Blue Jays News: Scherzer, Barger, Fitzgerald, Kirk, Fleming, Voth

[Leo Morgenstern]

There has been a lot of Toronto Blue Jays news over the past couple of days, so instead of writing separate notes for each item, I decided to combine them all in one piece. Here's what's been going on with the Blue Jays lately (besides the fact that they've lost five straight).

Max Scherzer Exits With Forearm Tendinitis

Max Scherzer left his second start of the season on Monday after just two innings. He had only thrown 36 pitches, but his velocity was down, and his stuff looked notably worse than it did in his outing against the Rockies. The 41-year-old was later revealed to be dealing with forearm tendinitis.

Thankfully, the Jays don't seem overly concerned about Scherzer right now. Indeed, a short outing was supposedly always the plan; the veteran first felt discomfort following his start against Colorado. He is not expected to miss his next turn in the rotation. That's great news for a Blue Jays team that is running dangerously low on healthy starting pitching. 

IL Stint a Possibility for Addison Barger

Right fielder Addison Barger sat out Toronto's first game against the Dodgers last night after injuring both of his ankles in the White Sox series. While John Schneider said Barger is making progress in his recovery, he may need more than a day or two to regain full strength. In that case, the Blue Jays could place Barger on the 10-day injured list, and recent trade acquisition Tyler Fitzgerald is the most likely candidate to replace him on the roster. Barger is just 1-for-19 this season with a double, three walks, and six strikeouts. 

Tyler Fitzgerald Reports to Triple-A Buffalo

The Blue Jays acquired utility player Tyler Fitzgerald from the Giants over the weekend in exchange for cash. Fitzgerald enjoyed a strong, out-of-nowhere breakout in 2024, slugging 15 home runs and reaching 3.0 fWAR in just 96 games. However, he fell back down to earth in 2025 and failed to break camp with San Francisco this season. The Giants designated him for assignment last Monday.

The righty-batting Fitzgerald has an option remaining, which could help him stick on the Jays' 40-man roster, given the organization's lack of MLB-ready infield depth. He is primarily a shortstop and second baseman, though he has experience at every position except for catcher.

Alejandro Kirk Is Having Thumb Surgery 

Toronto's catcher will have surgery to repair his fractured thumb today. This confirms what we essentially already knew: Alejandro Kirk will miss several weeks at a minimum. However, the Jays will wait until after his procedure to provide a timeline. 

Austin Voth DFA'd, Josh Fleming Selected

Prior to Monday's series opener against L.A., Toronto DFA'd right-hander Austin Voth and replaced him in the bullpen with southpaw Josh Fleming. Voth made one appearance for the Jays, tossing 2.2 innings against the White Sox. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, he will most likely elect free agency.

Fleming threw three much-needed innings against the Dodgers yesterday after Scherzer exited early, though he gave up four runs on six hits and just one strikeout. While he wasn't the only pitcher on the team to be shelled by the Dodgers' offense, he certainly didn't help his chances to stick in the big league bullpen for long.

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