Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Not anticipating knee surgery
Rotowire
Bichette said Friday that he does not expect to require surgery this offseason to repair a PCL sprain in his left knee, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Bichette was diagnosed with a sprained knee in early September and missed seven weeks of action before rejoining the Blue Jays' roster for the World Series. He has been noticeably gimpy, but Bichette expects his knee injury to heal with rest. The impending free agent slashed .311/.357/.483 over 139 regular-season games and is 5-for-16 at the plate so far in the World Series.
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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Will return to lineup for Game 3
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Sunday that Bichette will start at second base in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
After starting Game 1 and reaching base twice on a single and a walk, Bichette was held out of the lineup in Game 2 (though he did receive one plate appearance off the bench). He'll return to second base for Game 3 as the series moves to Los Angeles and will likely serve as the Blue Jays' cleanup hitter.
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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Out of Game 2 lineup
Rotowire
Bichette isn't in the lineup for Game 2 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Saturday.
Bichette played in Game 1 on Friday -- his first game action in seven weeks -- but the Jays will keep the 27-year-old infielder on the bench Saturday while he continues to nurse a left knee injury. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will start at second base as a result and bat eighth.
Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Playing second base, batting fourth
Rotowire
Bichette will start at second base and hit cleanup in Friday's World Series Game 1 against the Dodgers.
Bichette has never played second base at the major-league level, having last seen action at the position in 2019 at Triple-A Buffalo. It's a big ask for him to start at the keystone in Game 1 of the World Series, particularly after he missed the past seven weeks with a PCL sprain in his left knee. However, the Blue Jays are willing to roll the dice in order to get Bichette's bat into the lineup and keep George Springer at designated hitter, where he's thrived.
Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Included on World Series roster
Rotowire
Bichette (knee) is on the Blue Jays' World Series roster.
Bichette has been shelved for the past seven weeks while recovering from a PCL sprain in his left knee, but he's ramped up his workouts lately and has progressed enough to be added to Toronto's roster for the Fall Classic. The Blue Jays have not revealed what the plan is for Bichette's role, but with Andres Gimenez expected to remain at shortstop, Bichette is likely to handle second base, serve as the designated hitter or perhaps be a bat off the bench.
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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: DH, 2B, SS all possible
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that designated hitter, shortstop and second base are all on the table as spots for Bichette (knee) if he is on the World Series roster, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Schneider stopped short of confirming Bichette will be on the roster following a seven-week absence with a PCL sprain in his left knee. However, Bichette will go through another full workout Thursday, and as long as he gets through that with no issues, all signs point to him suiting up for the Fall Classic. Where and how much Bichette plays is up in the air, but Andres Gimenez is expected to stay at shortstop. Bichette hasn't been used at second base in the majors, but he "looked more than comfortable" when he played the position in the minors, per Schneider, and it seems there's a good chance he'll handle the keystone in the World Series. The Blue Jays and Dodgers must set their World Series rosters by Friday morning.
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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Works out at second base Wednesday
Rotowire
Bichette (knee) took grounders at second base during a workout at Rogers Centre on Wednesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
It's unclear whether the Blue Jays are considering using Bichette as their regular second baseman during the World Series or if they're merely evaluating their options. The 27-year-old hasn't played a position other than shortstop at the big-league level, and the extent of his experience at second base has been 30 games in the minors, the last of which came in 2019. Bichette does appear locked into a spot on the Blue Jays' World Series roster after missing the past seven weeks with a PCL sprain in his left knee, but how he'll be used remains a mystery. Andres Gimenez is expected to stay at shortstop, and Toronto is likely hesitant to move George Springer from designated hitter to the outfield, given how well he's hit. If the team is comfortable using Bichette at second base, it would shift Ernie Clement to third base and Addison Barger to the outfield.
Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Intends to play in World Series
Rotowire
Bichette (knee) stated after Monday's 4-3 win over the Mariners in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series that he'll be ready for Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun reports.
This update comes hours after the team stated that Bichette has made "significant progress" in his recovery from a PCL sprain in his left knee. He'll have three more days to test the knee before the club announces the finalized roster for the World Series. While it appears that Bichette will indeed be available, it remains to be seen whether he'll be penciled into the lineup for Game 1 considering he hasn't participated in a live game in over six weeks.
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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Making 'significant progress'
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Bichette (knee) has made "significant progress," Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Whether that progress has been sufficient enough to be included on the Blue Jays' World Series roster -- should they advance -- is not yet clear, but Bichette is moving in the right direction as he works his way back from a PCL sprain in his left knee. The World Series begins Friday, so if the Blue Jays are able to defeat the Mariners in Game 7 of the ALCS, Bichette will have a few additional days to convince the club he's ready. The 27-year-old has not played in a game in more than six weeks.
Manager John Schneider said Saturday that Bichette (knee) has resumed running the bases, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Schneider added that Bichette also began facing live pitching Friday, checking off two significant boxes necessary for him to be included in the Blue Jays' ALCS roster. Toronto has until Sunday to make the final call on his availability, and the team will likely see how he responds to Saturday's workout before finalizing the roster.
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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Won't return for ALCS
Rotowire
Bichette (knee) won't be included on the Blue Jays' roster for the ALCS against the Mariners, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
The 27-year-old returned to running the bases this weekend, but he appeared to feel some discomfort while doing so and won't be active for the championship series. Bichette landed on the injured list in early September due to a left knee sprain and made significant progress recently in his rehab work, but he needs a bit more time to get fully back up to speed. Andres Gimenez filled in at shortstop during the ALDS for Toronto, while Ernie Clement and Isiah Kiner-Falefa split starts at second base.
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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Making progress, ALCS still unclear
Rotowire
Bichette (knee) said Wednesday that he's "made some huge progress the last few days" but still needs to show he can run the bases before being cleared to join the Blue Jays' ALCS roster, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Recovering from a PCL sprain in his left knee, Bichette did some jogging this week for the first time since he was injured in early September. While he feels "really optimistic about where I stand," Bichette must be able to run the bases without major limitations in order to convince the Blue Jays he's ready to play. If the 27-year-old is included on the ALCS roster, he could be used at designated hitter in order to limit some wear and tear on his knee. Putting Bichette in the DH slot would mean George Springer moving back to the outfield.
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Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Does some jogging Wednesday
Rotowire
Bichette jogged in the outfield without a brace on his injured left knee at Yankee Stadium pregame Wednesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Bichette did not initially travel with the Blue Jays when the ALDS moved to New York, so the fact that he's now joined them and did some jogging for the first time since injuring his knee is a good sign. However, Bichette did not run at full effort, and he displayed a noticeable limp as he walked back to the dugout. Bichette hopes to be available for the ALCS, should the Blue Jays advance.
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