DETROIT -- Just ahead of their first doubleheader of the season Wednesday at Comerica Park , the Pirates made a series of moves to shakeup a few different rosters.
Miguel Yajure was recalled from the taxi squad as the 27th player in the doubleheader to make his club debut in the nightcap of the twin bill. Anthony Alford, the team's opening day starter in center field, was designated for assignment about a half hour before first pitch of the Pirates' 3-2 victory in the opener. The Pirates also announced that switch-hitting infielder Rodolfo Castro was recalled from the alternate training site, and outfielder Ka'ai Tom was claimed off waivers from the A's.
Yajure and lefty reliever Chasen Shreve were the only pitchers on the taxi squad entering Wednesday. The 22-year-old was part of the return in this January's trade with the Yankees that sent Jameson Taillon to New York. He appeared in three games as a reliever for the Yankees, then compiled a 4.50 ERA in six innings this spring.
"Ability to throw strikes. Ability to attack the zone. It's one of the things when we acquired him that we liked that people from the Yankees talked to us about when we talked to them about what kind of kid we were getting," Derek Shelton said when he announced Yajure as the Game 2 starter after the matinee. "He's done a nice job throughout at the alt site, and he's been with us on the taxi squad so Oscar [Marin has] gotten a chance to throw a couple bullpens with him and has an idea about the stuff for the gameplan, but those are the things that stand out."
The Pirates called for a patient approach for their struggling center field platoon to start the season, but they started to move on from their original plan.
Tom took Alford's place on the 40-man roster and will have to remain on the active roster as a Rule 5 pick. But he will need a few days to pass through intake testing and get him going with the club, so Castro was recalled in his place until Tom is ready to join the club officially.
Tom was a Rule 5 pick by Oakland after six seasons in the Indians' system. He batted .290/.380/.912 with 23 homers and 86 RBIs in his most recent minor league season with Class AA Akron and AAA Columbus in 2019. Tom had one hit and six strikeouts in nine at-bats with the A's before being DFA'd on Monday.
Before he was drafted by Cleveland in the fifth round in 2015, Tom was coached by Pirates current hitting coach Rick Eckstein at the University of Kentucky.
"I've seen video of him. I have not seen him play in person," Shelton said. "Looks like a guy that controls the zone. I think the one thing that's going to be a benefit for us is Rick had him in college, so he has a little bit of benefit in terms of having a history with him. He's a guy that we like the upside, and he's going to get an opportunity."
Alford had two hits through 24 at-bats with a stolen base and a pair of runs scored through the early part of the season.
"I think we came into spring training and probably the season knowing that outfield was an area where we were looking to get more production from and find out more about guys," Ben Cherington said last week. "We know we want to get more production, and we also want to learn more about players. So, you know, I think we want to give it some time. And we'll see where this goes."
Alford had both of his hits in five at-bats since Cherington made that statement on April 15.
"We see opportunity for guys to step up and win more playing time," Cherington later added. "And that was the case probably coming into spring and it's the case coming into the season. And it's still the case now."
Alford was a former top-10 prospect among the Blue Jays system and college football player. He was DFA'd by Toronto last August and finished out the year with the Pirates. He had a fair share of opportunities to take hold of the position, but his bat could never catch up to major league pitching. He will hit waivers as a lifetime .150 hitter with a .484 OPS in 107 career at-bats.
"Still have work to do," Shelton said. "Wonderful human being. Just we needed the roster spot."
Dustin Fowler started in center field for Game 1 and struck out in all three at-bats. He is hitting .179 in 39 at-bats this season.
Fowler, Bryan Reynolds and Wilmer Difo have been the other Pirates to start a game in center field. Tom has played all three outfield spots almost evenly through five minor league seasons with four starts in corner outfield spots before being DFA'd by the A's.
Castro had three hits in 22 at-bats during the spring. He hit homers in back-to-back games in the Grapefruit League and was a .249 career hitter in three minor league seasons. Castro last played a regular season game for High Class A Bradenton in 2019.
"[Castro] is very versatile. Very excited to be able to tell him today that he's a big leaguer. That was kind of a cool moment with he, Joey [Cora] and I in the office to see the smile on his face," Shelton said. "This one makes me smile a lot just because of the fact that I saw him in instructional league last year, and to see a kid in instructional league and then be able to tell him that he was a big leaguer today was cool."
Difo and Castro probably don't have much time left on the roster. Ke'Bryan Hayes is scheduled to play his first rehab game with the alternate site team Wednesday and will likely return at least for the weekend series against Minnesota. To make room for Tom and Hayes on the active roster, Difo would probably be DFA'd and Castro optioned back to the alternate site.