In his first at-bat on Sunday, Barger took a Garrett Crochet pitch off the hand and was forced to exit the game. It was ruled a foul ball off the knob of the bat, but it evidently caught a piece of Barger's hand, making him unable to finish the at-bat. The Blue Jays have since announced Barger has a hand contusion, which caused his exit.
Covering veteran players in Spring Training has been an education in what actually matters. “Strictly the win-loss record,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider joked before Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener.