Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Barger (elbow) will be shut down for a couple of weeks after recently sustaining a stress reaction in his back, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca, Schneider noted that Barger made been progressing well in his recovery from right elbow inflammation while ramping up his hitting over the past few weeks, but the back issue will most likely delay the 26-year-old's return from the injured list until after the All-Star break. After a strong finish to the 2025 regular season and a star turn in the Blue Jays' run to the World Series, Barger has been unable to build on that breakout performance, largely due to injury. He's been limited to just nine games with the big club so far in 2026 while missing time due to left and right ankle sprains in addition to the elbow and back problems.