TORONTO -- Welcome back to Bo Bichette’s Blue Jays. 

For two slow, uninspiring hours, it felt like the only offense the Blue Jays would muster was Bichette, fresh off the IL and doing it all himself. The thing about playing last-place teams, though, is that if you stare at them long enough, they tend to blink. 

That worked again for the Blue Jays in Friday’s 5-4 win over the Royals at Rogers Centre, and while they’ll still need to be playing a far better brand of baseball by the time the Rangers roll into town on Monday, a win is a win. This one gave the Blue Jays a 1 1/2-game lead over the Rangers for that final AL Wild Card spot, with this 10-game homestand offering another massive opportunity to create some space.

“This is when you find out what we’re made of,” Bichette said. “Nothing else matters up to this point. It’s all about now. We’ll find out.”

• Games remaining: vs. KC (2), vs. TEX (4), vs. BOS (3), at NYY (3), at TB (3), vs. NYY (3), vs. TB (3)
• Standings update: The Blue Jays hold a 1 1/2-game lead over Texas for the final AL Wild Card spot. 
• Tiebreakers: Down 2-1 in season series vs. Texas; Win vs. Houston; Lose vs. Seattle

Bichette was at the center of everything the Blue Jays did Friday, fresh off his second IL stint in the past five weeks, this time for a quad injury. The first play of the game found him, jolting Bichette into action as he snagged a scorching line drive for the first out, but his return was all about the offense. 

After driving in the Blue Jays first two runs of the game, Bichette blazed around the bases to score from first on a double from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., his helmet still rolling in the dirt between second and third as he scampered home. Bichette came back as quickly as he could from this last injury, bypassing a rehab assignment, and he looked exactly like himself. 

“Bo has been consistent all year,” Guerrero said through a club interpreter. “He’s one of the guys who works very, very hard for everything that he does. Seeing him hit is great, especially when he has runners on. He does anything to bring them in. It’s great to have him back.”

These injuries have challenged Bichette, mentally as much as physically. A “hitting savant," as manager John Schneider often calls him, Bichette has tried to stay involved in the dugout, working with his teammates when he can’t be out there himself. It’s given him a deep appreciation for the performances that have kept the Blue Jays rolling while he, Matt Chapman and Danny Jansen have been injured.

“I’m really encouraged,” Bichette said. “It’s been really cool to see Davis [Schneider], Ernie [Clement] and Spencer [Horwitz] come up and bring some energy. It’s good for all of us to see when guys come up and are excited to be part of this team. I think it gives all of us a bit more energy. Not that we needed it, but seeing those guys come up and play was, for me personally, really cool to watch.”

Now, it’s Bichette’s turn again.

He might wake up sore tomorrow and there could be a DH day mixed in, but the Blue Jays will push their star as far as they safely can in the coming weeks. Much like having George Springer back in the leadoff spot after a long time batting lower in the lineup, something about having Bichette’s name written below his just feels right.

Bichette is the exact type of player who can step back into these situations, too: a natural.

“It’s so impressive,” said Schneider. “He hasn’t seen live pitching in 10 or 12 days. He’s taking tough pitches. He’s putting good swings on them. He just missed a ball to right center. It’s impressive what he can do in the box. It’s an instant shot of energy to our offense.”

This season can still go in so many directions for the Blue Jays, with that upcoming series against the Rangers looking more and more like the fork in the road. Friday’s win wasn’t necessarily beautiful, but like Guerrero said between his praise of Bichette, all this team needs to do is keep winning. They can worry about aesthetics this winter.

One thing is certain again, though. Whichever direction this team goes, Bichette is driving.