Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Scherzer, Defense
After getting shut down offensively in Game 2 of the World Series, Toronto will get an important bat back in the lineup tonight. Bo Bichette will draw the start at second base for Game 3, batting fourth. “[He] felt good coming out of yesterday,” manager John Schneider told reporters on Sunday, including David Singh of Sportsnet. “I think with each day that goes on, he’ll probably get as close to normal as he can at this stage of the year.”
Bichette made his long-awaited return in Game 1 after missing close to two months with a knee injury. He singled on a 3-0 pitch in his first at-bat. Bichette began Toronto’s game-breaking sixth inning, drawing a walk against Blake Snell to lead off the inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa replaced him on the bases and came around to score the go-ahead run. Toronto would go on to tag Snell and two relievers with nine runs in the frame.
It was Kiner-Falefa, not Bichette, who drew the start at second base in Game 2. Bichette grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. He played a couple of innings in the field in relief of Kiner-Falefa. “Seven weeks is a long layoff, so you don’t want to just go back to 100 percent,” Schneider told reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, regarding Bichette’s usage.
Bichette is playing second base for the first time at the professional level since 2019 at Triple-A. The early returns have been acceptable, as Bichette has handled the few chances he’s had so far. Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports that Toronto is adjusting their infield strategy to support him. The team is having shortstop Andres Gimenez and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shade closer to Bichette to provide extra coverage. “I think the positioning part of it plays a big component,” Schneider told Bannon.
Toronto hasn’t had an error in either game of the World Series. They were a middling defense during the regular season, ranking 18th in fielding percentage. The Blue Jays had the 12th-most errors. Kiner-Falefa is known for his defensive ability and is capable of handling multiple infield positions. While he did go 5-for-15 in the ALCS, the utilityman is hitless so far against the Dodgers. Getting Bichette’s bat in the mix will be a boost, especially after Yoshinobu Yamamoto silenced the lineup on Saturday. Kiner-Falefa is a candidate to replace Bichette on the bases or in the field in a late-game situation.
The Blue Jays will send Max Scherzer to the bump on Monday. Schneider is expecting the same intensity he showed in Game 4 of the ALCS. “Wonder how many coaches he’ll knock over tonight,” Schneider told reporters, including Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The fiery right-hander had a handful of animated moments during his last outing, a near-quality start against Seattle. Scherzer allowed two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings to earn the win and knot the series at 2-2.
Scherzer’s appearance for Toronto tonight will make him the first player to pitch for four different teams in the World Series, per MLB. The 40-year-old also made Fall Classic starts for Detroit, Washington, and Texas, winning the title with the latter two teams.
Scherzer came into the postseason in a rut, giving up 17 earned runs over 15 innings to close the regular season. He did not make the ALDS roster, with Schneider citing the matchup against the Yankees as the reason for the veteran’s omission. Scherzer tossed a quality start in his lone appearance against the Dodgers this season, holding them to two earned runs over six innings in early September.
East Notes: Bichette, Rays, Scott
With Bo Bichette back on the roster as the Blue Jays challenge the Dodgers in the World Series, it didn’t take long for him to be asked about his impending free agency. As noted by Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, Bichette generally dismissed the question as something he doesn’t have the time to think about amid a World Series run, though he did acknowledge that his “goal” is to remain with the Blue Jays for the rest of his career.
That’s not exactly new information, as Bichette has long indicated a desire to spend his whole career in a Blue Jays uniform. Bichette has previously spoken of his desire to only play for one team throughout his whole career, and the ability to do so alongside longtime teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after Guerrero landed his own extension earlier this year surely makes the idea of sticking around in Toronto all the more appealing. With that said, there had been no extension talks between Bichette and club brass as recently as April.
