make the playoffs, then they need to start winning now, or else it will be too late.
Adam Martin Adam Martin is a sports journalist with over 15 years of experience. He has a speciality in MMA, while also covering the Big 4 Sports. Adam is currently a contributor to Heavy.com, with previous experience working for The Toronto Star, Sportsnet, theScore, Bookies, BJPenn.com, and MMAOddsbreaker.com. More about Adam Martin
