Reds’ bullpen depth tested with reliever Diaz out hurt
The Cincinnati Reds have seven relief pitchers on the injured list after All-star candidate Alexis Díaz (right bicep tendinitis) landed there Sunday.
Now the Reds don't have a single reliever who has been reliable in a high-leverage role, and – due to the inconsistency – manager David Bell said he's weighing who has the “hot hand” to determine who pitches in the most challenging situations.
“Confidence is important,” Bell said. “Even at this level, it's a big deal. Definitely, guys having success, you want to keep getting them out there. It's not the only consideration. There's a lot of considerations – health, availability, what they've done recently, conversations you have with guys where you know where they are with their process. You take all that into consideration.”
Here's a look at who the Reds currently have in the bullpen.
Luis Cessa
Cessa was one of Bell's most-trusted relievers in 2021, but his role diminished as he struggled in May, when he posted a 6.75 ERA.
He's turning that around now, posting a 3.52 ERA in June with 10 strikeouts and three walks. In his last four outings, Cessa has two holds and a win.
Joel Kuhnel
No Reds relief pitcher has moved up the depth chart more rapidly than Kuhnel. He entered spring training as a longshot to contribute in 2022, and he wasn't on the 40-man roster. Now he has a 3.93 ERA with 19 strikeouts and three walks.
Hunter Strickland
With the way Strickland has been used recently, it looks like Cessa and Kuhnel have leaped him.
In May, Strickland had a 2.38 ERA and pitched in crucial situations. In June, Strickland started the month by allowing six runs across his first three appearances.
Lately, he has been very reliant on his fastball and has struggled with his command.
Art Warren
It's usually clear very quickly whether or not Warren has his best stuff on any particular day. He often sets the tone with a walk or a strikeout.
Warren almost exclusively pitched in high-leverage situations in May, but that started to change after he allowed four runs in a bullpen meltdown on May 29 against the Giants.
Reiver Sanmartin and Ross Detwiler
The Reds have two lefties in the bullpen – a rookie who had never been a relief pitcher in professional baseball before this month and a 14-year journeyman.
Neither is expected to become a true setup reliever, but Bell targets left-handed heavy spots in the opposing team's lineup for Sanmartin or Detwiler to face.
Jeff Hoffman and Dauri Moreta
Even though Hoffman has a 2.78 ERA, he has pitched in only four late and close games all season, and in those four games, opposing hitters have recorded a .375 batting average and a .944 OPS against him.
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The Reds promoted Moreta from Triple-a on Sunday. He pitched the ninth inning and struck out two after getting Andrew Mccutcheon to foul out.