Bo Bichette will start at second base for the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, manager John Schneider told reporters on Sunday night.
It marks the second start at second base for Bichette in the series. The 27-year-old got the start in the series opener and played six innings before he was pulled for a pinch runner in the bottom of the sixth.
Bichette went 1-for-2 with a walk in the 11-4 victory in the series opener, but did not get the start in Game 2’s 5-1 loss.
“Just kind of gauging how he’s feeling,” Schneider said before Game 2. ”He’ll be ready to play today, for sure. This is stuff we talked about, even leading up to the decision to put him on the roster. I thought he was good yesterday and just want to watch him physically, but he’ll be ready to hit and play whenever.”
Bichette did end up playing in Game 2, appearing as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. He did not record a hit in his lone at-bat, and played the final two innings at second base.
The status of Bichette was a major storyline throughout the playoffs for the Blue Jays, as the regular shortstop had been out of the lineup since Sept. 6 while nursing a sprained knee.
Schneider elected to play Bichette at second base – a position he has not played in the majors, and last played in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons in 2019. Andres Gimenez has worked as the primary shortstop throughout the playoffs for Toronto.
Bichette was sharp in his first action at second in Game 1 on Friday though. He saved a run when he ranged to the shortstop side of second to glove Teoscar Hernández’s third-inning grounder and throw him out at first. Will Smith, who had been on second base, had to stop at third.
Bichette finished second in the major leagues to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge with a .311 batting average this season, hitting 18 homers with 94 RBIs in 139 games. The 27-year-old is eligible for free agency following the World Series.
Game 3 of the World Series is scheduled for Monday as the series shifts back to Los Angeles. The Dodgers will start Tyler Glasnow on the hill, while the Blue Jays will tab veteran hurler Max Scherzer to get the start.
