August 16, 2020

By Andrew Hendriks

Canadian Baseball Network

Shortly before beginning the second game of a rain-forced doubleheader on Sunday, the Toronto Blue Jays placed INF Bo Bichette on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain.

In a corresponding move, INF Santiago Espinal was recalled from the club's taxi Squad.

Through 13 games this season, Bichette had slashed .356/.387/.678 with five home runs and 13 RBI. As of Sunday morning, his 1.063 OPS was the fifth-highest in the American League, while his 22 hits were the third-most among all junior circuit shortstops.

According to Harvard Health, general recovery time for knee sprains can last anywhere from four-to-six weeks, depending on the severity.

As a frame of reference, former Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista suffered a similar injury when he caught a spike on the turf at Rogers Centre in August 2016. The then 35-year-old was held out of the Blue Jays lineup for 15 days. Thirteen years younger than Bautista at the time of his knee sprain, Bichette will be eligible to return no sooner than August 26.

Through five MLB games this season, Espinal has gone 1-for-11 with four strikeouts. Look for the 25-year-old rookie to share starting shortstop duties with Joe Panik until Bichette is cleared to return.

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