Amid the uncertain return of George Springer, Bo Bichette finds his feet again
Bo Bichette seems to be finding his swing again.
After missing seven weeks due to a PCL strain in his left knee, no one knew what to expect when Bichette rejoined the Toronto Blue Jays offense for the first time since early September. For all he has brought to this franchise, the All-Star shortstop – a pending free agent this winter – deserved a chance to be part of this unlikely journey.
However, the 27-year-old is doing something that hasn’t been attempted since Kyle Schwarber in 2016: competing in the World Series after a lengthy injury absence. And he’s done it without first undergoing a minor league rehab assignment, which wasn’t possible after the Triple-A season ended on September 21.
Though it’s taken a few games, Bichette is already starting to look like himself at the plate, and his timing couldn’t be better amid George Springer’s uncertain return from an oblique injury suffered during Monday’s 18-inning marathon in Game 3.
The first of those came on a groundout in the third inning, while the second was a product of Bichette’s RBI single in the seventh – a swing that also generated his fastest exit velocity (179.6 mph) of the World Series.
Bichette increases the lead and it is 5-1! 🎥Sportnet
We are just four games (13 at bats) into Bichette’s return after an absence that lasted almost two months. And yet he has apparently already found his timing and confidence in the box.
Somehow, some of this shouldn’t be surprising considering Bichette is one of the best players in baseball. If anyone was able to hit the ground running after missing so much time, it was him. The fact that he does this less than 100 percent should not go unnoticed by anyone.
“I will never count Bo against anyone with a bat in his hand, at any point in the calendar year,” manager John Schneider said after Tuesday’s Game 4 win. “More importantly, I just think the game is done for Bo. Again, there are three games left now, but the games played are helping him. But I think he’s been pretty locked in since the start of the series.”
“It’s been ten years [since] I’m starting to play with Bo and have him back in the lineup. Not just for me, but for the whole team. He is a big lift, so I am very happy that he is back,” Guerrero said through translator Hector Lebron.
Those will be big shoes to fill. But if there’s one offense that can overcome such a significant obstacle, it’s this one – led by Guerrero and Bichette, the franchise’s cornerstone pillars for the past half-decade.
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