‘It’s tough’: Reds’ Aquino reflects on latest setback
The Reds designated Aquino for assignment and put him on waivers on April 30. At the time, he was hitting just .049.
The Reds added him back to the roster May 20 when they needed depth in the outfield. Between then and June 12, Aquino hit .283 with a .798 OPS in 46 at-bats.
But on June 12, when he was in the middle of a two-hit game, Aquino sprained his ankle sliding into home plate. The Reds placed him on the IL, and he's expected to miss four-to-six weeks.
“It's tough,” Aquino said. “But what happened to me is a part of baseball. I know I'm going to come back stronger.”aquino's recent resurgence wasn't due to a major swing change. He simply improved his timing at the plate. He had also been the Reds' best defensive outfielder, using one of the strongest arms in the league to throw runners out at home or discourage them from even rounding third.
“I was feeling my best, playing well and everything started to work like I wanted,” Aquino said. “Then this happened. Thankfully it wasn't worse.”
Aquino's playing time had been increasing, and he was in the middle of his best stretch of the season before his awkward slide in St. Louis.
“Disappointed for us and for Aristides,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He was starting to get some hits. There was a lot of momentum around our staff and him just on things he was working on . ... I've heard a return to play in 4-6 weeks. He's also going to see a specialist in Cincinnati, so that could change.”
Duarte rehabbing in Arizona
Reds relief pitcher Daniel Duarte has been on the injured list since April 17 with a right elbow injury, and he's currently working out at the Reds' spring training complex in Arizona.
Duarte recently had a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection, and he's expected to start throwing in two or three weeks.
“I'm getting healthy and getting stronger to make sure this doesn't happen again,” Duarte said. “I've been watching a lot of baseball to learn what kind of pitches will help me, learning how to command my fastball and all of that.”