30 Anthony Alford LF

Alord may have a difficult time making the big-league roster this season, Andrew Stoeten of The Athletic reports.

Alford is out of options, but that doesn't guarantee him a spot. The 25-year-old owns a .145/.203/.218 slash line in 59 big-league plate appearances to date and hit just .167/.167/.250 over 24 plate appearances in Grapefruit league action. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Randal Grichuk, Derek Fisher and Teoscar Hernandez all appear to have locked-down places on the big-league roster, with Jonathan Davis and Billy McKinney also in the mix for the fifth outfielder spot, should the Blue Jays elect to carry five outfielders.

Alford stole three bases -- one of which resulted in the eventual winning run -- in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports.

The 25-year-old is out of minor-league options, so it's either head north with the big-league club or head to the waiver wire for Alford this spring. He's making his case early with his legs, but the outfielder will also need to prove he can handle himself defensively in all three spots and contribute a little with his bat if he's going to win a spot on the Jays' bench. The most important thing for Alford this spring might be to just stay healthy, however -- he played only 96 games last year between the minors and majors, and he's never played more than 125 in any season in his career.

Alford is out of options heading into this season and will be playing at all three outfield positions in order to test his versatility, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. "I'm looking forward to seeing Anthony Alford," manager Charlie Montoyo said. "He's going to play a lot, let's see what he's got. He had a good offseason working on his hitting."

Alford has struggled at the plate every time he's gotten a sliver of a chance at the big-league level, including a .179/.233/.286 line in 30 plate appearances last season. He hasn't exactly been banging down the door in Triple-A, either, hitting .259/.343/.411 in Triple-A Buffalo last year. He's competing with Billy McKinney and Derek Fisher, who is also out of options, for the final outfield slot.

Alford went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a stolen base and an additional run Monday in the Blue Jays' 11-10 win over the Orioles in 15 innings.

Alford didn't enter the contest until the bottom of the ninth inning, but he certainly made his presence felt both at the plate and on the bases. He collected his first stolen base of the season after reaching on an infield single in the bottom of the 13th, then walked off the Orioles with a two-out blast in the 15th for his first big-league homer. With Toronto ruling out Lourdes Gurriel (appendectomy) for the season earlier Monday, Alford could see a decent number of at-bats during the team's final five contests.

Alford was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.

Alford has received big-league at-bats in each of the last three seasons but has just 32 plate appearances overall. He was mediocre in 76 games for Buffalo this season, posting a 95 wRC+ while battling multiple injuries.

Alford (groin) is starting at DH and hitting fifth for Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Alford wound up spending 10 days on the minor-league injured list with a right goin injury. The outfielder will look to pick up where he left off prior to getting hurt, as he compiled a .359/.419/.641 slash line with two home runs and three steals in 10 games before landing on the IL. Alford could join the Blue Jays when roster expand in September if he's able to prove his health in the minors.

Triple-A Buffalo placed Alford on its 7-day injured list Saturday with an unspecified injury, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Alford had just rejoined the Buffalo roster on Aug. 7 after an oblique injury had kept him out of commission for nearly six weeks. It's not known if his latest health setback is related to the oblique, but Alford's injury might hurt his chances of joining the Blue Jays when big-league rosters expand in September. Forrest Wall was promoted from Double-A New Hampshire to take Alford's spot on the Buffalo roster.

Alford (oblique) wrapped up his rehab assignment with the Blue Jays' rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate earlier this week and has been transferred back to Triple-A Buffalo, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Alford is still listed on Buffalo's 7-day injured list, so it's possible that he's merely being evaluated before the next step in his rehab program is decided rather than being reinstated to the Triple-A roster. The outfielder, who has been on the shelf since late June with an oblique injury, went 5-for-13 with four extra-base hits during his four-game stint in the Gulf Coast League.

Alford is going through a hitting program as he works his way back from an oblique injury, Alexis Brudnicki of MLB.com reports.

Alford has been on the injured list with Triple-A Buffalo since late June. He's played in just a single game for the Blue Jays this season and owns an unremarkable .256/.340/.405 slash line in 62 games for Buffalo.

Alford went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a stolen base for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.

The mercurial 24-year-old has heated up once again, putting together a nine-game hitting streak during which he's slashing .472/.558/.667 with a homer, six steals (in nine attempts), six runs and six RBI. Alford's overall .257/.339/.410 performance for Buffalo is still mediocre, but the Jays have yet to settle on a regular center fielder since trading away Kevin Pillar. If Alford can stay healthy and show some consistency, he could get another shot at a major-league role in the second half.

