DUNEDIN, Fla. -- As Devon Travis took his familiar place in the infield on Friday, the Blue Jays' second baseman had a feeling that the first major fielding hurdle of his Grapefruit League debut was going to come swiftly.
Boston's Brock Holt wasted no time affirming that, sending a sharp grounder up the middle on the game's second pitch. The play forced Travis to range to his left and test the bone bruise on his right knee before making the throw to first baseman Steve Pearce in time for the out.
How's that for a start?
"Crazy that this game, man, that ball will find you every time," Travis said. "It's almost like I knew it was coming to me. So yeah, that was nice to get that first ground ball out of the way, and I felt good. So everything went good."
Toronto's 3-2 victory over the Red Sox at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium was a significant step forward for Travis, who has been slowed while recovering from offseason arthroscopic surgery. Though Travis worked on his movement in camp drills, the contest provided the 26-year-old a strong, five-inning window to put himself through the grind of a big league day.
"I got out there, I played the game, I felt good. That's the biggest thing," said Travis, who added an RBI double in the second.
"Whether I come in [Saturday] feeling a little sore or not is yet to be seen. But I'm just so excited I could go out there and play five innings of the game and feel great doing it."
That kind of progress is essential. As Toronto's opener at the Orioles on April 3 grows near, the clock is ticking on whether or not Travis will be completely healed in time to start the regular season.
Although there is optimism that the final stretch of spring games could be enough to get him going, Blue Jays bench coach DeMarlo Hale said the team remains in a wait-and-see pattern with Travis, who hit .300 with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs in 101 games in 2016.
"It's hard to say," Hale said. "I think the best way we probably can explain it or look at it is just, you know what? Let's just see how he's feeling day to day -- how he reacts, how he bounces back tomorrow, [then] the next day. And I think he will tell us a lot.
"We've still got time to make that decision. As much as we look at when we're breaking camp, April 3 is the Opening Day."
For Travis, the chance to put on his No. 29 jersey once again and clear his biggest obstacle to date was more than enough to make him happy on Friday.
"I feel like I've kind of done everything that they've asked me, and I don't know that there's anything left for me to do," he said.
"I think I can do everything out on the baseball field right now -- except throw like Tulo [Troy Tulowitzki]."
A day worth smiling about. Not bad for a start.