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Blue Jays: Addison Barger needs to play every day to realize his full potential
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Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
May 10, 2026, 09:00 EDTUpdated: May 10, 2026, 07:59 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays reinstated Addison Barger from the injured list ahead of Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels, optioning Yohendrick Piñango in a corresponding move. 
Barger has been sidelined since April 5th with a serious ankle sprain. The Blue Jays’ sputtering offence has sorely lacked his power production, with just one hitter—Kazuma Okamoto—having hit more than four home runs this far into the season.
While Barger will undoubtedly be eased back into game action, the Blue Jays should prioritize playing him every day once he’s back up to speed so he reaches his full potential. 
Barger is too young and talented to be relegated to a platoon role this early in his career. The Blue Jays could afford to deploy him primarily against right-handed pitchers last season because of all the depth on their roster. They need Barger to be an everyday player in 2026, and that will involve coaching him through some growing pains.
The 26-year-old recorded a .607 OPS against left-handed pitching in 2025, compared to a .788 mark against right-handers. Just 119 of his 687 career at-bats have come against southpaws to this point—far too small a sample size to draw any meaningful conclusions. He also hit the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history off a lefty pitcher.
The fact of the matter is that Barger has exponentially more offensive upside than the likes of Myles Straw or Davis Schneider, regardless of who is pitching. The ball comes off his bat differently than it does for those two. The Blue Jays need all the thump they can get; they’re doing themselves and Barger a disservice by platooning him. 
This isn’t to say Barger should have an unlimited leash. He may eventually prove that he genuinely can’t handle lefties over a larger sample size. The Blue Jays will have to re-evaluate if that ends up being the case, but there isn’t enough data right now.
Jesús Sánchez is proof that some lefty bats never figure out how to hit same-handed pitchers, as he’s hit just .182 with 128 strikeouts in 369 career at-bats against southpaws. The book is out on him in his seventh big league season. Barger, meanwhile, is just in his second season as a full-time MLB player—he has so much time to prove himself. 
Ultimately, if the Blue Jays are going to get back on track, they will need Barger to be the best version of himself alongside Okamoto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He’ll only become that guy if the organization allows him to play every day. 

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