Blue Jays vs. Yankees: Bo Bichette left off Toronto roster for ALDS, along with two notable starting pitchers
Trey Yesavage is expected to make his postseason debut with just three career regular-season starts to his credit
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The Toronto Blue Jays will be without some key players for their best-of-five American League Division Series against the New York Yankees. The Blue Jays announced their roster for the round on Saturday morning, and it doesn't include shortstop Bo Bichette or right-handed starters Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt. Of the three, Bichette's has the most potential impact.
Bichette, 27, has not played since Sept. 6 when he sprained his knee after sliding into Yankees catcher Austin Wells. (Here's a link to the play in question.) In 139 regular-season games, he batted .311/.357/.483 (129 OPS+) with 18 home runs and four stolen bases. His contributions had been worth an estimated 3.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference's calculations.
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With Bichette sidelined down the stretch, Blue Jays manager John Schneider turned to what amounted to a triangle timeshare between Ernie Clement, Andrés Giménez, and Davis Schneider. Clement started nearly every day, largely playing second base but sliding to shortstop when a lefty was on the bump. That realignment allowed Schneider, a capable bat against southpaws, to slot in at the keystone. The Yankees have multiple lefties in their projected rotation, in Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, so Clement is likely to receive starts at both middle-infield positions this series.
As for Bassitt and Scherzer, their absences inform the composition of Toronto's series rotation. The Blue Jays are also without José Berríos, meaning they'll turn to some combination of Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage, who will make his postseason debut with just three career regular-season starts to his credit. It stands to reason that, if a Game 4 is required, the Blue Jays may resort to a patchwork bullpen game that includes bulk innings from Eric Lauer.
Bassitt, 36, was placed on the injured list on Sept. 19 with lower back tightness. Players are required to fulfill their IL stints before they're allowed to return to postseason action, but Bassitt's requisite downtime lapsed before the call had to be made. As such, the Blue Jays' decision to keep him off the roster is more than a logistical matter. When Bassitt was healthy during the regular season, he notched a 3.96 ERA (108 ERA+) and a 3.19 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Scherzer, 41, compiled a 5.19 ERA (82 ERA+) and a 3.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 17 starts, making his exclusion a performance-related one
