Anthony Alford, the Blue Jays' No. 3 prospect and the No. 62 prospect in baseball according to MLBPipeline.com, got called up to the big leagues on Friday.
The 22-year-old outfielder has been excellent offensively at Double-A New Hampshire this season, batting .325 with a .411 on-base percentage, three home runs, 11 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 33 games.
Alford, a former football player, was a third-round Draft pick by the Blue Jays in 2012. His callup is a feel-good story, especially after what he's had to deal with in recent months. Late in December, Alford's family home in Columbia, Miss., burned down, with much of what the family owned lost in the fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
In a corresponding roster move to make room for Alford, Darrell Ceciliani was placed on the 10-day disabled list. Manager John Gibbons had said Thursday night that he expected Ceciliani to go on the DL with a possible dislocated left shoulder. Kevin Pillar is also not eligible to return from his suspension until Saturday.