Blue Jays activate Devon Travis
The Toronto Blue Jays will welcome back a familiar face to their roster Wednesday in New York, as the club has activated second baseman Devon Travis following a nine-game minor-league rehab stint, the team announced.
Travis, who hasn't appeared in an MLB game since last July due to recurring shoulder problems that prompted offseason surgery, wasn't expected to be activated until after Toronto's current road trip, but will now rejoin the Blue Jays in the Bronx after just five games with Triple-A Buffalo. In five games with Buffalo, the 25-year-old hit .273 with a pair of doubles after going 5-for-14 (.357) with two doubles in four games with High-A Dunedin.
Acquired last winter from the Detroit Tigers, Travis earned a spot on Toronto's roster out of spring training and was installed as the Blue Jays' leadoff hitter less than two weeks into his MLB career. Though his shoulder problems limited him to just 62 games in 2015, Travis made quite an impression in an injury-riddled rookie season, hitting .304/.361/.498 (133 OPS+) with eight homers and 18 doubles, while finishing tied for third among American League rookies with 2.3 WAR.
For a Blue Jays team mired in last place in the American League East and scarcely resembling the club that pounded out 891 runs a year ago, Travis' return is no doubt a welcome sight. Not only does Toronto rank 11th in the AL in runs per game and eighth in park-adjusted offense, but the Blue Jays have also received less value from second base than all but three clubs through the first two months of 2016, with Ryan Goins, Darwin Barney, and newcomer Jimmy Paredes combining for a .585 OPS and -0.5 WAR.
To open up a spot for Travis on the 25-man roster, the Blue Jays optioned ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte to Buffalo.