The Cincinnati Reds have made a bunch of roster moves today. The team called up outfielder TJ Friedl from Triple-A Louisville and added him to the 40-man roster in the process. Cincinnati also activated reliever Art Warren who had been rehabbing in Triple-A with the Bats. On the flip side of those moves the team has placed outfielders Jesse Winker and Shogo Akiyama on the injured list. Winker is back on the list with another intercostal strain – the same injury he just returned from – and Akiyama is on the injured list with a hamstring strain. The move for Akiyama is retroactive to yesterday.
For TJ Friedl, this will be his first time in the Major Leagues. Undrafted in 2016, he signed the largest non-drafted free agent contract in history for a draft-eligible player. He was listed as a sophomore in the notes on the Nevada baseball information sheet. Reality is that he was a redshirt sophomore and thus draft eligible. Many teams did not know this – though some did. After the season he joined Team USA’s college team and performed very well, leading to organizations digging deeper and realizing that he was technically a free agent at that point and Cincinnati, who had the largest remaining amount of “draft pool” money available was able to sign him.
In his minor league career, the recently turned 26-year-old outfielder has hit .274/.366/.414. That’s pretty similar to the line he has had in Triple-A with Louisville this season where he’s hit .264/.357/.422 with 15 doubles, 5 triples, 12 home runs, 13 steals, 44 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 113 games played. Friedl, a left-handed hitter, has weird splits this season. He’s hitting .302/.376/.381 against lefties. There’s not much power output against them, but he’s been able to pick up plenty of hits. Against righties he’s hitting .246/.348/.442. Plenty of pop against righties, and he’s walked nearly as often as he’s struck out (36-to-40), but he hasn’t turned the contact into hits at nearly the same rate as he has against lefties. In 15 games in September he’s hit .300/.338/.517 with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts.
Art Warren is returning to the bullpen. Prior to his injury he had a 1.88 ERA in 14.1 innings with 6 walks and 21 strikeouts for the Reds. But he last pitched on July 11th against Milwaukee. He returned on a rehab assignment in Triple-A on September 2nd. He gave up 3 runs in 0.2 innings against Indianapolis on the 7th. Those are the only earned runs he allowed in six games with the Bats that covered 5.2 innings. He walked one batter and struck out 9 during his time with Louisville this month.
Are there Corosponding 40 man roster moves? I understand the 28 roster moves, just didnt think we had the option open
Brach is the most recent DFA I can remember, dont think they filled his spot yet but I’m not sure. Antone looks movable to the 60 too if they needed another. Warren was already on the 40.
Would have rather seen Crook as another RH hitter, but maybe they feel like they need the cover in CF instead?
Doug been following TJ on your minor league site for a few years. Glad to see him get a opportunity. As you point out he has been having a good Sept in Louisville. Let’s hope he can add something to the reds.
Good Grief. How many playoff chases will Jesse Winker be in during his career. Numb it up and go play. I’m pretty sure Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, and Joe Morgan had some aches and pains when they played. If I was a major league baseball player, nothing could keep me out of a playoff chase.
This is a bad post.
Doug,
It was obviously posted by someone who has never had a true intercostal strain. I have, and I was out 6 weeks before I could chip an 8 iron without pain. True intercostal strains can be nasty, but it doesn’t appear Redsvol has any idea.
Redsvol, I more think they should have just told him he wasn’t ready and to spend more time in rehab. Juicing to play is always a bad idea. Look back at the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers. Their injury “treatments” of guys like Bill Walton and Bob Gross significantly impacted their careers and longevity.
most here didn’t understand why Jesse Winker was spending valuable at bats in Louisville when he could be getting at bats for the Reds in a playoff chase. So, as they they say, “can’t have it both ways”. And Bill Walton is a legend to many basketball enthusiasts and probably wouldn’t have played 3 years with today’s mentality.
Redvol, without looking it up, do you even know where the intercostal muscles are?
And if you do, then surely you can see how injuring those muscles would be debilitating to a baseball player, yes?
@CI3J – yes, I understand where it is. Its not a major muscle group and is a situation of pain tolerance. Its not a knee, or hamstring, broken bone, or shoulder injury that will significantly deteriorate with continued use. There are 2 weeks of the season left. Football players must laugh at baseball players and their inability to play thru a minor muscle strain. As I said, this wouldn’t keep me from playing if I understood how precious playoff opportunities were.
CI3J,
Redsvol’s answer illustrates that he doesn’t have a clue about intercostal muscle strains. To state they are not a major muscle group when they are involved in every breath one takes and every trunk movement one makes, illustrates medical ignorance.
Yeah, I was about to post a link to a video of the old Police song, Every Breath You Take. That’s when it hurts. On the field, off the field, wherever you are whatever you are doing.
Just hope they dont try to feed this to the fanbase as an excuse for falling short this season.
I don’t see why they need an excuse, but if they do, losing one of best hitters near the end of the season is certainly a valid one.
Congratulations to Friedl on the call up.
Here’s hoping Friedl makes the most of his callup.
too bad that the season will come down to 1 injury costing the reds another chance at the playoffs….they just don’t have enough offense to make up for the 2 plus games per week the bullpen usually lets the other team back in the game..plus every 5th day right now with guiterrez, probably because of the season workload, he’s not getting out of the 4th. looks like the cardinals(with the winker/naquin injuries for the reds and the 2 starter’s missing for the padres) will be the team getting that 5th spot, and i actually like the reds chances against the giants in a 1 game scenario but not the dodgers
It burns an option year for him, which I’m sure the Reds preferred to avoid. But that said, congrats to Friedl, I’m excited to see what he can do.
you won’t see him much……memo to all “DB’s desk”.
You probably won’t see much of any of the rookies until and unless the Reds conclude that there’s no hope of making the playoffs. I don’t believe many teams would handle this situation much differently.
The option year is not burned unless they option him between now and the end of the regular season because he was not previously on the 40 man roster.
Reds fans stay positive still in the race for wild card
What does it say about the Reds minor league system when you place 3 major league hitters on the IL and replace them with TJ Friedl and Art Warren (previously brought in DeShields who hadn’t played in the majors all year). I am ok with Friedl getting a chance but we need another pitcher like we need a hole in the head. This team hasn’t hit for 3-4 weeks. Apparently, there is no one in the system that can hit. Where is Lopez? I realize he is an infielder but what does that matter. Schrock is in LF nearly every day and it is a good thing because he can hit. Barrero playing CF today.
Got to have those extra pitchers, though! As bad as Bell is, he gets no help from front office. Just sign players other organizations have released! With the present makeup of this team, I don’t see how they have any realistic chance to become the 2nd wild card.