3:05 pm: Cincinnati has placed Antone on the 10-day injured list due to a right forearm strain. Infielder Max Schrock is up from Triple-A Louisville to take his active roster spot. Additionally, the Reds announced they’ve released reliever Michael Feliz. Feliz, who was designated for assignment on Monday, will be placed on waivers and will be free to sign elsewhere, assuming he passed through unclaimed.
9:33 am: The Reds welcomed their best reliever back from a nearly two-month stay on the injured list on Tuesday, but Tejay Antone’s return lasted only five pitches. Antone grimaced in obvious pain after his fifth pitch and immediately called for the training staff to come to the mound, at which point he was removed from the game.
Any type of arm discomfort after spending two months on the shelf due to a forearm strain is troubling, and manager David Bell expressed concern to reporters in his postgame session (link via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). “He definitely felt something in his elbow,” Bell said of Antone.
A return trip to the injured list would be a tough blow to a Reds club that has soared into Wild Card position over the past several weeks. Antone is not only Cincinnati’s best reliever but one of the better relievers in the entire league when at his best. The 27-year-old made his MLB debut last year and has since pitched 69 innings of 2.48 ERA ball with a huge 32.3 percent strikeout rate, a 10.8 percent walk rate and a 48 percent ground-ball rate. Since making his debut, Antone ranks 27th in strikeout percentage among the 307 pitchers who’ve tallied at least 60 innings. He has the second-highest rate of called strikes in that same set (22.9 percent) and ranks third in combined called/swinging-strike rate (35.8 percent).
An Antone injury is particularly concerning for the Reds given that bullpen struggles have been the team’s Achilles heel all season. Cincinnati has the fourth-highest collective bullpen ERA in the Majors (5.27) and has seen continued struggles even after adding three relievers at the deadline (4.99 ERA over the past 30 days; 6.21 over the past two weeks). Veteran left-hander Sean Doolittle was designated for assignment just yesterday.
If Antone ultimately requires another absence, the Reds will continue to lean on the combination of Mychal Givens, Michael Lorenzen and Amir Garrett late in games. Cincinnati currently has sole possession of the second NL Wild Card spot, but the Padres (one game), Cardinals (four and a half games) and Phillies (five games) are all within striking distance.
tstats
Sounds like what Dustin May said…
UWPSUPERFAN77
Good luck on your Doctor”s report! Hope you are back soon!-
zachary08
They haven’t anyone to call up, to pitch
I vote for another bat
bledrules
Dauri Moreta should be called up
driftcat28 2
TJS incoming
jcraft21
Correct
dhud
Nobody is relying on Amir Garrett.
joeshmoe11
He hasn’t even pitched in 2 weeks
RedLegJason
Uh he just pitched last night
mike156
The prevalence of “five pitches into his appearance….and the trainer walked him back into the dugout stories” seems really odd. Presumably, these guys had gone through rehab, built up strength, thrown bullpen sessions, warmed up before coming into the game and then,,,,,?
You wonder about the protocols.
cubs2016
There’s a difference between warm ups and bullpen sessions than an actual game. Completely different mindset and effort.
joeshmoe11
Yeah and he threw in 7 rehab games, including back to back nights
diehardfantd
I agree. Seems odd that he went thru rehab and no problems and 5 pitches into his first appearance he has a problem . Maybe he didn’t tell them all along hoping it wasn’t anything serious
swinging wood
Put me in, coach!
VegasSDfan
Many organizations are out of pitchers.
KermitJagger
It’s too bad there isn’t a second trade deadline as there used to be with waivers. I know the Pirates have a few relievers who would probably be attractive to other teams at this point (Shreve, Stratton, Underwood).
bhamredsfan
Wake us call for Mr Adams. No one is rehung on Garrett for anything. Observe the timing of his last 4 appearances and his overall useage in the last month.
Bart Harley Jarvis
Quick, grab Doolittle before he drives off the parking lot!
Ron Tingley
Reds should sign Doolittle for the playoff push..
ShootyBabbit
Albert Pujols
dasit
not a national league fan but i’m rooting for the reds. did they try to improve the bullpen at the deadline?
earmbrister
Yes Givens, Cessa, and Wilson. Also got Lorenzen and Sims back from the IL.
lemonlyman
Well that was quick…
cincinnatikid
It’s obvious after the last 2 games against Milwaukee that the reds only shot at the post season is the 2nd wild card spot.