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Reds Select Ross Detwiler, Designate Robert Dugger

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The Reds announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Ross Detwiler. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, righty Robert Dugger has been designated for assignment.

Detwiler, 36, has appeared in 13 MLB seasons dating back to 2007. Last year, he pitched for both the Marlins and the Padres, logging 52 1/3 frames with a 4.64 ERA. Working with a changed pitch mix, Detwiller completely altered his profile last year. Swapping out sinkers for four-seam fastballs, he sacrificed grounders but gained strikeouts. After getting worm burners above 50% for three years in a row from 2018-2020, it dropped to 39.9 in 2021. His strikeout rate, which had been around 15% for most of his career, jumped to 27.1% last year.

Signed by the Reds to a minor league deal in April, the southpaw has thrown seven innings for the Triple-A Louisville Bats. That’s obviously a tiny sample size, but he has a 3.86 ERA with a 40% ground ball rate, 21.9% strikeout rate and 15.6% walk rate. With Justin Wilson on the IL and Phillip Diehl designated for assignment last week, the club has been without a lefty in the bullpen until they added Detwiler today.

As for Dugger, this is his third time being designated for assignment in the past couple of weeks. He was selected by the Rays at the beginning of May and given 5 1/3 innings of mop-up duty just before the roster size was set to shrink from 28 to 26. After that outing, he was put on waivers and claimed by the Reds. Cincy gave him three more innings of mop-up work, designated him again, outrighted him to Triple-A and then selected his contract two days later. This time, he’s sent back out into DFA limbo without the mop-up duty, as he still just has the two appearances on the year.

Reds Place Lucas Sims On Injured List, Select Robert Dugger

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The Reds announced a series of moves in their bullpen before tonight’s game in Pittsburgh. Lucas Sims has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to yesterday, due to lower back spasms. Cincinnati selected Robert Dugger to take his spot on the roster. The Reds also optioned Dauri Moreta to Triple-A Louisville and recalled Jared Solomon.

Sims heads to the IL for the second time this year. The right-hander missed the first two weeks of the season after back spasms delayed his Spring Training ramp-up work. He made it back for six games in between the IL stints but looked out of sorts. Sims has allowed seven runs, walked six batters and struck out just five during 6 2/3 frames of work. Last season’s 4.40 ERA across 47 frames wasn’t great, but he punched out an elite 39% of opponents on a hefty 14.8% swinging strike rate.

This year, the 28-year-old’s swing-and-miss numbers are way down. That’s also true of his velocity, with his fastball, slider and curveball all losing a tick or two relative to last season. It certainly seems as if he’s yet to get completely right physically, and a new bout of back spasms will keep him out for at least the next two weeks.

Dugger returns to the majors just four days after being designated for assignment. The righty cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Louisville yesterday. He didn’t appear in a game for the Bats before quickly being called back up. Cincinnati never filled Dugger’s 40-man roster spot after designating him and also removed COVID substitute Ronnie Dawson from the roster earlier this week; their 40-man tally now sits at 39.

During his first MLB stint with the Reds, Dugger made just one appearance. He soaked up three innings of relief, but that workload knocked him out of commission for a few days. Because he’s out of minor league option years, the Reds then removed him from the 40-man to clear an active roster spot. That was the second time he’d found himself in that situation, as the Rays also DFA Dugger following one extended relief outing. He’ll again have to stick in the majors or be exposed to waivers now that he’s back in the big leagues.

Reds Reinstate Mike Moustakas From Injured List

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TODAY: Moustakas has already been reinstated from the IL, and Dawson was optioned back to Triple-A.  The Reds also announced that recently-designated right-hander Robert Dugger cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. Dugger has accepted the outright assignment, the team announced Wednesday.

MAY 9: The Reds announced to reporters, including Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, that Mike Moustakas has been placed on the injured list. No designation was given for Moustakas’ placement, which suggests he will be on the Covid-related injured list. Outfielder Ronnie Dawson has been called up as a substitute player.

The Reds have had a series of players go on the Covid list in the past week, with Moustakas now joining Joey Votto and Nick Senzel. Tyler Naquin was also in that category but was able to return a few days ago. The team didn’t specify whether Moustakas tested positive, has virus-like symptoms, or was exposed to someone who tested positive. Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician). If Votto is “merely” dealing with symptoms, he could return in shorter order. Players who test negative can return once their symptoms dissipate, so long as they’re cleared by the joint committee and the team doctor.

For Moustakas, this is his second IL stint of the season, as he missed some time in April due to a biceps strain. Since returning, he had been on a hot streak, hitting .344/.462/.531 in that small sample. But that will now be stalled by this second trip to the IL. It’s yet another frustrating development for the Reds, as the club is off to a miserable 5-23 start, thanks in part to so many players being out of action, either for Covid or otherwise.

As for Dawson, this is the second time he’s been a substitute player to help the club try to get through this outbreak. Under the 2022 health and safety protocols, the commissioner’s office has the sole discretion to determine whether a team has been sufficiently impacted by COVID to call up “substitute” players. If granted permission, the team can then return those substitutes back to Triple-A (and, if he was not previously on the 40-man, off the roster entirely) without utilizing a minor league option or passing the player through waivers.