Perhaps some discussions have taken place in the intervening months, of course, but with free agency just days away it seems all but certain that Bichette will hit the open market without signing an extension. That doesn’t mean he can’t be re-signed, of course, but the Blue Jays won’t be the only suitor for his services once he’s available to all 30 clubs and it’s unclear if Toronto is willing to add another major contract to the books after signing Guerrero to an extension worth half a billion dollars.
More from MLB’s East divisions…
- The Rays may now be operating under new ownership, but they’re still facing plenty of stadium uncertainty in the wake of the club’s recent failed stadium deal and the damage done to Tropicana Field by Hurricane Milton last year. While it would be impossible to expect a meaningful update on a long-term stadium solution just one month into Patrick Zalupski’s tenure as control person, commissioner Rob Manfred did tell reporters (as relayed by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) prior to Game 2 of the World Series yesterday that the league is “hopeful” that the Trop will be ready for Tampa’s opening homestand, scheduled to begin on April 6. While Manfred seemingly left the door open to the possibility that the stadium won’t be ready for those games, he said that “it certainly is going to be ready very early in the year.” That’s good news for the Rays, seeing as they were forced to play their home games in a minor league ballpark this year as a result of the damage to the Trop.
- Turning towards the National League, Will Sammon of The Athletic writes that Mets youngster Christian Scott is nearing the end of his rehab program as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. Scott, 26, made his big league debut last year with a 4.56 ERA in nine starts but hasn’t pitched in an official game at any level since. He entered 2024 as a fringe top-100 prospect, however, and Sammon suggests that the right-hander could be another young arm in the mix for a rotation work with the Mets next year alongside players like Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat. With that said, a crowded group of rotation options that is likely to get at least one major addition this winter might make it hard for the righty to find consistent starts without a rash of injuries creating an opportunity.
Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Bassitt, Mattingly
After winning Game 1 of the World Series in dominant fashion yesterday, the Blue Jays are looking to take a 2-0 lead in the series before they head to L.A. for Game 3 on Monday. They’ll be doing so without star infielder Bo Bichette in the lineup, however. That might sound concerning to Jays fans, given that he’s just be activated from a long layoff that had stretched from the regular season all throughout the playoffs to this point, but Mitch Bannon of The Athletic relays that (according to Jays manager John Schneider) that extended layoff is exactly the reason for today’s day off.
“He’ll be ready to play today, for sure,” Schneider said, as relayed by Bannon. “But really, after the layoff, didn’t want to kill him, you know.”
While Bichette won’t be starting at second base like he did yesterday (or his native position of shortstop, for that matter), Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet relays that the infielder is actually feeling better than expected after his first game action since early September and that Bichette told Schneider he’d be available off the bench today. That’s excellent news for the Blue Jays, as it means they’ll have one of their best hitters available if high leverage moment comes up at some point in today’s game.
Bichette recorded a single and a walk in three plate appearances yesterday and is coming off a regular season where he slashed .311/.357/.483 in 139 games. It goes without saying that having him in the lineup would be preferable to leaving him on the bench, but in conjunction with tomorrow’s travel day today’s decision could allow the Jays to push Bichette more throughout the seven-game series. In the meantime, Isiah Kiner-Falefa is batting eighth and in the lineup at second base in Bichette’s place.
Turning to another injured player, Nicholson-Smith relays that veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt is dealing with a cut/blister on his pitching hand. Bassitt is available to pitch in any game, including Game 2 this evening, after moving to the bullpen for the postseason. That Bassitt won’t be sat down while his blister heals is good news for the Jays considering his excellent work across three scoreless relief appearances this October, but it’s still a concerning update given that even minor injuries to a pitcher’s throwing hand can impact grip and command. It wouldn’t be a shock if the Blue Jays tried to avoid using Bassitt in high leverage moments until they have confidence about how the blister is impacting his mechanics.
