Blue Jays Take Another Hit, Addison Barger Shut Down With New Injury
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The Toronto Blue Jays just can’t seem to catch a break, and neither can their right fielder, Addison Barger.
At just 26 years old, the outfielder is having a hard time finding himself on the field. He has spent much of the year on the injured list. In early May, he found himself on the 10-day list due to right elbow inflammation. Now, as he was working his way through rehab, he has another injury.
A stress reaction, basically a small fracture, has been found in his back. For a team that has been ravaged by injuries in 2026, this is just one more difficult blow to add to the list.
Blue Jays Season Derailed Before It Started
There were such high expectations for Toronto coming off their 2025 World Series run. But at every turn in 2026, there have been setbacks that have kept the contender from moving forward.
At one point, the Blue Jays were incredibly close to being the worst team in the majors.
Barger appeared in just nine games before he was shut down in 2026, and those outings weren’t productive. He was hitting .045 in 22 at-bats.
In 2025, Barger was a legitimate offensive contributor for the team, and one they had high hopes for in the 2026 campaign. He finished the 2025 season slashing .243/.301/.454 with 21 home runs and 74 RBI in 135 games. He was an important piece of this team’s puzzle.
But in 2026, he has been a non-factor as he has been unable to join his teammates on the field.
As late as June 26, Barger was working toward a return. He was hitting and taking ground balls. The timeline was being adjusted to get him back to the MLB level. Instead of the timeline being shortened, the news just got worse.
His back stress fracture means the elbow rehab process will start over, and he will likely not see the active roster again until sometime in late July.
Toronto Keeps Moving Forward
Despite all of the injuries and setbacks, the calendar and schedule just keep clicking forward. So do the Blue Jays. The timing of all of this though, couldn’t be worse.
Toronto has dug itself a hole that might be too deep to get out of. They have lost six of their last seven games. That six-game skid came at a critical stretch. The offense is inconsistent, and the big-name players who haven’t spent a significant amount of time on the IL haven’t been producing.
Now, without Barger for another good chunk of time, the organization will have to lean on Kazuma Okamoto. He has been a standout to lean on with 19 home runs this year. Nathan Lukes will have to continue to carry a significant load along with Ernie Clement.
It’s a heavy load for a team that is struggling to find it’s way this year.
The Road Back
If there is a silver lining to this news, it is that stress reactions in the back usually can be managed relatively quickly and with rest. If Barger can avoid any further damage or complications, he should still have a path back to the team before the August 3 deadline.
Whether or not the Blue Jays can keep themselves alive and in the hunt for October baseball through the Wild Card spots is the greatest unknown.
At 39-45, Toronto is six games under .500, along with being 10.5 games back in the American League East race and 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.
This team needs a break, and not of the stress fracture kind.
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Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NFL, and WNBA. Laura covers the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com