The Blue Jays are planning to select the contract of outfielder Rudy Martin Jr. from Triple-A Buffalo, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Toronto has a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding transaction.

This is technically Martin’s second call to the majors this year, but he didn’t get into a game during his initial cup of coffee with the Orioles before being designated for assignment. As such, the 30-year-old minor league veteran is still waiting to make his big league debut.

The Jays originally claimed Martin from Baltimore in late July. He was designated for assignment by Toronto a few days after the trade deadline, when Toronto called up deadline acquisition Brett Bateman for his big league debut. Martin cleared waivers and stuck with the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate. He’s spent the past six weeks or so in Buffalo, where he’s batted .253/.351/.379 in 114 plate appearances. Overall, Martin has tallied 369 minor league plate appearances between the Royals and Jays organizations this season, combining for a .274/.394/.421 slash (119 wRC+). He’s homered 11 times and swiped 45 bags in 53 attempts (84.9% success rate).

It’s been more than 12 years since the Royals drafted Martin in the 25th round out of Lewisburg High School in Missouri. He’s a career .252/.358/.387 hitter with 239 steals in nearly 2500 minor league plate appearances.

Martin’s earlier run with the Royals organization this season was actually his second stint with his original club. In the interim, he’s spent minor league time with the Nationals and played in independent leagues and foreign leagues. Martin spent the 2023 season with the American Association’s Milwaukee Milkmen and the 2024 season with the Atlantic League’s York Revolution. He’s also played winter ball in Mexico and played in a handful of games with los Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League last season.

Between his minor league work, those indie ball stints and his time in Mexico, Martin has played 931 professional games and totaled 3775 professional plate appearances — all with the goal of eventually stepping to the plate in a major league game. He flirted with that opportunity during his brief time as an Oriole and, hopefully, will at long last get that chance as a member of the Blue Jays after a 12-year grind through pro ball.