Devon Travis down, Carlos Ramirez up

I don’t know if this is the move everyone was expecting, but it isn’t surprising. Given Devon Travis’ struggles at the plate and the fact he has options, the second baseman will be the odd man out as the Jays add another arm to their bullpen.

Travis has had a horrific start to the season. He’s currently slashing a .148/.212/.246 line and has struck out 18 times while walking just twice. Spending some time in Triple-A will give Travis a little breather and a chance to slam the reset button.

He had a similar start to the year in 2017 too. On April 30, Travis owned a .388 OPS, then he went nuclear for the month of May, brought it all the way up to .729, then got hurt and missed the rest of the season.

This move will give the Jays just a three-man bench, but, in the short term, that’s fine. The Jays’ bullpen has been heavily taxed as the starters have failed to go deep into games over the past week. Lourdes Gurriel has positional versatility, which makes life easier to navigate having a shorter bench.

Josh Donaldson should be back sooner rather than later and this move makes the Jays’ roster crunch a little more clear. I would figure the Jays option Ramirez when Donaldson returns and keep Travis in Buffalo, giving him some time to regain confidence at the plate.