The season is over for Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette after a fractured finger. Bichette was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fracture to his right middle finger, the team announced Thursday. It marks the second time this year that Bichette returned for one game before going right back on the IL. He was a late scratch on Wednesday with the Blue Jays saying he had a right middle finger contusion. Outfielder Jonatan Clase has been recalled to take Bichette’s spot on the roster.
Season Over for Blue Jays Bo Bichette
The sudden injury sums up Bichette’s season altogether. The two-time All-Star will close out the 2024 season with an underwhelming .225/.277/.322 batting line with four home runs. A big difference to last season’s batting line of .299/.340/.487.
Bichette was the subject of trade rumors before the trade deadline. However, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins shut down any real possibility of a trade. Toronto did become deadline sellers, but only moving players whose contracts expired at the end of the season. Atkins did indicate that the Blue Jays want to retool and push for a more competitive season in 2025. Bichette will likely be part of that roster, but other teams will likely inquire about his services. The 2025 season will be Bichette’s final year before he becomes a free agent. The Blue Jays signed him to a three-year, $33.6 million deal that bought out all three of his arbitration seasons back in early 2023. Bichette will earn $16.5 million next season.
Clase, 22, was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in late July. He will make his Blue Jays debut when he gets into a game. Clase will get some looks down the stretch for the Blue Jays who lost Daulton Varsho to season-ending shoulder surgery. In 35 games with Buffalo, Clase hit .244/.288/.363 with two home runs. He had 43 plate appearances with the Mariners, hitting for .195/.233/.220. When Clase was acquired, one attribute that stood out was his speed. Between High-A and Double-A, he stole 73 bases in 2023.
Main Photo: © Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
