Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is expected to be out for “multiple weeks” due to a strained right calf, according to manager John Schneider on Saturday.
Bichette, who has been an All-Star twice and led the AL in hits twice, injured himself while running to first base after hitting a line drive in the sixth inning of Friday’s 5-4 loss to Detroit. He felt discomfort after a few steps, visibly in pain as he hopped before leaving the field with the trainer.
Ahead of Saturday’s 7-3 loss against the Tigers, the Blue Jays placed Bichette on the 10-day injured list and brought up utility player Addison Barger from Triple-A Buffalo.
Bichette had just returned from the injured list on June 24 after missing nine games due to a sore right calf. He had also left a game on July 10 against San Francisco because of calf soreness and had sat out the final four games before the All-Star break.
It has been a challenging season for Bichette, the son of former MLB player Dante Bichette. He has a batting average of .223 with four home runs and 30 RBIs in 79 games, and his .597 OPS is the lowest among AL batters who qualify.
Leo Jiménez, who took over for Bichette on Friday, started at shortstop against the Tigers on Saturday.
