Message received as Travis sent to Bisons
Devon Travis has grown accustomed to dealing with misfortune in his major league career, mostly injury related.
But the most recent setback for the second baseman felt like a kick to the gut. Travis was recalled by the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday after a 14-game stint with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons and the personable infielder spoke of the reality check the demotion delivered.
“You look at my numbers and I understand, that’s for sure,” Travis said prior to the first of three games vs. the Angels. “I want to play in the big leagues and if you want to play in the big leagues you better do your job well and I wasn’t.
“I’d by lying to you if I told you it wasn’t something that is very, very hard, some of the harder days I’ve had in this game. But I’ve been through a lot. I take adversity and turn it into a positive.”
Travis, who batted ninth in manager John Gibbons order on Tuesday, was hitting a meagre .148 batting average with the Jays prior to his demotion and just one RBI. In 14 games with the Bisons he had improved to .210 but returns to the bigs on an eight-game hitting streak.
At the start of the season, Gibbons had limited Travis to a two day on, one day off return to protect his knee. But with just 60 atbats, that light workload might have been counter productive and look for him to appear more often going forward.
“He had trouble getting revved up and the move was made out of necessity,” Gibbons said. “Coming in, he’s one of the guys we were counting on. It was just a slow start for him.”
Though he knows he can’t push it, Travis is hoping he’ll make up for lost time and do his part to help his struggling team.
“When you go from the big leagues to Triple-A, it’s definitely a step back,” Travis said. “It’s tough. It gives you a little bit of time to reflect and look in the mirror and understand there’s more work to be done.
“It’s good to put on a big-league uniform on again and I’m ready to get out there and get to work.”
INJURY WARD
The team had some updates to the lengthy walking wounded contingent prior to Tuesday’s game.
Infielder Aledmys Diaz (ankle) has been participating in batting practice and running drills and will be given a rehab assignment by the end of the week.
Starting pitcher Jaime Garcia (shoulder inflammation) has started his throwing progression and will be re-evaluated later this week while right-fielder Randal Grichuk (knee) began his rehab assignment with some game action Tuesday in Dunedin.
Next up, left fielder Steve Pearce (oblique strain) has been long tossing and has started hitting drills while another starter, Marcus Stroman (shoulder fatigue) has started to throw.
ROGERS THAT
The news the broadcast arm of the Jays ownership doesn’t want you to know … Thursday ’s finale of the three-game series vs. the Angels will be broadcast exclusively on Facebook Live, the second such Toronto game this season.
After the first one last month, Sportsnet staff was clearly irked at the development. The deal, however, was approved unanimously by the 30 MLB clubs, including the Rogers-owned Jays.
Thursday’s game will have a 12:37 p.m. first pitch and the radio broadcast will still be available on the usual Rogers spots on the dial.
QUICK HITS
With Richard Urena sent down after Sunday’s game and Travis recalled, it looks like the Jays will temporarily go with a shortstop platoon of Gio Urshela (who started on Tuesday) and Yangervis Solarte … When some 10 Japanese reporters dropped by Gibbons’ office for his pre-game media availability, the Jays manager dropped the line of the night. “How come there wasn’t this many following (Munenori) Kawasaki?” Gibbons quipped.