In off the field news, meanwhile, Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly could be considering calling it a career after making it to the World Series for the first time across his decades-long career in baseball. Heyman notes that friends of Mattingly “believe retirement is a possibility” after this season, while Mattingly himself didn’t tip his hand on the matter and simply told Heyman “You never know, you never know” when asked about his future. If Mattingly were to call it a career, he’d do so as one of the most accomplished baseball icons of recent vintage. He earned an MVP award during a 14-year MLB career as a player and spent an additional 12 years managing the Dodgers and Marlins, the latter of whom he earned Manager of the Year honors for managing to the playoffs through a COVID-19 outbreak during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Blue Jays Add Bo Bichette To World Series Roster
Bo Bichette is back. The Blue Jays announced their World Series roster today, and it includes the two-time All-Star infielder. Bichette has been sidelined since early September due to a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Manager John Schneider indicated yesterday that Bichette could see time at shortstop, second base and/or designated hitter if cleared to rejoin the roster. If he appears in a game at second base, it’ll be his first time playing there since the minor leagues in 2019.
The Jays dropped outfielder Joey Loperfido and righty Yariel Rodriguez from their roster, which contains 14 position players and 12 pitchers. It breaks down as follows:
- Catchers: Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heineman
- Infielders: Addison Barger, Bo Bichette, Ernie Clement, Ty France, Andres Gimenez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Isiah Kiner-Falefa
- Outfielders: Nathan Lukes, Davis Schneider, George Springer, Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho
- Pitchers: Chris Bassitt, Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty, Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman, Eric Lauer, Brendon Little, Max Scherzer, Louis Varland, Trey Yesavage
Yesavage gets the ball opposite Blake Snell in Game 1, becoming the second-youngest Game 1 starter in World Series history (trailing Ralph Branca of the ’47 Dodgers (as noted by MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson). The Jays haven’t formally announced a Game 2 starter to take on righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but it’s expected to be Gausman. Bieber and Scherzer are likely up, in some order, for Games 3 and 4. The Dodgers figure to counter with Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani.
Of course, all eyes will be on Bichette in his return to the diamond after an absence of roughly seven weeks. It’s not likely that he’s at 100%, but the Jays medical staff cleared him to take the field for the franchise’s biggest series in more than 30 years.
There’s an offseason component to consider as well, given Bichette’s status as an impending free agent. Any time at second base in the World Series could offer a potential glimpse of the future, too; Bichette’s glovework at shortstop has been perhaps the key knock on his free agent case, and it’s likely that some clubs will prefer to sign him and move him to second base. A small handful of appearances when he’s coming off a notable knee injury isn’t going to be indicative of how he’d look there at full strength in 2026 and beyond, but it’s still a source of intrigue both for the duration of the Fall Classic and for the broader, long-term picture.
Blue Jays Notes: Bichette’s Role, Game 1 Starter, Gausman’s Usage
Bo Bichette is doing everything he can to help the team in the World Series, even if it means playing a position for the first time at the MLB level. The star shortstop has been taking reps at second base, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, among others, as he works his way back from a PCL sprain suffered in early September. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help this team win in whatever role it is – it doesn’t matter,” Bichette told reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.
Manager John Schneider said before Game 7 of the ALCS that Bichette had been making strides in his recovery. The shortstop resumed on-field running work ahead of the series against Seattle, but was ultimately left off the ALCS roster. Regarding Bichette’s role if he’s cleared to return, Schneider said he “could” appear at second base, shortstop, or DH, relayed Mitch Bannon of The Athletic.
All 716 of Bichette’s MLB appearances in the field have been at shortstop. He’s made 31 appearances at DH. Bichette does have professional experience at second base, but it’s been quite some time since he played there. He made a single appearance at the position for Triple-A Buffalo in 2019. Bichette logged 29 starts at second base in the minors from 2016 to 2018.
Bichette’s playing time in the infield, whether at second base or shortstop, will likely come at the expense of Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The utilityman started the final four games of the ALCS at second base. While he did go 5-for-15 against Seattle, Kiner-Falefa is known much more for his glove, and Bichette’s bat would be preferred in the lineup. Andres Gimenez moved over from second base to shortstop when Bichette went down. He could slide back to his original position if Bichette can handle shortstop, or remain there if Bichette heads to second.