Dawson already went through this process, being selected to the club last week but then being removed when Naquin returned. He only got into a single game while on the roster, going hitless in three plate appearances. In 28 Triple-A games this year, the 26-year-old is hitting .267/.373/.436.

Reds Designate Phillip Diehl, Re-Sign Buck Farmer

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TODAY: Farmer did reject the outright assignment and become a free agent, but then re-signed with the Reds on a new minor league contract.

MAY 9: The Reds announced this afternoon they’ve designated left-handed reliever Phillip Diehl for assignment. The move opens an active roster spot for Luis Castillo, who was reinstated from the injured list to start tonight’s game as expected.

Diehl, a Cincinnati native, was selected to the majors by his hometown club in late April. It marked his first MLB call since a 2019-20 stint with the Rockies, and he ultimately appeared in five games. Diehl allowed seven runs in just 5 2/3 innings, with his three home runs allowed proving a particular undoing. The longball had also been problematic during his time in Colorado, and Diehl has now surrendered six homers in 19 big league innings.

The 27-year-old is out of minor league option years, meaning the Reds had to bump Diehl off the 40-man roster if they weren’t going to keep him in the majors. In so doing, they remove the only southpaw bullpen option who’d been on the major league team. Veteran Justin Wilson is on the injured list, and starter Reiver Sanmartín — recently optioned to Triple-A Louisville — is rather remarkably the only currently healthy left-handed pitcher on the Reds’ 40-man roster.

The Reds will have a week to trade Diehl or try to run him through waivers. He struck out 11 batters while issuing just one walk in eight innings with the Bats before being called up, so it stands to reason they’d prefer to keep him in the organization as a non-roster player. Diehl has been outrighted in the past and would have the right to elect minor league free agency if he clears waivers, however.

Cincinnati also announced that reliever Buck Farmer, who had been designated for assignment on Friday, passed through waivers unclaimed and was outrighted to Louisville. The team didn’t specify whether Farmer had chosen to accept or reject the assignment. As a player with five-plus years of big league service time, Farmer can forego the minors in favor of free agency while still collecting what remains of this year’s $850K salary.

Reds Sign Walker Lockett To Minor League Deal

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The Reds have signed right-hander Walker Lockett to a minor league contract, Bobby Nightengale Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports (Twitter link).  After working as a starter and a reliever during his MLB career, Lockett will be built up for rotation work for Cincy.

Lockett has a 7.67 ERA over 54 MLB innings, appearing with the Padres, Mets, and Mariners from 2018-20.  Primarily a groundball pitcher who didn’t generate many whiffs in either the minors or majors, Lockett had trouble keeping the ball on the grass in the big leagues, allowing 12 home runs over his 54 frames of work.

There were signs of improvement for Lockett in 2021, however, after he signed a one-year deal with The Korea Baseball Organization’s Doosan Bears.  The right-hander posted a 2.98 ERA, 20.74% strikeout rate, and only five homers allowed over 124 innings of KBO League action.

Lockett started all 21 of his games for the Bears, and he has worked primarily as a starter throughout his minor league career.  It makes sense that the Reds would keep him stretched out to see what he can provide as possible rotation depth for some point this season.  In what is already looking like a lost year for Cincinnati, some rotation vacancies could open up should the likes of Luis Castillo or Tyler Mahle be traded before the deadline.

Reds To Activate Luis Castillo From 10-Day Injured List

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Luis Castillo will make his season debut on Monday, as the Reds will activate the right-hander from the 10-day injured list to start their game against the Brewers.  Castillo suffered soreness in his throwing shoulder during Spring Training, which required an IL visit and a late start to his 2022 campaign.

The former All-Star has allowed only a single earned run over 10 1/3 innings during his minor league rehab assignment, albeit with a troubling eight walks.  Nevertheless, the focus on rehab assignments is more health and tune-up work rather than results, and after three rehab outings, Castillo appears to be ready to return to the Show.

Counting Castillo since he has yet to be officially activated, the Reds have a whopping 14 players on the injured list, which has been a big factor in the team’s disastrous start.  Even after winning two of three games in their weekend series with the Pirates, Cincinnati has only a 5-23 record.

It is a lot to ask of Castillo to try and turn things around for the Reds by himself, and it remains to be seen if the right-hander will immediately be in good form once he takes the mound.  Castillo has traditionally been something of a slow starter, as April and May are his worst months by ERA.  If it takes him a while to really get going, it will not only impact whatever tiny chance the Reds have of getting on track, but it would also hamper Castillo’s value as a possible trade chip heading into the deadline.  Since Castillo is controlled (via arbitration) through the 2023 season, the Reds should be able to command a nice trade return for Castillo, assuming that he is pitching like his usual self.

Reds Select Joel Kuhnel, Designate Robert Dugger

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The Reds announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Joel Kuhnel. Fellow righty Robert Dugger has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Kuhnel got small bits of action with the Reds in 2019 and 2020, logging 12 2/3 MLB innings in total. In that small sample, he has a career ERA of 4.97 with a 21.8% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate. After the 2020 campaign, he was designated for assignment and outrighted to the minors. Last year, injuries limited him to just eight innings on the year.

