TODAY: Alford underwent elbow surgery yesterday, the Pirates announced, and the outfielder “is projected to participate in full baseball activities in spring training 2021.”
SEPTEMBER 6: Alford’s season is indeed over, as the Pirates announced they have placed him on the 45-day injured list. Outfielder Jason Martin is up from the alternate training site to replace him on the active roster.
SEPTEMBER 5: Pirates outfielder Anthony Alford fractured his right elbow during tonight’s game, the team announced. Alford suffered the injury during the third inning after crashing into the wall in pursuit of a Tucker Barnhart home run ball.
While the severity of the injury has yet to be revealed, it certainly would seem that Alford’s 2020 season has come to an end. The 26-year-old only recently joined the Pirates after being claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays, with Saturday’s contest with the Reds marking Alford’s fifth game in the black and gold. The early returns from the change of scenery were promising, as Alford had three hits (including a home run) and a walk over his first 13 plate appearances as a Pirate.
The elbow fracture is the latest in a series of injuries that have hampered Alford’s career and kept him from establishing himself as a Major League regular. A highly-regarded prospect while in the Jays’ farm system, Alford hit a modest .265/.358/.393 over 2098 career plate appearances in the minors, then a .454 OPS over 75 PA for Toronto at the big league level from 2017-20. The Blue Jays designated Alford for assignment in August, and Pittsburgh made the claim to give Alford a look as the Bucs continue to build for the future.
Alford finally gets playing time by going to PIT and now this.. hopefully they keep him on board.
agreed all he needed was playing time hopefully he can be in their plans for next year
Up and down OBP in the minors with no power. Unlikely to amount to anything
Same way with Austin Meadows. OBP all over the place and no power at any level till last year.. Who knows if he will amount to anything.
Bad break, no pun intended.
Small sample, but I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from Alford.
Time to call up the Swag Man
Yeah I was looking forward to him competing for the everyday CF job going until next season. I wonder do they call up Cruz and let him play RF rest of the year
Always thought there was more to the guy than the Jays, for whatever reason, were able to get to. I just happened to be watching the play, and I think it was a question of Alford trying a little too hard to impress the new bosses. But there’s some reasonable talent there, IMHO.
Since nobody talks about the Bucs, I should note that watching them, I’m impressed with what Shelton has going on. They play pretty hard and pretty well; they just have very little talent. But in some ways they’re fun to watch. (But those announcers are hideous. If the cardboard cutouts in the stands had to listen to them, they’d get up and walk out).
Bob Walk is the best they got. Could take or leave Greg Brown, after 27 seasons as a Pirates announcer, I’m used to him. John Wehner is mehh.. Joe Block shouldn’t be doing sports broadcasting. Michael McKenry.. the high tember, monotone, rapid fire delivery doesn’t work for me.
I too hoped to get a look at Alford for the rest of the year.He seems like he could be a decent player if the team gives him an extended chance which I think that they will do next year.
I think that Pirates have some talent but these coaches do not seem to be getting it out of them.
I always liked Bob Walk as the color man.Not so much Greg Brown.
Greg Brown is the second best thing the Pirates have after PNC Park. Great play by play man and knows the team inside and out. Walk is awesome. McKenry is a natural.
I can only assume he heard Block and Wehner.
Block and Wehner are bad. McKenry and Walk are dynamite. Brown mostly good but some things are awfully forced. “Cup of coffee” and “Ring your bell” are embarrassingly bad.
Mike Lange is (OK, was) the best play by play guy in hockey, but it wasn’t because of his silly catch phrases, so I guess I’m used to ignoring that stuff.
I like Block and Wehner when they appear as guests on the radio talking baseball. Listening to the game, I hope to get Brown and Walk.
The one upside is that he doesn’t have to worry about being DFA’d again as long as he is hurt. I’m sure he would rather the injury not happened, but guys in his position are frequently cut. He can at least gather paychecks and service time while on the IL.
He’s still a piece to hold on too for the pirates. I think they need to tear down and rebuild now. He’s a nice piece to hope he regains some of that top prospect magic. Even if it’s for a second… if so you might be able to flip him for more lower tier prospects or at worse hold over the team while they rebuild
Tear down what?
They’re already a last place team with zero good players.
Poor guy
This happened to me as a kid playing first on a bunt and I caught the ball and runner at the same time
Only in a cast for 10 days, but rehab for 18 months before i got full motion back and another 3-4 before it felt back to being useful
He’s obviously a much better conditioned athlete than I’ve ever been but he’s looking at a year plus before he’s even thinking about playing ball again
I figure Oliva gets next call.
You would think, but they wouldn’t play him enough to justify it. Gotta keep their best defensive SS in CF after all.
Head scratching injury. Ran into a wall on a ball he had zero chance in catching and knew he had hit the warning track dirt. That is Anthony Alford in a nutshell. Unfortunate he hurt himself. Also unfortunate that it shouldn’t have happened.
Damn. I like Alford. Good guy to cheer for. He was just odd man out in Toronto. I hope he stays with Pirates and establishes himself as a major leaguer.
Thumbs up to all the Buccos broadcasters, with exception of Block. It’s been what, three years now, with him? He just doesn’t get easier to listen to.
Sometimes I get the impression he’d rather be talking about anything else but baseball.
Sometimes I wish he would, too! He was no easier to listen to in his previous post, as Bob Uecker’s partner no less, on the Brewer’s radio network.