Blue Jays Exclude Bichette, Scherzer, Bassitt From ALDS

The Toronto Blue Jays left shortstop Bo Bichette off their 26-man ALDS roster against the New York Yankees as he continues to recover from a left-knee PCL sprain suffered Sept. 6 and has not resumed running. The club also excluded veteran right-handers Max Scherzer, who struggled to a 5.19 ERA down the stretch, and Chris Bassitt, who remains on the injured list with back inflammation. Manager John Schneider said Bichette would need to be able to play 'pretty regularly' to be on the roster and could be activated in a later round if Toronto advances. With those absences, Toronto will rely on Kevin Gausman to start Game 1, with Shane Bieber and rookie Trey Yesavage also slated in the rotation. The Blue Jays are carrying 13 pitchers and 13 position players, leaving open the possibility of a bullpen/opener approach in a potential Game 4.