TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays and their fans can breathe a sigh of relief: Bo Bichette is just day to day with right knee discomfort.
Bichette left Toronto's 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday after he jammed his knee when stopping suddenly while running the basepaths. An MRI of the 25-year-old's knee revealed no significant structural damage, just some inflammation.
"I think it was the best possible outcome," said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. "You just never know with a dude that plays every day.
"I'm just happy with the news that we got so far."
A two-time all-star, Bichette leads Toronto with a .321 average this season and 17 home runs. He has the highest batting average in the American League and fourth best in Major League Baseball.
Bichette was not in the clubhouse ahead of Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, but Schneider said he had paid a visit to his teammates earlier in the day.
"He's feeling OK. He was moving around in the clubhouse a little bit today," said Schneider. "We all know Bo, he wants to be out there every single day.
"He won't be in there today, but he's doing alright."
Santiago Espinal was pencilled into Toronto's lineup at shortstop against the Orioles. Paul De Jong, who also plays short, was acquired by the Blue Jays in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals earlier in the day but would not arrive at Rogers Centre in time for the game.
Also Tuesday, infielders Ernie Clement and Otto Lopez were recalled from Toronto's triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, N.Y. Clement was active for the game against Baltimore. Lopez was placed on the 60-day injured list with a left oblique strain.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2023.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
