Bo Bichette is getting ready to play in the World Series — but at what position?
According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, Bichette fielded ground balls at second base at Rogers Centre on Wednesday, two days before the Blue Jays face the Dodgers in Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
Manager John Schneider on Thursday said Bichette could possibly see time at shortstop, second base or designated hitter in the World Series: “We’re kind of coming right down to the wire with it. I could see all three of those things happening, to be honest with you. Just kind of have to talk to him after the workout today, see how comfortable he felt doing everything and make the best decision.
The Blue Jays’ star shortstop hasn’t played since Sept. 6 due to a left knee sprain and missed both of Toronto’s first two playoff series.
Bichette said after the Blue Jays clinched the American League pennant that he’d be ready to play in the World Series, though his role remains unclear, and the team has not confirmed he will be on the roster after he missed both the ALDS and ALCS.
The 27-year-old has never played second base in seven seasons in the big leagues, though he did play 30 games at second base in the Minors, most recently in 2019, when he played a single game there for Triple-A Buffalo.
“It’s a little bit of a leap,” Schneider said about Bichette potentially making his second-base debut in the World Series. “He’s pretty realistic about how he feels and how he will feel if he’s out there. So it’s something we got to continue to work through. I think that if he feels comfortable doing it, I’m going to listen to players and trust them.”
Andrés Giménez has been handling shortstop duties for the Blue Jays in the postseason in Bichette’s absence. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ernie Clement have played second base.
Bichette, who batted .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs in 139 games in the regular season, also took swings and ran the bases on Wednesday.
