Addison Barger’s 2026 season has barely had a chance to begin. The 26-year-old entered spring training coming off the strongest season of his career and a breakout postseason run for the Toronto Blue Jays. But two months into the season, he has appeared in only nine games.
Barger’s latest setback came on May 10 when was scratched from the lineup with right elbow soreness. The Blue Jays placed him on the injured list for the second time this season and his progress has been slower than expected.
Manager John Schneider acknowledged Monday that the recovery process is taking longer than the organization initially hoped.
Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
On Wednesday, though, the Blue Jays received a more encouraging development.
According to The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon, Schneider confirmed that Barger is likely to resume throwing Thursday.
Throwing progression typically comes before live batting practice, which then clears the path toward a rehab assignment. Even with everything going smoothly from here, Barger likely remains at least a couple of weeks away from returning to Toronto’s active roster. The Blue Jays are expected to stay cautious given how quickly the setback happened after his previous activation.
The update arrives during a brutal stretch of injuries across the roster. Alejandro Kirk remains sidelined after fracturing his left thumb on April 3.
Toronto’s pitching staff has also been hit with a wave of health setbacks. Max Scherzer is still sidelined with right forearm inflammation and ankle soreness, while Shane Bieber has yet to pitch this season following elbow surgery. Cody Ponce tore his ACL during his first start of the year.
Toronto enters Wednesday’s matchup against the Miami Marlins at 26-29 and sitting third in the American League East.
