When Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker took a swing in the eighth inning of Friday night’s win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, a few Reds coaches on the bench could tell that he wasn’t at full strength.
Winker was playing in his first game back off the injured list. He had missed a month with an intercostal strain, and he rushed through his rehab assignment to help the Reds in the playoff race.
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After that swing in the eighth inning, a few coaches asked Reds manager David Bell, “Did you see that?”
“I went up to the steps and was yelling at Wink at the top,” Bell said. “He didn’t turn around, so I guessed he was OK … I still (haven’t) even looked at it, I didn’t want to look at it on video.”
Winker wasn't available to start on Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Neither was outfielder Shogo Akiyama, who was scratched on Friday with hamstring tightness. Bell said he was waiting for more information on Akiyama, who still is dealing with the hamstring injury.
As a result, the Reds started an outfield combination for the first time all season. Delino DeShields started in center field for the first time this season against a right-handed pitcher, and he started next to Max Schrock and Nick Castellanos in the outfield.
As long as Winker and Akiyama are unavailable, Bell will be turning to new outfield combinations down the stretch run.
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“If (Winker) goes on the IL, then we have to consider replacing him with another outfielder,” Bell said. “Nothing has been determined yet. It could be a day-to-day thing, we might (fill the spot) with a pitcher or a few different considerations. First things first, that’s the concern we have for Wink and deciding what the next step is for him.”
Castellanos will likely continue to start every day, and Max Schrock will likely start in left field against right-handed pitchers when Winker is unavailable. Around those two players, the Reds have fewer options than they did before for the other two spots in the outfield.
On Saturday, Bell had three choices for his starting center fielder.
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He could have started Aristides Aquino, who has had a few flashes as a power hitter but entered the game with a .182 batting average. He could have started prospect Jose Barrero, who has potential but has only played one MLB inning in center field.
He decided to start DeShields. DeShields had spent the entire season in the Minor Leagues before he was traded to the Reds, but he was the best defensive outfielder who was available to play on Saturday.
On Saturday, with starting pitcher Sonny Gray on the mound, Bell started the best defensive option.
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“The thing about Delino is he’s an excellent defender, which is really important with our outfield,” Bell said. “When you have the pitchers that are going against each other today, run prevention is really important because every hit and every run is big. There’s a lot to be said for putting your best defense out there.”
NEW SHIRTS: On the Reds last road trip, Tucker Barnhart was listening to music in his hotel room when he heard a song that included the line “Us against the world.”
Barnhart typed that line into the search bar of his computer. He found a shirt from the Team USA Olympic basketball Dream Team in 1992 with that line and a Team USA flag planted on the globe.
Working with a local apparel company, he created a similar T-shirt for the Reds. This weekend, most of the players have worn it for pregame warmups.
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“I just think it’s pretty cool,” Barnhart said. “We’re looking for anything at this point of the year to give us a little extra juice. I think everybody is. We (started) 1-0 with the shirt. There we go.”
BROKEN STREAK: Since he made his Triple-A debut with the Louisville Bats on July 7, Reds prospect Dauri Moreta went 24 ⅔ innings without allowing an earned run.
Moreta’s streak was broken on Friday as he allowed a home run. In 52 Minor League innings this season, Moreta has 57 strikeouts and a 0.87 ERA.
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