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Reds Designate Kevin Herget For Assignment

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The Reds announced that right-hander Fernando Cruz has been reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list, with righty Kevin Herget designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

The Reds have been endlessly cycling pitchers through their roster over the past week or so due to this COVID outbreak. Cruz was one of four pitchers to land on the IL due to the virus, alongside Hunter Greene, Ben Lively and Brandon Williamson. Those absences forced the club to make transactions on an almost daily basis to keep the staff stocked with available arms.

Herget, 32, was one of those fresh arms, getting selected to the roster earlier this week. He entered Wednesday’s game with the club down 8-3 to the Mariners and tossed 2 1/3 scoreless frames to finish the contest. But with Cruz now back from the IL, he’s been bumped from the roster. Players on the COVID IL don’t count against the 40-man roster, so the return of Cruz meant that Herget had to be removed from there instead of merely being optioned.

The right-handed Herget signed a minor league deal with the club in the offseason and has now been selected and then designated for assignment twice this year. He was also on the 40-man roster from early April to the middle of June, getting frequently optioned to Triple-A and back in that time. On the whole, he has thrown 24 1/3 innings in the bigs this year with a 5.18 ERA, 12.4% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate and 33.3% ground ball rate.

With the trade deadline long passed, the Reds will have to put Herget on waivers in the coming days. Back in June, he passed through unclaimed and could have elected free agency but decided to stick with the Reds. It’s possible the same sequence of events plays out now, though that remains to be seen.

Michael Mariot Accepts Outright Assignment With Reds

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Right-hander Michael Mariot has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Louisville, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The righty had been designated for assignment earlier this week.

The Reds have been dealing with a number of injuries to their pitching staff this year and saw that problem become exacerbated by an outbreak of COVID-19, which added four more pitchers to the injured list. To try to combat those absences, the Reds have been making moves almost daily to supply fresh arms to the roster.

Mariot, 34, was one of those fresh arms, getting selected to the roster earlier this week. He made one appearance for the Reds, tossing 2 2/3 innings in Monday’s game, allowing one earned run. That was his first major league appearance in many years, as his previous big league experience was with the Royals and Phillies from 2014 to 2016. He now has a combined major league ERA of 5.85 in 52 1/3 innings for his career.

After clearing waivers, Mariot could have rejected this assignment and elected free agency, though finding a better opportunity would have been challenging. Since it is after September 1, Mariot would not have been postseason eligible if he signed with any new club. Instead, he’ll stick with the Reds and serve as some non-roster depth as they continue their playoff push. They are currently half a game back of the Marlins for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.

Since his last appearance in the big leagues, Mariot bounced around on various minor league deals, in addition to playing in the Mexican League and the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan. He started 2023 with the Cleburne Railroaders of the independent American Association of Professional Baseball, striking out 29 opponents in 26 2/3 innings. That led to a minor league deal with the Reds and 37 2/3 innings for the Bats with a 6.93 ERA.

Reds Select Kevin Herget, Designate Michael Mariot For Assignment

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The Reds announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Kevin Herget, with fellow righty Michael Mariot designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

The Reds were already dealing with a number of significant injuries to their pitching staff this year and that problem has been compounded as COVID-19 has spread around the staff. Each of Hunter Greene, Ben Lively, Brandon Williamson and Fernando Cruz landed on the COVID-related IL in recent days, while pitchers like Nick Lodolo, Justin Dunn and many others were already out of action due to more typical injuries.

That’s led to the club churning pitchers through their roster on an almost daily basis as they try to scramble to cover for those absences. Mariot, 34, was just selected to the roster yesterday and tossed 2 2/3 innings, allowing just one earned run. He was one of seven pitchers the club used as they managed to turn a bullpen day into a 6-3 victory over the Mariners. But as the club continues to require fresh arms, he’s unfortunately been nudged off the roster.

That was Mariot’s first appearance in the big leagues since 2016. He spent most of the intervening time on minor league deals but also spent some time in the Mexican League and Chinese Professional Baseball in Taiwan. He started this year with the Cleburne Railroaders of the independent American Association of Professional Baseball, with a 5.06 ERA for that club but with 29 strikeouts and just five walks in 26 2/3 innings.

