Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are getting a shakeup at shortstop.

Bo Bichette is being placed on the 10-day injured list with right patellar tendinitis, according to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. Meanwhile, Paul DeJong was activated following his trade from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Bichette was forced to leave Monday's 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre after suffering a non-contact knee injury while rounding first base following a single to right field in the third inning.

The 25-year-old tried to pull up to halt his progress toward second base but his knee appeared to give out and he limped off the field with the help of a trainer.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Tuesday that an MRI on Bichette's knee revealed no structural damage but did reveal inflammation.

Bichette is in the midst of a breakout season at the plate for Toronto, slashing .321/.352/.494 with 17 home runs, 59 RBI and three stolen bases in 106 games. His absence will surely be a major loss to the Blue Jays lineup, though the acquisition of DeJong should help soften the blow.

The Blue Jays acquired DeJong from the Cardinals in exchange for minor league right-hander Matt Svanson. General manager Ross Atkin told reporters Tuesday that Bichette's injury "heightened the need" to acquire the 30-year-old.

"He's an interesting fit for us without the injury," Atkins said of DeJong. "He's hit left-handers relatively well. Very good defender that complements our organization and depth."

DeJong had spent his entire seven-year career in St. Louis and he now comes to Toronto with big shoes to fill. The 2019 All-Star is hitting .233/.297/.412 with 13 home runs, 32 RBI and four stolen bases in 81 games.

The Blue Jays are in a tough battle for the top spot in the AL East with a 59-49 record. However, while they sit 7.5 games back of the first-place Orioles for the No. 1 seed in the division, the Blue Jays are occupying a playoff spot with a 1.5 game lead over the Boston Red Sox for the final AL wild card spot.

With the Aug. 1 trade deadline having come and gone, teams will now be all-in for the remainder of the year, and Toronto desperately needs Bichette to return sooner rather than later.

The Toronto Blue Jays may not be without shortstop Bo Bichette for long after he suffered a knee injury during Monday's loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic noted Blue Jays manager John Schneider said an MRI revealed there is no structural damage to the knee. While he is not in Toronto's lineup for Tuesday's game against Baltimore, he is considered day to day.

Still, Schneider said the team is weighing whether it will place Bichette on the injured list.

That it appears Bichette avoided a significant injury is comforting news for the Blue Jays.

He singled in the third inning of Monday's contest and made the turn for second when he slowed up and grabbed his knee. He was tagged out to end the frame, but the injury was far more concerning from Toronto's perspective.

Santiago Espinal replaced him at shortstop.

Bichette has been excellent in his fifth season in the major leagues with a .321/.352/.494 slash line, 17 home runs and 59 RBI. He leads the American League in batting average, hits (144), total at-bats (449) and games (106) and made the second All-Star Game of his career.

Durability has become a defining part of his game, as he appeared in 159 contests in each of the past two seasons.

Toronto can ill-afford to be without him for long considering it is 6.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the American League East and one game behind the Houston Astros for the final wild-card spot.

Espinal and others can help the Blue Jays tread water in the short term by playing shortstop, but it is unrealistic to expect any option to replicate what Bichette does on a nightly basis. Toronto likely needs him back in the lineup if it is going to make a serious playoff run.

Ahead of Tuesday's MLB trade deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly landed one of the most coveted players on the market.

The Blue Jays announced that they acquired right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for pitching prospects Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein. Hicks had been sought after by the New York Yankees, among other teams.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that St. Louis also acquired three prospects from the Texas Rangers in exchange for starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery and reliever Chris Stratton, continuing Sunday's firesale.

Earlier on Sunday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Yankees were interested in Hicks and outfielder Dylan Carson and held discussions with the Cardinals about the availability of both players. In the end, the sweepstakes for Hicks were won by their rivals in the AL East.

The Blue Jays were seeking bullpen help after placing closer Jordan Romano on the 15-day injured list on Saturday due to lower back inflammation. The two-time All-Star entered Saturday tied for the lead in the American League with 28 saves this season.

In Hicks, Toronto is getting a quality reliever who can help hold down the fort until Romano returns. The 26-year-old has made 40 appearances this season and has a 3.67 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP and 59 strikeouts in 41.2 innings pitched.