The middle of the infield will shuffle depending on Bichette’s status, but one lineup spot that isn’t up for debate is the starting pitcher for Game 1. Right-hander Trey Yesavage will get the ball on Friday, reports Bill Shaiken of the Los Angeles Times, among others. He’ll be opposed by lefty Blake Snell.
Yesavage’s ascent up the Blue Jays’ system has been one of the more fascinating stories of the postseason. He was taken in the first round of the 2024 draft and made his professional debut with Single-A Dunedin in April of this year. Huge strikeout numbers propelled Yesavage to High-A Vancouver and then to Double-A New Hampshire. By August, he had reached Triple-A Buffalo. Yesavage piled up 26 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings with the Bisons, earning an MLB callup in mid-September. He dazzled in his big-league debut against Tampa Bay, striking out nine over five innings. Yesavage earned his first MLB win in his third and final start of the regular season, shutting down the Rays again over five scoreless innings.
Yesavage saved his best for the postseason. In his playoff debut, he fired 5 1/3 hitless innings against the Yankees in the ALDS. He took the loss in Game 2 of the ALCS, but came back with a strong start in Game 6, earning a win to even the series. Yesavage will have a tough test on Friday, facing a Los Angeles lineup that has posted a 113 wRC+ so far in the postseason. He’d be in line to start Game 5, if necessary.
Kevin Gausman would’ve been the top candidate to start Game 1 of the World Series, but he was needed in relief in Game 7 of the ALCS on Monday. Toronto’s ace tossed a scoreless seventh inning and ended up with the win after George Springer launched a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the inning. Gausman told reporters, including Davidi, that he knew pitching on Monday would likely cost him the start on Friday. “That was hard for me to swallow, to be honest … [but] I would hate to go out there not knowing exactly what I’m going to get out of myself. That played a big part in the last couple days.“
Davidi mentioned that Gausman’s side session on Thursday likely sets him up to start Game 2 on Saturday. He’s posted a 2.00 ERA across four appearances in the postseason. Gausman earned the win in Toronto’s blowout victory over New York in Game 1 of the ALDS. He was outdueled by Bryce Miller in Game 1 of the ALCS, but was in line for the win in Game 5 until the bullpen ceded five runs in the eighth inning. If Gausman does start on Saturday, he’d be on track to start again in Game 6, if necessary.
Latest On Bo Bichette
Before tonight’s ALCS Game Seven, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that shortstop Bo Bichette has been making “significant progress” in recent days, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.
Bichette had a great year at the plate but his regular season was unceremoniously ended in a collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells in early September. Bichette suffered a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and hasn’t played since.
The Jays still managed to make the playoffs without Bichette and have stayed alive in the postseason as well. With each new playoff series, it has been a question of whether Bichette has healed enough to make the roster but he hasn’t been able to do so. If the Jays manage to hold off the Mariners tonight, there will be a few more days for recovery, as the World Series doesn’t begin until Friday.
On the one hand, getting Bichette’s bat back in the lineup to face the Dodgers in the World Series would be a tremendous boost. He hit .311/.357/.483 for a 134 wRC+ this year. On the other hand, it may lead to some tough decisions elsewhere. George Springer is banged up after fouling a ball off his knee. He has still been able to serve as the designated hitter but he wasn’t playing defensively very often this year even before that knee injury.
Between Bichette and Springer, only one of them can be the DH, so someone would have to take the field or sit on the bench if Bichette were back. Additionally, someone would have to be squeezed off the roster. Davis Schneider hasn’t been used much in the ALCS because his platoon role isn’t as needed against a Mariner club with few lefties. The Dodgers have far more southpaws, so he would probably be more useful against that club. If someone like Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Myles Straw were bumped off instead of Schneider, that would cut into the club’s defense, which has been a big part of their success this year.
