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Addison Barger's Injury is Just Brutal For Toronto Blue Jays
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- Addison Barger's Injury is Just Brutal For Toronto Blue Jays
(Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
There's been a lot of things about this Toronto Blue Jays season that have stunk, but the injury news on Addison Barger that came out on Friday really stunk.
Because of elbow surgery, Barger's season is over after just nine games and 22 at-bats. He went all of 1-for-22, and while he played in some additional rehab games in the minor leagues, he never really had a chance this season.
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He missed time with ankle problems, and then he was sidelined by the elbow problem that eventually cost him the rest of the season. And because of this elbow surgery, he's going to miss a good portion - or all - of 2027 as well.
Obviously, his absence this year has been a big impact on the Blue Jays, who have struggled all year to score runs, but it's also just devastating for him individually.
I wrote multiple times this offseason that I thought Barger was a player primed to take off in 2026, and this now multi-year saga is going to sap him of that ability, take away part of his prime, take away at least some of his earning potential, and bring questions about how he figures into the organization's future plans.
Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Addison Barger (47) scores against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning at Rate Field. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
A breakout star of last year's playoff run, Barger hit 21 homers and drove in 74 runs. He hit .367 in the playoffs with three homers, nine RBIs and a .441 on-base percentage. The Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners in seven games in the American League Championship Series.
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He was a force in the lineup as the Jays got to the World Series, losing in seven games to the Los Angeles Dodgers .
He is 26 years old, and he likely won't be back on a field, potentially, until he's 28.
How do the Blue Jays handle things moving forward?
Well, Barger won't be able to play the outfield next season, at least for most of the year, if at all. George Springer will also likely be gone in free agency, and while the team should have Anthony Santander back, they may need to look at making a move for an outfielder in the offseason to help the lineup.
Up next
The Jays (47-57) will take on the piping-hot Boston Red Sox (53-49) on Saturday afternoon at 4:10 p.m. ET. Right-hander Dylan Cease will take the mound for Toronto while Sonny Gray pitches for the Sox.
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Cease is 6-5 with a 2.67 ERA while Gray is 12-1 with a 2.48.
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