Goold had previously reported that Hicks was in discussions with St. Louis on a potential contract extension, but on Thursday he noted that those talks failed to progress. The breakdown in negotiations likely helped facilitate the trade to Toronto.

The Blue Jays are third in the AL East and fell to 59-47 with Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Toronto will try to bounce back when it opens its series against the first-place Baltimore Orioles (63-41) on Monday.

Alek Manoah is back in the majors.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider announced that the big right-hander would be making a start on Friday in place of Kevin Gausman, who is being pushed to Saturday.

This is Manoah's first major league action since his demotion to the minors in early June. He had a dismal start to the season, going 1-7 across his first 13 starts with a 6.36 ERA.

Manoah's struggles came as a surprise, considering his breakout 2022. He went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA and 180 strikeouts. He threw 196.2 innings during that regular season, earned his first All-Star Game nomination and finished third in Cy Young voting.

His postseason performance showed some trouble, as he took a Game 1 loss in the Wild Card Series, surrendering four runs in 5.2 innings. He then has been ineffective this season, with him allowing 11 home runs and walking 42 batters, both near his totals for all of 2022.

He had a rough start in rookie ball when he returned to the mound June 27, surrendering 10 hits and 11 runs in 2.2 innings, but looked much better in a July 2nd start for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He went five innings in that contest, surrendering three hits and one run and striking out 10 batters.

The Blue Jays are 45-40 but sit in fourth place in the difficult AL East. Having Manoah return to form could be crucial for the team as they fight for their playoff lives later in the season.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be joining Julio Rodríguez in this year's Home Run Derby.

Major League Baseball announced Thursday that the Toronto Blue Jays slugger was entering the event for the second time:

Guerrero, 24, first participated in the Derby in 2019, blasting an event-record 91 home runs, which included an incredible 40 dingers in the second round while he faced Joc Pederson.

Somewhat anticlimactically, he lost to New York Mets' slugger Pete Alonso in the finals, 23-22. Still, it was one of the most memorable Home Run Derbies in the history of the event.

This year he's had his struggles, hitting .280 with 11 homers, 49 RBI, 35 runs and just a .796 OPS. For many players, those numbers would be very solid entering July, but for a player who ripped 48 homers in 2021 with a 1.002 OPS, and 32 homers last year with a .818 OPS, it's something of a down year.

Granted, there's plenty of time for Guerrero to get hot. Perhaps another huge Derby performance will be the jolt he needs.

He'll join the 22-year-old Rodríguez, one of the ascending superstars in all of baseball. Last year's AL Rookie of the Year is hitting .241 for the Seattle Mariners this season with 13 homers, 42 RBI, 47 runs, 18 stolen bases and a .720 OPS.

It will be Rodríguez's second-straight Derby. He hit the most homers in last year's event, with 81, but lost in the finals to Juan Soto (19-18).

"I was so excited. I feel like it'll be like a dream coming true," he told reporters last week about participating in front of Seattle fans. "L.A. was cool, I enjoyed it, but being able to be at home and put on a show for the Mariners fans, I know it'll be really exciting.

"It was a no-brainer for me," he added. "This will probably never happen again in my career, so to be able to do that for them, on the home field, it definitely will be something that I am looking forward to."

This year's Home Run Derby will take place on July 10 in Seattle. ESPN will broadcast the event.

An already-disastrous 2023 season for Alek Manoah hit a new low on Tuesday in his first start for the Toronto Blue Jays' Complex League team.

The 25-year-old right-hander allowed 11 earned runs on 10 hits in 2.2 innings against the New York Yankees' Complex League squad.

Even factoring in the inexperience of the defense around him on the Complex League roster, Manoah's stat line is just another brutal moment in a season that's been unforgiving to him.

Manoah was demoted to the Complex League on June 6, one day after he allowed six runs and recorded one out in a start against the Houston Astros. The West Virginia alum had a 6.36 ERA with 68 hits allowed and 42 walks over 58 innings in 13 starts at the time he was sent down.

