TORONTO — The Blue Jays have made it to the World Series, overcoming the initial playoff rounds without one of their standout players from the regular season.
However, that scenario might shift on Friday, though questions remain about where Bo Bichette will be positioned and his level of performance following an extended recovery period.
On Thursday, Bichette participated in a crucial workout at Rogers Centre, which was seen as the final step in determining if he could be added to the Blue Jays’ roster for the World Series opener against the Dodgers on Friday night.
“After today’s workout, I’ll have a clearer picture of my status,” Bichette stated on Thursday afternoon before hitting the field. “I’m focused on doing everything possible to be ready in whatever capacity I can contribute. I’m eager to support the team however I’m able.”
Bichette has been sidelined since September 6th following a collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells that resulted in a sprained left knee.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicated that shortstop (Bichette’s natural position), second base (where Bichette took ground balls on Thursday but has not played since 2019 at Triple-A) and DH could all be in play for the right-handed hitter who batted .311 with an .840 OPS during the regular season.
His addition would force someone else out of the lineup — along with potentially having George Springer (who has been hobbled himself since getting hit by a pitch on the knee during the ALCS) move from DH to right field.
It was all part of the equation that the Blue Jays were weighing Thursday.
“I think that where we are now, there’s going to be emotions and thoughts and feelings that these guys are going to feel that they haven’t felt regardless of if they just played in Game 7 or if they haven’t played in a while,” Schneider said. “Just in conversations with Bo, he’s pretty realistic about how he feels and how he will feel if he’s out there. So it’s something we got to continue to work through, really. I think that if he feels comfortable [playing second base], I’m going to listen to players and trust them.”
The Dodgers may not have one of their top relievers available at least to start the series.
The club announced early Thursday evening that lefty Alex Vesia was away from the team “as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal family matter.”
Manager Dave Roberts said the team was still working through its roster options, including whether Vesia might be available to them at any point.
“I think, right now, we’re in the mode of trying to understand the process, the rules, a way that we could sort of try to navigate the roster,” Roberts said. “We’re going through the process of trying to backfill his spot on the roster.”
The Blue Jays were more aggressive than any other team this season in taking the bat out of Aaron Judge’s hands.
Schneider made it sound as if they will be even more careful with Shohei Ohtani.
“I think we’re talking about a totally different kind of animal here that can do things on the field that not many people can do, with all the respect in the world for Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh,” Schneider said.
Prince Andrew and his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, appear to have reached an agreement to…
More than 311,000 Australian Facebook users can apply for a slice of a $50 million…
In 1991, Demi Moore attended the initial table read for *A Few Good Men* while…
A woman has been taken into custody following a hit-and-run incident in Clearwater, Florida, that…
Ifu Ennada has revealed that she battled memory loss, depression, and severe spiritual attacks over…
MELBOURNE – In a productive meeting on Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese engaged with…