They could also subtract a pitcher if they feel they have enough depth to get to the finish line with one fewer arm. Chris Bassitt is pitching out of the bullpen and has only been used once in the ALCS, so perhaps it’s possible for the Jays to live without him or one of their other relief arms.
The Jays would love to have to make these tough decisions, as that would mean they are both going to the World Series and have Bichette back in the mix. They obviously have to win tonight’s matchup first. If they can pull it off, then the focus will again turn to whether or not Bichette get back to them.
For Bichette personally, it would obviously be great to get back in there. On top of just wanting to contribute to the team, he is also an impending free agent. Demonstrating his health before the offseason could assuage some fears that clubs may have about him.
His offensive talent is undeniable but he’s never been a strong defender and has had a series of lower body injuries in recent years. Right knee and quad injuries put him on the IL in 2023. Last year, issues with his right calf contributed to the worst season of his career. He bounced back tremendously this year before this ongoing knee saga began. Some clubs will surely question his ability to stick at shortstop in the long term and will naturally have less willingness to invest in him, though playing in the World Series and coming up with some clutch moments could help him claw back some earning power.
One player who won’t be a factor in the World Series is right-hander José Berríos. Per Nicholson-Smith, John Schneider said today that the righty has resumed throwing but his season is done. That’s not especially surprising. He finished the season on the injured list due to elbow inflammation. Even before that, he had been nudged to the bullpen late in the campaign as the Jays tried to maximize their rotation for the playoffs.
Still, the fact that he has begun throwing is good news for the 2026 rotation. The Jays are set to lose both Bassitt and Max Scherzer to free agency. Shane Bieber will probably follow those two out of town, as he has a $16MM player option he should turn down in favor of a $4MM buyout and a return to free agency. On paper, next year’s likely rotation includes Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Berríos, with guys like Eric Lauer, Bowden Francis, Angel Bastardo, Ricky Tiedemann and others in the mix. The Jays will probably be looking for starting pitching this winter and a serious injury to Berríos would have only added to the need.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images
Blue Jays Notes: Springer, Bichette, Bullpen
The Blue Jays are staring down elimination as they head back to Toronto following a tough loss to the Mariners in Game 5 of the ALCS yesterday. Manager John Schneider spoke to reporters this evening about the health status of a couple of key players, as well as the club’s pitching plans headed into the final games of the series.
Perhaps the most pressing update is the one regarding veteran slugger George Springer. The 36-year-old enjoyed a career year at the plate this season as he slashed .309/.399/.560 with 32 home runs and 27 doubles. Springer has continued his strong performance into the postseason, with eight extra-base hits in nine games so far this October. That hot streak was put at risk last night when Springer was hit in the right knee by a pitch.
Initial x-rays came back negative, fortunately, and today Schneider offered more good news to reporters (including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet) when he revealed that a follow-up CT scan confirmed no fracture. Springer was set to undergo additional treatment today, but it seems as though he’s likely to be back in the lineup for Game 6. As noted by MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, Schneider told reporters he was “hopeful and optimistic” that Springer would be in the lineup for tomorrow’s game, and added that Schneider intends to put Springer in the game as long as Springer himself says he’s ready to play.
The future is less clear for star shortstop Bo Bichette. Bichette has been sidelined since the regular season due to a PCL sprain, and his availability in the event that the Jays manage to win their next two games and advance to face the Dodgers in the World Series remains up in the air. Schneider indicated to reporters (including Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet) that Bichette has increased his running volume on the field and is “making progress” with his swing but that he’s not yet tried to run the bases after he limped off the field when he tried to do so prior to the ALCS. Even in spite of this injury, Bichette’s had a strong bounce back year ahead of free agency with a .311/.357/.483 slash line in 139 games.
