The Blue Jays have officially received permission from Major League Baseball to replace second baseman Devon Travis on their postseason roster, per reports from MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm. During the fifth inning of Friday’s ALCS opener, Travis was pulled after suffering apparent discomfort in his right knee. What was originally thought to be re-aggravation of a bone bruise Travis sustained weeks earlier was revealed to be a new injury, though Toronto GM Ross Atkins did not disclose the particulars of Travis’ condition when the roster announcement was made.
The additional damage done to Travis’ knee was key to MLB’s approval of the swap. As Chisholm reported, the league was within its rights to refuse the accommodation if the bone bruise had worsened with no sign of further injury. Atkins clarified that the two injuries were in roughly the same spot, though of a distinct enough nature that they could be classified as separate injuries.
With Travis sidelined through the end of the postseason, the Blue Jays will fill the roster opening with first baseman Justin Smoak. Smoak hit .217/.314/.391 with 14 home runs in 341 PA with the Jays during the 2016 season.