That performance got him a minor league deal with the Reds and he threw 37 2/3 Triple-A innings over nine appearances with a 6.93 ERA and 14.3% strikeout rate. He was selected to the roster earlier this year but was designated for assignment without getting into a game. He cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment, which led to yesterday’s return to a big league mound for the first time in seven years. He’ll be placed on waivers again in the coming days.

His roster spot will go to Herget. The 32-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason and was selected in early April. He served as an up-and-down reliever for the first half of the season, posting a 5.73 ERA in 22 big league innings. He was designated for assignment in June before clearing waivers and accepting an outright assignment. He has an ERA of 5.01 at Triple-A on the whole this year, but has been better since losing his roster spot. He has a 2.51 ERA over his last 28 2/3 innings, with a 25.7% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate in that time. He still has a full slate of options and less than a year of service time, meaning the Reds could potentially use him as a depth option for the foreseeable future.

Reds Outright Alan Busenitz

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The Reds have sent reliever Alan Busenitz outright to Triple-A Louisville, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment on Friday when Cincinnati activated Tejay Antone from the injured list.

Busenitz has gotten into five games for the Reds this year. He has tossed five innings of two-run ball with three strikeouts and one unintentional walk. That brief look marked Busneitz’s first MLB action in five years. The right-hander worked to a 4.58 ERA through 57 innings for the 2017-18 Twins. Beginning in 2019, he pitched in Japan with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, posting a 2.83 ERA through 155 2/3 NPB innings.

The Reds brought Busenitz back to the affiliated ranks this season on a minor league pact. He has spent the bulk of the year in Louisville, throwing 43 2/3 innings over 40 outings. He owns a 4.53 ERA with a below-average 20.9% strikeout percentage and elevated 10.7% walk rate for the Bats.

Busenitz will try to pitch his way back into consideration for Cincinnati down the stretch. He’ll be a minor league free agent this offseason if the Reds don’t add him back onto the 40-man roster.

Reds Select Michael Mariot

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The Reds announced that they have recalled right-hander Casey Legumina and selected the contract of righty Michael Mariot. In corresponding moves, righty Brett Kennedy was optioned to Triple-A while righty Lyon Richardson was returned to Triple-A. The club already had a vacancy on its 40-man roster.

Mariot, 34, hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2016. The Reds signed him to a minor league deal in June and selected him to the big league roster in July, though he was designated for assignment a day later without getting into a game. He cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment at that time, which now leads to his contract being selected a second time this year.

The Reds were already dealing with a large number of injuries but a recent COVID outbreak has exacerbated the issue, sending multiple pitchers to the injured list. That has required an almost-daily roster churn as they keep cycling fresh arms into the mix, with Mariot the latest to get the call.

He made 44 appearances in the big leagues back in the 2014 to 2016 period but hasn’t been back since, bouncing around on various minor league deals while also spending time in the Mexican League and Chinese Professional Baseball in Taiwan. He began 2023 with the Cleburne Railroaders of the independent American Association of Professional Baseball, posting a 5.06 ERA there but with 29 strikeouts and just five walks in 26 2/3 innings.

That led to a minor league deal with the Reds and he has since thrown 37 2/3 innings over nine appearances for Louisville with a 6.93 ERA and 14.3% strikeout rate. The Reds are going the opener route today, with reliever Tejay Antone scheduled to start, but Mariot could perhaps log some bulk innings in the middle of the game.

As for Richardson, the fact that he has been “returned” to Triple-A and not optioned is worth noting. He was called up as a COVID replacement player recently and has now been sent back down. Optioned pitchers normally cannot be recalled for another 15 days but that won’t apply in this unique situation. He is listed as Wednesday’s starter and should be added back to the roster in short order.

Reds Outright Alejo Lopez

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  • The Reds outrighted infielder Alejo Lopez to Triple-A.  Lopez was designated for assignment earlier this week when Cincinnati added Hunter Renfroe and Harrison Bader to the roster.  Because Lopez has previously been outrighted in his career (back in February), he has the option of rejecting the outright assignment and becoming a free agent, though there isn’t yet any word about his decision.  The 27-year-old Lopez was a 27th-round pick for the Reds in 2015 and he has spent his entire career with the organization, including 73 games and 159 plate appearances at the big league level in 2021-22.  Cincinnati selected Lopez’s contract again this week but he didn’t see any more game action before being DFA’ed.  Lopez has hit .262/.307/.321 in the majors but he has shown an ability to get on base during his minor league career, even if his power numbers are lacking.  Playing primarily around the infield during his career, Lopez has added to his versatility by getting more corner outfield action over the last couple of seasons.