Of course, if Bichette is going to even have a chance to make it back for the World Series, the Jays will need to advance there. To that end, Schneider indicated to reporters (including Mitch Bannon of The Athletic) that everyone on the pitching staff who is “physically available” will be able to pitch tomorrow. That likely rules out Kevin Gausman after he pitched 5 2/3 innings of work yesterday, but could mean that every other pitcher on the roster is available. Bannon specifically highlights that veteran right-hander Max Scherzer will be available for tomorrow’s game after his 87-pitch start in Game 4 of the series on Thursday. Trey Yesavage is poised to start tomorrow’s game opposite right-hander Logan Gilbert.
Using Scherzer and Shane Bieber in tomorrow’s game would be a risky move for the Blue Jays, as it would leave them without anyone to start in Game 7 of the series on Monday if they make it that far. Of course, saving an arm for Game 7 would do little for the Blue Jays if they were to get eliminated in Game 6. In a win-or-go-home game, it’s sensible to win that night’s game at all costs and worry about the consequences of that later. That’s the plan the Mariners used in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Tigers, when they used George Kirby, Gilbert, and Luis Castillo in a 15-inning affair to leave them with no option but to start Bryce Miller in Game 1 of the ALCS against Toronto.
Blue Jays Notes: Santander, Bichette, Rotation
Toronto will be missing some power from the left side for Game 2 against Seattle. Outfielder Anthony Santander has been scratched with lower back tightness, the team announced. Davis Schneider will replace Santander, playing left field and batting eighth. Santander was originally slotted seventh in the order, but now Ernie Clement will move up to that spot.
Santander was 3-for-13 so far this postseason. He did have one of Toronto’s two hits in the first game of the ALCS. Santander was part of the Blue Jays’ lone scoring opportunity after he ripped a single into right field with one out in the second inning. Victor Robles misplayed the ball, and Santander ended up on second base. An Andres Gimenez pop-out followed by a George Springer groundout would end the threat, and Toronto wouldn’t get a runner beyond first base the rest of the game.
The switch-hitting Santander started three games in the ALDS against the Yankees. He was on the bench against left-hander Max Fried in Game 2. Santander struggled from both sides of the plate in the regular season, but he was especially poor as a right-handed hitter. He hit just .146 in 55 plate appearances as a righty. Santander’s results from the left side weren’t that much better (.185 batting average), but he did pop six home runs, albeit in about three times as many at-bats.
The Blue Jays landed Santander on a five-year, $92.5MM deal this past offseason. Unfortunately, they’ve gotten used to playing without him. A partially dislocated left shoulder in late May cost Santander all of June, July, and August, plus most of September. He returned for the final week of the regular season, appearing in four games. The teams will head to Seattle for Game 3 on Wednesday, so Santander will have tonight and tomorrow to recover.
If Santander’s back doesn’t improve, Toronto could replace him on the ALCS roster. Bo Bichette doesn’t seem like he’ll be among the options to join the team as he continues to deal with a PCL sprain. The video of Bichette running the bases on Saturday didn’t inspire much confidence in a potential return, though manager John Schneider said the shortstop didn’t suffer a setback during the session. “It showed him and us that there’s still a little bit of uncertainty there. And didn’t want to put him in a compromised position,” Schneider told reporters on Sunday, including Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.
Bichette resumed on-field running work last week, but was ultimately left off the ALCS roster. Gimenez picked up another start at shortstop in Game 1 against the Mariners. He’s started every playoff game at the position. With Clement taking Gimenez’s spot at second base and Schneider filling in for Santander in the outfield, Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the only remaining infield option on the bench. Outfielder Joey Loperfido seems like the more likely option to join the roster if Santander can’t continue. Bichette has less than two weeks to get ready for the World Series if Toronto were to advance past Seattle.
Schneider also shared some insight on the pitching side ahead of Game 2, again relayed by Zwelling. Righty Chris Bassitt will be available out of the bullpen for the duration of the series, while the plan is to have fellow right-hander Max Scherzer start Game 4. Schneider added that Scherzer could pitch sooner than Game 4 if an unexpected scenario comes up. The veteran arms did not make the ALDS roster against the Yankees, but seem poised to contribute in this round.
