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The Blue Jays have promoted outfielder Anthony Alford to the majors, as first reported by Jason Munz of the Hattiesburg American. Toronto also placed Darrell Ceciliani on the 10-day DL with a shoulder injury.
Alford, a third-round pick in 2012, entered Friday as the third-best prospect in the Jays’ system (behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Sean Reid-Foley) and the 62nd-best prospect in all of baseball, per MLB.com. The 6-foot-1, 215 lb. center-fielder has been terrific so far this season at Double-A New Hampshire, hitting .325/.411/.455 with three homers and nine steals.
Alford, 22, has never appeared at Triple-A for Toronto, so his promotion may be short-lived. The Jays are short on outfielders in the wake of Ceciliani’s injury and Kevin Pillar’s two-game suspension, causing them to need to add a body before Pillar returns Saturday.
Even if Alford is demoted as soon as Pillar comes back, he’s slated to be a centerpiece for the Jays for years to come. The former Ole Miss linebacker is regarded for his speed, and projects as a top-of-the-order center-fielder in the majors.