"It's not a knee-jerk reaction," Blue Jays manager John Schnedier told reporters about the move. "Like I've been saying all along, we want to make sure we're doing everything we can to help him get better, and we feel like that's the proper first, initial step."

Schneider said on June 15 the team was encouraged by Manoah's reports coming out of their training complex after he had a bullpen session Saturday that was designed to simulate a live game.

It's been a stunning fall for Manoah in 2023. He was a focal point of Toronto's starting rotation in his first two seasons, including finishing third in AL Cy Young voting last season after posting a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts.

The Toronto Blue Jays have designated relief pitcher Anthony Bass for assignment, the club announced Friday.

The move comes after Bass shared an anti-LGBTQIA+ video on Instagram last week.

The video Bass shared to his Instagram called on people to boycott companies such as Target and Bud Light for their recent promotions of LGBTQIA+ Pride campaigns.

"Here's the reason biblically why I believe Christians have got to be boycotting Target, Bud Light, and any other corporation that's pushing the things they're pushing. ... This is evil, this is demonic, we won't stand for it, we're not going to go to the stores anymore and we're not going to give you our money," the person in the original Instagram video said.

Bass initially apologized for the post ahead of a May 30 matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers, telling reporters he recognized it was hurtful. However, he said Thursday that he didn't think the since-deleted post was hateful.

"I do not," Bass said Thursday when asked if he thought it was hateful, per the Associated Press. "That's why I posted it originally. When I look back at it, I can see how people would view it that way and that's why I was apologetic."

Bass added that he deleted the post because "it was the right thing to do" and because it became too much of a distraction.

"But I stand by my personal beliefs," Bass said, "and everyone is entitled to their personal beliefs, right? Also, I mean no harm towards any groups of people.

"My focus from the get-go should have been doing my job and being accepting of everyone's decisions and views in life. Through this process, I've learned that. Moving forward, I will definitely know better than to post my personal beliefs on my social media platforms."

General manager Ross Atkins called the veteran's release a "baseball decision," adding that "the distraction component was a part of it."

Bass was scheduled to catch the ceremonial first pitch from LGBTQIA+ activist leZlie Lee Kam ahead of Friday's game against the Minnesota Twins as part of the Blue Jays' Pride Weekend celebration. It's unclear who will do so following the move.

The Blue Jays sit fourth in the American League East with a 36-28 record, 9.5 games back of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.

Bass began his MLB career in 2011 with the San Diego Padres. He has also played for the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Miami Marlins during his 12 MLB seasons.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass doesn't believe a video he posted on social media that cited Bible verses as a reason to boycott companies supporting LGBTQIA+ people and initiatives was hateful.

"I do not," Bass said Thursday when asked if he thought it was hateful. "That's why I posted it originally. When I look back at it, I can see how people would view it that way and that's why I was apologetic."

Bass went on to say he deleted the video because he "felt like it was too much of a distraction," but he was standing by his "personal beliefs" even though he meant "no harm towards any groups of people."

Bass shared the Instagram video on May 29 from the account dudewithgoodnews.

"Here's the reason biblically why I believe Christians have got to be boycotting Target, Bud Light, and any other corporation that's pushing the things they're pushing," the person said in the video. "... This is evil, this is demonic, we won't stand for it, we're not going to go to the stores anymore and we're not going to give them our money."

Target and Bud Light faced backlash from some people for their involvement with LGBTQIA+ groups. Target announced on May 23 it was pulling some of its Pride-themed merchandise after some of its employees were subjected to threats.

Bud Light drew the ire of certain groups in the wake of its marketing campaign with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney that began in April.

Bass issued an apology for sharing the video prior to a May 30 game against the Milwaukee Brewers:

"I'll make this quick. I recognize yesterday that I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine, and I am truly sorry for that. I just spoke with my teammates and shared with them my actions yesterday. I apologized (to) them and, as of right now, I am using the Blue Jays' resources to better educate myself to make better decisions moving forward. The ballpark is for everybody. We include all fans at the ballpark and we want to welcome everybody."

