Toronto manager John Schneider told reporters Barger didn’t require a full Tommy John ligament replacement procedure and is only facing a six-month recovery, which means he should be a full-go for spring training. The 26-year-old figures to be a popular late-round sleeper target in fantasy drafts next spring after a lost season where he was limited to just nine games due to ankle and elbow injuries.
It remains to be seen whether Barger will get the full Tommy John procedure or the internal brace procedure instead. Either way, he’s going to miss the remainder of the 2026 season and most of the 2027 season as well while recovering.
Barger was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his back in late June and has not attempted any baseball activities that we’ve heard of since. He’s been on the 10-day injured list since early May, so there are no structural forces pushing against his timeline by making this move. He also doesn’t, as far as we know, have a timeline at this point.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Barger suffered the injury while ramping up his hitting progression as he worked his way back from elbow inflammation. The 26-year-old has been limited to just nine games this season due to injury and won’t make it back until well into the second half following this latest setback.
Barger has been on the shelf working his way back from elbow inflammation since mid-May. The 26-year-old has progressed to hitting off a pitching machine and throwing from a distance of 150 feet. The hope is that he’ll be ready to start a rehab assignment at some point relatively soon.
Blue Jays’ skipper John Schneider noted on Friday that the Jays don’t expect Barger to be out for much longer than the minimum stint on the injured list due to inflammation in his elbow. It sounds like it’s possible he may not even require a minor league rehab assignment before returning to the Blue Jays’ lineup.
Source: Ben Nicholson-SmithNBC Sports / Rotoworld·Read update →
It’s the best possible outcome that Barger isn’t dealing with any ligament damage after hitting the injured list with elbow inflammation. He’ll receive an anti-inflammatory cortisone injection to address a joint issue and be shut down for a couple days. The 26-year-old corner outfielder is likely facing a multi-week absence, but it doesn’t sound like surgery is on the table. There should be a definitive return timeline once he’s cleared to ramp up baseball activities again.
Barger came off the injured list for one game after missing multiple weeks with ankle injuries. In that one game, he uncorked a 101 mph throw from right field, but then spoke to the media after the game with a huge ice wrap on his elbow. He’s now on the injured list with inflammation, and there is no timeline for his return.
Barger made a terrific 101-mph throw from right to nail Jorge Soler at the plate in Saturday’s game, but it looks like he might pay a price for it. Yohendrick Piñango figures to be recalled to share time with Myles Straw if Barger returns to the IL.
No word yet on the severity of the injury or how long he may be shelved for. Barger just returned from the injured list on Saturday after missing more than a month’s worth of action due to an ankle sprain. Myles Straw will take his place in the Jays’ lineup and will bat eighth against Angels’ right-hander Jose Soriano.
Barger is hitting second on Saturday against the Angels in his return to Toronto’s lineup after missing nearly five weeks recovering from a left ankle sprain. The 26-year-old power-hitter was one of last year’s biggest breakthroughs, launching 21 homers in 135 games. His return sends hot-hitting rookie Yohendrick Piñango, who hit .423 (11-for-26) with four RBI in 10 games for the Blue Jays since late April, back to the minors.
Barger is currently traveling to join the Jays in Toronto after finishing up his minor league rehab assignment at High-A Dunedin. The 26-year-old slugger started the season just 1-for-19 (.053) with zero homers and two RBI in eight games before landing on the injured list with a left ankle sprain during the first week of April.
It was the second home run Barger has hit on his current rehab assignment. The 26-year-old will play one more rehab game on Thursday and then is expected to rejoin the Blue Jays on Friday. Even though he was off to a slow start to the season, he’s worth grabbing if you need power since he figures to play against all right-handed pitching and hit in the middle of the Blue Jays’ lineup.
As of now, Schneider is not sure which hitter will be sent to the minors to make room for Barger. Considering both Myles Straw and Lenyn Sosa are out of minor league options, and Davis Schneider is a regular starter against left-handed pitching, it seems most logical that rookie Yohendrick Piñango will be the odd man out.
Source: Ben Nicholson-SmithNBC Sports / Rotoworld·Read update →
The expectation has been that Barger would need to play in two or three games on his rehab assignment before being reevaluated to see if he’s ready to return. It sounds like fantasy managers may get him back for the second half of next week barring any setbacks.
Source: Shi DavidiNBC Sports / Rotoworld·Read update →
Barger has been out since April 6 with a left ankle sprain. The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon believes Barger could return to the Jays at some point in the next week. The 26-year-old was off to a slow start before getting hurt, but could carve in to Jesús Sánchez’s playing time against right-handers when he returns.
Source: The AthleticNBC Sports / Rotoworld·Read update →
He continues to progress in his recovery from a left ankle sprain. The next steps will be for him to run the bases and face live pitching. Once he clears those hurdles, he’ll need at least a few games on a minor league rehab assignment before he’s ready to return to the Blue Jays. It sounds like he could be back in the middle of May barring any setbacks from here on out.
Barger was eligible to return from the 10-day IL today, but he’s obviously going to need at least another week. He’s not expected to start running until next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Barger winds up requiring a trip to the injured list to allow for some extra recovery time and enable Toronto to bring up some bench depth. The 26-year-old was one of last year’s biggest breakthroughs fantasy-wise, but he was off to a slow start this season before suffering an ankle injury over the weekend when he stepped awkwardly on first base. It’ll likely be a minimum stay on the injured list for Barger, who should be ready to return at some point next week.
Barger, 26, is dealing with bilateral ankle discomfort, and the 26-year-old will miss a second-straight start while recovering. Nathan Lukes is starting in right field while Barger — who is considered day-to-day — sits.
