TORONTO — A great night in Toronto just got even better.
Bo Bichette, the Blue Jays’ star shortstop who has been out for six weeks with a left knee injury, says that he is ready to return to the roster for the World Series after the Blue Jays clinched the American League Championship Series with a dramatic Game 7 win over the Mariners on Monday night at Rogers Centre.
“I’ll be ready,” Bichette said in the clubhouse following the 4-3 win. “I don’t know how they’re using me, but I’ll be ready.”
If Bichette says it, believe it. For weeks now, the Blue Jays have used this as some added motivation, desperately trying to keep this dream season rolling long enough for Bichette to return. Besides, it wouldn’t feel right without him. Not only is Bichette a key piece of the 2025 team, batting .311 with an .840 OPS, he has been one of this organization’s pillars for close to a decade.
That couldn’t end without Bichette having a say in this. He’s a free agent at the end of the season, and while it’s always possible that he and the Blue Jays reach an extension like they did with his longtime friend and co-pilot Vladimir Guerrero Jr., this could be the end of the road for Bichette in Toronto. Game 7 could have been the end, but that wouldn’t have felt right. Bichette, the stubborn and obsessive competitor who has never had an off switch, deserves a piece of this.
Watching these past few weeks couldn’t have been fun for Bichette, even with all of the big moments and big wins. He’s used to being right in the middle of it all.
But you could sense relief in Bichette as he spoke after Game 7. He knows that he’ll get his shot now, and he knows that this is the team he has been waiting to do it with.
“Everybody knew how good we are, but I’ve never been part of a run like this as a player,” Bichette said. “The amount of ups and downs, the mentality. You lose a couple, you’re a little down, then to get the momentum back. All of that is pretty exhausting. The ability these guys showed to bounce back as quick as they did was fun for me to watch.”
How it all looks, that’s still up for debate. Could Bichette play shortstop right away?
Andrés Giménez has handled the position admirably, and he may do so for years to come in Toronto if this is it for Bichette, but that’s a conversation for after the World Series. It could be challenging for Bichette to immediately play shortstop daily after six weeks without game action, but having Bichette at DH would require George Springer to play a corner outfield spot, which he has rarely done down the stretch.
Call it a good problem, though, and one manager John Schneider will be overjoyed to have. The Blue Jays aren’t complete without Bichette, and this season isn’t complete without a World Series championship.
