We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: things are not going well for the Toronto Blue Jays right now. The club is 35-43 and comfortably in last place in the AL East thanks, in large part, to a disappointing seven-game losing streak.
Ahead of Tuesday night’s matchup against the Red Sox, the Jays took to social media (X link) to announce a pair of roster moves that could help finally end this embarrassing streak. Bo Bichette, the club’s primary shortstop who remains one of the faces of the franchise despite his poor season so far, has been activated from the injured list.
In a corresponding move, speedy outfielder Steward Berroa has been sent back down to Triple-A to rejoin the Buffalo Bisons.
The 26-year-old Bichette has looked like a shell of the player he once was throughout his 66 appearances this year. He’s sporting a .237 batting average at the moment with a dreadful .629 OPS and 81 OPS+ (which means he is 19 percent below league-average at the plate). His power output is way, way down and he has reverted back to below-average defensively, too.
However, this is the same player that leads the AL in total hits over the past three years. Cold streak be damned, he’s been one of the top offensive talents in all of baseball for years now, so unlike some of his aging teammates, Bichette can – and likely will – find his stroke soon and get things turned around. Isiah Kiner-Falefa filled in admirably while Bichette was on the shelf, but getting the two-time All-Star back into the fold is sure to provide a boost here.
Berroa, 25, made it into two games for the Blue Jays before his demotion. He played an inning in center field during his big league debut and was used as a pinch runner in Monday’s contest, ultimately getting thrown out on an attempted steal. The switch-hitter leads the International League in stolen bases (29) this year and is also sporting a cool .831 OPS for the Bisons. With Nathan Lukes hurt, Berroa is likely going to be the first player called upon if another injury comes up at the big league level.
