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IL1 Buffalo Bisons

Travis' Rehab Going Smoothly

May 24, 2016 - International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


Working his way back from left shoulder surgery, second baseman Devon Travis has shined in his rehab with the Bisons. Travis played in all four of the Herd's games with the Pawtucket Red Sox this weekend, starting with a three-hit, two-RBI performance on Thursday, May 19 against the PawSox.

"I'm just so excited to be here. I'm excited to be back on the field again, to be playing with a purpose," Travis said before Thursday's game. "For the first few months, I didn't have two working arms. Now I can move it and bend it and wing and play baseball and dive. Everything has just been coming back really well, and I'm so thankful for that."

Travis made his major league debut last season with the Blue Jays, hitting .304 with a .361 on-base percentage, playing in 62 games. He went on the disabled list last July 31 with an injured left shoulder, missing the remainder of the season. This year, the second baseman batted .357 in four rehab games with Single-A Dunedin, before making the jump to Triple-A.

"I have no clue how many games I need, but I can't wait to get back," Travis said. "Whenever they call me I'll be ready to go."

Over his first four games, Travis batted .294, connecting for five hits in 17 at bats, picking up two doubles, runs scored, and RBI.

Antolin and Burns make MLB debuts this season

Two Bisons' players have already made their first jump to the big league Blue Jays this season. Utility man Andy Burns and reliever Dustin Antolin, longtime Blue Jays' minor leaguers, both were rewarded with call-ups after impressive showings this season.

Burns, who has played everywhere on the diamond short of pitcher and catcher, saw action in five games with the Blue Jays after his May 6 call-up, going hitless in four at bats. Originally drafted in 2011, Burns batted .293 for the Bisons in 2015, and went 4-9 with four RBI in his last two Triple-A games before his big league debut.

Dustin Antolin had been toiling in the minors since 2008, contemplating retirement before this year. However, a string of successful relief outings in Triple-A this year saw him called up to Toronto.

"I didn't have a job two weeks before the season, and I have two kids, so I was debating on hanging it up and staying back home and joining the construction union," Antolin said. "My family told me to give it one more shot, they said who knows what's going to happen."

Antolin pitched two innings against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 16, giving up three earned runs. However, he did punch-out former #1 overall draft pick Tim Beckham for his first career strikeout.

"It was kind of crazy," Antolin said of his call-up to the Blue Jays. "My head was all over the place, I was nervous, I had butterflies, but it was a great experience."

The big league debuts of Antolin and Burns leave just two players on the Bisons roster, A.J. Jimenez and Jio Mier, without MLB experience.

Bisons' offense coming alive lately

A noticeable improvement for the Bisons during their recent stretch has been the team's offense. With a lineup of primarily major league names, the Herds' bats seem to have dusted off some early-season cobwebs.

During a three game stretch from May 18- 21, the Bisons scored 19 runs, the same amount the team scored in their entire nine-game stretch before that. The Herd defeated Toledo 7-5 on Wednesday, then took the first two games of a series against the Red Sox, 7-5 and 6-5.

"It's about time we broke out. We've started to swing the bats, and we're getting production from everybody," manager Gary Allenson said following Thursday's 6-5 Bisons' win over Pawtucket. "Hitting is contagious, so hopefully we stay on this roll."

Outside of a 10-game stretch from April 16 to April 26 when the Bisons' totaled a combined 52 runs, the Herd struggled to put together much offense earlier this year. From April 27 to May 17, the team scored more than five runs in a game just twice.

"We're getting some production now," Allenson said following Friday's win. "Hopefully those first five-week struggles with the bats are over and we can get on a roll,"

Dalton Pompey strung together a 10-game hitting streak that was snapped on May 21. Junior Lake has begun to swing the bat, having three-hit games on May 18 and 20, and Jesus Montero continues to lead the team in most offensive categories. Andy Burns also batted .400 during a six-game hitting streak.

The Bisons now begin a six game road trip, taking on Columbus and Toledo, before returning home to battle to Clippers on May 30.

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