Will the Blue Jays’ star be ready for Game 1

As the Toronto Blue Jays prepare for their first World Series appearance since 1993, the club is finalizing its 26-man roster. While there shouldn’t be many surprises, the one key decision will come down to Bo Bichette’s health.

Under Major League Baseball rules, teams are allowed a maximum of 26 players, with no more than 13 pitchers. For Toronto, most of the roster is already set, but a handful of decisions remain, particularly around the final pitching slot.

Position players: Bichette is the x-factor

The Blue Jays have 12 position players locked in, including mainstays Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, Ernie Clement and Daulton Varsho.

Davis Schneider will remain on the roster despite being used sparingly in the ALCS, mainly due to Seattle going with four right-handed starting pitchers and one left-handed reliever. Schneider could be in the starting lineup on Friday with the Los Angeles Dodgers going with southpaw Blake Snell.

Nathan Lukes, Tyler Heineman, Myles Straw, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andres Gimenez round out the other locks. Kiner Falefa has been steady defensively while delivering some clutch hits, and Straw remains a sturdy outfielder and late-inning replacement.

With Anthony Santander and Ty France sidelined by injuries, the final position player spot comes down to Bichette and Joey Loperfido. Bichette, who has been recovering from injury, is expected to be healthy by Friday, making him the likely choice to round out the group and a major boon to Toronto’s lineup.

Manager John Schneider told reporters on Wednesday that Bichette had made “significant progress” in his recovery from a PCL sprain in his left knee.

“The baserunning and the defence is something hopefully we can advance and we can check those boxes in the next few days,” Schneider continued. “He’s done some light stuff, but hasn’t been like full go at short. And he’s not back on the bases yet, but the running has picked up in the outfield, just in terms of the intensity and the build-up or the length of it, to be perfectly honest.”

If Bichette is indeed back, it would give Toronto 13 position players without Loperfido, leaving room for 13 pitchers.

Pitching staff: One spot most likely up for grabs

The pitching side is slightly more complicated.

Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, Jeff Hoffman, Louis Varland, Seranthony Dominguez, Brendon Little, Mason Fluharty, Braydon Fisher, Chris Bassitt, and Eric Lauer are considered locks.

Despite Little’s recent struggles, Schneider is not going to leave the lefty off the World Series roster. Bassitt made two appearances in the ALCS out of the bullpen, holding the Mariners scoreless. He should be good to go, either as a starter or a reliever.

Scherzer isn’t going anywhere. The 41-year-old made his Blue Jays postseason debut in Game 4 of the ALCS, pitching 5 2/3 innings. He’s going to factor in at some point, likely in the starting rotation, but could be used similarly to Bassitt if the need arises.

Lauer is a bit more of a wildcard. The southpaw made one appearance in the ALCS out of the bullpen, pitching a scoreless frame in Toronto’s 10-3 loss in Game 2. He pitched in two games during the ALDS against the New York Yankees. He should still be considered a lock as a multi-inning lefty and starting depth.

That leaves one spot to be decided between Yariel Rodriguez, Tommy Nance, and Justin Bruihl. With Jose Berrios injured, the Blue Jays must weigh whether to prioritize experience, versatility, or matchup potential in the bullpen.

The primary lefty Dodgers hitters include Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, with backup catcher Ben Rortvedt off the bench. There are far more righties, notably Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Andy Pages, and Teoscar Hernandez. Miguel Rojas and Alex Call are the other options for Los Angeles.

Tommy Edman is the lone switch hitter.

How past World Series rosters have shaked up

Relatively straight forward. The last 10 teams who have faced off in the World Series dating back to 2020 have opted for 13 pitchers. Starters are often pulled early, with managers relying on matchup arms to navigate high-leverage innings. Toronto is not likely going to deviate from that and will carry 13 pitchers.

The likely outcome

Bruihl will be left off, given the Blue Jays should be carrying Fluharty, Little and Lauer.

That means the final spot will be decided between Rodriguez and Nance. Rodriguez has had his struggles of late (10.13 ERA across four postseason games, with four walks and one strikeout). Nance made only two postseason apperances, both in the ALDS.

Interestingly, Rodriguez was lit up against the Dodgers in the regular season, shelled for five earned runs, walked three and hit one batter in two appearances. Nance pitched one scoreless frame against the Dodgers this year.

Should Bichette not be deemed ready to play for the World Series, Loperfido would benefit as the 13th man and the Blue Jays rolling with the same position player roster as the ALCS.

Toronto is expected to announce its official World Series roster by Friday morning, hours before Game 1 at Rogers Centre.