Addison Barger is getting closer, and John Schneider finally has a Blue Jays injury update that points toward a real return path.
Schneider said Barger has progressed to throwing from 120 feet in Dunedin, is taking regular batting practice, and should advance to hitting off pitching machines in the next couple of days. That is a meaningful step for a hitter working back from right elbow inflammation.
From there, the Blue Jays believe Barger could move into rehab games by the middle to late part of next week. MLB's injury tracker already lists his expected return as mid-June, so this latest update fits that timeline cleanly.
That matters because this injury has dragged longer than Toronto first hoped. Barger went back on the 10-day injured list on May 11, only 2 days after returning from an earlier ankle issue.
That quick setback is what made the elbow problem feel heavier than a routine day-to-day issue. The Blue Jays had just gotten him back, then had to shut him down again before he could settle in.
Now the tone is finally changing. Throwing progression and regular BP mean Barger is moving beyond simple rest and into baseball activity that can start leading to games again.
That is a big deal for this roster because Barger gives Toronto more than one kind of value. He can move around the field, hit from the left side, and bring real impact when he is right.
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Barger is finally getting back toward live action
The next checkpoint is the important one. Hitting off machines is where the recovery starts looking less like rehab maintenance and more like preparation for live pitching. That is usually the step that tells a team whether the player is close or still just progressing.
Once Barger gets into rehab games, the Blue Jays can stop guessing and start measuring how the elbow responds to real swings, throws, and everyday workload. That is the test that matters most.
Toronto has already seen him handle rehab action once this year. In his first rehab game back in May, Barger homered for Single-A Dunedin, which showed how quickly his bat can make noise when his body cooperates.
This time, the club just needs the return to stick. The outfield picture has been crowded and messy at different points, but Barger still gives Schneider another useful bat and another lineup option once healthy.
For now, there is still no exact activation date. But the Blue Jays finally have the kind of update they wanted: Addison Barger is throwing, swinging, nearing machine work, and getting close enough to rehab games that his return no longer feels far away.
Will Addison Barger make an impact quickly when he returns?
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