Toronto said Addison Barger will be shut down for several more weeks after an MRI found a stress reaction in his back, prolonging a season already slowed by elbow and ankle injuries.
Addison Barger didn’t just miss time this season—he has spent it fighting his way back, only to run into another wall.
The Toronto Blue Jays announced Monday that the outfielder will be shut down for several more weeks because of a stress reaction in his back. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Barger felt back pain while hitting at the team’s spring training facility in Florida. Barger came to Toronto for an MRI. which revealed the stress reaction—a bone injury that leads to swelling and irritation.
Barger has been out since May 10 because of a sore elbow, and his limited action this year has been a moving target. He has played just nine games this season, batting .045 with no homers and two RBIs.
The back injury adds to an already injury-plagued timeline. Before his current absence, Barger had one hit in eight games in March and April. He then missed 29 games because of a sprained left ankle.
When he returned on May 9 against the Angels, it looked like the comeback was finally starting to click. In the second inning, Barger caught Vaughn Grissom’s fly ball and threw home at 101.2 miles per hour to retire Jorge Soler for an inning-ending double play.
That throw wasn’t just fast—it stood out. It was the fastest outfield assist by any Blue Jays player since 2015, and the fastest throw in the majors this season. Two days later, Barger went on the injured list again, this time with a sore elbow.
Last season, Barger provided a much clearer picture of what the Blue Jays were getting when he was healthy. He hit 21 homers and drove in 74 runs in 135 games, helping Toronto reach the World Series.
In that postseason, he delivered a moment that became part of World Series lore. Barger hit the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history in Game 1 against the Dodgers.
Now, the World Series contributor is facing another delay. Toronto says he will be shut down for several more weeks as his back injury heals, extending a season that has already forced him into too many short stretches and sudden stops.
Addison Barger Toronto Blue Jays back injury stress reaction MRI injured list elbow injury spring training Jorge Soler Vaughn Grissom World Series