The Reds finished a disappointing opening series of the home stand by losing two out of three games to the St. Louis Cardinals. Losing two out of three wasn't the primary disappointment in the series. The shocker was how the Reds lost those games. The team gave up thirteen runs in game one and fifteen in the series finale. Mike Leake, who has been a money pitcher for the Reds all season, got shelled and couldn't even last six innings against the Redbirds.
As the Pirates and Cardinals continue to climb over twenty games above the .500 mark, the Reds slip to a bottom of the Wild Card battle with the likes of Arizona and Washington. This team would have no chance at the playoffs if this situation had presented itself last season. The Reds are lucky to be playing ten games above .500 and still have a comfortable lead in the chance at a one game playoff with a division rival. The weaknesses of this team are starting to stick out and haunt the Reds in games.
The Reds are missing four of their top players in Ryan Ludwick, Johnny Cueto, Jonathan Broxton, and Sean Marshall. No doubt if the Reds were playing with these four, they would be closer to the division lead. The main issue with these injuries is that there is no end in sight for a couple of the players. Ludwick and Broxton are encouragingly coming along and may both be ready for a return in the next week. Broxton will revert to his eighth inning role in the bullpen and Ludwick will eventually bat cleanup in the lineup. This will help the Reds re-familiarize with the core of last season's NL Central Championship team, but how much will two players really help?
Marshall and Cueto are by the looks of it from a spectator's eye out for the season. This is purely speculation and there are no reports that back this up, but Marshall suffered a setback during one of his last throwing sessions and Cueto hasn't picked up a baseball since his injury. Cueto has been on and off the DL throughout the season so much that the Reds may just concentrate on getting him fully healthy for 2014. If Marshall and Cueto are expected to be back at some point this year, I wouldn't count on either to be activated on the roster until late September.
What the Reds really need right now is more production out of left field and third base. Xavier Paul, Chris Heisey, and Derrick Robinson are just average players starting in the two hole in Dusty Baker's lineup. No doubt these three deserve to be on an MLB roster, but none of them can be expected to win the Reds games with their bats. Ludwick will help defray some of the pressure Baker's lineup is being put under with a less than ideal two hole hitter, but that might take some time. The good thing about the Reds' hitters right now is that Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips seem to be finding the gaps again.
Todd Frazier has been the biggest disappointment of the entire season for Cincinnati. He is undoubtedly a great clubhouse teammate and one of the most promising prospects on the team after a prominent rookie season, but his .235 average and 0/28 hitting slump have really put a damper on one of the players the Reds expected to drive in runs. In all seriousness, if Scott Rolen is in playing shape and wants to take on the challenge of playing in the majors again, I think it would be a good idea to bring one of the greatest leaders in Reds history back and try a proven bat and glove at third base to at least platoon with the young Frazier like in 2012. When Rolen was with the Reds, the Reds won more times than not. That should count for something. I have no idea whether Rolen is enjoying his retirement or if he is itching to play again in the MLB, but it would be worth giving him a call.
Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot
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