As fans await an update on the status of Toronto Blue Jay’s shortstop Bo Bichette, some are finding it difficult not to consider the worst-case scenario.
During the bottom of the third of last night’s game against the Orioles, Bichette suddenly came to halt while running the bases. Limping, he was able to remove himself from the field of his own accord.
The Jays later said Bichette left the game with “right knee discomfort.”
After the game, manager John Schneider said information on Bichette’s condition was still being gathered, and that the next steps would be decided upon on Tuesday.
Santiago Espinal took Bichette’s place at shortstop to start the fourth inning.
Before having to exit Monday, Bichette was the only Jays player to have gotten a hit — two singles in the first and third innings.
The Orioles won the game 4-2.
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (11) is helped off the field by Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) and first base coach Mark Budzinski (53) after taking an injury during fourth inning American League MLB baseball action against the Baltimore Orioles in Toronto on Monday, July 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
BICHETTE TEAM’S ‘BEST PLAYER’: TEAMMATE
Bichette leads the American League with a .321 batting average. The son of former slugger Dante Bichette has 17 home runs and 59 RBI in 106 games this season.
“He’s our best player,” starter Chris Bassitt said of Bichette Monday.
“Obviously we’re waiting (to find out his status) a lot more than you guys are,” Bassitt said. “Overall, it’s not a good thing for us.”
Schneider said the team will aim to be “extremely proactive” with Bichette’s health.
Some fans have expressed anxiety online that Bichette’s injury could be season-defining for the Jays.
“If Bichette is out for the season, I think the Blue Jays still need to go for [the playoffs],” wrote one user on Twitter.
“Please, Bo Bichette, don’t be out for the whole season,” wrote another.
A looming 6 p.m. trade deadline for the Jays has added to the anticipation as Bichette’s injury could weigh heavily on the team’s plans.
The Blue Jays currently hold the last wild card spot in the American League.
With files from The Associated Press.
