With news breaking Tuesday morning from Toronto Blue Jays' manager John Gibbons that second baseman Devon Travis is not progressing from knee surgery as well as expected, the team's potential replacements at the lead-off spot in the batting order are limited.

According to TSN's Scott MacArthur, there is currently no timetable set for the 26-year-old's return and if Travis does start the season on the disabled list as Gibbons fears, here are a few lead-off options the Blue Jays may explore.


1. Ezequiel Carrera

Carrera was the Jays' most effective lead-off hitter filling in for Travis in 2016 while he recovered from shoulder surgery. In 148 at-bats in the lead-off position, the 29-year-old outfielder batted .248/.374/.419. And in a spot in the lineup where on-base percentage is key, Carrera's .374 mark was significantly higher than Travis's .323. Carrera does have a good chance to once again find himself at the top of the Jays' batting order come Opening Day with the team's left field position up for grabs.


2. Jose Bautista

Although not a prototypical lead-off hitter, Bautista's on-base percentage numbers and strong batter's eye to work the count makes him a potential candidate to bat lead-off. Gibbons experiment with the 35-year-old slugger at the top of the order in 40 games last season. In 159 lead-off at-bats, Bautista hit .239/.341/.459 -- a better OBP than Travis and the same slugging percentage.


3. Kevin Pillar

The Blue Jays' lead-off hitter out of Spring Training due to Travis's shoulder surgery in 2016, Pillar struggled at the top of the order. The 28-year-old centrefielder batted a paltry .198/.231/.291 in 86 at-bats at the lead-off spot over 21 games. However, he has been plugged in as the lead-off batter in all of his starts this Spring Training and flourished. Pillar has batted .400/.438/.600 in 15 at-bats as the Jays' lead-off hitter.


4. Melvin Upton

Along with Carrera, Upton is challenging for the starting left field position in 2017. Although the 32-year-old didn't take an at-bat in the lead-off spot for the Blue Jays last season, he has a lot of prior experience as a lead-off hitter. Split between the Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves and San Deigo Padres, Upton has batted .240/.308/.411 with 94 stolen bases from the lead-off spot.


None of these options are ideal, given their numbers, but MacArthur was told by Gibbons that the Jays are going to be extra cautious with Travis, increasing the likelihood that one of these four outfielders will be hitting lead-off on Opening Day. If Travis does end up on the disabled list, it is likely that infielders Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney will platoon at second base. The team also been linked to former Blue Jays' infielder Brett Lawrie, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden.

"[Travis] is absolutely the [Blue Jays'] best option at lead-off. He's a potential .300 hitter in the big leagues and to lose him from your lineup for any period of time obviously would hurt them," MacArthur reported.