GDB 25.0: Addison Barger deubts as Blue Jays face Royals
By Zach Laing
2 days agoHey kid, welcome to the show.
Hours after being called up with Kevin Kiermaier landing on the injured list, the Blue Jays’ No. 6 prospect Addison Barger is set to make his big league debut. He will bat eighth in the lineup, as the Jays face Royals pitcher Alec Marsh.
Here’s more on Barger from Blue Jays Nation’s Cam Lewis:
Selected by the Blue Jays in the sixth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of high school, Barger has developed into one of Toronto’s top prospects. He was added to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft in 2022 following a season that saw him hit 26 home runs and post a .933 OPS between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A.Barger saw his production decline in 2023 largely because of an elbow injury that hampered him during the first few months of the season. The 2024 season has been a different story, as Barger has slashed a .314/.435/.586 line with three home runs and ten doubles across 19 games. He’s split his time between third base and in right field for Buffalo this season but has also played second base and shortstop with the Bisons in the past.
Yariel Rodriguez, meanwhile, will send Yariel Rodriguez to the mound, as he looks to continue to build off an excellent start to his Major League career. He’s thrown seven and two-third innings across his two starts, allowing two earned runs off seven hits and three walks, while fanning 13 batters. His 2.35 ERA is sparkling, and his 15.3 K/9 highlights how good his strikeout stuff has been.
First pitch:
7:40 p.m. EST. TV & Radio: Sportsnet.
Weather:
21º C, 9.5 km/h winds E, from right field in. – Rotogrinders
Starting pitchers:
| Name | Team | GS
| W
| L
| IP
| ERA
| xERA
| ERA-
| FIP
| WHIP
| K/9
| BB/9
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yariel Rodriguez | TOR | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7.2 | 2.35 | 6.57 | 62 | 4.33 | 1.30 | 15.26 | 3.52 |
| Alec Marsh | KCR | 4 | 3 | 0 | 22.1 | 3.22 | 4.07 | 81 | 3.11 | 1.03 | 6.45 | 2.01 |
Teams:
Lineups:
BLUE JAYS:
- G Springer (R) RF
- V Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
- B Bichette (R) SS
- D Varsho (L) CF
- D Jansen (R) C
- D Vogelbach (L) DH
- E Clement (R) 3B
- A Barger (L) LF
- C Biggio (L) 2B
ROYALS:
- M Garcia (R) 3B
- B Witt Jr. (R) SS
- V Pasquantino (L) 1B
- S Perez (R) C
- M Melendez (L) LF
- N Velázquez (R) DH
- A Frazier (L) 2B
- H Renfroe (R) RF
- K Isbel (L) CF
Need to bide the time until first pitch?
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Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
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