TORONTO — After a 48-day hiatus, Bo Bichette rejoined the Blue Jays’ lineup on Friday, marking a significant return for the team.

In a surprising twist, Bichette took to second base for the first time in 2,382 days, adding another layer of intrigue to Game 1 of the World Series.

Bichette made his presence felt both offensively and defensively, contributing a hit in two at-bats, drawing a walk, and executing a critical defensive play that prevented a run in the third inning. His efforts helped propel the Blue Jays to an 11-4 victory over the Dodgers at Rogers Centre.

“I just focused on keeping the game at a steady pace and approached it like any other match,” Bichette explained. “I aimed to blend in and have quality at-bats, just like my teammates.”

“I just tried to slow the game down and treat it like any other game,” Bichette said. “Just fall in line and have good at-bats, just like everyone else is having.”

Bichette had been sidelined since Sept. 6 with a left knee sprain that he suffered in a collision at home plate with Yankees catcher Austin Wells.

The shortstop was still too limited physically to make the Blue Jays roster for the ALDS or ALCS, but he was finally cleared for the World Series roster — even if he is still not fully recovered.

During the rehab process, Bichette came to the Blue Jays with the idea of playing second base — he played 30 games there in the minors, none since 2019 — because he could get ready quicker there.

The Blue Jays were OK with it as a way to get Bichette’s bat into the lineup — batting cleanup behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — coming off a season in which he hit .311 with a .840 OPS, while keeping Andrés Giménez (who offers more defensively) at shortstop.

But then he saved the Blue Jays defensively in the third inning.

The Dodgers already led 2-0 and had a runner on second when Teoscar Hernández hit a ground ball up the middle.

Bichette ranged onto the other side of second base, backhanded the ball and then turned to get off a strong enough throw to nail Hernández for the second out of the inning.

“Just let the athleticism take over,” said Bichette, who was hobbling after the play but stayed in until being pinch run for by Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the sixth inning.

When Shohei Ohtani came up to bat in the ninth inning, the crowd serenaded him with chants of “We don’t need you!” Ohtani snubbed the Blue Jays in free agency two years ago to sign with the Dodgers.

“Don’t poke the bear,” right-hander Chris Bassitt said.

Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, a walk and two strikeouts.

The Dodgers kept Alex Vesia off their roster after announcing Thursday that the reliever stepped away from the team “to navigate a deeply personal family matter.” They could have kept him in play to pitch later in the series by placing him on the family medical emergency list (which requires being out at least three days), but opted not to.

“We just didn’t want to have any potential for any kind of pressure,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “This is so much bigger than baseball. For us, it was doing whatever small part we could to just a hundred percent be supportive.”

In light of the NBA’s gambling scandal, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said he continued to be concerned about “the safety and well-being of our players.”

“We’ve worked closely with the league to ensure the safety and well-being of our players,” Clark said Friday. “That remains front and center. That, along with the educating of our players, making sure they understand what they can and can’t do, is consistent and constant. But rest assured, every time there’s a situation that arises related to gambling, the concern doesn’t lessen, it gets worse.”

Cito Gaston, the Blue Jays manager for their only two World Series titles, in 1992 and 1993, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Joe Carter, whose walk-off three-run homer ended the 1993 World Series, will throw out the first pitch before Game 2.