Jays reassign Otto Lopez to minors

March 31, 2022

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

The Toronto Blue Jays have reassigned INF/OF Otto Lopez to minor league camp.

The 23-year-old, who spent part of his youth in Montreal and competed for the Canadian national team at the 2019 Pan Am Games qualifier, was 1-for-15 in seven Grapefruit League games this spring.

MLB Pipeline ranks him as the Blue Jays’ fourth-best prospect, while Baseball America has him at No. 6 on their list.

Lopez made his major league debut with the Blue Jays on August 17, 2021 when he pinch-hit for pitcher Alek Manoah in the fourth inning and struck out against Washington Nationals pitcher Erick Fedde. That was his sole big league at bat last season.

The versatile Lopez split the bulk of 2021 between double-A New Hampshire and triple-A Buffalo and batted a combined .315 with a .379 on-base percentage in 113 games. He recorded 142 hits – including 32 doubles and five home runs – and stole 22 bases.

Born in Santo Domingo, D.R., Lopez was signed as an international free agent by the Blue Jays prior to the 2017 season. He has played second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield during his parts of five seasons in the Blue Jays’ organization.

Lopez has hit well at every stop in the minors and owns a .312 batting average and 400 hits in 330 professional games.

He was one of 15 players reassigned to the Blue Jays’ minor league camp on Monday. Other notables that were sent down include pitchers Thomas Hatch and Anthony Kay and top infield prospect Gabriel Moreno. You can read a complete list of the players the Blue Jays reassigned to minor league camp here.