This year, however, he appears to be healthy and off to a good start. Now 27 years old, he’s thrown 10 1/3 innings in Triple-A so far this season, with a 2.61 ERA. His 16.7% strikeout rate is a dip from previous seasons, but he’s got a tiny 2.4% walk rate and hefty 57.6% ground ball rate in that small sample.

As for Dugger, it will prove to be a very short stay on the Reds roster, as he was just claimed off waivers from the Rays on Wednesday. The Rays had selected his contract just before active rosters were about to shrink from 28 to 26. They threw him out out on the mound for 87 pitches of mop-up duty over 5 1/3 innings before designating him for assignment. The Reds put in a claim and treated him similarly, giving him a three-inning, 59-pitch appearance in the second game of yesterday’s doubleheader before cutting him from the roster. He’ll now likely head back onto the waiver wire and see if another team in need of arms will give him a chance.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/7/22

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Today’s minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Reds outrighted Aristides Aquino to Triple-A after the outfielder cleared waivers.  Aquino was designated for assignment last week, a move Cincinnati had to make in order to demote Aquino since he is out of minor league options.  Aquino had only a .215 OPS over his first 43 plate appearances, with two hits in 41 at-bats.

Reds Designate Buck Farmer For Assignment

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The Reds announced a series of transactions this afternoon. Robert Dugger, recently claimed off waivers from the Rays, has reported to the team and joined the active roster. Reliever Buck Farmer has been designated for assignment to open space. Cincinnati also activated outfielder Tyler Naquin from the COVID-19 injured list and returned “substitute player” Ronnie Dawson to Triple-A Louisville.

Cincinnati signed Farmer to a minor league deal over the offseason, and he made the Opening Day roster. The veteran righty has worked 12 innings over ten appearances, allowing ten runs (nine earned) on 15 hits and seven walks. Farmer has struck out a solid 17 batters with a personal-best 13.2% swinging strike rate, but the Reds have elected to go in a different direction based on the poor results.

Before this season, the 31-year-old Farmer had spent his entire career with the Tigers. He often soaked up multiple innings out of the bullpen and posted a sub-4.00 ERA in both seasons from 2019-20, but his final year in Detroit was disappointing. Farmer posted a 6.37 ERA in 35 1/3 innings last year, walking 12.3% of opponents in the process.

The Reds have a week to trade Farmer or place him on waivers. The latter seems likelier given his rough start to the season. He has more than five years of MLB service, meaning he can refuse an outright assignment in favor of free agency while still collecting his $850K salary. In any event, it seems Farmer’s time in the Cincinnati organization is coming to a close.

Dawson’s return to Louisville removes him from the 40-man roster after one appearance. He was selected as a designated COVID replacement when Naquin hit the injured list (alongside Nick Senzel) on Wednesday. Now that Naquin has been cleared to return, Dawson heads back to the minors. Albert Almora Jr. was selected as a substitute at the same time and remains on the MLB roster with Senzel still out of action.

Reds Select Albert Almora, Ronnie Dawson

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The Reds announced this evening that outfielders Nick Senzel and Tyler Naquin have been placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Fellow outfielders Albert Almora Jr. and Ronnie Dawson have been selected to the majors as designated COVID substitutes.

It’s the second time this season that both Senzel and Naquin have gone on the virus list. They join first baseman Joey Votto, who hit the COVID list yesterday. The team didn’t announce whether either player has tested positive, is dealing with symptoms, or has been identified as a close contact.

That the team specified Almora’s and Dawson’s selections as being of the “substitute” variety is notable for their roster status. Under the 2022 health and safety protocols, the commissioner’s office has the sole discretion to determine whether a team has been sufficiently impacted by COVID to call up “substitute” players. If granted permission, the team can then return those substitutes back to Triple-A (and, if he was not previously on the 40-man, off the roster entirely) without utilizing a minor league option or passing the player through waivers.

Neither Almora nor Dawson were previously on the 40-man roster. Almora inked a minor league contract over the offseason, while the Reds plucked Dawson from the Astros in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Both players can thus be taken off the 40-man and returned to Triple-A Louisville without clearing waivers as the team gets healthier.

Almora is the more familiar name for most fans. A top ten pick of the Cubs in 2012, he spent a few seasons as Chicago’s primary center fielder. Almora played strong defense and hit at a roughly league average level for his first couple years in the majors, but his offensive output turned downwards beginning in 2019. He played in 47 games but only tallied 54 plate appearances for the Mets last season. He has gotten off to a productive if atypical start at Louisville, hitting .380/.392/.460. Almora has walked just once in 51 plate appearances, but he’s also only punched out twice.

Dawson is an Ohio native who played collegiately at Ohio State. He made a brief debut with Houston last season, tallying six plate appearances in three games. The 26-year-old is hitting .283/.377/.435 over 106 plate appearances with the Bats. He has suited up at all three outfield positions but spent the majority of his time in the corners.

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