Blue Jays slugger Addison Barger has stress fracture in back

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On a night when former Blue Jays star Bo Bichette shed a tear when he convened pre-game with the media, Toronto suffered yet another blow to its roster.

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Addison Barger, whose breakout season in 2025 was one of the many feel-good stories with the club, has a stress fracture in his back, per manager John Schneider. Barger will be shut down for a few weeks from all baseball activities.

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On a team desperate for power, his return, which seemed imminent, was eagerly anticipated despite a 2026 campaign plagued by injuries. The first involved his ankles, the second his elbow, limiting Barger to nine games.

Even when healthy, Barger hadn’t provided much of a presence at the plate. During that time, Barger recorded a double on April 3 against the Chicago White Sox, while striking out seven times in 22 at-bats. A year ago, he went deep 21 times and displayed a cannon of an arm in right field.

Barger’s bat needed in lineup

This season’s struggles at the plate aside, there was much anticipation surrounding Barger’s eventful return because of his potential.

The Jays entered the first game of their three-game series against the Mets having dropped their past six games to go 1-6 during their 10-game homestand.

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Nathan Lukes has settled into right field in his stead, providing the Jays’ only two runs in Sunday’s loss to the Texas Rangers when he hit a two-run homer. While Lukes is more apt to put the ball in play than Barger, his power is much needed.

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Injury not considered long term

Only one player, Kazuma Okamoto, has reached double figures in homers for the Jays. He had 19 long balls entering Monday’s game.

The player the Jays were hoping would provide much of the slugging was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He entered Monday having stolen more bases (six) than dingers hit (four).

There was no indication that Barger’s latest setback would be long term. But having endured three injuries is never a good sign.

When healthy and in a groove at the plate, he is more than capable of hitting in the middle of the order.

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