The Reds announced Friday that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Zach Vincej from Triple-A Louisville and released right-hander Lisalverto Bonilla to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Right-hander Ariel Hernandez has also been recalled from Louisville as a September call-up, per Cincinnati’s announcement.
Vincej, 26, was the 1132nd pick of the 2012 draft — all the way down the board in the 37th round. He’s slowly risen through the minor league ranks and had a huge performance in last year’s Arizona Fall League before hitting .270/.325/.370 in his first taste of Triple-A this year. Vincej doesn’t rank among Cincinnati’s top prospects, but he’ll provide some up-the-middle depth for the Reds in his first look as a Major Leaguer.
Bonilla, 27, returned to the Majors for the first time since 2014 this year, though the results weren’t favorable. In 36 2/3 frames, he was torched for an 8.10 ERA — allowing 33 earned runs on 42 hits (eight homers) and 22 walks. He also hit a pair of batters and threw three wild pitches. Bonilla has a history of missing bats in the minors, but he averaged just 6.9 K/9 against his 5.4 BB/9 in 2017.
Vincej rhymes with Cincy.