Less than six months ago, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger made MLB history, becoming the first player in the 121-year history of the World Series to belt a pinch-hit grand slam. But on Tuesday, Barger became the latest casualty in the Blue Jaysâ painful 4-7 start to the 2026 season.
In a flurry of roster moves, the Blue Jays sent Barger to the 10-day injured list, just two days after he was forced to leave Sundayâs shutout loss to the Chicago White Sox with what the team described as âbilateral ankle discomfort,â meaning that Barger injured both of his ankles on a play at first base.
Although Blue Jays manager John Schneider initially said that he hoped Barger would return to the lineup in “a day or two, or maybe not even a day,” the team decided that he needs more time to recover, after the Blue Jays medical staff revised its diagnosis to a “left ankle sprain” for the 26-year-old, who was a sixth-round draft pick by the Blue Jays in 2018 out of C. Leon King High School in Tampa, Florida.
Barger joins a list of injured Blue Jays players so extensive that Schneider led off his meeting with the media on Monday by saying, “I feel like this is a broken record,â as quoted by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.
Barger Only the Latest in Litany of Injured Blue Jays
While Bargerâs injury, at least for now, appears manageable with a 10-day injured list stint, the Blue Jays also announced that two key players underwent surgery on Tuesday.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk “had a screw placed in his thumb during the procedure, and with an initial timeline of six weeks for Kirk to return, we could be looking at a date close to the end of May before we see Kirk again,” according to Matheson. “That wasnât even the lone surgery update of the day. Cody Ponce, who sprained his right ACL in his season debut, will undergo surgery next Wednesday and is expected to miss about six months.”
Starting pitchers José BerrÃos, Shane Bieber, and rookie Trey Yesavage are all confined to the IL, and 41-year-old, future Hall of Fame right-hander Max Scherzer is dealing with “right forearm tendinitis.”
âItâs going to happen,” Schneider said on Tuesday, as quoted by Matheson. “The minute you start thinking about that is when you go downhill. Baseball is going to happen and ups and downs are going to happen. Every single team is going to deal with it at some point. You never know when thatâs going to be. You never predict it to be this early.â
Barger Enjoyed Sudden Rise Last Season
After making his MLB debut in 2024 and rising to be ranked as the Blue Jays’ No. 6 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Barger was left off Toronto’s Opening Day roster last season. But after he was recalled on April 15, he played in 135 games and blasted 21 home runs on his way to a solid .756 OPS.
But it was in the postseason that Barger truly made his mark. He hit two home runs in the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners. Then in the World Series, in addition to his historic grand slam in Game 1, he recorded two hits in six of the seven games against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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