Addison Barger is not as close as the Blue Jays hoped, with John Schneider saying the injured hitter is still a couple days away from throwing.
That is the part that matters in this update. Toronto is not talking about a player on the edge of a quick return.
Instead, Schneider said the process has been a little slower with Barger. That does not sound like a shutdown, but it does sound like a recovery that is not moving on the cleanest timeline.
For the Blue Jays, that is frustrating news. Barger is one of the bats on this roster who can change the shape of the lineup when he is healthy, especially with his left-handed power and ability to drive the ball.
Now the club has to keep waiting. Throwing may sound like a small checkpoint, but it is one of the basic steps that has to come before the rest of the baseball work really opens up.
That is why Schneider's wording stands out. A couple days away is not a huge delay by itself, but when a manager says it has been slower, the tone shifts right away.
It stops sounding like a player who is simply ramping up. It starts sounding like a player the club still needs to handle carefully.
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Why Addison Barger's slower timeline matters
This is the kind of update that pushes everything else back a little. If Barger is not throwing yet, then the rest of the return plan still has to wait for that piece to fall into place.
That matters because Toronto is already trying to sort through lineup balance, outfield depth, and which bats can give John Schneider steady production right now. A healthy Barger would affect all of that.
Instead, the Blue Jays are still stuck in the evaluation stage. They are not talking about rehab games. They are not talking about activation dates. They are still talking about the first step.
That is why the update feels unfortunate even without sounding dramatic. There is no major setback here, but there is also no real momentum yet.
For Barger, the next few days become important. If he starts throwing soon and responds well, the Blue Jays can get the progression moving again.
But until that happens, this remains a waiting game. And for a club that could use another impact bat, Addison Barger being a little slower than expected is not a small detail.
Should the Blue Jays stay patient with Addison Barger even if the return keeps getting pushed back?
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