Before tonight’s ALCS Game Seven, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that shortstop Bo Bichette has made “significant progress” in recent days, per Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith.
Bichette had a great year at the plate, but his regular season was unceremoniously ended by a collision with the Yankees catcher Austin Wells early September. Bichette suffered a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and has not played since.
The Jays still managed to make the playoffs without Bichette and have stayed alive in the postseason as well. With each new play-off series, the question was whether Bichette had healed enough to make the roster, but he failed to do so. If the Jays manage to hold off the Mariners tonight, there are still a few days left for recovery as the World Series doesn’t start until Friday.
On the one hand, getting Bichette’s bat back in the lineup to face the Dodgers in the World Series would be a huge boost. He hit .311/.357/.483 for a 134 wRC+ this year. On the other hand, it can lead to difficult decisions elsewhere. George Springer gets beaten up after hitting a ball off his knee. He’s still been able to serve as the designated hitter, but he hasn’t played defense as much this year, even before that knee injury.
Between Bichette and Springer, only one of them can be the DH, so someone would have to take the field or sit on the bench if Bichette were back. Moreover, someone would have to be pushed out of the selection. Davis Schneider hasn’t been used much in the ALCS because his platoon role isn’t as necessary against a Mariner club short on lefties. The Dodgers have a lot more lefties, so he would probably be more useful against that team. If anyone likes it Isiah Kiner Fear or Myles Straw were taken out in place of Schneider, which would hurt the club’s defense, which has been a big part of their success this year.
They can also subtract a thrower if they feel they have enough depth to finish with one less arm. Chris Bassitt throws out of the bullpen and has only been used once in the ALCS, so perhaps it’s possible for the Jays to live without him or one of their other relief arms.
The Jays would like to make these tough decisions because it would mean they both go to the World Series and have Bichette back in the mix. Of course, they have to win tonight’s match first. If they pull it off, the focus will once again be on whether or not Bichette contacts them.
For Bichette personally it would of course be great to get back in there. Besides just wanting to contribute to the team, he is also an impending free agent. Proving his health before the offseason could allay the fears clubs have about him.
His attacking talent is undeniable, but he has never been a strong defender and has suffered a series of lower body injuries in recent years. Right knee and quad injuries put him on the IL in 2023. Last year, problems with his right calf contributed to the worst season of his career. He rebounded tremendously this year before this ongoing knee saga began. Some clubs will certainly question his ability to stick around at shortstop long-term and will obviously be less willing to invest in him, although playing in the World Series and coming up with some clutch moments could help him regain some earning power.
One player who won’t be a factor in the World Series is right-handed Jose Berrios. Per Nicholson-SmithJohn Schneider said today that the right back has resumed throwing, but his season is over. That’s not particularly surprising. He finished the season on the injured list due to elbow inflammation. Even before that, he had been pushed to the bullpen late in the campaign as the Jays tried to maximize their rotation for the playoffs.
Still, the fact that he has started throwing is good news for the 2026 rotation. The Jays will have both Bassitt and… Max Scherzer to freedom of choice. Shane Bieber will likely follow these two out of town, as he has a $16 million player option that he must decline in favor of a $4 million buyout and a return to free agency. On paper, that includes next year’s likely rotation Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Berríos, with guys like Eric Lauer, Bowden Francis, Bastard angel, Ricky Tiedemann and others in the mix. The Jays will likely be looking for a starting pitcher this winter, and a serious injury to Berríos would have only increased the need.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images
#Latest #news #Bichette