Alford (undisclosed) returned to action with Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

The 24-year-old left Saturday's game with an injury, the nature of which was never disclosed. Regardless, it seems he's fine after taking a couple days off to recover. Following the 0-for-4 showing, Alford's line with Buffalo is now down to .216/.295/.363, so he's not exactly making a strong case to return to the majors. Alford remains on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster.

Alford exited Triple-A Buffalo's 7-2 loss to Rochester on Saturday with an unspecified injury, John Lott of The Athletic reports.

It's unclear what led to Alford's departure, but he received just one plate appearance before exiting Saturday and didn't see any action in Sunday's series finale. The 24-year-old is slashing an underwhelming .226/.306/.378 in the International League this season, dimming any talk of a potential promotion even though center field remains a clear area of need for Toronto.

Alford went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.

Nothing went right for the outfielder in April after his demotion from the big-league roster after just one game, but Alford has been productive in May, slashing .292/.376/.449 through 23 games with two homers, three steals, 15 RBI and 17 runs. The Jays haven't yet found a dependable center fielder since trading away Kevin Pillar, so the 24-year-old Alford could get another shot in Toronto if he keeps hitting, but time is running out for him to prove he has a future in the majors.

Alford was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.

Socrates Brito, who was acquired from the Padres earlier in the week, will take Alford's spot on the active roster, while the Blue Jays will likely proceed with an outfield consisting of Teoscar Hernandez, Randal Grichuk and Billy McKinney on most days. The 24-year-old appeared in just one game during his brief stint with the Blue Jays, going 0-for-3. Alford hit .240/.312/.344 with five homers and 17 stolen bases in 105 games for Buffalo last season. He'll remain a top candidate to join the big club should there be an opening.

Alford is not in the lineup Wednesday against Baltimore.

Alford started his first game after getting called up Tuesday, going 0-for-3 at the plate. He'll sit Wednesday, with Randal Grichuk in center field and Billy McKinney in right. The playing-time break down in the Jays' outfield is yet to become clear.

Alford is starting in center field and hitting seventh Tuesday against the Orioles.

He was recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day following the trade that sent Kevin Pillar to the Giants. It seems pretty clear that Alford is now going to be given a chance to establish himself as Toronto's center fielder of the future. He has had trouble staying healthy and he has failed to consistently produce in the upper levels of the minors. That said, Alford's above-average speed could allow him to steal double-digit bases and he has enough raw power to approach 20 home runs this season if he maintains an everyday job.

Alford was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo prior to Tuesday's game against the Orioles.

This move was inevitable after the Jays traded Kevin Pillar to the Giants earlier in the day. Alford now appears poised for a shot at everyday work in center field for the big club. He has had trouble staying healthy and productive in the upper levels of the minors, but he has the raw tools to hit 20-plus homers and steal around 20 bases, so he is worth an add in many formats. Don't expect him to hit for a very high average as a rookie.

Alford could soon be in line for a promotion to the big leagues after the Blue Jays traded Kevin Pillar to the Giants on Tuesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Alford had been vying for a spot on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster during spring training, but the lack of an available full-time role for the 24-year-old may have influenced the organization's decision to send him back to Triple-A Buffalo. Now that Pillar is out of the picture, the Blue Jays don't have a natural center fielder on the roster, so it shouldn't be long before Alford is summoned to fill the void. While Alford should acquit himself fine defensively, how he might perform at the plate is more of a question mark. Alford does boast some impressive raw power, but it didn't show up in games last season, as he managed an underwhelming .656 OPS while striking out in 26.9 percent of his 417 plate appearances at Buffalo.

Alford won't be recalled from Triple-A Buffalo ahead of Thursday's season opener against the Tigers, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

In the aftermath of Wednesday's trade that sent Kendrys Morales to the Athletics, multiple reports suggested Alford would assume Morales' spot on the 25-man roster. Instead, the Blue Jays elected to bring on a similar first-base/designated-hitter type in Rowdy Tellez to fill the void. Though he won't crack the Opening Day roster, Alford should be near the top of the list for a callup if the Blue Jays should require an extra hitter at any point this season.

Alford will make the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kendrys Morales was dealt to the A's on Tuesday, opening the door for Alford, who was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo last week. The 24-year-old outfielder flashed some of his upside during spring training, slashing .242/.342/.636 with four homers and a pair of stolen bases in 16 games. He figures to fill a reserve outfield role for the Blue Jays, though he could carve out a bigger role for himself if he makes the most of his opportunities.