TORONTO — Bo Bichette, who has not played since spraining his left knee in early September, was added to the Toronto Blue Jays‘ roster for the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Blue Jays also included first baseman Ty France on their roster for the first time this postseason. Outfielder Joey Loperfido and right-handed reliever Yariel Rodriguez, who were on the American League Championship Series roster, were not included.

The question is how limited is Bichette.

A two-time All-Star shortstop, Bichette has not played in a game since injuring his knee in a collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells on Sept. 6. He attempted to return in time for the AL Championship Series but could not run the bases without significant pain the day before the Blue Jays had to submit their roster.

Bichette worked out at second base and faced live pitching Wednesday and Thursday. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Bichette could play second base, shortstop or serve as the team’s designated hitter. If he is the DH, George Springer would likely move to right field.

A free agent this winter, Bichette had a rebound season after posting a .598 OPS in 81 games in an injury-plagued 2024 campaign. The homegrown star, 27, finished second in the majors with a .311 batting average and hit 18 home runs with 94 RBI and an .840 OPS.

Without him, the Blue Jays have played Andres Gimenez, their regular second baseman, at shortstop in the postseason with Isiah Kiner-Falefa getting most of the starts at second base.

Los Angeles added right-handers Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein while dropping lefty Alex Vesia and righty Ben Casparius. The Dodgers said Thursday that Vesia was not with the team in Toronto because of a family matter.

Former closer Tanner Scott was not added. The left-hander was dropped from the National League Division Series roster following surgery on Oct. 8 to remove of an abscess from an infection on his lower body.

Clayton Kershaw, who was left off the Dodgers’ wild-card series roster and did not pitch in the NL Championship Series, is on the World Series roster. Kershaw has said he plans to retire after this season.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood has been appointed as Consultant International Cricket and Players’ Affairs, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Friday.

The announcement was reportedly first made by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi at a recent luncheon for the Pakistan and South Africa teams, also attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The cricket board has now made the official announcement in a brief statement; however, it did not disclose Masood’s responsibilities in the new role.

The 36-year-old has featured in 44 Tests for Pakistan, captaining the national side in 14 of those games.

Under his leadership, Pakistan defeated England 2-1 last year, their first Test series win against England on home soil since 2005.

The Pakistan Test captain’s appointment came a month after the PCB suspended its Director of International Cricket, Usman Wahla, over delays in handling a crucial communication to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

According to the sources, Wahla was removed from his post after he failed to promptly forward an official letter concerning the Asia Cup handshake controversy, which sparked heated debate across the cricketing world.

Sources said that the PCB leadership grew frustrated over the delayed response, ultimately leading to Wahla’s suspension.

The PCB had lodged a formal complaint with the ICC and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), seeking the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup 2025.

The complaint stemmed from the widely publicised incident during the Pakistan-India fixture in Dubai, where both captains skipped the traditional pre-match handshake — a move reportedly directed by Pycroft.

In its letter, the PCB argued that the referee’s decision undermined the spirit of cricket and contravened the MCC’s long-standing laws.

“No handshakes were exchanged before or after the match, which is a direct violation of the game’s traditions,” the letter read. It further alleged that Pycroft had “failed to fulfil his responsibilities as match referee” and breached the ICC Code of Conduct.

The issue was resolved after the PCB confirmed that Andy Pycroft had apologised to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and the team manager.