The Toronto Blue Jays have been without shortstop Bo Bichette since July 31st when the All-Star suffered a knee injury while rounding first base against the Baltimore Orioles. But, it appears he's nearly ready to return.

Bichette, easily the Jays' best player, is starting a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday. Per Mitch Bannon, he's DHing:

This is certainly a solid step in the right direction, but the Jays will likely want to see Bichette play defense as well before coming back up to the big-league club. However, Toronto is optimistic he could be in the lineup Friday when they begin a three-game set with the Cincinnati Reds. Bichette was actually supposed to start the rehab stint Tuesday but it was pushed back due to rain.

The 25-year-old is one of the best hitters in the game, slashing an AL-best .321 with 17 homers and 59 RBI. He's also first in the league with 144 hits and that's even after missing quite a few games since going on the shelf with the knee issue. Bo Bichette is legit.

The Blue Jays are barely staying afloat in the Wild Card race and only have a slim two-game lead over the Seattle Mariners for the last spot. Bichette is incredibly consistent and needs to be healthy in the long run if this ball club is going to make any noise in the postseason. The team did go out and trade for Paul De Jong just a day after the Bichette injury and although Bichette will return to SS, it's good to have backup.