TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays' lineup on Aug. 16, 2022 featured a major surprise — Bo Bichette dropped from fifth to seventh in the order, the lowest he’d ever started a game in the majors.

John Schneider, interim manager for about a month at that point, was looking to rouse his all-star shortstop, slumping at .260/.300/.427, and the switch was a sure way to accomplish that. In hindsight, Schneider calls the decision “reactionary,” a byproduct of “me being young in the job and kind of dumb,” but at the time he felt he needed to “like, kick a dog a little bit.” 

After some initial expletives and a lot of discomfort, Bichette responded as Schneider had hoped, batting .361/.408/.565 with seven homers and 29 RBIs in the season’s final 47 games, a run that helped carry the Blue Jays to the post-season. Bichette didn’t start........

© Sportsnet