It likely won’t be long before Addison Barger (left ankle) returns to game action.

The 26-year-old Barger has been recovering at the Toronto Blue Jays’ player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., for nearly a month and is now slated to run the bases for the first time on Thursday, according to manager John Schneider.

That’s the final box that he still needs to check after facing live pitching for roughly a week and participating in dynamic running and fielding drills at the PDC. From there, if everything runs smoothly, the plan is for him to begin a rehab assignment this weekend.

Barger, who hasn’t played since April 5 in Chicago, will likely require a handful of rehab games before being activated off the 10-day injured list. If his 30-day rehab clock begins this weekend, he’ll probably start at Single-A Dunedin before advancing to Triple-A Buffalo.

The Blue Jays’ brass will want to see how both his ankles respond to playing the field and, most importantly, running the bases in a live-game environment. So, assuming he requires at least five rehab games, perhaps he’ll be cleared to rejoin the big-league club around the second or third week of May.

It had been a disappointing start to Barger’s season before he landed on the shelf, going a measly 1-for-19 with a pair of runs batted in, three walks and six strikeouts across his first eight games. He had struggled mightily to make quality swing decisions in that span, offering at outside pitches almost half the time.

George Springer (left big toe), meanwhile, is currently a few steps ahead of Barger’s recovery timeline. The 36-year-old lightly ran the bases and faced live pitching — hitting against Double-A reliever Mason Olson — on Monday in Toronto, both of which he’s scheduled to do again on Tuesday, Schneider said.

There’s a slight chance that Springer — who’ll face Triple-A reliever Pat Gallagher, also currently on the development list, prior to Tuesday’s contest — could be activated ahead of the middle contest of this three-game series versus the Boston Red Sox. It’ll all depend on how much pain he can tolerate from his fractured big left toe.

Until Springer returns, the Blue Jays will continue to rotate multiple players through his vacated leadoff spot, including Ernie Clement (currently tied for third in the majors in hits with 36), Myles Straw and Davis Schneider.

While we’re still several weeks away from seeing Yimi García (right elbow) back on a major-league mound, the 35-year-old reliever — who was transferred to the 60-day IL last week, meaning he’s ineligible to return before May 22 — is nearing the start of a rehab assignment.

García is scheduled to throw his second live batting practice session at the PDC on Tuesday, according to Schneider. After that, it could be another live BP or advancing to rehab games, likely with Single-A Dunedin.

Finally, a little housekeeping update on Dylan Cease, who, in addition to being charged a season-high four runs in Monday’s loss to the Red Sox, took a spill while attempting to field a ground ball in the fifth inning. Thankfully, the club’s $210 million starter ended up avoiding any injury, but not before he gave everyone, including his manager, PTSD from Cody Ponce’s ACL-spraining fall last month.

Cease added post-game that his cleat likely got caught underneath him, causing him to stumble off the mound before rolling onto the turf. It was a brief, embarrassing moment more than anything else, one that, had the out been recorded, could’ve prevented the inning from snowballing.

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