Blue Jays vs Yankees

Barger was expected to come off the IL for Friday's series opener versus the Angels, but it appeals the Blue Jays will give him a day to settle in before returning him to the active roster. The 26-year-old went 1-for-19 with three walks and six strikeouts in eight games prior to landing on the shelf. Barger is likely to take a significant role now that he's healthy, with most of his starts likely to come in the outfield.

The backstop has been sidelined since April 3 due to a fractured thumb that required surgery, but Kirk's recovery is proceeding without setbacks and the Blue Jays remain optimistic he'll be back before the end of May. In his absence, Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Heineman will continue to split catching duties.

Francis dealt with a right shoulder impingement during the 2025 season that landed him in the injured list in June. He was able to commence a throwing program in August after some prior setbacks and had managed to face hitters during live batting practice. However, with the right-hander set for Tommy John surgery, he may go a season and a half without pitching in a game.

Ponce sprained his right ACL in late March, which was a severe enough injury to require season-ending surgery, but he should be available for the start of spring training. He signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Blue Jays in December after spending three seasons in Japan. Ponce's start against the Rockies on March 30 -- when he suffered his injury -- was his first appearance in an MLB game since 2021, when he played with the Pirates.

Berrios had previously been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his elbow. He will visit Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday for an additional exam before the next steps are determined. Berrios had been closing in on a return before his recent setback, but his status now is very much up in the air.

Estrada was originally optioned to Triple-A Buffalo, but the team later discovered a shoulder issue that he suffered while playing in the big leagues, so he'll land on the major-league IL. He'll be eligible to return to action Monday, at which point the Blue Jays will likely send him back down to Buffalo.

On the 15-day injured list since late April with forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation, Scherzer has recovered from his ankle issue but has had the forearm problem linger. The hope is that the injection clears things up and he can ramp his throwing back up. More will be known regarding a timetable once Scherzer is able to throw off a mound again free and easy.

It's a big step as he works his way back from a left hamstring strain. Lukes has missed the last two weeks of action and might require a short rehab assignment before returning.

Boone said that Chivilli has some "acute and chronic stuff going on" in his right shoulder, so the Yankees will shut him down for an extended period of time. The team may provide a timetable for the right-hander's return once his no-throw period is over.

Cole made the fourth start of his rehab assignment Tuesday, covering 4.1 innings and striking out four batters while yielding five earned runs on seven hits and no walks. From a volume standpoint, Cole appears capable of handling a typical starter's workload after he tossed 69 pitches Tuesday, but the Yankees may want the right-hander to iron out his command and pick up some velocity on the farm before adding him to the big-league rotation. While Cole has pounded the strike zone well and has permitted just one walk over 18.2 innings during his minor-league assignment, he's given up six home runs and has punched out just 14 batters. With at least two more starts in the minors on tap, Cole isn't projected to make his 2026 MLB debut until the final two weeks of May.

Stanton hopes to resume hitting this weekend, but there's no word on when he will be cleared to run and a timeline for his return to the active roster won't come into focus until that happens. The designated hitter suffered a low-grade right calf strain one week ago.

Dominguez was injured in Thursday's game against the Rangers after crashing into the outfield wall following a catch. He did pass initial concussion testing, though he will remain in protocol for a few more days. All things considered, a low-grade AC joint sprain qualifies as relatively good news for Dominguez. He will officially be placed on the IL prior to Friday's game against the Brewers.

The Yankees are facing a lefty in MacKenzie Gore, so it makes sense to give the left-handed-swinging Rice another day as he tries to overcome a left hand contusion. He'll aim to return to action Friday in Milwaukee. Paul Goldschmidt is getting another start at first base and will bat leadoff.

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Weathers will be away from the Yankees for the next 1-to-3 days while he welcomes a new addition to his family. After tossing 7.1 scoreless innings in a win over the Royals his last time out Sunday, Weathers wasn't scheduled to make his next turn until Saturday in Houston. As such, the Yankees shouldn't have to adjust their rotation to accommodate for Weathers' move to the paternity list.