After hitless start, Reed gets day off as frustration mounts
ANAHEIM, Calif. — For the first time in his four days as a major leaguer, A.J. Reed arrived to the visitors’ clubhouse on Tuesday to find his name absent from the Astros’ lineup. Summoned Friday from Class AAA to play on a regular basis, Reed has struggled at the plate to begin his big league career. The Astros’ presumed first baseman of the future has yet to record his first hit through 10 big league atbats. Manager A.J. Hinch sensed Reed’s frustration growing.
“I wanted to give Reed a day to work in the cage with Hudge and Zo and clear his mind a little bit,” Hinch said, referring to the team’s hitting coaches, Dave Hudgens and Alonzo Powell.
“(Monday) was the most frustrated that I’ve seen him. Obviously, he had some big at-bats that didn’t go his way.”
Reed struck out three times in each of Sunday’s and Monday’s games. In Monday’s 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, all three of his strikeouts came with at least one runner in scoring position. He left six runners on base in all.
“I feel like I’m seeing the ball well,” he said before Tuesday night’s game at Angel Stadium. “I’ve had some good at-bats, just not the results that we’re looking for.
“It’s just about staying with the process, having good at-bats. I’m fine with where I’m at. Once I get the first one, then I’ll go on a roll.”
Reed spent Tuesday afternoon in the batting cages and then on the field during batting practice working to nail down his timing. He has been late on some pitches. Nothing regarding pitchers’ approaches against him in the major leagues has particularly surprised him, he said.
“I feel like they’re kind of pitching me how I would expect with the situations and things like that,” he said. “Just get a good pitch and have a good swing.”
Oddly enough, Reed was of one only two players on the Astros to have previously seen the Angels’ Tuesday starter this season.
Tim Lincecum, who made his third major league start of the season Tuesday, pitched in a rehab outing against the Astros’ Class AAA Fresno affiliate on June 12 when Reed and Danny Worth were still with the Grizzlies. Lincecum allowed just one hit over seven scoreless innings that night. Reed was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
Marwin Gonzalez, who had garnered most of the playing time at first base before Reed’s promotion, filled in at first during Tuesday’s victory. He tripled and doubled.
“He’s playing very well,” Hinch said. “(Evan) Gattis has swung the bat pretty well the last couple of games. As always, it’s pretty tricky to keep all of these guys hot. I still haven’t found a spot for Danny Worth. Jake Marisnick will play (Wednesday).
“It’s less about A.J. Reed and more about we’re in this together to try to include everybody and keep them all pretty sharp.”