Blue Jays avoid the worst case scenario with Addison Barger's latest IL stint

The Toronto Blue Jays should get Addison Barger back sooner rather than later. Manager John Schneider told reporters on Monday that the Blue Jays outfielder will have a much shorter stay on the injured list than originally feared. Schneider said the tests on Barger's elbow revealed no ligament issue or bone chips in his elbow, coming off a game in which he threw a ball 101.2 mph from right field to home plate.

He remained in that game after that throw, but then woke up the next day with limited motion in his right arm. He was held out of the lineup and team officials said he would undergo further tests. The main concern was that he could be in line, possibly, for Tommy John surgery, a procedure that is normally done on pitchers that keeps them out of action for at least a year.

Blue Jays will hope that Barger's next return lasts a little longer

With the positive news on the elbow, the Blue Jays are hoping just some rest and minor rehabilitation will do the trick. It's reminiscent of when Blue Jays legend José Bautista was injured following a throw from right field, trying to throw out Delmon Young at first base. Although, Bautista's throw was much more ill-advised, coming in the eighth inning in which the Blue Jays were already ahead 13-6. Barger's throw came in the second inning of a scoreless game to cut down what could have been the go-ahead run.

When Barger does come back, it will hopefully be for a little while longer. That game marked Barger's return to the lineup from a month long IL stint. Barger hurt both of his ankles while running to first base in a game in Chicago in early April. He made his presence felt in that contest against the Angels not only with that throw, but worked his way on base with two walks, helping to contribute to what became a blowout Blue Jays 14-1 win.

Between his defence and the potential for his offence to break through, he could be a big part of the Blue Jays lineup, when healthy. A year ago, Barger played in his first full season in the big leagues and hit .243/.301/.454 with 21 home runs and 112 hits in 135 games. He was worth 1.2 bWAR during his age 25 season, which was a pleasant surprise as he didn't make the team out of camp, and got off to a rough start when he did make it to the big leagues.

Through his first 20 games, between his season debut on April 15 and May 13, Barger hit just .224/.286/.379 with one home run in 20 games played. He then went on to hit .274/.327/.535 with 14 home runs and 66 hits over his next 66 games. While his production then tapered off toward the end of the season, he was a big reason why the Blue Jays were able to get back into the race in the AL East and maintain that spot through the end of the regular season.

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