With Orelvis Martinez returning at the end of September, where does he fit in?

It's been a long time since we last thought about Toronto Blue Jays infield prospect Orelvis Martinez. Almost 80 games, actually.

Despite still serving an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, Martinez got back into minor league action over the weekend, as he began a rehab stint with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. By all accounts, it was a successful return to the field for the 22-year-old slugger — he went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles.

With Orelvis Martinez returning at the end of September, where does he fit in?

If you recall, Martinez made his MLB debut on June 21, collecting a hit, before things went south. Just two days after his debut, he was handed the shocking suspension and was erased from the Blue Jays' plans for this season. Now, almost three months later, the Blue Jays' top hitting prospect is back in the fold, eligible to return to MLB action on Sept. 23.

But that begs the question: Where does he fit in on a Blue Jays roster that looks wildly different than it did the last time he was in Toronto?

This season, at least, Jays Journal's No. 2 prospect doesn't really fit in anywhere. According to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi, Martinez won't be getting any rep in the majors this season. With his suspension expiring immediately after the Triple-A season ends, there will be only six games left on the Blue Jays' schedule. The team will reportedly be looking to get him winter ball reps instead of a week in Toronto.

The Blue Jays have a glut of young infielders who have emerged late in the season. Truthfully, even if they wanted to bring Martinez back to the bigs in 2024, there wouldn't be much room for him to carve out playing time among all the other auditions going on for 2025.

The Blue Jays don't need him this year but will want him to be ready to compete for a job next spring. Even with the exciting young bats the team has been showcasing recently, there's a place for Martinez's power. After breaking out with 30 home runs in Double-A in 2022, he put up 28 long balls between Double-A and Triple-A last season. This year, before his call-up in June, he had launched 16 home runs in 269 plate appearances for Buffalo while keeping his strikeout rate down to a manageable 24.2 percent.

Martinez will need to shake the rust off over the winter and show up to Dunedin in February ready to show that he's prepared to take the next step in his career after the unfortunate and unplanned hiatus in his development this season.