Lefties Are Scarce Amir Garrett Disabled Cody Reed Gets A Start

Amir Garrett was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a heal and ankle were tweaked over the weekend.  The Reds' were hoping treatment would take care of it but decided to bench Garrett and recall Jackson Stephens, who was dealing with a knee problem.

Garrett has been ineffective since he was hit on the foot with a line drive by Ender Inciarte of the Atlanta Braves on June 26.  Since then Garrett appeared in 21 games, pitching 16 innings, allowing 15 earned runs for an ERA of 8.44.  Opponents hit .329 off him in those games and have a .413 on-base-percentage.

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"I re aggravated my foot.  It probably stems from when I hurt it earlier in the year," Garrett said.  "I Chicago I threw a pitch and Happ lined out.  I think I just landed wrong, twisted it or something.  I felt a sharp pain.  I was at the point when I said I can't do this.  I'd be hurting the team if I pitched with it."

Cody Reed will start on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers.  Reed has been working out of the bullpen while the Reds have used a six-man starting rotation.  The Reds expected to make a deal for Matt Harvey but both the trade deadline and the eligibility for the playoffs has expired.  Harvey oould still be traded after he clears waivers but would not be eligible for the playoffs.  With 30 games left in the season unless a complete collapse of someone's starting rotation occurs, it wouldn't be wise to trade for a pitcher that would be a free agent.

The Reds wanted to see if Reed could be effective as a starter in the Major Leagues after he had a good season for Louisville in Triple A.

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"I walked in yesterday.  I told them that I was ready if they needed me to throw out of the pen.  They said maybe Thursday," Reed said. "I threw a pen then they told me that I'd start Thursday.  They told me when I got sent down they wanted me to be a starter.  I was really excited when he called my name when the bases were loaded in Chicago.  It's an opportunity to make a start in the big leagues. I'm not going to worry about short notice."

The Reds are left with one left-hander, Wandy Peralta, in the bullpen.

"You'd prefer to have two left-handers in the bullpen," Jim Riggleman said.  "We have to have right-handers be more effective against left-handed batters.  That's a challenge."

The Reds will have two days to cover because the roster expands for September call ups.

"I don't know if we have a left-hander we'd be calling up," Riggleman said.  "We're going to get a lot of right-handed on left matchups.  It will be a good test for our guys moving forward."

There are three left-handed pitchers on Louisville's roster.  Brandon Finnegan, Kyle Crockett and Juan Martinez.   Finnegan is already on the 40-man roster.  Crockett pitched in Cincinnati earlier in the year and cleared waivers to be removed from the 40-man.  Martinez was signed by the Reds in 2011 and has never pitched above Double A until he was assigned to Louisville on August 26.  He was just brought off the DL in Pensacola.

"I don't know about Finnegan," Riggleman said.  "We haven't talked about who the call ups are.  Until now, I've never thought of it as who the left handers would be.  I know Crockett is down there.  Being one down, it is a possibility we could add a left hander that way when the roster expands on Friday."

Finnegan was a starter in Cincinnati and when he first was sent to Louisville.  He missed nearly all of 2017 with injury.  He started eight games in Louisville but appeared in the last 19 games out of the bullpen.  Finnegan is 2-10 with a 7.21 ERA.  He has allowed nine earned runs in his last 12 innings over his last 10 appearances.

Joey Votto worked out before the game.  He remains on the disabled list.