Barney played in 64 games during the first half of 2016, slashing .241/.294/.291 in 200 at-bats.

EDGE Analysis

Barney earned one of the team's last roster spots in spring training mainly due to Devon Travis' shoulder injury that sidelined the second baseman for the first two months of 2016. However, a series of events led to Barney becoming an everyday fixture in the Jays' lineup by May. The first domino to fall was Ryan Goins who struggled mightily to begin the season before hitting the DL. That was followed by a lingering ailment to Josh Donaldson, and finally an injury to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki that sent him to the DL, too. The 30-year-old utility infielder has played 15-plus games at second, third and short so far this season. Barney seized the opportunity by outperforming his career averages in batting average, on-base and slugging percentage. He had a stretch of 104 at-bats (from May 1 to June 16) in which his batting average never dipped below .300. However, with Goins due back in the coming weeks and the rest of the guys healthy again, Barney is sure to see a significant decrease in playing time during the second half of the year.