Dauri Moreta was on mop-up duty in spring training and began the season at Double-A Chattanooga, but he was confident he would find his way to the Major Leagues this year.
Moreta, a right-handed reliever, accomplished his goal Wednesday. The 25-year-old reliever didn’t allow an earned run in his first 24 2/3 innings with Triple-A Louisville and earned a spot in the big-league bullpen.
“I think when you work hard and you know exactly what you want,” Moreta said, “everything goes well.”
Moreta, who signed with the Reds in 2015 out of the Dominican Republic, posted a 6-0 record and a 1.02 ERA across 42 relief appearances at Double-A and Triple-A this year. He struck out 58 batters and walked nine in 53 innings. He uses a mid-90s fastball, but it’s the command of the strike zone that makes him stand out.
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“When spring training started this year, I knew in my mind 100% that I was going to play here,” Moreta said. “That’s why I worked hard in the offseason. I had to be ready for this moment. I knew this is my year and I was ready.”
Moreta learned of his first big-league promotion Tuesday night. He missed multiple calls from Louisville manager Pat Kelly as he took a shower, then called Kelly back afterward. He adds immediate depth to the Reds’ bullpen, which has dealt with short starts during the past week.
“I was really excited,” Moreta said. “I was working hard for this moment. I feel very good right now.”
The Reds placed Mike Moustakas on the 10-day injured list with right foot plantar fasciitis, which could end his season. He missed about two-and-a-half months this summer with right heel injuries.
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Moustakas recently fouled a ball off his foot, which may have re-aggravated the injury. Moustakas was hitting .177 with seven doubles, two homers and nine RBI in 96 at-bats since returning from the 60-day injured list in August.
MILEY PUSHED BACK: Wade Miley, who was originally scheduled to pitch Friday against the Washington Nationals, will have his next start pushed back by at least three days.
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Miley felt tightness around his neck in his last start and he won’t pitch again until at least Monday following Wednesday’s rainout.
It’s been a rough September for Miley, who has yielded 36 hits and 17 earned runs in his last 18 1/3 innings (8.31 ERA). He has failed to complete five innings in four of his last six starts.
STEPHENSON RETURNS: Catcher Tyler Stephenson was activated from the injured list Wednesday and catcher Mark Kolozsvary was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.
There are no minimum number of days a player is required to spend on the injured list when it’s related to COVID-19 symptoms.
“Just had a bad cold, cold symptoms,” Reds manager David Bell said. “That’s always a scare these days, so he’s back and ready to go.”
Kolozsvary has yet to make his Major League debut after sitting in the two games he was called up.
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“It’s always disappointing for any player, especially you get a small taste of it and you want to stay,” Bell said. “He expressed the same thing, how much he appreciated the experience. I do think the year he’s had, all the great experiences he’s had, how much he’s improved, he’s put himself in a really good situation.
“No player is guaranteed anything moving forward, but I do think he’s put himself in a nice spot here moving forward to get a taste of it and have the experience.”
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