The Blue Jays are getting healthier and Addison Barger hopes to be back soon.
The Toronto Blue Jays enter play on Saturday at 10-15 overall and in serious need of reinforcements.
Luckily, those reinforcements are coming soon.
The heavily-injured Blue Jays are closing in on returns for starting pitchers Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios, and we heard a positive update on designated hitter George Springer on Friday afternoon.
As for Addison Barger, who is out with ankle issues? He is also working back, though he will need to go on a rehab assignment at this point. It doesn't appear that Springer will, but the team says that Barger will need a multi-game rehab assignment.
The injury, which occurred on the first road trip of the season, was just the latest poor development in a terrible start for Barger. A breakout star from last season's playoff run, he's just 1-for-19 at the plate.
Barger had 21 homers in 2025 and was looking to take the next step this year and be more consistent. His playing time has been more consistent in the wake of Bo Bichette's departure and Anthony Santander's injury, but his results have not matched yet.
Once the injury is behind him, the hope is that he can start fresh again and get going.
He was a sixth-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2018 out of the Florida high school ranks.
He has the ability to play right field and third base, though he factors much more into the outfield plans this season with Kazuma Okamoto at third.
Elsewhere in Blue Jays news
--Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer struggled again on Friday night, lasting just 2.1 innings in an 8-6 loss against the Cleveland Guardians. Through five starts, Scherzer now has a 9.64 ERA. As Yesavage and Berrios come back, the Blue Jays have difficult decisions to make regarding Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Eric Lauer.
We examined more on that front here.
--Top prospect JoJo Parker, who was drafted No. 8 overall in 2025, has been turning heads at Baseball America through the early going. He's already the No. 39 prospect in the sport via MLB Pipeline, and he continues to look like a foundational building block for the Toronto infield, albeit a few years down the road.
--The Jays will take on the Guardians again on Saturday afternoon with first pitch coming at 3:07 p.m. ET. Left-hander Joey Cantillo will pitch against Cleveland while Kevin Gausman takes the ball for the Jays.
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