Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette returned from a virtually two-month lengthy absence on Tuesday. Now, after showing in only one recreation, he is heading again to the shelf after struggling a fractured center finger on his proper hand. Bichette’s season is over, and with it, so could be his time with the Blue Jays group.
Bichette, 26, was scratched from Wednesday’s recreation with what was described on the time as a finger contusion. He reportedly suffered the harm throughout pregame warmups, whereas he was working towards fielding floor balls. The Blue Jays shuffled their lineup to cowl for Bichette’s absence, shifting Ernie Clement from third base to shortstop and inserting Addison Barger on the sizzling nook.
Bichette had beforehand been sidelined since July after struggling a strained calf.
In 81 video games this season, Bichette hit .225/.277/.322 (71 OPS+) with 4 house runs and 31 runs batted in. His contributions have been estimated to be value lower than alternative stage, in response to Baseball Reference’s calculations. In flip, this represented the worst season of his big-league profession.
The query now’s whether or not or not Bichette will stay with the Blue Jays heading into subsequent season. Keep in mind, he is slated to turn out to be a free agent after the 2025 marketing campaign. The Blue Jays might, then, pursue a commerce in the event that they really feel they’re unlikely to retain his companies past subsequent season — particularly if their poor outcomes this yr have swayed them on their possibilities of making a playoff push in 2025.
In June, as trade-deadline rumors swirled, common supervisor Ross Atkins mentioned his objective was to increase each Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
“After all we have now dialogue with them and that is one thing that may proceed,” he mentioned on MLB Community Radio. “We consider in them, we consider of their futures and hope there is a method they will play right here for a very long time.”
In a corresponding transfer, the Blue Jays recalled outfielder Jonatan Clase from Triple-A Buffalo. Clase, 22, was obtained from the Seattle Mariners earlier this summer season as a part of the commerce that despatched veteran reliever Yimi García to the Pacific Northwest. His subsequent big-league look will mark his first as a member of the Blue Jays.
