Blue Jays’ Travis once again taking first steps back from injury

Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis made some progress as he fielded ground balls despite being on the 60-day disabled list.

DETROIT – About four hours before first pitch at Comerica Park Saturday, Devon Travis quietly took a meaningful step in his recovery from right knee surgery.

With members of the team’s training staff watching on the sidelines, Travis fielded groundballs for the first time since June 13, when he underwent surgery to clean up frayed knee cartilage. He’s not yet testing his range much, moving at game speed or hitting, so there’s still lots of work ahead for the 26-year-old.

Still, after resting for more than a month, Travis was eager to take the field again and encouraged by the results.

“It’s nice to be able to do it on a big-league field, be able to go and watch the game with the guys,” Travis said. “The rehab process is tougher on your mind than whatever injury you are rehabbing. Unfortunately, I know this.”

Travis has more experience with knee injuries than he’d like. Last off-season he underwent surgery to remove a small flap of cartilage caught in his right knee joint. It took approximately four months for Travis to recover from that operation, but there was less damage this time, so the recovery period could be shorter. That said, a bone bruise on the same knee makes it near-impossible to pin down timelines.

“When they do give you a date you can have one bad day and you’re like, ‘Oh damn, this one day could be the reason I come back one day later,’” Travis said. “It will feel better in time. It always does.”

This much is clear: Travis can’t return before Aug. 5, because he’s now on the 60-day disabled list. But given all the work ahead, it appears likely he’ll need more time.

“You hope he’s ready by then,” manager John Gibbons said. “To be honest, when they told me yesterday that they were going to take ground balls that surprised me. I didn’t think that was happening that quick.”

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In the meantime, Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney continue splitting time at second base for the Blue Jays. The combination leads to reliable defence but questionable offence; both players have an OPS under .600.

It’s no surprise, then, that the Blue Jays continue to be linked to the likes of Dee Gordon in trade rumours. Teams routinely check in on available players this time of year, and while Gordon would represent an upgrade for the Blue Jays, he could be tough to acquire and his best asset’s speed – a skill that deteriorates with time. Either way, the Blue Jays figure to keep an eye out for potential second base upgrades this summer given Travis’ uncertain status.

“I’ve got no idea,” Gibbons said. “I’ve heard rumours.”

In the meantime, Travis will continue testing his knee. He still has a long way to go before he’s a realistic option at the MLB level, but having taken the first step back, the others are now a little more attainable.

“As long as it continues to go right and I don’t wake up tomorrow and feel sore I’ll keep doing it,” Travis said.

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