Remember when Bo Bichette said back in July that “my ultimate goal really is to play with Vladdy [Guerrero Jr.] forever, to win a championship with him, and to do that with this organization?” The Blue Jays were steamrolling their opponents as Bichette wished and were all set to roar into the postseason scene. But again, when you are in MLB, you ought to be ready for surprises at any point in time. And here, the surprise is for the Blue Jays fans. Well, it’s something they didn’t wish for.
Well, the Blue Jays have been rolling this season, holding a five-game cushion over the Yankees going into Tuesday’s action. And guess what, Bichette has been a huge part of that success, leading the majors with 181 hits and 44 doubles while batting .311 with an .840 OPS. But the good stretch now hit a snag. If you remember, he went down on September 6 against the Yankees in a play at the plate and landed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to September 7. It was later revealed he suffered a PCL sprain. And now the latest word is he’ll be out for the rest of the regular season!
“Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Bo Bichette will not return for the regular season. He suffered a knee sprain and has not played since September 6, with Toronto hoping he can return for the postseason,” Fox Sports MLB broke the news.
It’s coming just when the Blue Jays need him in the postseason. And let the reality strike in…
Even without one of their top stars, the Blue Jays have kept rolling, stringing together five straight wins. They’re firmly in control of the AL East race and have a real shot at locking up the No. 1 seed, which would secure homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. However, the Blue Jays can’t replace Bichette for October. Why?
Defensively, the team can manage without him if his absence stretches into the postseason, but his bat is irreplaceable. So, if the Jays can at least get him back in a DH role, it could make a huge difference, and that might be the most realistic path for his return.
Bichette is too costly for the Blue Jays to replace
On an urgent basis, Andres Gimenez has been filling in at shortstop for Bichette, but the results at the plate have yet to be great. The 27-year-old is hitting just .211, 7 HRs, and 30 RBIs over 91 games and 339 plate appearances. Yes, his glove is his calling card, but that’s all that makes him a solid stopgap for the Blue Jays.
So, what’s the solution here?
Putting Bichette into a DH Role!
Well, sliding Bichette into a DH role in October would bring its own challenges. The Blue Jays already have George Springer working well as DH, and Anthony Santander working his way back in Triple-A. Moreover, that could mean weaker defenders in the field or some power bats left on the bench. However, finding a way to get Bichette’s bat back in the lineup would be more than worth the shuffle.
Hence, if Bichette could be back by the postseason, the Blue Jays would go all guns blazing. But if it’s not, leveraging his bat anyway should be the first preference for the team. The Blue Jays are on the verge of rewriting history this year, and it would be too costly to let it go!