Addison

Barger

It’s surprising to see Barger out of the lineup with a right-handed starter on the mound for Colorado in Ryan Feltner. The 26-year-old power-hitting corner outfielder has gone hitless in 12 at-bats over four contests to open the season. It’ll be light-hitting Nathan Lukes taking over in right field.

It’s not uncommon for managers to try to get their bench players into the lineup at least once in the early stages of the season, which is presumably why Straw will get a shot to face Athletics lefty Jeffrey Springs in this one. Barger sat occasionally against southpaws last year and that figures to be the arrangement against this season with both Straw and Davis Schneider, who is in left field in place of Nathan Lukes on Saturday afternoon, on the bench as platoon options in right field.

Barger opened the scoring in the contest with a 410-foot (107.1 mph EV) solo shot off of left-hander Bryan Sammons in the second inning. He then added to that lead with a two-run double in the third. For the spring, the 26-year-old is now hitting .273 (6-for-22) with a pair of homers and 10 RBI.

His slam off Patrick Halligan was projected at 399 feet. Barger was in the cleanup spot today. He’ll likely open up hitting either second, fourth or fifth against righties; presumably either he or Daulton Varsho will bat between George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the top and then it’s a matter of whether the Jays would prefer Alejandro Kirk fourth or fifth. Barger also now stands a better chance of playing against lefties with Anthony Santander down. Davis Schneider will almost certainly platoon with Jesús Sánchez in left, and then the Jays can pick their spots on whether Myles Straw should start over Barger against certain lefties.

Okamoto immediately slots into the heart of Toronto’s loaded lineup as the defending American League champions open their spring exhibition schedule. The 29-year-old infielder brings an extensive track record of success in Japan as a power-oriented bat with solid contact skills, a profile that should make his transition to the majors less volatile than most international imports. He’s been going outside the top 275 picks on average in NFBC drafts since early February, making him an intriguing late-round flyer for fantasy managers. Here is the full lineup: Ernie Clement (2B), Andrés Giménez (SS), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Alejandro Kirk (C), Addison Barger (RF, Okamoto (3B), Daulton Varsho (DH), Davis Schneider (LF), Nathan Lukes (CF).

Springer has been playing through a laundry list of physical issues this postseason, but he’s atop Toronto’s lineup as the calendar flips to November for the most important contest for the franchise in over three decades. Alejandro Kirk is a full-go for the winner-take-all showdown at the Rogers Centre after being plunked on the left hand during the ninth inning of Game 6. Here’s the full lineup set to face Dodgers superstar Shoei Ohtani and company: Springer (DH), Nathan Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Bo Bichette (2B), Addison Barger (RF), Kirk (C), Daulton Varsho (CF), Ernie Clement (3B) and Andrés Giménez (SS).

The 36-year-old slugger missed each of the previous two games — both Blue Jays’ road victories — due to discomfort in his right side. He’ll serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff against Dodgers’ right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Friday evening. Here’s the full lineup the Jays will use as they attempt to close out their first World Series Championship since 1993: Springer (DH), Nathan Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Bo Bichette (2B), Daulton Varsho (CF), Alejandro Kirk (C), Addison Barger (RF), Ernie Clement (3B) and Andrés Giménez (SS).

Springer wasn’t able to swing well enough before the game to return to the lineup after leaving Game 3 with right side discomfort. The 36-year-old veteran could be available off the bench to pinch-hit in a key spot, based on the tone of Blue Jays manager John Schneider’s pregame comments, though that’s far from a certainty. Nathan Lukes has been moved up to the leadoff spot in his absence with Bo Bichette taking over at DH and Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second base as Toronto faces Dodger superstar Shohei Ohtani on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Here’s the full lineup: Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Bichette (DH), Addison Barger (RF), Alejandro Kirk (C), Daulton Varsho (CF), Ernie Clement (3B), Andrés Giménez (SS) and Kiner-Falefa (2B).

Bichette came off the bench as a pinch-hitter during Saturday evening’s Game 2 loss at the Rogers Centre after making his first professional start at the keystone during the Fall Classic opener. The Blue Jays will continue to manage his workload the rest of the way as the 27-year-old impending free agent is coming back from a PCL sprain in his right knee that put him on the shelf in early September. No real changes otherwise from Toronto manager John Schneider as the best-of-seven series heads to Los Angeles with Tyler Glasnow on the hill for the Dodgers. Here’s the full lineup: George Springer (DH), Nathan Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Bichette (2B), Daulton Varsho (CF), Alejandro Kirk (C), Addison Barger (RF), Ernie Clement (3B) and Andrés Giménez (SS).

Isiah Kiner-Falefa is at second base with Bichette on the bench to open Saturday’s showdown at the Rogers Centre. The 27-year-old impending free agent made his first-ever appearance at the keystone during the Fall Classic opener and went 1-for-2 with a walk in his first game action since September 6. It doesn’t come as a total surprise that the Blue Jays are going to be extremely cautious with his workload considering the nature of the right knee injury he’s working his way back from. The other notable change for Toronto is Addison Barger entering the lineup after slugging a pinch-hit grand slam during Friday’s series-opening victory. Here’s the full lineup: George Springer (DH), Nathan Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Alejandro Kirk (C), Daulton Varsho (CF), Ernie Clement (3B), Barger (RF), Kiner-Falefa (2B) and Andrés Giménez (SS).