Blue Jays Push For Division While Missing Both Bichette And Guerrero's Bats

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 8:16 PM ET

TAMPA, Fla. - The Blue Jays are pushing for their first American League East title since 2015 and need to secure one of the top two records in the league to buy a few extra days for Bo Bichette to return. The problem is they’re chasing that finish line without their star shortstop — and, lately, without their biggest bat. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has gone quiet at the worst possible time.

Bichette sprained his left knee on Sept. 6 and was placed on the injured list a day later. He won’t play again in the regular season, though the Blue Jays expect him to ramp up baseball activities as soon as Friday and hope he can at least DH in October. Bichette’s value is obvious. He was hitting .311 with 18 home runs, 93 RBI, a league-best 181 hits, and 44 doubles when he went down.

Toronto has managed a 7-3 record since losing him, but the offense has slipped.

The Jays are averaging just 4.2 runs per game in that span, and the lineup feels thinner without Bichette setting the tone. That weakness has been exposed most in Guerrero.

The Toronto slugger hasn’t homered since Sept. 5, a drought now stretching 12 games. In that stretch, he’s batting .325, but almost all singles. Just two extra-base hits, doubles, has left his slugging percentage at .350, compared to his season mark of .484.

Pitchers have adjusted accordingly.

With Bichette sidelined, there’s little reason to challenge Guerrero in the zone. He’s still making hard contact, but the power that drives Toronto’s lineup has been neutralized.

That leaves the Jays trying to hold off the Yankees without the two bats their offense is built around. Bichette is on the mend and may be back when the games matter most. Guerrero is healthy but stuck in a stretch where pitchers are dictating the at-bats.

If the Blue Jays are going to win the division and enter October in a position to survive a deep run, they’ll need both stars back. They need one with a repaired knee, the other with a rediscovered swing.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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