Travis relishes first full spring training in years

Devon Travis will never forget the most difficult setback of his career. He’s got the scar on his collarbone to constantly remind him. Plagued by injuries over his first three major league seasons, Travis has been a full participant in this spring training for the first time in years.

And while his latest off-season consisted of yet another rehab process after having knee surgery in June, the Blue Jays second baseman said that was nothing compared to the shoulder injury he suffered back in 2015.

“Every injury you always wonder if you will be the same again,” Travis said in Toronto’s spring training clubhouse Thursday. “I guess I can speak on it going through so many injuries ... but (with the shoulder) I had those doubts plus more because it had never been done before.

“It was a challenge, that was the toughest rehab I’d ever had.”

Travis, who started hot out of the gates in April 2015, had his rookie season turned on its head the following month when he was hit in the collarbone by a line drive in Cleveland. The injury revealed that his shoulder blade had never properly fused, leaving fragile cartilage in charge of holding two pieces of bone together.

Travis learned the condition — known as os acromiale — is rare. Those who have it may go through life never even knowing.

Doctors weren’t sure how to proceed with Travis’ injury at first and some refused to operate. He needed two separate surgeries to correct the problem, including one in November 2015 that secured his bones together with screws, and sat out nearly all of spring training in 2016.

“Probably never would have been an issue if I never got hit,” Travis said. “I’ve had it my whole life.”