Blue Jays’ John Schneider Sends Warning As Injuries Mount With Addison Barger Exit

2026-04-06 · Yahoo Sports

BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 29: Manager John Schneider #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on during the third inning in game one of a split doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 29, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

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The Toronto Blue Jays seemed poised for another successful regular season after they reloaded their roster in the offseason, following a World Series slugfest with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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But after falling to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, the team will bring a losing record into its rematch series against the Dodgers on Monday. And one of the main culprits for the early season struggles seems to be a relentless string of injuries.

“Starters José Berríos, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce are among those on the IL while the position players include Anthony Santander and (Alejandro) Kirk,” Gregor Chisholm wrote for the Toronto Star. “Reliever Yimi Garcia also has yet to pitch this season as he recovers from elbow surgery.”

Toronto Blue Jays Lose Addison Barger To Rare Ankle Injury

And Sunday might have marked another loss as outfielder Addison Barger was removed from the game with a rare bilateral ankle problem.

He appeared to land awkwardly after running through a base in the third inning and, though he stayed in initially, he felt too much pain to finish out the game. After the game ended, manager John Schneider indicated that the Blue Jays won’t be able to determine his upcoming availability until Monday.

“He stepped a bit weird with both of them, one on the bag and one before,” Schneider said after the game, according to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. “We taped him up and he tried to go. We’ll see how he is tomorrow. He’s about as tough as they come. Hopefully, he’s all right and it’s just a day or two, or maybe not even a day.”

Toronto Blue Jays Manager John Schneider Sends Team Warning

But after Barger’s exit and with the injuries piling up for the Blue Jays, the manager also sent a warning about the team’s early season issues.

“We’ve got to get back to playing our baseball,” Schneider said after Sunday’s loss, per Matheson. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing, where you’re playing or what time you’re playing them, if you don’t play your baseball, good things don’t happen.”

After getting swept by the White Sox, the Blue Jays will have to rediscover their identity if they hope for better results against the Dodgers. The reigning World Series champions have enjoyed a strong start to their own season.

But the Blue Jays brought them to the brink of elimination in extra innings of World Series Game 7 by relying on an effective brand of high-contact, defensive-minded baseball. That style of play is likely what Schneider means when he points to “our baseball.”

And even though the injuries won’t make it any easier for the team to return to its identity, perhaps the manager’s public warning will serve as a wakeup call.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

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