Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is pushing to make it back for the postseason from a sprained PCL in his left knee.
Manager John Schneider maintained Bichette could be on the playoff roster, but hasn’t committed to playing him when the Blue Jays begin their postseason in the American League Division Series on Saturday in Toronto.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Bichette was still limited to swinging and throwing. The team is expected to provide an update Wednesday or Thursday, but Bichette hasn’t been cleared to run since he was hurt.
By winning the AL East, the Blue Jays were able to buy Bichette part of an extra week to rehab from the Sept. 6 injury. He was hurt sliding into home plate at Yankee Stadium and said the extra few days “helps” his outlook for playing in the series against the winner of the wild-card matchup of the Yankees and Red Sox.
“I will do everything I can in the next four or five days to see what we can do,” Bichette said.
Bichette, 27, would not have been on the Blue Jays’ wild-card roster. He received multiple medical opinions and was told there was long-term structural damage to his ailing knee. Initial recovery timeframes for a PCL sprain is 4-6 weeks, but often athletes have limited mobility for 12 weeks.
Schneider admitted he was more optimistic about Bichette’s return after the Blue Jays claimed the division crown and a bye during the wild-card round this week.
“I hope he continues to progress,” Schneider said. “I hope that he gets a chance to contribute to this. His career has been as a Toronto Blue Jay. He’s been instrumental to what we’ve been doing here the last six years, so I hope he can progress well enough to be right in the middle of what we’re doing.”
Since July 4, Bichette hit .373 with 24 doubles and 45 RBIs.
Even after missing the final three weeks of the regular season, Bichette finished second in the majors with (181) hits — Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had 184 — and doubles (44); Witt had 47.
Bichette was also second in MLB in batting average at .311; Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit .331. He was 24th in MLB with a team-high 94 RBIs.
It has been a tense time for the organization given Bichette’s expiring contract. He’s an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the World Series. His teammates and manager are pining for Bichette to stay, but first they want him to have an opportunity to help determine when Toronto’s season ends.
Andres Gimenez, who came over from Cleveland as a free agent this season, moved from second base to shortstop and has graded out very well defensively. That leaves open the option for Bichette to return as the primary designated hitter if necessary.
“In a perfect world, if he can come back and play short, yeah, great,” Schneider said. “But if we can get his bat back, I’ll take it.”
