Addison Barger was forced to watch on as the Toronto Blue Jays suffered a fourth-straight loss on Sunday, falling to 4-5 on the 2026 MLB season after a 3-0 defeat to Davis Martin and the Chicago White Sox. But the road doesn't get much easier for the Blue Jays, beginning a three-game series against Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.
Barger has gotten off to a slow start to his third MLB season. In eight appearances, the third base and right field hybrid has recorded just one hit, one run and two RBIs in 19 at-bats, good for a .053 batting average, which would be by far the worst of his career. Sunday’s game against Chicago wasn’t much better for Barger, who did not record a hit in three at-bats.
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Coming off a World Series appearance in 2025, the Blue Jays have struggled, largely due to injuries. Catcher Alejandro Kirk is on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb fracture, while pitchers Shane Bieber (elbow) and Trey Yesavage (shoulder) are also dealing with issues, among others.
But against the White Sox, Toronto was dealt more injury news after Barger suffered an ankle injury in the third inning while stretching to beat out a ground ball, landing awkwardly on first base. While he remained in the game to run and take another at-bat, Barger was later removed in the sixth inning.
And on Monday, ahead of Blue Jays vs. Dodgers, Toronto manager John Schneider provided an update on Barger, revealing that the 26-year-old is improving, but a stint on the injured list remains a possibility as he continues to recover.
"Addison Barger (ankle) 'trending in the right direction,' but an IL stint hasn’t been ruled out per John Schneider," Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith wrote on X.
The Blue Jays will face the Dodgers over their next three games before beginning a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Friday.
