The Toronto Blue Jays have been without shortstop Bo Bichette since he strained his right calf on July 19 and went on the 10-day injured list. However, things may be looking up. The Blue Jays are likely going to see their star infielder return at some point this season.

Before Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, manager John Schneider provided an update on how Bichette's rehab is going and gave a potential timeline to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.

Schneider said that Bichette will be in Toronto on Thursday for a “check-in” with the team. Schneider then continued by saying that Bichette would like to return this season regardless of where the Blue Jays are in the standings and that even though he hasn't started baseball activities yet he “is progressing well.”

This is great news for Blue Jays fans. The fact that this calf injury likely is not serious enough to keep him out for the rest of the season, even if Toronto is out of postseason contention, is massive for both Bichette and the Blue Jays.

Bo Bichette's future with the Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (11) runs towards first base after hitting a single against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park.
© Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
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While Bichette has had a down year, hitting just .223/.276/.321, all career lows, he is still a franchise cornerstone and one of the most talented players on the Blue Jays' roster. Even though he is in his sixth season, Bichette is still just 26 years old and has more than enough time to figure out his swing again and get back to the All-Star level of play he showed the past three seasons.

Bichette was one of the most popular names rumored to be available at this year's trade deadline before his calf injury effectively guaranteed he'd remain on the Blue Jays through the 2024 season. Despite those rumors, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins had made it clear that he wanted to try and extend Bichette instead of trading him, showing that the organization believed he was still a key part of their future despite his struggles in 2024.

The absolute best-case scenario now for the Blue Jays and Bichette is for him to come back from his calf injury and be 100% healthy and hit like he has the past few seasons. If he does this, then he should be able to solidify his role in the Blue Jays' future plans. If not, a trade may be the only option before Bichette hits free agency after the 2025 season.