Blue Jays' Bo Bichette Has No Structural Damage After MRI on Knee Injury; IL Possible

The Toronto Blue Jays may not be without shortstop Bo Bichette for long after he suffered a knee injury during Monday's loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic noted Blue Jays manager John Schneider said an MRI revealed there is no structural damage to the knee. While he is not in Toronto's lineup for Tuesday's game against Baltimore, he is considered day to day.

Still, Schneider said the team is weighing whether it will place Bichette on the injured list.

That it appears Bichette avoided a significant injury is comforting news for the Blue Jays.

He singled in the third inning of Monday's contest and made the turn for second when he slowed up and grabbed his knee. He was tagged out to end the frame, but the injury was far more concerning from Toronto's perspective.

Santiago Espinal replaced him at shortstop.

Bichette has been excellent in his fifth season in the major leagues with a .321/.352/.494 slash line, 17 home runs and 59 RBI. He leads the American League in batting average, hits (144), total at-bats (449) and games (106) and made the second All-Star Game of his career.

Durability has become a defining part of his game, as he appeared in 159 contests in each of the past two seasons.

Toronto can ill-afford to be without him for long considering it is 6.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the American League East and one game behind the Houston Astros for the final wild-card spot.

Espinal and others can help the Blue Jays tread water in the short term by playing shortstop, but it is unrealistic to expect any option to replicate what Bichette does on a nightly basis. Toronto likely needs him back in the lineup if it is going to make a serious playoff run.