Toronto Blue Jays All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette went down on Monday night with an apparent leg injury after rounding first base. He was forced to exit the game, and many fans were concerned the injury would put him on the shelf for some time.
Luckily, Bichette will not make a trip to the IL. He had an MRI on Tuesday that revealed inflammation around the knee but no structural damage. He will be considered day-to-day for now.
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This is fantastic news for the Blue Jays, who are currently third in the highly competitive American League East. They hold a 59-48 record, 6.5 games behind the division-leading Baltimore Orioles.
Bo Bichette has been key to Toronto’s success this season. He is hitting .321/.352/.494 with 17 home runs and 59 RBIs. He is certainly one of the best-hitting shortstops in the league, which has not changed this season.
Notably, Bichette leads the American League in batting average, at-bats, hits, and singles. The only other player consistently leading American League hitters is Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is having a career year.
Toronto will not rush Bo Bichette back
The Toronto Blue Jays were concerned with Bo Bichette’s injury and traded for St. Louis Cardinals infielder Paul DeJong. In exchange for de Jong, Toronto sent minor league pitcher Matt Svanson to St. Louis.
This will allow Bichette to fully recover from his injury before returning to the lineup. With the season he is having, the last thing they want to do is rush him back and potentially risk further injury. He means far too much to this team, and Toronto is in the driver’s seat to make the postseason.
De Jong should be a solid replacement for Bichette as he recovers. He hit .233/.297/.412 with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs in 81 games for St. Louis this season.