The Toronto Blue Jays are making some changes to the ALCS roster. Prized offseason free agent Anthony Santander is heading back to the IL, this time with a lumbar spine injury, which means his season is over as he is not eligible to return for the World Series (had he been healthy by then).

After getting approval from Major League Baseball, the Jays opted to bring Joey Loperfido onto the roster as the corresponding move. Loperfido has been travelling and continuing to work with the team despite not being on the postseason roster up until this point, so he has been staying in game shape should a moment like this become available.

While Loperfido joins the team, there was a possibility that Bo Bichette could be the corresponding player to join the squad, especially since a recent video showed the infielder doing sprints in the outfield at T-Mobile Park. Bichette hasn’t played since early September after suffering a knee sprain following a collision at home plate with Yankees catcher Austin Wells.

However, Mitch Bannon at The Athletic squashed that roster addition possibility right from the get-go, meaning the go-to choice would be Loperfido. While Bichette was working on various drills with the Jays staff this week, he hasn’t run on the base paths since coming up grimacing during a trial run this past weekend at the Rogers Centre, which ultimately led to him being left off the ALCS roster.

It’s a tough pill to swallow for the Jays, as having Bichette back in the lineup would be a considerable boost to the lineup. That might not seem evident after putting up 13 runs on George Kirby and the Seattle Mariners last night, but after putting up just four combined runs in their two previous games back in Toronto, a bat of Bichette’s calibre will always be a fine addition.

Instead, the Jays will be getting a left-handed bat in Loperfido, who can also hold his own in the outfield, a clear upgrade over Santander in that regard.

Splitting time between the big leagues and Triple-A this season, the Pennsylvania product excelled during his limited time in the Major Leagues. Through 41 games and 96 at-bats, he collected 32 hits (four doubles and four home runs included), 14 RBIs, and posted a .333/.379/.500 slash line with a .879 OPS. Loperfido can also steal a base or two with his above-average speed, a bonus off the bench or as a pinch-hitter or runner late in the ball game.

Loperfido likely won’t see too much action on the field over the next few games, but he will be added insurance as the Blue Jays continue to try and forge a path to the World Series. For the Blue Jays fanbase, they will have to hope for Toronto to reach the World Series to potentially see Bichette back on the diamond.

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