TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays will remain without shortstop Bo Bichette against the Seattle Mariners in the American League Championship Series, but they added veteran right-handers Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt to the roster with their first AL pennant in 32 years on the line.
The Blue Jays held out hope that Bichette could return from his left knee sprain for the series, but that was dashed Saturday when he felt pain and was in clear discomfort while running the bases for the first time since the injury.
Game 1 against the Mariners is Sunday night at Rogers Centre.
Bichette, 27, hasn’t played since injuring his knee in a collision at home plate against the New York Yankees on Sept. 6. He had run for the first time since the injury Wednesday and hit live pitching Friday.
Without Bichette, the Blue Jays started the surehanded Andres Gimenez at shortstop in all four ALDS games against the Yankees. The offense continued rolling, scoring 34 runs in the series and 23 in the first two games at Rogers Centre. Bichette, however, would’ve given the Blue Jays another valuable weapon against a quality Mariners pitching staff.
Bichette batted .311 — tied for second in the AL — with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and an .840 OPS in 139 games, though he was the worst defensive shortstop in the majors as measured by outs above average and defensive runs saved. It was a timely offensive rebound from an injury-plagued 2024 season with free agency looming this winter. The Blue Jays now must reach the World Series to ensure he hasn’t played his last game for them.
Scherzer and Bassitt replaced relievers Justin Bruihl and Tommy Nance, who were on Toronto’s roster for the AL Division Series, to give the pitching staff more length in a seven-game series.
Scherzer, who recently threw more than 90 pitches in a simulated game during the ALDS, is a candidate to start Game 4 in Seattle on Thursday. Manager John Schneider said Bassitt, who finished the regular season on the injured list with back inflammation, could pitch multiple innings.
Kevin Gausman will start Game 1 for Toronto opposite Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller. Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber are expected to follow in Games 2 and 3.
