TORONTO -- All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette was activated off the 10-day injured list by the Blue Jays before Friday's game against the Royals.

He is set to hit second in his first game since being sidelined Aug. 27 because of a strained right quadriceps.

Bichette leads the Blue Jays with a .314 batting average and 152 hits despite playing only eight games since the end of July.

He didn't play for the Blue Jays between July 31 and Aug. 19 because of right knee patellar tendinitis. Toronto went 8-8 without the two-time American League hits leader.

The Blue Jays went 6-3 in Bichette's latest absence, a stretch in which Toronto played teams at or near the bottom of the standings in Washington, Colorado and Oakland.

Following this weekend's series against the last-place Royals, Toronto hosts wild-card rival Texas for four games. The Blue Jays (77-63) held a half-game lead over the Rangers (76-63) for the final wild-card berth entering Friday.

To make room for Bichette, Toronto optioned infielder Mason McCoy to Triple-A Buffalo.