Blue Jays' Bichette to play 2B in return to lineup

Bo Bichette is back in the Toronto Blue Jays' lineup batting cleanup for Game 1 of the World Series, but the star infielder will be in unfamiliar territory when he takes the field Friday.

For the first time ever as a major leaguer, Bichette will play second base, keeping Andrés Giménez at shortstop on defense.

Game 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers will mark Bichette's first action since Sept. 6, when he suffered a sprained knee at Yankee Stadium. The injury forced him to miss most of the stretch run as well as the first two rounds of the playoffs.

"To be honest, I brought it up," Bichette said Friday, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. "It was something I felt I could get ready for quicker than another position. I just want to be ready to help the team in any way that is afforded to me. So, that felt like an opportunity for me, and obviously they were on board with it."

The possibility of a position change came up in recent days. Bichette, who's never played anywhere but shortstop in the majors, took grounders at short and second base Wednesday. He has just 30 minor-league games of experience at the keystone and last played the position in 2019.

"For him to say that and take a step back while he's watching us play, just say 'Hey, I'm willing to do whatever it takes,' even though he's been the shortstop here for six years - that says a lot about him," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.

Bichette playing second moves Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a backup role after he filled in during the opening two rounds of action. That keeps George Springer in his DH role and Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider platooning in left field.

Should Bichette move to DH at any time this series, it would force Springer to play the outfield, something the former World Series MVP hasn't done since late September. The Jays' skipper said that Springer is "very" capable of playing defense despite coming off his own knee issue sustained from a hit-by-pitch during the ALCS. Lukes, Schneider, or Addison Barger could lose at-bats in that scenario.

Bichette, 27, hit .311/.357/.483 with 18 homers and 94 RBIs over 139 games during the regular season. At the time of his injury, the two-time All-Star led the majors in hits (181) and doubles (44).

Infielder Ty France was also added to the roster, with Joey Loperfido and Yariel Rodríguez coming off.