There may not be a pathway back to the majors for corner infield prospect Sean Keys right now. But that could change soon if he can add another position to his arsenal.

With Keys currently blocked at Triple-A Buffalo, working exclusively at first or third base thus far, the Toronto Blue Jays are planning to experiment with him in left field this week, manager John Schneider revealed Wednesday afternoon. They’ve done this with a few infielders in recent seasons, most notably Davis Schneider, and with Charles McAdoo this year.

The 23-year-old slugger has been tearing the cover off the ball with the Bisons this season, hitting .293/.414/.611 with 13 home runs, 42 RBIs and a 164 wRC+ (100 league average) through 46 games. More recently, his left-handed bat sits among the hottest in the sport, running a scorching .415/.508/.792 slash line with as many walks (eight) as strikeouts (eight) over his previous 13 contests.

Offensively, Keys is doing everything within his control to prove he can move the needle forward for the Blue Jays’ offence. Internally, conversations are ongoing about how to make all the pieces fit in this roster puzzle.

Given that both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto are healthy, opportunities at either corner of the diamond would be few and far between if Keys — who appeared in 12 major league games during his first stint with the Blue Jays earlier this season — returned from Triple-A. That’s a major reason why each of McAdoo’s last three starts has come at second base.

There’s still a significant need for additional production with Toronto’s offence, though, and Keys represents the club’s best option for improvement from within. Thus, they’ll see how he handles shifting to left field. But even if he proves to be an average defender, his case to come up on Sep. 1 as their 14th position player will grow even stronger.

Should Keys return when rosters expand, odds are he’ll be competing for at-bats with fellow lefty bat Jesús Sánchez, who’s endured the worst defensive performance of his career this season and is quickly becoming a DH-only option for this team. Results, in all likelihood, would dictate that internal battle more than anything.

Considering how underwhelming Sánchez’s power metrics have been — he’s slugging just .351 in 16 games since returning from the injured list — Keys could potentially run away with the lion’s share of ABs quickly if he hits the ground running.

With scoring runs at a premium for the Blue Jays’ lineup lately, especially with runners in scoring position, there’s more urgency than ever to construct a batting order, however weird looking, that’ll offer the best chance of winning. If that means playing Keys at a position he’s never played before, and it works, then so be it.

Sometimes, you need to sacrifice a bit of defence for offence. In this case, perhaps there’s a way to improve both.

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