SAN DIEGO –– When Major League Baseball announced Cincinnati Reds left fielder Jesse Winker as one of the leading vote-getters for the MLB All-Star game, he said it was an honor to even be considered.
But Winker has a chance for an even brighter spotlight during the All-Star break.
Winker leads the National League in OPS and ranks third in home runs with 17 this season. If he makes the All-Star game, would he be interested in participating in the Home Run Derby?
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“It’s something that I haven’t even thought about,” Winker said. “I haven’t even paid any attention to it.”
On Friday, MLB announced Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani as this year’s first participant for the Home Run Derby at All-Star Game in Colorado. Ohtani, who’s also a starting pitcher, ranks third in MLB with 21 homers and is one of the most popular players in the sport.
Whether or not Winker participates in the Home Run Derby, he said he’ll be excited to watch Ohtani compete.
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“It’s amazing for the game,” Winker said. “It’s going to be so, so cool to see that. Everybody should be excited that (Ohtani) is doing it because this guy is hitting 450 foot, 480 foot homers every night it seems like. It’s going to be a sight to see.”
Winker has a case for a spot as one of the four NL players in the derby field. He trails San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in homers, but Winker ranks ahead of most of the other NL candidates in most of the major statistical categories.
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Cubs shortstop Javier Báez, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman and Rockies second baseman Ryan McMahon are other contenders in the NL, but Winker has outplayed them this season.
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MOUSTAKAS TO 60-DAY: Before the Reds game on Saturday against the Padres, Cincinnati moved infielder Mike Moustakas (heel contusion) to the 60-day IL.
Earlier this week, Moustakas looked to be on the verge of returning to the MLB roster. He played in a rehab game in Omaha with the Reds Triple-A affiliate Louisville, but Moustakas re-aggravated his heel during the game. Moustakas returned to Cincinnati for further evaluation, and the Reds subsequently moved him to the 60-day IL.
Moustakas will be eligible to return around the All-Star break, and the Reds infield depth remains extremely thin. Behind the four starters, Mike Freeman is the only healthy infielder on the Reds 40-man roster. Freeman can play all four infield positions, but he has a .182 batting average this season.
Infielder Max Schrock is the only injured infielder on the Reds 40-man roster nearing a return. Schrock injured his calf on May 28 and hasn’t played since, but he has gone through pregame warmups with the Reds in San Diego.
Nick Senzel has played second and third base this season, but he’s also on the 60-day IL. After having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, he will be out until after the All-Star break. Alex Blandino is expected to miss a couple more weeks with a broken right hand.
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In Triple-A, infielder Alejo Lopez is hitting .375 over his 16 games with the Louisville Bats. Shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez has been with the Bats all season, but he has cooled off after a strong start to the season and has a .232 batting average this season. Neither player is on the Reds 40-man roster or had an extensive opportunity to make the Reds Opening Day roster.
PITCHING CHANGE: After Reds reliever Ashton Goudeau threw two innings of long relief on Friday, Cincinnati optioned him to Triple-A and called up reliever Josh Osich.
Osich, who took Moustakas’ spot on the 40-man roster, has played for the Bats all season. Osich had a 5.40 ERA in Triple-A over 15 innings, but the veteran left-hander is a six-year MLB veteran who at one point was a standout reliever on the San Francisco Giants.
Goudeau was a Reds waiver claim this season and had a 4.00 ERA in five games.
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