Devon Travis's brief run in the playoffs for the Toronto Blue Jays has come to an end.
The right knee that the young second baseman reinjured during the opening game of the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Indians on Friday night will not allow him to continue.
Because it was the same knee that the 25-year-old had injured before, the Blue Jays, after consulting with Major League Baseball, were allowed to drop Travis from the 25-man roster.
In his place, Toronto activated first baseman/designated hitter Justin Smoak to the active playoff roster.
Travis is "very disappointed," Toronto general manager Ross Atkins told reporters on Saturday before the Blue Jays took the field for Game 2 of their series. "Obviously any time you get hurt that's never good and then secondarily, at this time of the year. He's crushed."
Under MLB rules, the move means that Travis is finished for the season.
MLB guidelines state that any player who has to be dropped during the post season due to an injury is ineligible to return for the balance of the current series and the next series.
It is a big loss for the Blue Jays as Travis normally batted lead off for Toronto and was their leading hitter over the course of the regular season with a .300 batting average.
"It's no secret that having Devon in the lineup is something that's really important to use," said Darwin Barney, who got the start at second base for Toronto in Saturday's contest. "He's one of our best hitters all around, hits to the situation. It's a big loss any time he's not in there."
Travis missed the last two games of the American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers after suffering what the team said was a deep bone bruise.
After a week or so of extensive therapy, the Blue Jays said Travis's condition had improved and named him to their roster for the ALCS.
But in his first game back on Friday night, a 2-0 Cleveland win, Travis said he felt something amiss with the knee when he ran over to first base to cover on a bunt play in the fifth inning.
It resulted in his leaving the game and, afterward, was limping noticeably in the Toronto clubhouse.
The Blue Jays sent Travis back to Toronto for an MRI.
Atkins said he did not know more about the new injury to Travis's knee as he does not yet have all the medical information from the Toronto doctors.
But he said the medical staff is certain the knee injury that Travis suffered on Friday is different from the once that kept him sidelined earlier.
"The two injuries are isolated," Atkins said. "We feel really good about the process of trying to understand how ready he could be to go as we ramped him up for the first game. He felt great going into that game.
"Again, we're optimistic he'll recover quickly and be ready to go for next year."