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Blue Jays DFA Triple-A star who can't solve MLB in latest roster shuffle

Michael Stefanic's fourth trip to the majors didn't go as planned.
ByMatthew Sookram|
Toronto Blue Jays v Texas Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays v Texas Rangers | Ron Jenkins/GettyImages

It will be back to the drawing board once again for Michael Stefanic who was Designated for Assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. The 29-year-old, appeared in nine games for the Blue Jays and went 4-for-22 with four singles, three walks and three strikeouts after earning a call up in early May. While the promotion was due to second baseman Andrés Giménez suffering a right quad strain, it wasn’t completely unearned by Stefanic.

Stefanic was having a great season in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons. Through 31 games, the Boise, ID product was hitting .319/.454/.372 with an .826 OPS. His 30 hits are tied for fifth on the team, despite not taking an at-bat for Buffalo in their last 21 games and his on-base percentage is still the top mark for the Bisons.

The right-handed infielder has consistently performed well at the top level in the minor leagues for several seasons. Over the last five years he’s slashing .344/.436/.468 with 190 walks and just 147 strikeouts in more than 1500 plate appearances. However, he doesn’t get good grades on the other side of the ball, with below-average metrics as a defender. He also doesn’t hit for a ton of power with just 31 career minor-league home runs, and in 2025, only five of his 30 hits were for extra bases, all of which were doubles. And while he was 4-6 in steal attempts this season, speed has never been a part of his game. His sprint speed ranks in the eighth percentile with a total of 35 steals in seven minor league seasons.   

His latest call up to the big leagues with Toronto was the fourth time he has been promoted to the majors in the last four seasons, getting three shots with the LA Angels between 2022-2024. His best run came in 2023 when he slashed .290/.380/.355 in 25 games with 18 hits six RBI and eight walks. In 99 career games in MLB, he has batted .227/.314/.267 in 289 trips to the plate.

The Blue Jays now have a week to decide what to do with Stefanic. They can explore trades place him on waivers or have him accept his assignment to Buffalo.