Starting rotation now saddles with injuries
Righty DeSclafani won’t be ready by opener, manager Price says.
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani is back to square one.
After pitching three scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers on Friday, an MRI revealed a strained left oblique. DeSclafani allowed one hit and a walk in the game.
“He threw the ball well. He noticed a sensation but it didn’t affect the way he threw,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “In the aftermath he had it checked out. It wasn’t something anybody knew about.”
The right-hander missed the entire 2017 season with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
DeSclafani had a left oblique strain during spring training in 2016 that kept him from pitch- ing until June. He finished that season with a 9-5 record with a 3.28 ERA.
He was pegged as one of the Reds top four starters, assuming he came out of spring training healthy.
“Unfortunately, that was in the front part of the oblique. This one is in the back. I say that with nothing but frustration for Anthony and our club,” Price said. “I feel bad for the kid. He worked his tail off to get ready. He did everything we asked of him and more. It wasn’t a lack of preparation.”
There was no estimate on how long DeSclafani will be kept out of
baseball activity. He will not be ready for opening day, Price said.
The injury opens a spot in the rotation for Sal Romano, Michael Lorenzen, Tyler Mahle or Robert Stephenson.
“We are going to get a couple guys (Luis) Castillo and possibly Homer (Bailey) in minor league games to leave opportunities there for guys to physically start the games,” Price said. “Our young pitchers have some experience, instead of being an open question mark.’
“They want to get all the soreness out. I’m sure there will be MRIs and ultrasounds to check his progress before he gets back to baseball activity,” Price said.
Left-hander Brandon Finnegan, also in the Reds’ projected top four starters, left Sunday’s game against the Mariners because he couldn’t grip the baseball.
Both Price and Finnegan said the injury — a biceps strain — does not appear to be serious.
“He could pitch but it didn’t make sense,” Price said.
“I was feeling fine yester- day,” Finnegan said. “I had no pain. It wasn’t allowing me to grip the ball. It was not ideal to continue pitching. I had some tightness all week but it was nothing serious. We decided it was better to come out and not risk any- thing getting worse.”
Finnegan had treatment after leaving the game.
“I came back and had it worked on and feel fine,” he said. “I don’t think it will set me back any. It better not or I won’t be happy. It’s not my call. I know they just want to be cautious. Work- ing a knot isn’t hard to do. They already did it. In my eyes, I’m good to go.”
The Reds are being cautious with Finnegan, who was limited to four starts last season with three different injuries. He had surgery on his non-throwing shoulder for an injury unrelated to baseball.
The start Sunday was Finnegan’s second Cactus League start.