Alford to DL with broken bone in left wrist

Blue Jays prospect had first career hit earlier in game; Happ, Tulo, Donaldson, Liriano all nearing return

May 24th, 2017

MILWAUKEE -- experienced one of the biggest highs and one of the biggest lows of his professional baseball career within a 12-hour span.
The Blue Jays' No. 3 prospect logged his first Major League hit during Toronto's 4-3 win over the Brewers on Tuesday night. But he fractured a hamate bone in his left wrist in his next at-bat and was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday.
"It was definitely a way to rain on the parade," Alford said. "It was an exciting day for me yesterday by getting my first hit and on top of that getting the win, but unfortunately we had some bad news after the game."
Alford said he felt a pop in his wrist when he fouled off the 2-1 pitch from Brewers reliever in his last at-bat.
"I just tried to grind through that at-bat, get it taped and got it checked out after the game," Alford said. "Last night, I was pretty down, but at the end of the day, I can't control injuries. And [I have to] do the best I can to my ability and do what I can to help the team."
The 22-year-old Alford will travel back to Toronto on Thursday to meet with doctors. He said he doesn't have a timetable on his recovery yet, but manager John Gibbons and general manager Ross Atkins estimate it could be anywhere from four to six weeks.
"What it really hurts -- I don't know if it's going to be about a month or six weeks, but it's cutting into his development. But what are you going to do? You have to take care of it," Gibbons said.
The Blue Jays have recalled Dwight Smith Jr. from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move. Smith made his Major League debut last week against the Braves.
Alford was pinch-hitting in the seventh inning when he lined a double off the center-field wall off Brewers reliever Rob Scahill. The ball left his bat at 107 mph with a launch angle of 20 degrees, according to Statcast™, qualifying it as one of three barreled balls in the game.
Alford was planning to give the ball to his mom, Lawanda, who collects all of his baseball-related memorabilia.
"She lost everything in a house fire in December, so I started a new collection for her," Alford said Tuesday night. "I think she's going to be real excited. I can just imagine her sitting and screaming at the TV right now."

Worth noting
• Left-handed pitcher J.A. Happ is nursing left elbow inflammation on the 10-day DL, and he is scheduled to make a rehab start soon. According to Atkins, he could be a viable option for the team in the next 10-15 days, but he will make a maximum of three rehab starts.
• Atkins and the Blue Jays are optimistic and Josh Donaldson will return from the 10-day DL potentially as soon as Friday. The two continued rehab assignments at Class A Dunedin on Tuesday.
• The Blue Jays are still deciding a destination for 's rehab start on Sunday. Liriano is on the 10-day DL with left shoulder inflammation.