ST. LOUIS – When Cincinnati Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson tries to find solutions for struggling pitchers, he says he takes it personally, too.
One year after the Reds rode their pitching staff to the postseason, ending a seven-year playoff drought, the Reds have the highest ERA (5.04) in Major League Baseball. The bullpen has a league-high ERA (5.71) and issued the second-most walks (118).
“Every time they go out and struggle, I’m wearing it right along with them – maybe not to the degree they are,” Johnson said before Thursday’s series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. “You’re looking for answers. You’re looking for solutions. The worst thing I think you can do is try to do too much, go too many directions or change directions on them.
“You’re kind of walking this tricky tight rope of giving them the information that you think that they need, that they can use, and then at the same time, not putting them in a situation where it becomes confusing because it’s already confusing enough.”
When the Reds cut player payroll this past offseason, it put the pressure on Johnson and the rest of the pitching coaches. Most additions to the bullpen were waiver claims and minor trades. Sean Doolittle was the team's only free-agent signing on a big-league contract.
Johnson was named Baseball America’s Major League Coach of the Year in 2019 and now the Reds wanted him to squeeze the potential out of guys who ran out of chances in other organizations.
“We all have to remember these guys are kids,” Johnson said. “I’m not saying they’re not grown men, but they’re young men. I think sometimes we forget what it’s like to feel like you don’t know what you’re doing.
“I feel for what they’re going through. I feel for knowing that they’re going home at night and they are thinking about it. They’re not sleeping the way that they should. They’re coming back to the ballpark the next day and they’re trying to figure out solutions. That’s tough. It stinks. It’s really just trying to be supportive.”
One of the most perplexing pitchers on the pitching staff is Luis Castillo. He entered the season as the club’s Opening Day starter. He emerged as one of the best pitchers in the National League over the last three years.
Castillo has remained positive through his struggles, but he’s sporting a 7.22 ERA through 11 starts. He’s allowed 70 hits and a league-high 42 earned runs in 52 1/3 innings as well as a career-low strikeout rate.
Johnson says he thought Castillo’s last start in Chicago – two earned runs on four hits and four walks in five innings – was something he could build on.
“Has he made some progress? I’m hoping he has,” Johnson said. “It seems like he has. Is it exactly what we expect from Luis or think that it should be, maybe not, but I do think there is some progress under the hood there.”
Amir Garrett, who hoped to become the team's closer, has posted a 9.56 ERA through 19 relief appearances.
The Reds were counting on guys like José De León (8.35 ERA in 18 1/3 innings), Carson Fulmer (6.66 ERA in 25 2/3 innings), Cionel Pérez (8.31 ERA in 17 1/3 innings) to fortify the staff.
"I think the psychology of this is way more important than the physical aspect," Johnson said. "All of us, physically, have flaws when we throw a baseball or we hit one. It's evident. Sometimes it becomes more evident. But that's why pitchers throw certain pitches to certain hitters in certain spots because there's a flaw, there's a hole."
There are some success stories. Tyler Mahle has taken a step forward in the rotation. Wade Miley has been healthy for most of the season and pitched like he did before the Reds signed him as a free agent before the 2020 season.
Tejay Antone has been the most reliable reliever in the bullpen.
"I just want to get him in the game more," Johnson said of Antone. "That's a big thing for us right now is getting him in the game. Obviously, what we've seen when he's been in the game is really good."
Would Johnson prefer Antone in a single-inning relief role or a multi-inning role?
"I like both of them because I think both make sense," he said. "Thinking about days with Milwaukee and having (Josh) Hader doing kind of the same thing as what we're trying to have Tejay do."
Johnson knew entering the season there would be challenges. A lot of young pitchers are still developing at the big-league level.
To this point, the Reds' pitching just hasn't been good enough to consistently win games.
“I’m very hopeful,” Johnson said. “I always will be because that’s my job, right? There is no one else. It’s these guys that we have and this is what we’re going to throw out there. I have to remain very optimistic, very hopeful and see what that next start brings."
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