Blue Jays leave Bo Bichette off ALCS roster amid knee rehab

Bo Bichette, the Toronto Blue Jays shortstop sidelined since Sept. 6 with a left knee sprain, was left off the club's American League Championship Series roster Sunday after showing some but not enough progress in his rehab to be cleared for play. Bichette began light on-field work this week, jogging at Yankee Stadium and facing live pitching in a simulated game in Toronto, but team officials concluded he had not met the benchmarks necessary to return for the ALCS opener against the Seattle Mariners.

Bichette, who has not played since the injury sustained in a slide into home, took multiple light jogs in the outfield ahead of Game 4 of the Division Series and hit against velocity from teammates Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt during a simulated game. Manager John Schneider described the recent activity as "pretty positive" and said the club would "take it a day at a time" while monitoring Bichette's response. Bichette told reporters he was optimistic, saying, "Ive made a lot of progress recently, so Im optimistic about my chances," while acknowledging he still had hurdles to clear, including running the bases without discomfort.

Despite those signs of recovery, Bichette showed...