Reds notes: What will the Cincinnati Reds outfield look like without Jesse Winker?
Charlie Goldsmith
When Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker took a swing in the eighth inning of Friday night’s win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, a few Reds coaches on the bench could tell that he wasn’t at full strength.
Winker was playing in his first game back off the injured list. He had missed a month with an intercostal strain, and he rushed through his rehab assignment to help the Reds in the playoff race.
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After that swing in the eighth inning, a few coaches asked Reds manager David Bell, “Did you see that?”
“I went up to the steps and was yelling at Wink at the top,” Bell said. “He didn’t turn around, so I guessed he was OK … I still (haven’t) even looked at it, I didn’t want to look at it on video.”
Winker back on the 10-day injured list
On Saturday, the Reds placed Winker back on the 10-day injured list with the same intercostal strain. The Reds also placed outfielder Shogo Akiyama on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. If they had both been healthy, Winker and Akiyama would have been likely candidates to start for the Reds on Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Instead, the Reds used an outfield combination that hadn't started together all season.
Right-handed hitter Delino DeShields made a rare start against a right-handed pitcher, and he started next to Max Schrock in left and Nick Castellanos in right. As long as Winker and Akiyama are unavailable, Bell will be turning to new outfield combinations down the stretch run.
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Castellanos will continue to start every day, and Max Schrock will likely start in left field against right-handed pitchers. But at center field, the Reds don't have a clear starter.
On Saturday, Bell had three choices for his starting center fielder.
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He could have started Aristides Aquino, who has had a few flashes as a power hitter but entered the game with a .182 batting average. He could have started rookie Jose Barrero, who has potential but has only played one MLB inning in center field and had extremely limited at-bats off the Reds bench this month.
He decided to start DeShields. DeShields had spent the entire season in the Minor Leagues before he was traded to the Reds, but he was the best defensive outfielder who was available to play on Saturday.
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“The thing about Delino is he’s an excellent defender, which is really important with our outfield,” Bell said. “When you have the pitchers that are going against each other today, run prevention is really important because every hit and every run is big. There’s a lot to be said for putting your best defense out there.”
New center fielder for the Reds
The Reds also called up center fielder TJ Friedl on Saturday from Triple-A. Friedl posted a .264 batting average in Triple-A this season and is considered a strong defender. Friedl will make his MLB debut with his first appearance, and he gives the Reds a left-handed hitter with speed.
Against right-handed pitchers, Castellanos and Schrock will most likely start, and Bell will pick between DeShields, Aquino, Friedl and Barrero to be the starting center fielder. Against left-handed pitchers, Castellanos will start in right field, Aquino will likely start in left and DeShields is the favorite to start in center. Barrero and catcher Tyler Stephenson have continued to work out in the outfield, but the coaching staff hasn't turned to either of them to start a game yet.
New shirts for the Reds
On the Reds last road trip, Tucker Barnhart was listening to music in his hotel room when he heard a song that included the line “Us against the world.”
Barnhart typed that line into the search bar of his computer. He found a shirt from the Team USA Olympic basketball Dream Team in 1992 with that line and a Team USA flag planted on the globe.
Working with a local apparel company, he created a similar T-shirt for the Reds. This weekend, most of the players have worn it for pregame warmups.
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“I just think it’s pretty cool,” Barnhart said. “We’re looking for anything at this point of the year to give us a little extra juice. I think everybody is. We (started) 1-0 with the shirt. There we go.”
Another addition for the Reds
With Akiyama heading to the injured list, the Reds activated reliever Art Warren (oblique strain) from the 60-day injured list.
Warren had limited MLB experience before this season, but he had a 1.88 ERA in 18 games out of the Reds bullpen this season. Warren had been out since July, and he gives the Reds another right-handed pitcher out of the bullpen.