Mike McCoy must have more frequent flyer miles than any non-major leaguer right now. The utility infielder for the Toronto Blue Jays has been up and down like a yo-yo between Toronto and Triple-A Las Vegas. He started the season on the 25-man roster, but less than two months into it he’s already been optioned to Triple-A and recalled three times each. In 2010, McCoy made two round-trips from the desert and across the border.

Every young player wants a taste of the big leagues, but McCoy’s had several servings. It’s not that he’s not good enough; he’s just designated as the unofficial 26th man. He’s a speedy, young player who doesn’t exactly figure into any one position, so while he still has options, the Blue Jays will make use of them either from the bench or with the Las Vegas 51s. The tough part for McCoy is the distance (and time zones) between Toronto and Vegas.

He made his debut as a September call-up for the Colorado Rockies in 2009. He then was claimed off waivers by the Jays after that season ended. In just 77 career games, McCoy has 26 hits in 141 plate appearances including one home run, five doubles, 14 runs scored and five batted in. He’s stolen nine bases in 10 attempts. Exactly the kind of numbers you would expect from a guy in McCoy’s precarious position.

In his most recent stint, he was recalled from Las Vegas on Friday to give the Blue Jays an extra bench player after starter Jesse Litsch went down with a shoulder injury. In three games against Houston, he pinch-ran in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game – and didn’t advance a single base. Afterwards, he was optioned back to Triple-A. It’s those miles between the two cities that will likely catch up with him at some point. The Blue Jays can continue to pay his air fare for the next year and a half, but once that time is up, nobody will be able to say that McCoy didn’t earn his spot on a big league roster.