Bo Bichette thrives in return to Blue Jays lineup for first time in 48 days
TORONTO — For the first time in 48 days, Bo Bichette was in the Blue Jays lineup on Friday.And for the first time in 2,382 days, he was playing second base.In Game 1 of the World Series, no less.But Bichette delivered on both sides of the ball, going 1-for-2 with a walk and making a strong play that saved a run in the third inning as the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 11-4 at Rogers Centre.“I just tried to slow the game down and treat it like any other game,” Bichette said.“Just fall in line and have good at-bats, just like everyone else is having.”Bichette had been sidelined since Sept.
6 with a left knee sprain that he suffered in a collision at home plate with Yankees catcher Austin Wells.The shortstop was still too limited physically to make the Blue Jays roster for the ALDS or ALCS, but he was finally cleared for the World Series roster — even if he is still not fully recovered.During the rehab process, Bichette came to the Blue Jays with the idea of playing second base — he played 30 games there in the minors, none since 2019 — because he could get ready quicker there.
The Blue Jays were OK with it as a way to get Bichette’s bat into the lineup — batting cleanup behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr.— coming off a season in which he hit .311 with a .840 OPS, while keeping Andrés Giménez (who offers more defensively) at shortstop.But then he saved the Blue Jays defensively in the third inning.
The Dodgers already led 2-0 and had a runner on second when Teoscar Hernández hit a ground ball up the middle.Bichette ranged onto the other side of second base, backhanded the ball and then turned to get off a strong enough throw to nail Hernández for the second out of the inning.“Just let the athleticism take over,” said Bichette, who was hobbling after the play but stayed in until being pinch run for by Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the sixth inning.When Shohei Ohtani came up to bat in the ninth inning, the crowd serenaded him with chants of “We don’t n...