MLBTR Poll: The Crowded NL Wild Card Race

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Despite Fangraphs’ Playoff Odds giving Atlanta (100%), Los Angeles (100%), Milwaukee (98.7%), Philadelphia (96.3%), and Chicago (78%) better than 75% odds of making the playoffs, play in the National League closed this evening with the NL Wild Card race looking as tight as ever thanks to the third and final spot.

Four teams sport winning percentages of .511, putting all of them in an effective tie for the third Wild Card spot behind the Phillies and Cubs. With less than a month to go in the schedule, it’s increasingly likely that only one of Arizona, Cincinnati, Miami, and San Francisco will join the aforementioned five clubs in the postseason this year. Let’s take a look at each of those four clubs, as things stand for them headed into the stretch run:

San Francisco Giants, 70-67 (48.9% playoff odds)

The Giants established themselves as contenders back in June with a fantastic 18-8 record that month and have managed to stay within spitting distance of a playoff spot ever since. Unfortunately for San Francisco, that excellent June is the last month the club posted a winning record. The club has gone just 24-31 since the beginning of July, with their playoff odds dropping from 69.2% down to 47.8% during that stretch. Injuries to key players like Michael Conforto and Anthony DeSclafani have left the club playing at less than full strength, but a bigger problem for the club is the rapidly declining offense: since July 1, the club’s 77 wRC+ is the second worst figure in the majors ahead of only the Rockies.

On the other hand, the club sports a strong if unconventional pitching staff highlighted by ace Logan Webb, veteran Alex Cobb, rookie Kyle Harrison, and closer Camilo Doval that is further bolstered by the excellent defense provided by rookie catcher Patrick Bailey. With that solid run prevention group, it’s easy to see how the Giants could make the playoffs if key offensive contributors like Joc Pederson, Lamonte Wade Jr. and Thairo Estrada can return to the success they showed earlier in the season. Outside of seven games against the Dodgers, San Francisco’s remaining schedule is fairly soft, which should help them in their pursuit of the final NL playoff spot.

Arizona Diamondbacks, 70-67 (33.3% playoff odds)

A surprise early season contender, the Diamondbacks dominated the NL West throughout the first half, holding sole possession of first place in their division as late into the season as July 8 thanks to a strong offensive core of Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Christian Walker along with a strong pair of starters at the top of their rotation in righties Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Unfortunately for Arizona, their hold on the division lead would vanish over the next month as the club posted a 5-21 record over their next 26 games that was nothing short of disastrous. Despite the trade deadline coming directly in the middle of that awful stretch, Arizona’s front office added outfielder Tommy Pham and closer Paul Sewald to the floundering club, and the team has responded by going 13-7 since their skid came to an end.

With all of the club’s key players healthy headed into the stretch run, the Diamondbacks are perhaps the biggest question mark in this race. Was their brutal month of play, where they looked like one of the worst teams in baseball, simply a fluke? Or was it the beginning of the end for an underdog team projected for a 78-84 record when the season began? With 12 of their final 25 games coming against teams with a record of .500 or better, Arizona won’t have a particularly easy schedule to make use of as they try to secure their first playoff berth since 2017.

Miami Marlins, 70-67 (26.5% playoff odds)

The Marlins’ 2023 campaign has been a strange one. Earlier in the year, the club was carried by the bats of Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler and a historic record in one-run games. Much like the last two teams discussed, the months of July and August were difficult for Miami, as the club posted a record of just 19-32 while Soler (.697 OPS in July) and Arraez (.580 OPS in August) slumped badly. Fortunately, the club received offensive reinforcements at the trade deadline in the form of Jake Burger and Josh Bell, both of whom have posted strong results since joining the Marlins. What’s more, Alcantara has looked more like himself of late, with a 3.04 ERA in his last 77 innings of work.

While Soler hasn’t played in recent days due to injury, the offense is in a good place thanks to the contributions of Burger and Bell, while the rotation led by Alcantara, Eury Perez, Jesus Luzardo, and Edward Cabrera has been characteristically excellent. Perhaps Miami’s biggest obstacle in returning to the postseason for the first time since 2020 is the schedule: of the club’s final 25 games, the Marlins will face the Brewers, Dodgers, Braves and Phillies in sixteen of them.

