Aristides Aquino runs out of chances with Cincinnati Reds, designated for assignment

DENVER – It was a little more than two years ago when Aristides Aquino was the hottest hitter in the National League, breaking Major League records for 15 home runs in the fewest number of plate appearances.

Now, he’s no longer on the Cincinnati Reds’ roster.

Aquino was designated for assignment Saturday, creating roster space for starting pitcher Connor Overton. Aquino was 2-for-41 with 23 strikeouts and two walks in 15 games this season.

The Reds have a week to place Aquino on waivers or trade him. Despite his rough start to the season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if another team picked him up. Few outfielders possess Aquino’s raw power and arm strength. If he cleared waivers, the Reds could send him to Triple-A Louisville.

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“Tough day, really, for our whole clubhouse,” Reds Manager David Bell said. “He’s been such a big part of our team. He’s been in the organization for 10 years, since he was 16 years old. We still believe in him as a player. He’s going to get another opportunity, I believe, in the Major Leagues somewhere. It could turn out that he would end up back here in our organization and we would welcome him back, for sure.”

Aquino, nicknamed “The Punisher,” was incredible in his first month in the big leagues. He hit .320 with 14 homers and 33 RBI in 29 games in Aug. 2019. He set records for homers in a player’s first 12 career games (eight), 14 games (nine), 16 games (10), 17 games (11), 22 games (12), 27 games (13) and 28 games (14).

The next month, however, was more of a sign to come. He hit .196 in Sept. 2019 with five homers and 34 strikeouts in 102 at-bats.

In 179 career games, Aquino has 32 homers, 80 RBI and 177 strikeouts in 468 at-bats. His number of strikeouts became unsustainable, and the right-handed hitter struggled against left-handed pitching when the Reds wanted him to fill at least a platoon role.

“It came down to the results,” Bell said. “We’re doing everything we can to get better as a team and to win as many games as we can. Right now, it was really a roster decision we had to make to activate Connor Overton today. Up until the last day, we believed it was going to happen for Aquino here.”

One of Aquino’s most memorable games was a three-homer performance against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park. He homered in three consecutive innings, and teammates couldn’t stop smiling and laughing in the dugout.

Aquino, 28, was unable to replicate anything close to his historic month. He spent most of the 2020 season at the alternate site. He hit .190 in 84 games last year with 10 homers and 23 RBI.

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“Nobody worked harder than him and he’s very talented,” Bell said. “It’s a tough game. He’s still got a long way to go. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he has another month like that and he’s able to keep it going after that.

“It is a lot about confidence. You have a few good swings and you have a feel for something. A guy with his talent, it’s not surprise at all that he had the success he had. But it’s not a surprise that any player would fall off either. It’s just so tough to get everything to work together.”

INDIA SCRATCHED: Jonathan India was scratched from Saturday’s lineup. The team described it as a “recovery day,” but he returned from the 10-day Injured List last Tuesday because of a hamstring strain.

India went 3-for-5 in Friday’s 10-4 loss, and he grounded into his first double play of the season.

REHAB START: Luis Castillo made his second start on a rehab assignment Friday in Columbus, pitching 3 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and three walks for Triple-A Louisville. He permitted two hits and threw 66 pitches, 38 strikes.

“The results were good,” Bell said. “He was a little tired in a good way after throwing that many pitches. Feels great today and on track for his next start.”

Castillo struck out three batters with his fastball, which sat at 94-96 mph, and struck out two batters with his changeup against the Cleveland Guardians’ Triple-A affiliate. It was the first time Castillo pitched at Triple-A in his career, skipping the level when he was called up to the big leagues in 2017.

He’s scheduled to make one more rehab start Wednesday before joining the Reds’ rotation. He could return as early as the Reds’ series against Milwaukee from May 9-11 at Great American Ball Park.

MINOR UPDATE: Reds left-hander Mike Minor threw 34 pitches in a bullpen session Saturday at Great American Ball Park. With the team on the road, the next thing on his schedule is a live batting practice session in Dayton.

Minor reported shoulder soreness after he made a rehab start on April 13. He likely won’t be ready to return to the Reds until June.