Bo Bichette headed for MRI on right knee

Blue Jays prized shortstop Bo Bichette is headed for an MRI on his right knee, manager Charlie Montoyo announced to reporters (including Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). He reported some discomfort following last night’s game against the Rays, relays Scott Mitchell of TSN (Twitter link).

There’s no indication the situation’s particularly worrisome just yet. Any absence from Bichette, though, would be a serious blow to the 7-9 Jays’ hopes of contending. Despite the team’s lackluster start, the 22-year-old Bichette has come out on fire. He’s hitting .356/.387/.678 with five home runs over his first 62 plate appearances. In the early going, he’s significantly upped his contact rate while cutting down on strikeouts. Bichette’s seemingly well on his way to the stardom he’s appeared ticketed for since emerging as an elite prospect early in his pro career.

If Bichette were to miss time, the Jays figure to turn to Joe Panik and/or Santiago Espinal at shortstop. Veteran Rubén Tejada is also in the organization’s player pool, but he’s not on the 40-man roster.