Fears Far From Eased For Blue Jays as Addison Barger Scheduled For MRI
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It might seem like the Toronto Blue Jays just activated their missing slugger, Addison Barger, from the injured list. Well, that is because they did.
Barger has only played in nine games for the Jays this season, one being his first back against the Los Angeles Angels just this last weekend. But that would be the only time he was able to suit up, as he was seen with an ice wrap fit for a starting pitcher merely minutes after the game on his elbow. The Blue Jays scratched him from Sunday's game.
Seeing Barger nursing an injury different from what has kept him away from the team for the last month is more than disheartening. After he was unable to play in the finale of the Blue Jays series, it was shortly announced that Barger would be undergoing an MRI on that elbow, per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson.
Not the best sign.
It has been a brutal year for Toronto regarding injuries, and there is nothing anybody can do at this point but cross fingers and hope that it is nothing serious or something that will put Barger back on that dreaded injured list.
The Jays IL has not been lacking in depth at any point this season, and with Nathan Lukes still a member, it seems as if there is an obvious sign as to who the Jays will look to if bad news comes for Barger.
What Happens if Barger Returns to IL
It seems like the easiest answer is that Yohendrick Pinango is going to rejoin the roster, but that is not the issue that is persisting as the ‘what if’ game that can be played regarding what Barger could be doing.
If anything, everyone will welcome Pinango back to the dugout, but at the expense of Barger is an entirely different story. Nobody wanted to see Pinango go down to Triple-A, as there was quite a spirited debate as if that was the right selection.
However, losing the production that Barger brings to the table, on top of his defensive strength, stamina, and athleticism, is a much more difficult pill to swallow. Pinango will come back to the roster, no question, but the long-term issue is a giant cloud over the team’s shoulders.
The Blue Jays finally snapped their four-game skid once Barger was activated. The team has so much momentum, finally building, going into this next series with the Tampa Bay Rays, but this feels like another kick to the teeth.
Only time will tell as to what Barger is truly dealing with there. Hopefully, this is simply precautionary, and he won’t be gone more than a day or two, if any.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.