Blue Jays set to welcome back shortstop Bo Bichette as they push for playoff spot

The Toronto Blue Jays will welcome back a huge piece to their lineup ahead of tonight’s first of a three-game series versus the Kansas City Royals.

After missing the past nine games due to a quad injury, shortstop Bo Bichette is set to return to the lineup tonight. It is a huge boost for the Jays, who, despite winning six of nine games in his absence, missed his play on both sides of the ball, particularly his bat.

Prior to his injury, Bichette was having a season to remember with a .314 batting average, 18 home runs, and 16 RBIs in 114 games. The 25-year-old has become one of the game’s best hitters and should be able to help provide the Blue Jays the push they need to stay ahead of the Texas Rangers for the third and final wild-card spot in the AL.

In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays have sent infielder Mason McCoy back to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. McCoy, who was acquired in a trade from the Seattle Mariners back in July, played sparingly in Bichette’s absence but was able to score two big runs in wins over the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies.

This weekend’s series versus the 44-97 Royals will be huge for the Blue Jays as they look to widen the gap between themselves and the Rangers. As of now, they sit just a half-game up, but the Rangers have struggled immensely as of late and have just a 3-7 record through their last 10 games.

Taking the mound for the Blue Jays tonight is Yusei Kikuchi, who is having an excellent season for the Blue Jays with a 3.63 ERA through 143.2 innings pitched. He will look to pick up his 10th win of the season as he prepares to go up against Collin Snider. Game one of this series is set to get underway at 7:07 pm ET.

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