Addison Barger will stay out through Monday's off day, with John Schneider saying the Blue Jays infielder is still not back to baseball activity.
That's the headline in Toronto right now. Barger's recovery has not stopped, but it has slowed enough that the club is still holding him back from on-field work.
Schneider's update drew a clear line. Barger, dealing with soreness in both ankles, will remain sidelined from baseball activity through Monday's off day.
The detail that stands out is the split between the two sides. Barger's left ankle is more sore than his right, which tells you this is not a clean, even recovery yet.
The Blue Jays are still calling it progress, and that matters. A player can be moving forward and still not be ready for swings, defensive work, or game-speed movement.
For Barger, the holdup is not hard to read. Ankles affect everything for a hitter and infielder, from driving through the box to planting on throws across the diamond.
The clip behind the update shows the kind of injury note that lands quietly but carries weight inside a dugout: one ankle still barking more than the other, one more delay before the baseball work starts.
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Toronto still has to wait on Addison Barger
This is where Schneider's wording matters most. He did not frame Barger as ready for the next step. He framed him as a player still paused, still building back toward that point.
That puts the Blue Jays in a familiar spot. They have to keep covering those infield and bench innings while Barger works through an injury that can linger when quick cuts and lower-half balance are involved.
It also keeps pressure on the roster around him. Every extra day without baseball activity means one more day without a clean ramp-up, and that can stretch a return timeline even when the player is feeling better.
Schneider has earned room to be patient here after Toronto extended him through the 2028 season in March. That patience matters with Barger, because a rushed return on sore ankles can send a player right back to the training room.
So the update is simple, but it is not small. Addison Barger is making progress, yet the Blue Jays are still waiting for the point when progress turns into baseball activity, and that point will not come before Monday.
Should the Blue Jays keep waiting until Addison Barger is fully back to baseball activity?
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