Roster Coming Into Focus Outfield Is The Best Of Two Out Of Three

 

 

 

Dateline: 318 Kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico

March 22

One day left in Goodyear, Arizona.  The roster doesn't have to be finalized by opening day but the picture is coming into focus. 

Tyler Stephenson is also starting on the IL. 

He was examined by team Dr. Andrew Razzano.

“He will start rotational movements. On Wednesday (March 26), he will get rescanned.  If that comes back clean, we can start to do some other things,” Francona said.

The Reds are trying to find ways to get Santiago Espinal in the lineup.  Espinal played shortstop, second base and third base which are natural positions for him. The last week of camp, he played both left field and right field.

"We have to find ways to work him into games,” Francona said. “I think he’s a good player and his ability to go to the outfield will only enhance that. He’s just a baseball player. He’s comfortable.”

“Pretty much every good team has something that they feel that way about. It’s not that he can go play anywhere in a game but if someone gets hurt he can play there for two weeks and not skip a beat. That’s really important,” Francona said. “He gives you very professional at bats. He uses the whole field. He is a little bit of a throwback. There is not a lot of swing and miss.”

Stuart Fairchild, Jacob Hurtubise and Blake Dunn are battling for two open outfield spots. On March 22, Fairchild was 0-for-3 (,135), Hurtubise 1-for-3 (,306) and Dunn was 2-for-3 (,348). Dunn had a bunt single to load the bases in the seventh inning.

“We actually told them, they’re not having a hit off,” Francona said. “We know we need to make a decision but ... .I think Blake Dunn has really done a good job for a young kid of playing the game. Seeing the field, I know he lost the ball in the sun. That’s going to happen out here. He moved a runner the other day. He got a bunt down today. Just some really good things.”

“Hurtubise gives you everything he can,” Francona said. “Fairchild, we got him here to hit lefties. You can’t really match that up all the time in spring training. 

The Reds lost the game 1-0 when Manny Machado hit an opposite field home run against Carson Spiers in the seventh inning.

Andrew Abbott, who will start the year on the IL, pitched four scoreless innings, allowing one hit, no walks and he struck out three. Spiers, who is scheduled to pitch game five on April 1 against the Texas Rangers, pitched four innings. He was charged with four hits but two of them happened when Dunn lost a fly ball to center off Martin Maldonado, leading off the sixth. He pitched out of the jam. Minor league shortstop Carlos Sanchez lost an infield fly in the ninth inning that was ruled a hit. Spiers pitched out of that mess too.

“I thought all the pitchers in this game were good,” Francona said. “Their guy did it a bit differently but our guys were just as effective. It was fun to watch.”

Austin Wynns, the Reds backup catcher to Tyler Stephenson was hit in the chin by a foul tip. Francona and the trainer came out but Wynns waived them off.

"That's nine times I've been hit in the head," said Wynns as he ran off the catch the bus after the game.