After four years, Lopez returned to the Dominican Republic to live with his uncle and train at a small baseball academy, hoping to avoid the Major League Baseball draft and instead sign a more lucrative free agent contract.[2]
Lopez played his first full season of minor-league baseball in 2019, appearing in 108 games for the Single–ALansing Lugnuts and batted .324 with five home runs, 50 RBI, and 20 stolen bases.[4] In the offseason, Lopez played 13 games for the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM). He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] He returned to the Leones during the 2020–21 offseason, appearing in 18 games and batting .254.[4]
Lopez spent most of the 2022 season with Buffalo.[3] He collected his first major-league hit on October 1, 2022, his 24th birthday, against the Boston Red Sox.[8]
Lopez was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to begin the 2023 season.[9] In 80 games for Buffalo, he hit .251/.307/.330 with 2 home runs, 31 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. On August 1, 2023, Lopez was placed on the 60–day injured list with a left oblique strain.[10] On February 9, 2024, Lopez was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays after the signing of Yariel Rodríguez was made official.[11]
Miami Marlins
On February 13, 2024, Lopez was traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations.[12] He was optioned to the Triple–A Sacramento River Cats to begin the 2024 season.[13] Lopez was designated for assignment by San Francisco on April 1.[14]
On April 4, 2024, Lopez was claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins.[15]