TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays left Bo Bichette off their roster for the American League Championship Series after the star shortstop couldn’t run the bases comfortably during a decisive test, although he didn’t suffer a setback, according to manager John Schneider.
Saturday’s session, during which Bichette pulled up after rounding second base, grimaced, shook his head and eventually sat on the field, visibly frustrated, “was the deciding factor” as it showed that “he was aware of guarding” the left knee he sprained Sept. 6.
“We were kind of headed towards a little bit of a grey area, like, OK, you really want the guy on your team, can you do it, is it the right thing for him, is it the right thing for how we would be built otherwise around him?” said Schneider. “It really just came down to (Saturday) and how he felt. Not happy that he didn't feel great. But he didn't set himself back by any means, just wasn't ready to go kind of full speed (Sunday).”
With his return off the table, the Blue Jays kept the 13-man position-player group used during the four-game ALDS victory over the New York Yankees intact in finalizing their ALCS roster ahead of Sunday’s 10 a.m. ET deadline. But they adjusted their pitching staff by adding starters Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt in place of relievers Tommy Nance and Justin Bruihl as the series format shifts from best-of-five to best-of-seven.
"In a seven-game series, with five out of six too,” said Schneider, “the length and the experience that they both have played a huge factor.”
Bassitt, who finished the season on the injured list with lower back inflammation, “will be down in the 'pen ready for anything,” added the manager, while the Blue Jays aim to keep “Max a little bit more geared towards length or start. But these games, they can get hairy in a hurry, so I think they'll both be available whenever we need them.”
Trey Yesavage will start Game 2 on Monday, followed by Shane Bieber in Game 3 Wednesday in Seattle, potentially lining up Scherzer for Game 4, assuming he isn’t needed earlier.
Scherzer threw a five-inning, 95-pitch sim game Tuesday after being a somewhat surprising exclusion from the ALDS roster. He used the downtime to work on some of the issues that led to him allowing 25 runs in 25 innings over his final six starts of the regular season.
During the sim game, Scherzer “simulated a long inning, really tried to tax my arm so that if I did get put on the roster for the ALCS, I at least kind of made a start and kept myself in rhythm to get back out there," he said Saturday. “I didn't finish the season well, I needed to pitch better, I needed to get some things right and that's what I was trying to do.”
Bichette was also trying to get himself better and he expressed optimism Wednesday in New York, after the Blue Jays eliminated the Yankees, saying he’d “made some huge progress the last few days.”
He hadn’t yet started running the bases, however, which made Saturday’s attempt to run the bases so fateful. Once he pulled up and it was clear he wasn’t able to push himself further, the Blue Jays “didn't want to put him in a compromised position.”
“I feel for him because it's been a long three weeks physically and mentally,” Schneider continued. “He wants nothing more than to be out there. But he's going to keep himself ready and trying to get ready. Hopefully, we advance and hopefully he can kind of check off the boxes that we need him to check off.”
Bichette didn’t run Sunday but is expected to resume some running Monday and will continue to hit as well. Putting him on the roster under uncertain circumstances carried additional risk as players who are subbed out during post-season series due to injury are ineligible for the following series, as well.
Amid Bichette’s ongoing absence, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa remained on the roster over Ty France, who finished the season on the injured list due to oblique inflammation but said he was “good to go” for this round if needed, and outfielder Joey Loperfido.
First pitch of Game 1 goes Sunday at 8:08 p.m. ET / 5:08 p.m. ET with live coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
