Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette returned from a nearly two-month long absence on Tuesday. Now, after appearing in just one game, he's heading back to the shelf after suffering a fractured middle finger on his right hand. Bichette's season is over, and with it, so might be his time with the Blue Jays organization.
Bichette, 26, was scratched from Wednesday's game with what was described at the time as a finger contusion. He reportedly suffered the injury during pregame warmups, while he was practicing fielding ground balls. The Blue Jays shuffled their lineup to cover for Bichette's absence, moving Ernie Clement from third base to shortstop and inserting Addison Barger at the hot corner.
Bichette had previously been sidelined since July after suffering a strained calf.
In 81 games this season, Bichette hit .225/.277/.322 (71 OPS+) with four home runs and 31 runs batted in. His contributions were estimated to be worth less than replacement level, according to Baseball Reference's calculations. In turn, this represented the worst season of his big-league career.
The question now is whether or not Bichette will remain with the Blue Jays heading into next season. Remember, he's slated to become a free agent after the 2025 campaign. The Blue Jays could, then, pursue a trade if they feel they're unlikely to retain his services beyond next season -- especially if their poor results this year have swayed them on their chances of making a playoff push in 2025.
In June, as trade-deadline rumors swirled, general manager Ross Atkins said his goal was to extend both Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
"Of course we have dialogue with them and that's something that will continue," he said on MLB Network Radio. "We believe in them, we believe in their futures and hope there's a way they can play here for a long time."
In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays recalled outfielder Jonatan Clase from Triple-A Buffalo. Clase, 22, was obtained from the Seattle Mariners earlier this summer as part of the trade that sent veteran reliever Yimi García to the Pacific Northwest. His next big-league appearance will mark his first as a member of the Blue Jays.