Cincinnati Reds, 71-68 (16% playoff odds)

The Reds are perhaps the most surprising team of this quartet. The club’s success this season has been fueled almost entirely by a youth movement that began early in the season. While shortstop Elly De La Cruz hasn’t quite been the offensive force he was expected to be in his rookie season, infielder Matt McLain and starter Andrew Abbott have been nothing short of sensational. What’s more, other youngsters like Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Brandon Williamson have contributed in significant ways, to say nothing of contributions from more established players like TJ Friedl, Hunter Greene, Joey Votto, and Alexis Diaz.

While the Reds slumped badly to a 10-17 record in August, only six of the club’s final 23 games are against clubs with a record better than .500, given them plenty of opportunity to go on a run. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, between a rash of injuries and an outbreak of COVID-19, the Reds have a whopping 16 players on the injured list, including key players like Greene, McLain, Williamson, and Votto. With a pair of the club’s biggest bats and most reliable rotation arms out of commission for the foreseeable future, the Reds’ outlook is far hazier than it otherwise may have been.

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How does the readership of MLBTR think the race for the final NL Wild Card will shake out over the next month? Will one of the NL West clubs hold on to claim the spot that for much of the season they looked to be a shoo-in for? Will the Marlins overcome their brutal September schedule to emerge victorious? Or can the Reds navigate a wave of injuries to squeak into the playoffs in a full season for the first time since 2013?

(poll link for app users)

Matt McLain Out 2-3 Weeks With Oblique Strain; Jonathan India Nearing Rehab Assignment

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Manager David Ross told reporters (including Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun Times) ahead of today’s game against the Reds that Stroman will throw a bullpen session in Arizona. That still leaves a long way for Stroman to go before he can return to a major league mound; assuming tomorrow’s bullpen goes well, he’ll need to progress to facing live hitters and then likely require at least a rehab start or two in the minor leagues before he can return to the starting rotation for the Cubs. Still, even a brief cameo from Stroman before the regular season comes to a close could be a huge boon to Chicago.

  • It seems the Reds will be without rookie infielder Matt McLain for a while yet, as the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith relayed an update from manager David Bell indicating that McLain would be out with an oblique injury for two to three more weeks. Such a timeline would likely leave him out of action for most of the remaining regular season. That’s a major blow to the Reds, who have relied on McLain’s strong bat (129 wRC+) and quality glovework around the infield and sit alongside the Marlins, Diamondbacks, and Giants in the thick of the race for the final NL Wild Card spot. Fortunately, the Reds could still receive some reinforcements for their infield in the near future as second baseman Jonathan India is on track to begin a rehab assignment this week after missing the past month with plantar fasciitis.

Reds Select Chasen Shreve, Promote Connor Phillips

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The Reds announced a series of roster moves this afternoon. The club placed right-hander Graham Ashcraft of the 15-day IL with a stress reaction in his big toe, placed left-hander Brandon Williamson on the COVID-19 IL, selected the contract of left-hander Chasen Shreve, and added right-hander Connor Phillips to the roster as a substitute player. Players on the COVID-19 IL don’t count against a club’s 40-man roster, so the Reds have plenty of temporary flexibility due to the number of players currently shelved with the virus. As a substitute player, Phillips is only temporarily on the roster and can be returned to the minors without being waived. As the club selected Shreve’s contract, he counts against the club’s 40-man roster in a more permanent fashion, though no corresponding move is needed at this time.

Phillips, 22, will make his major league debut the first time he gets into a game. MLB Pipeline ranks the young right-hander as the club’s fourth best prospect and the 70th best prospect in the sport. He opened the year with a dominant performance at Double-A, posting a 3.34 ERA in 64 2/3 innings of work with an incredible 39.1% strikeout rate. Since receiving a promotion to Triple-A, however, Phillips has begun to struggle. His 40 1/3 innings at the level have yielded a 4.69 ERA, while his strikeout rate has plummeted to 24.2% and his walk rate has ballooned to a massive 16.9%.

Given his age, prospect pedigree and dominance as recently as earlier this season, it’s certainly possible Phillips has a lengthy and successful big league career in his future. In the short-term, however, he’ll need to significantly cut down on the free passes if he hopes to help the 70-67 Reds fight their way into one of the NL Wild Card spots with key pitchers like Williamson and right-hander Hunter Greene out for an unknown amount of time due to the clubhouse’s COVID outbreak.

