The Toronto Blue Jays are set to take on the Tampa Bay Rays on Easter Sunday. However, Toronto will be without superstar shortstop, Bo Bichette, as he’s currently dealing with an injury.
Bichette is reportedly suffering from neck spasms, according to Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic. It doesn’t sound like it’s too serious but the Blue Jays will be without one of their best players. Ernie Clement will fill in as the starter.
“Blue Jays announce that Bo Bichette was scratched from today’s game with neck spasms.”
Hopefully, the neck spasms don’t turn into a lingering issue. We could see Bichette miss a few games. But as long as Bo Bichette’s injury doesn’t become worse, he should avoid the injured list. At the very least, the Blue Jays are playing it safe with the season just starting.
Bichette is arguably the best defensive shortstop in the league. He’s also got a pretty good bat too. The Blue Jays will surely miss him on Sunday as they attempt to even up the series against the Rays.
Last season, Bichette finished with a solid .306 batting average, 20 home runs, and 73 RBIs. The Blue Jays star earned his second All-Star appearance last season as well. With him out of the lineup on Sunday, Toronto is going to have to find production elsewhere if they hope to beat Tampa Bay.
With that said, make sure to tune into the Blue Jays-Rays game at 1:40 P.M. Eastern. Tampa Bay has looked solid so far while Toronto is battling through some injury woes early on. But if the Blue Jays can tie up the series then they won’t fall too far behind in the AL East.
Blue Jays’ 2024 season outlook
Toronto was pegged as a playoff contender well before the season began. They have a great lineup with excellent hitting that’s supported by a fantastic pitching rotation. Although they haven’t looked the best to begin the new season, this is a team that has potential to get hot at any moment.
There are some question marks with the pitching though, as Alek Manoah continues to work his way back to being a Cy Young candidate. He’s currently on the IL and it’s possible the Blue Jays send him down to the minor leagues for several games. If Manoah can bounce back then Toronto’s pitching rotation will be one of the best in the league.
Additionally, it doesn’t help that Jordan Romano is also on the IL. However, he’s supposed to return to the bullpen once he’s healthy and serve as the reliable closer that he is. Luckily, it’s a long season and the Blue Jays have the firepower to compete without Manoah or Romano right now.
At the end of the day, look for the Blue Jays to be one of the best teams in baseball this season. Hopefully, the injury woes settle down and this team can just focus on playing baseball.
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