Bassitt went on the 15-day IL on September 19 with lower back tightness. He was not stretched out enough to be ready for the series against New York. Bassitt put together a serviceable year in Toronto’s rotation, finishing the regular season with a 3.96 ERA across 32 appearances. He was coming off an uncharacteristic season in 2024 with a bloated 9.2% walk rate that led to an ERA over 4.00 for the first time since 2016. Bassitt got the control in check this year while pushing his groundball rate back above league-average levels. The steady performance helped him record double-digit wins for the fifth straight campaign. Bassitt was set to enter the playoffs with some momentum, as he had a 3.23 ERA over the final two months of the season. He could be called on as soon as Game 2, with Toronto sending the inexperienced Trey Yesavage to the hill.
Scherzer, on the other hand, has been anything but reliable in his first season with the Blue Jays. He posted a career-worst 5.19 ERA across 17 starts after missing the first three months of the season with a thumb injury. Schneider mentioned not liking how Scherzer matched up against the Yankees as the reason for his omission from the ALDS roster. Scherzer allowing 17 earned runs over 15 innings in September likely didn’t help his case.
The season-long numbers were discouraging, but there were positive signs for Scherzer. His 4.26 SIERA suggests he pitched better than his bloated ERA. Scherzer’s four-seam fastball velocity was up more than a mile per hour compared to last season in Texas. His slider remains an above-average whiff pitch. And even as his skills have diminished, Scherzer still has the temperament of a pitcher you’d like to have on your side in the postseason.
The decision to confine Bassitt to the bullpen and use Scherzer as a starter might have to do with preparation. While neither pitcher has much experience as a reliever, Bassitt did make an appearance out of the bullpen this season. With his turn in the rotation not scheduled to come up again before the All-Star break, Bassitt tossed an inning in relief against the Athletics on July 13. It was only 10 pitches and three batters, but it could be enough to make Bassitt better-suited to enter in the middle of a game.
Blue Jays Add Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer To ALCS Roster; Bo Bichette Not Included
The Blue Jays have announced the 26 players who will be part of their American League Championship Series roster against the Mariners. As in the ALDS, the Jays will be using 13 pitchers and 13 position players, though a couple of new arms will be joining the pitching staff. The full list…
Catchers: Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heineman
Infielders: Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Andres Gimenez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Outfielders: Nathan Lukes, Anthony Santander, Davis Schneider, George Springer, Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho
Left-handed pitchers: Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, Brendon Little
Right-handed pitchers: Chris Bassitt, Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher, Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman, Yariel Rodriguez, Max Scherzer, Louis Varland, Trey Yesavage
Beginning with the most notable omission from the roster, Bo Bichette remains unavailable, as the shortstop has yet to fully recover from a left knee sprain that has kept him out of action since September 6. Bichette didn’t start any running work until this past Wednesday, but a move to a bit more high-intensity running on the bases yesterday didn’t yield much progress. Bichette clearly looked to be in discomfort following even this brief session, which created doubt that he would indeed be healthy enough to be activated.
Since Bichette has been able to take batting practice and face live hitting, there had been some speculation that the Jays might use Bichette just in a DH role or even as a pinch-hitting specialist. Even that limited capacity would involve Bichette having to run in some form if he ended up getting hits, of course, and yesterday’s footage implies that Bichette’s knee is still far from 100 percent.
Technically, the Jays could still activate Bichette at some point during the ALCS if another injury arose. But the far likelier scenario is that Bichette won’t see any action until the World Series should Toronto advance, and it remains unclear if even 12 more days of rest and rehab will be enough for Bichette to return at all during the Jays’ postseason run.
