Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger is set to go under the knife Monday for surgery on his right elbow, ending his season before it ever really got started.
The team made the announcement Friday. Barger had already been sidelined for more than a month earlier this year due to an ankle injury, and then suffered the elbow setback on May 9 when he made his return to the lineup.
According to manager John Schneider, the elbow was hurt on a powerful 101.2-mph throw Barger made to cut down a runner trying to tag up at home plate.
Schneider expressed his frustration over losing the young outfielder for the year. “It’s tough to lose the whole year of at-bats, reps and performance,” he said. “We were counting on him to be a big part of our team. You can see how much we miss him, for sure. It’s also a dude starting his career and trending in the right direction who’s missing, basically, a full season. It’s frustrating for him and for us.”
Barger, 26, has struggled at the plate this season, going 1-for-22 with a .045 batting average and two RBIs. That’s a sharp contrast to his previous campaign, when he hit 21 home runs, drove in 74 runs, and played in 135 games. He also shined in the 2025 postseason, batting .367 with three home runs and nine RBIs across 17 games.
Since breaking into the majors in 2024, Barger holds a career batting average of .223 with 28 home runs and 104 RBIs over 213 games with Toronto.