The Blue Jays also issued a statement in the wake of Bass' social media post:

"The Blue Jays bring millions of fans together across Canada and are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming experience for all. The Blue Jays are proud to celebrate LGBTQ2S+ Pride Month, including a special fourth annual Pride Weekend at the ballpark June 9 and 10, and demonstrations of allyship all month long around the ballpark."

The Blue Jays plan to have Bass catch the ceremonial first pitch from Toronto LGBTQIA+ activist leZlie Lee Kam prior to Friday's game against the Minnesota Twins as part of Pride Weekend, according to the Associated Press.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Tuesday they optioned starting pitcher Alek Manoah to the Florida Complex League.

The move comes after he allowed six earned runs and seven hits over 0.1 inning in Monday's 11-4 loss to the Houston Astros.

The 25-year-old right-hander was an All-Star and finished third in the American League Cy Young voting in 2022. Tuesday's decision reflects how his performance in 2023 has fallen off dramatically.

Through 13 starts, Manoah is 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA and a 6.52 FIP. He's allowing 10.6 hits and 6.5 walks per nine innings. According to Baseball Savant, opposing hitters are slugging .496 and have a .394 expected wOBA when he's on the mound.

At 33-28, the Blue Jays are 9.5 games back of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East, and they're three games off the final wild-card spot. Toronto isn't in a position where it could afford to keep sending Manoah out there in the hope something finally clicks.

Following Tuesday's defeat, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com floated three ways to potentially get the right-hander back on track.

Matheson described one path as the "the Roy Halladay treatment," a reference to how Halladay started the 2001 season in High-A before working his way back to the majors. By 2002, Halladay was an All-Star, and he won his first of two Cy Youngs in 2003.

Along the same lines, Cliff Lee famously used his 2007 demotion to the minor leagues to alter his approach, which transformed him into a dominant ace.

Sending Manoah to their complex in Dunedin, Florida, seems to demonstrate a belief within the Blue Jays his issues go beyond making a subtle mechanical tweak.

There's no positive way to spin Tuesday's news, but getting Manoah out of the limelight and affording him ample time to diagnose what's wrong is probably the best thing at this point.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass apologized Tuesday for sharing an anti-LGBTQ+ video on social media on Monday prior to the club's series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Target Field, which begins Tuesday night.

Bass said, per Scooby Axson of USA Today:

"I'll make this quick. I recognize yesterday that I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine, and I am truly sorry for that. I just spoke with my teammates and shared with them my actions yesterday. I apologized (to) them and, as of right now, I am using the Blue Jays' resources to better educate myself to make better decisions moving forward. The ballpark is for everybody. We include all fans at the ballpark and we want to welcome everybody."

The Blue Jays also released a statement to the Toronto Star saying that "individual player sentiments are not representative of the club's beliefs."

"The Blue Jays bring millions of fans together across Canada and are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming experience for all," the team said in its statement. "The Blue Jays are proud to celebrate LGBTQ2S+ Pride Month, including a special fourth annual Pride Weekend at the ballpark June 9 and 10, and demonstrations of allyship all month long around the ballpark."

The anti-LGBTQ+ video Bass shared to his Instagram story on Monday called on people to boycott companies such as Target and Bud Light for their recent promotions of LGBTQ+ Pride campaigns.

"Here's the reason biblically why I believe Christians have got to be boycotting Target, Bud Light, and any other corporation that's pushing the things they're pushing. This is evil, this is demonic, we won't stand for it, we're not going to go to the stores anymore and we're not going to give you our money," the person in the original Instagram video said.

Amid backlash over the company's Pride campaign, Target announced last week that it had removed some LGBTQ+ clothing items from its stores and relocated other items in its southern United States locations from the front of the store to the back.

"Since introducing this year's collection, we've experienced threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and well-being while at work," Target said in a statement, per the Associated Press. "Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior."

Bud Light faced similar backlash for its sponsorship of transgender activist and TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who posted a video promoting the beer on her Instagram account in April.

Bass, 35, has appeared in 20 games for the Blue Jays this season. He has recorded a 4.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 18 innings.

The Blue Jays sit fifth in the AL East with a 28-26 record, 10 games back of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.