Friday's news that Addison Barger would undergo elbow surgery and miss the rest of the 2026 season was simply the latest blow in what has been a nightmare season for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Just as the team seems to be transitioning into seller mode ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline amidst what's been a disappointing campaign, their homegrown 26-year-old slugger will also shift his focus towards 2027 for a return to the diamond.
The injury update ends what was a lost 2026 campaign for Barger, who managed just nine games and 22 at-bats thanks to time missed for an ankle injury, an elbow injury and a small lower-back fracture that waylaid his rehab. His injury-riddled season was basically the worst-case scenario following a breakthrough 2025 campaign that saw him hit 21 home runs in the regular season and slash .367/.441/1.025 in the postseason .
What's even more unfortunate for the Blue Jays is that Barger is far from the team's only player who won't be returning this season. Toronto's 2027 roster is already shaping up to carry no fewer than five players coming off of lengthy injury absences, barring off-season moves.
Let's look at who is set to join Barger in eyeing a big 2027 comeback.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Cody Ponce | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Cody Ponce appeared poised to be one of the truly heartwarming stories of the Blue Jays' season, returning to the majors after a five-year absence in which he reinvented himself in Japan and Korea and even won KBO MVP honors last season. Then, his comeback lasted all of 2.1 innings before coming to an abrupt end thanks to an ACL strain/tear in his right knee while fielding a ground ball.
Next spring, Ponce is sure to have plenty of fans in his corner as he seeks redemption. However, coming back as a viable member of Toronto's starting rotation is no sure thing. By that time, he will be nearing his 33rd birthday and will be more than 6.5 years removed from his first and only major league win. For a guy with two years and $20 million left on his contract, he remains the source of plenty of uncertainty.
Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Anthony Santander | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Speaking of uncertainty, it's hard to know what the Blue Jays will ever get out of $92.5 million slugger Anthony Santander. The 32-year-old is nearly two years into the five-year deal he signed prior to the 2025 season, with just 54 games and six home runs to show for it thanks to a litany of shoulder issues.
Santander reportedly suffered yet another setback earlier this month, making it highly unlikely that the oft-injured Venezuelan veteran sees the field again in 2026. If he can finally get healthy in time for next year, there may be an opportunity for him in the lineup with George Springer and Daulton Varsho set to hit free agency.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Ironically, by missing the entire 2026 season due to Tommy John surgery, Jos Berros may have secured his future in Toronto.
Berros has an opt-out clause in his contract following this season. But after losing the entire year (and possibly part of 2027) to elbow injuries that required Tommy John, it's likely that the 32-year-old will opt-in to the final two years of his contract on account of his limited market. While this may not excite Blue Jays fans who recall his ineffective 2024 campaign that ended with him leaving the team during the World Series to rehab in Puerto Rico, the right-hander is just two years removed from a 16-win, 3.60 ERA campaign.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Bowden Francis | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In the aftermath of Dylan Cease's remarkable one-hit complete game shutout of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, it's worth remembering that Bowden Francis somehow took no-hitters into the ninth inning twice in an 18-day span during the 2024 season.
Francis has fallen from grace considerably since then, pitching to a 6.05 ERA last season and undergoing Tommy John surgery back in February to end his 2026 campaign before it even began. It's possible that the player and team both seek fresh starts this winter, but the 30-year-old remains under team control for three more seasons, so they could also keep him around for next year to see if he has anything to offer post-surgery recovery.
This Blue Jays' quintet - Barger, Ponce, Santander, Berros and Francis - offers a small sample of some of the club's talent that largely went to waste this season. They also represent both the promise and uncertainty that await the franchise next season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/onsi as Addison Barger Joins Growing List of Blue Jays We Won't See Until 2027 .
