Blue Jays get major injury updates on George Springer and Addison Barger

For a club that has been dragging through April, this was the kind of medical board update that actually matters. Toronto did not just get vague optimism. It got movement.

The biggest step belonged to Garcia. Schneider said the veteran reliever would throw live batting practice to hitters for the first time Wednesday, which is the clearest sign yet that his rehab is entering a more serious phase.

That matters because live BP is where a pitcher stops throwing in a bubble and starts working through real timing, real swings and real feedback. For a bullpen that has needed stability, Garcia suddenly looks closer than he did a few days ago.

Springer's update was different, but still useful. Schneider said the veteran outfielder was throwing more, would hit again, and would also go through dynamic warmup and mobility work.

That does not put a return date on the board, but it does show Springer is moving through multiple parts of baseball activity instead of just resting the left big toe fracture that put him on the injured list.

Barger also gave Toronto a step forward. Schneider said he will start running Thursday, a simple update on the surface, but an important one for a player trying to get back into game movement.

This is where the tone changes for the Blue Jays. For most of the early season, every injury update seemed to bring another problem, another lineup shuffle, or another patch job around the roster.

Now there is at least a little traction. Garcia is facing hitters. Springer is ramping up his baseball work. Barger is about to run. That is not the same as getting players activated, but it is how that road starts.

Springer's progress carries the biggest lineup weight. He had played in 11 games before the IL move, and even with the slow offensive start, his absence took an everyday bat and a veteran voice out of the dugout.

Garcia's importance is just as clear in a different lane. He had 3 saves and a 3.86 ERA before landing on the shelf, so his return would give Schneider another proven late-game arm to work with.

Barger's case is more about roster flexibility. Getting him back into running shape would give Toronto another option in the field and another way to move pieces around when the club tries to stabilize the bench.

None of these updates fix the Blue Jays by themselves. But after weeks of bad health news, Wednesday finally gave Toronto something it has not had much of lately: a reason to think help is actually getting closer.