The Toronto Blue Jays are still in the thick of the playoff hunt following a series-tying, 3-0 win against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.
Toronto will have a chance to clinch the series win in the rubber match against Kansas City at 7:07 p.m. ET on Thursday at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
After the Blue Jays' shutout win against the Royals, Toronto is 65-69 and four games out of the final wild card spot in the American League.
Due to a series of injuries, regressions and imperfect fits on the roster, Toronto has made a series of roster moves throughout the season to try and find the right combination of players for the team to make its final push.
Those combinations include several players testing out atypical positions in both the majors and minors leagues, including one of the better prospects in the organization.
Sean Keys received his major league call up and subsequent big league debut June 27 before being optioned down to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on July 23. Since being send down to the minor leagues, the former Bucknell product has been on a heater.
Across 81 at-bats in August, Keys has slashed .370/.475/.679 with a 1.154 OPS and has hit five doubles, a triple and six home runs with 22 RBIs for the Bisons.
Sean Keys (TOR) wants another chance in the Majors!
The Blue Jays slugger has been nearly unstoppable in August, posting a 1.190 OPS at AAA while registering phenomenal batted ball metrics and tacking on 6 HR. With Toronto strapped for power, Keys could help ignite their offense https://t.co/J8HYmcaCkUpic.twitter.com/opcyck9oI7
The former fourth-round draft pick wasn't quite able to translate his power to the big leagues in his month-long stint with the team.
In 12 games, Keys slashed .167/.189/.278 with a .467 OPS and hit a double and a homer with five RBIs. Despite his struggles, Keys' recent performance in Triple-A has earned him another look in the majors. But the fit isn't perfect.
While he was in the majors, the 23-year-old played both corner infield spots and designated hitter, three positions the Blue Jays have filled on the roster.
But there might be an opening soon in the future. According to a post on "X" from SportNet columnist Shi Davidi, Keys will be playing in the outfield this week for Buffalo.
"You wish he played, I don't know, second base or outfield," Schneider said in a quote shared in the post by Davidi. "It's weird how we're built right now, but he's definitely making a strong case to come back."
The active major league rosters will expand from 26 to 28 players for all 30 clubs. When that happens, Keys will likely find a spot on the roster regardless. But if he's able to translate his power to the major leagues this time around, Toronto could legitimately benefit and use that uptick in power to make a continued push for the playoffs.
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