Shreve, 33, joined the Reds on a minor league deal last month. He had spent the 2023 season with the Tigers prior to that, pitching to a roughly league average 4.79 ERA and 4.06 FIP in 47 appearances with the club. The lefty veteran is in his tenth year as a major league pitcher, with a career 3.88 ERA. While he’s mostly looked the part of a middle reliever throughout his career, it’s worth noting he’s posted a 2.65 ERA with a 34.8% strikeout rate against same-handed hitters this season. With Sam Moll as the only other southpaw in the Cincinnati bullpen as things stand, Shreve seems likely to be able to carve out a specialized role in the Reds’ bullpen going forward.

Joining several of his teammates on the COVID IL is Williamson, who has looked the part of a solid mid-to-back of the rotation starter during his rookie campaign. Across 19 starts with the Reds this year, Williamson has posted a 4.20 ERA (109 ERA+) and a 4.51 FIP in 98 2/3 innings of work. The loss of a reliable rotation arm like Williamson further compounds the club’s pitching woes. In addition to Greene’s move to the COVID IL, the Reds recently lost any hope of left-hander Nick Lodolo returning this season.

Williamson isn’t the only starter hitting the shelf today, either, as Ashcraft moves to the 15-day IL following his start against the Cubs yesterday, in which he allowed three runs over five innings of work while striking out six. It’s been an up-and-down season for Ashcraft, who dominated to a 2.00 ERA in his first six starts this season before posting a brutal 12.82 ERA over his next eight starts. Since June 30, Ashcraft has posted a 2.58 ERA reminiscent of his strong start to the season, though his 19.8% strikeout rate and eight homers allowed in seven starts both leave his long-term viability as a rotation arm in question. Overall, he’s delivered a 4.76 ERA and 5.07 FIP in 145 2/3 innings of work this season.

Without Williamson and Ashcraft, the club’s rotation is facing a great deal of uncertainty, with only rookie Andrew Abbott as a surefire big league starter on the roster. Lyon Richardson took the ball against the Cubs for the second game of a doubleheader last night, but sports an ugly 6.75 ERA across three starts in the majors. The club will likely have to turn to the likes of Double-A swingman Carson Spiers and journeyman Brett Kennedy to take on innings with most of the club’s rotation out of commission.

Cardinals Claim Michael Siani From Reds

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Both the Reds and Cardinals have announced that St. Louis has claimed outfielder Michael Siani off of Cincinnati’s waiver waire.  Siani was designated for assignment earlier this week, as part of the 40-man roster maneuvering necessary when the Reds claimed Hunter Renfroe and Harrison Bader off waivers.  The Cards also announced that Guillermo Zuniga has been moved from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL, thus ending Zuniga’s season.

A fourth-round pick for the Reds in the 2018 draft, Siani is a veteran of 12 big league games — nine in 2022 and three for this year’s team, with four hits over 25 total plate appearances.  Siani is known for both his outstanding defense and speed, as he has stolen 155 bases in 200 total attempts in the minors while also showing excellent glovework in center field.  With a .228/.344/.355 slash line over 2167 PA in the minors, offense is still a work in progress for the 24-year-old, even if his other tools project him as at least a bench option at the MLB level.

While it isn’t a surprise to see another team claim Siani away, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat (X link) notes that it is a bit of a curious pickup for the Cardinals in particular, given that St. Louis already has several outfielders on the 40-man roster or on the cusp of the majors.  Of course, a team isn’t just going to pass on a player it thinks has promise, and the Cardinals might clear some space anyway in the outfield this winter.  The team is widely expected to try and trade some of its current outfield mix, likely in search of some badly needed reinforcements for the starting rotation.

Zuniga was first placed on the IL on August 25, and since he is suffering from a right forearm strain, it already looked like he probably wasn’t going to make it back before the end of the 2023 campaign.  The only hope is that the 60-day IL placement isn’t a precursor to a more serious injury like UCL or elbow damage resulting in surgery, as such a procedure could potentially shelve Zuniga for just about all of the 2024 season.  Zuniga made his MLB debut this season, appearing in two games for St. Louis prior to his forearm strain.

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