Bruce arrives 15 pounds lighter
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Jay Bruce arrived in camp Monday 15 pounds lighter than he finished last season.
“I just changed my diet,” he said. “It’s not a big deal. I feel a little better. I’m as strong as always. But 10, 15 pounds off your joints over the course of the season helps you stay healthy. That’s my goal.”
Bruce lost all the weight after Redsfest. He hopes it allows him to use his speed more. He’s an above average runner, but he hasn’t been effective as a base stealer. He stole eight bases in 15 attempts last year.
Bruce made the drive from Houston straight through to Goodyear.
“We left at 5:15 in the morning and got here at 10 at night,” he said. “I’m glad to be here. It looks like a basketball team.”
At 6-foot-3, Bruce is shorter than 14 of the 29 pitchers in camp.
No news: Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said there is nothing new to report on two favorite offseason topics: Free agent pitcher Roy Oswalt and talks with Brandon Phillips about a contract extension.
On Oswalt: “I’m not even considering it.”
On Phillips: “I don’t know when his agents get out here, but we plan to sit down and meet with them.”
Valaika healthy: Infielder Chris Valaika is 100 percent after Sept. 19 surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
“I’m all healed up and ready to go,” Valaika said. “I’ve felt 100 percent the last three weeks or so. Once I started full baseball activities, I started getting confident in it. It’s a long healing process.
“It takes a while for everything to fuse. But it’s good now.”
Valaika spent most of last year at Triple-a. He hit .280 in 14 games with the Reds before suffering the injury on Sept. 11.
Francisco hurting: Third baseman Juan Francisco is dealing with a left calf that put him on the disabled list for a month last year.
“He was in getting treatment this morning,” Baker said.
Meet Kanekoa Texeira: Kanekoa Texeira, a 26-year-old right-hander, is trying to become the sixth native Hawaiian to play for the Reds.
Texeira made the Kansas City Royals out of spring training last year. He went 0-0 with a 2.84 ERA in six outings before being optioned to Triple-a. He was designated for assignment on May 18 and claimed by the Yankees. He spent the rest of the year in the minors.
The Reds are his fifth organization.
“I’m a fan of Dusty’s,” he said of manager Dusty Baker. “That’s one of the reasons I signed here. I’ll start at the bottom of the barrel and try to work my way up.” Number of the day: 3. That’s the number of pitchers in camp under 6 feet — Johnny Cueto (5-10), Mike Leake (5-11) and Daniel Corcino (5-11).