Barger makes presence felt in winning return to Blue Jays

TORONTO — Addison Barger was back in his happy place in right field and made an immediate impact for the Toronto Blue Jays after a 29-game absence on Saturday.

In a scoreless game in the second inning, the Los Angeles Angels had an early-game threat with runners on first and third and one out.

Vaughn Grissom smashed a liner in Barger’s direction. He took a step back, snared the hard-hit ball and then fired a strike to catcher Brandon Valenzuela to nab Jorge Soler at the plate for an inning-ending double play.

The Blue Jays went on to rout the Angels 14-1 to win the first two games of the series by a combined score of 16-1.

“I was pretty happy,” said Barger, who had to plant his injured left ankle to make the run-saving throw. “Throwing the ball from the outfield is one of my favourite things about the game.”

Barger’s throw was clocked at 101.2 miles per hour, the hardest tossed ball by a Blue Jays position player since Statcast began measuring the action in 2015. It was also the hardest thrown outfield assist in Major League Baseball this season.

“As soon as it left his hand, I knew it was on line,” Toronto starter Trey Yesavage said. “It was just a matter of it being on time. He’s a special player both offensively and defensively. Having him back in the lineup is special.”

Barger has been good for 10 outfield assists since the beginning of last season. He’s tied for fourth during this stretch in the American League, trailing only Steven Kwan (15), Jarren Duran (14), and Tyler Soderstrom (13).

“He’s got a great arm,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “People know that it’s one thing to have a good arm. It’s another thing to be accurate with it, too.

“You don’t see many outfield assists these days for whatever reason. But yeah, that gives you a little momentum and allows Trey to settle in a bit. You never know how it goes. If the other team gets on the board first and they string a few together, then you’ve got to change your game plan a little bit.”

At the plate, Barger went 0-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. He confessed his timing at the plate is something he needs to discover after five weeks off.

ERNIE’S ELEMENT

Toronto infielder Ernie Clement became the sixth player in franchise history to record multiple five-hit games, joining Bo Bichette (4), George Springer (2), Alex Rios (2), Frank Catalanotto (2) and George Bell (2).

His career-tying 5-for-5 outing with three runs scored and two RBIs included four singles and a homer to lead off the seventh inning.
At the end of the game, Clement ranked tied for third in AL hits with 46, trailing only Shea Langeliers (50) and Yordan Alvarez (48).

SKIPPER REMEMBERED

The Blue Jays honoured former manager Bobby Cox — who died at age 84 on Saturday — with a moment of silence before the game.

A 2014 Hall of Fame inductee, Cox managed the Blue Jays for four seasons, steering them to their first division title in 1985. Schneider never met Cox, but respected the man known as Skipper from afar.

“When you’re in this job, and you’re lucky enough to have one of these 30 jobs, there are definitely people that have come before you that are kind of trailblazers and do it for a long time and do it the right way,” Schneider said.

“I know he was a big part of this organization and a big part of Major League Baseball, so it’s always sad to hear that news, and it’s always sad for the baseball family to lose someone who’s done so much for his entire life.

“When you have this job, you feel tied to people who have done it before you, people who are doing it now, and people who are into it after you. So sad a day for baseball.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2026.

Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press