By this point the Blue Jays have gotten used to playing without Bichette to some extent. Gimenez has settled in as the glove-first option at shortstop, and the Jays were will able to both win the AL East and defeat the Yankees in the ALDS without Bichette available. That said, obviously Toronto’s roster is better with Bichette than without, and the Jays figure to miss his bat against the Mariners’ deep pitching staff.
Speaking of rotations, Bassitt and Scherzer return after being left out of the ALCS picture. Scherzer was omitted since manager John Schneider felt the veteran didn’t match up well against the Yankees in particular, while Bassitt wasn’t fully recovered from a bout of back tightness that sent him to the 15-day injured list on September 19. The Jays felt they could navigate the five-game ALDS with only three starters (Gausman, Yesavage, Bieber) on the roster, and that proved to be the case, as the relief corps stepped up with a big bullpen-game performance in the clinching Game 4.
Gausman is set to start Game 1, and in all likelihood rookie sensation Yesavage will start Game 2 and Bieber will go in Game 3. Still, Gausman is the only announced starter to date, so the Blue Jays might still yet creative with their exact deployment of their starters. Not all five starters will actually start, of course, leaving some question with how Bassitt or Scherzer will be used. Bassitt has a little more career experience as a reliever, yet Scherzer struggled so much down the stretch that that recent form is a bigger factor for the Jays than Scherzer’s distinguished postseason track record.
Bassitt and Scherzer will be taking the places of relievers Tommy Nance and Justin Bruihl. Nance was inching his way into higher-leverage work after delivering a 1.99 ERA over 30 1/3 innings in the regular season, but he didn’t look sharp in posting a 13.50 ERA over 1 1/3 innings in the ALDS. Bruihl was charged for two earned runs in his lone one-third of an inning of ALDS work, and the southpaw was something of a 26th man for much of Toronto’s season, as he logged 13 2/3 innings with a 5.27 ERA.
Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Scherzer, Bassitt
The Blue Jays put together an impressive win in four games over the Yankees in the ALDS this past week, and it’s all the more impressive when one considers that they managed to pull it off without one of their star players. Shortstop Bo Bichette has been on the injured list since early September due to a left knee sprain, and did not participate in the Division Series as a result. With the ALCS against the Mariners scheduled to start tomorrow, it seems a decision on Bichette’s status has not yet been made.
Earlier this afternoon, Ben Nicholson Smith of Sportsnet relayed that, per Jays manager John Schneider, Bichette hit against live pitching yesterday and ran the bases today. Schneider added that how Bichette responds to that uptick in activity will help to determine whether or not he’s rostered for the ALCS. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com expanded on that, noting that Schneider suggested the decision on Bichette would be one of the last ones they would make before rosters are announced tomorrow morning. Per Matheson, Bichette still appeared to be experiencing discomfort when he ran the bases today, and he suggested that Bichette might be confined to a DH-only role if he does return to action.
As Matheson notes, a DH role for Bichette would push George Springer into the outfield and force a fellow outfielder like Nathan Lukes or Anthony Santander out of the lineup. That’s surely only something they would do if they were confident that Bichette was healthy enough to contribute substantially at the plate. On the other hand, if Bichette isn’t quite ready to return but making enough progress, Toronto could opt to roster him even if he wouldn’t be available for Game 1. That would come with substantial risk, however, as if he was placed back on the injured list at some point in the ALCS he would not be eligible for the World Series if the Jays advance.
Moving on to the rotation, Toronto made the somewhat bold decision to leave both Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer off their ALDS roster. Both veteran starters were left off for understandable reasons; Scherzer struggled badly late in the year, while Bassitt wasn’t fully stretched out after being placed on the injured list in late September. That was fine for a five-game set where the team could lean heavily on Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber to handle starting duties, but Schneider acknowledged to reporters (including Nicholson-Smith) that both Bassitt and Scherzer will be in the mix for the club’s roster given the need for “more length” in a seven-game series. All of those roster decisions will be made by 9am CT tomorrow morning, when rosters are due for both clubs.