BALTIMORE -- Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Alford is set to begin a rehab assignment later this week with Class A Dunedin after previously dealing with a strained right hamstring.
Alford, who is ranked Toronto's No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has been out since midway through Spring Training with the leg issue. He is expected to play a couple of games for Dunedin before eventually being activated from the 10-day disabled list.
Once healthy and settled into a routine, Alford will be optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Alford is not under consideration for a spot on Toronto's 25-man roster, but that could change later in the year depending on his success and the results of the Blue Jays' corner outfielders.
"I'd guess he'll play just a couple of days down there and if he feels good, sending him right to Buffalo," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "I couldn't tell you the plan, but that would be my guess."
Grichuk gets a breather
Right fielder Randal Grichuk was held out of the Blue Jays' starting lineup on Monday night in Baltimore as he received a mental and physical break after a frustrating start to the season.

Grichuk is currently mired in a career-worst 0-for-26 skid, and he has just two hits in seven games this season. Toronto handed him the starting duties in right field, and while that's not expected to change in the near future, Grichuk will have to start performing relatively soon to hold off Minor League outfielders Teoscar Hernandez and Dalton Pompey.
Gibbons said on Monday afternoon that the quality of Grichuk's at-bats has been improving of late and he just hasn't had the final result he has been looking for.
"He's taking good swings," Gibbons said. "I guarantee you, he has just missed five or six balls. If he catches them a little bit differently, they would go a long, long way. Really, that's it, but he's pressing no doubt. He's human. But he's swinging the bat much better than the numbers would indicate."