TORONTO — Toronto's Bo Bichette singled, walked to spark a nine-run, go-ahead rally and played second base for the first time in six years as he returned in Friday night's World Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers from a knee injury that had sidelined him since early September.
A two-time All-Star shortstop and AL hits leader, Bichette hadn't played since spraining his left knee in a Sept. 6 collision with New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells.
Batting cleanup, he favored the knee and was removed for a pinch runner with the score 2-2 after his leadoff walk against Blake Snell in the sixth.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored on Ernie Clement's single off reliever Emmet Sheehan for a 3-2 lead, Nathan Lukes drew a bases-loaded walk and Andrés Giménez added an RBI single. Addison Barger greeted Anthony Banda with the first pinch-hit home run in World Series history and Alejandro Kirk hit a two-run homer.
Bichette saved a run when he ranged to the shortstop side of second to glove Teoscar Hernández’s third-inning grounder and throw him out at first. Will Smith, who had been on second base, had to stop at third.
"I’ve been working my whole life for this,” Bichette said before the game.
Bichette played at second base for the first time in the major leagues.
“Trying to take a little bit of stress off Bo," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. "It’s still middle of the diamond but, I think, just a little bit less demanding than shortstop.”
Bichette played 30 games at second over four minor league seasons, the last time on April 17, 2019, with Triple-A Buffalo. Giménez stayed at shortstop against the Dodgers after moving there to fill in while Bichette was sidelined.
Giménez is a three-time Gold Glove winner at second base.
“Luckily, I’ve had a lot of time in my life at second base, so I have some experience there," Bichette said. “I brought it up. It was something that I felt like I could get ready for quicker than another position.”
He left open the possibility of returning to shortstop in a few days.
“I haven’t taken groundballs there yet, but I’m sure that over the course of the Series that’s something that we would see about,” Bichette said.
Bichette, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and center fielder Daulton Varsho combined to become the first trio of sons of former major leaguers to start for one team in a World Series game.
George Springer remained at designated hitter for Toronto. The outfielder's mobility has been a bit limited since he was struck on the right kneecap by a 95.6 mph pitch from Seattle's Bryan Woo in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.
Bichette was added to Toronto's roster along with infielder Ty France, a right-handed bat as the Blue Jays prepared to face an opponent with four left-handed relievers. They dropped outfielder Joey Loperfido and right-hander Yariel Rodríguez, leaving them with 12 pitchers.
“He’s gotten back to an incredible position physically, has looked really good in all of his live at-bats and is a good matchup against this team, and that contributed to the decision to keep the extra pitcher off,” general manager Ross Atkins said.
In addition, Schneider said Kevin Gausman will start Game 2 on Saturday night. Schneider wouldn't commit yet to Max Scherzer for Game 3 in Los Angeles, followed by Shane Bieber.
Chris Bassitt will remain in the bullpen.
“We’ll probably use him a little bit differently than we did last series,” Schneider said. "Just watching him pitch, I think that he can be a couple innings, it could be one inning, but I like what I’m seeing out of him in that role.”
Bichette was second in the major leagues to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge with a .311 batting average this season, hitting 18 homers with 94 RBIs in 139 games. The 27-year-old is eligible for free agency following the Series.
“I’ve been here my entire career, worked really hard to build a winning culture — not alone, of course, with some people that are really close to me,” he said. “My goal is to stay here for my entire career, but right now, I don’t have time to think about that.”
Los Angeles added right-handers Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein while dropping lefty Alex Vesia and righty Ben Casparius. Vesia is not with the team in Toronto because of a family matter and will miss the Series "unless something unforeseen happens," according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
“Just considering, obviously, what he’s going through, baseball’s certainly on the back burner,” Roberts said.
Former closer Tanner Scott was not added. The left-hander was dropped from the Division Series roster following surgery on Oct. 8 to remove an abscess from an infection on his lower body.
“He’s thrown a couple bullpens. It just wasn’t quite there,” Roberts said.
Clayton Kershaw, who was left off the Dodgers' Wild Card Series roster and did not pitch in the four-game NL Championship Series sweep of Milwaukee, is on the Series roster. The 37-year-old left-hander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, plans to retire after the Series.
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AP freelance writer Ian Harrison contributed to this report.
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