The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly calling up left-handed reliever Phillip Diehl from Triple-A Louisville. C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic was the first to report the news.
Phillip Diehl is not currently on the 40-man roster, but Cincinnati won’t need to create a spot for him by designating anyone for assignment. When JT Riddle was designated for assignment earlier this week it left the Reds with 39 players on the 40-man roster. That does not mean that someone won’t be designated for assignment, though. If Diehl takes the spot on the roster of someone without options, that player would need to be designated for assignment.
There should be no issue with Diehl arriving in time for tonight’s game against the San Diego Padres. While the Louisville Bats are on a current road trip, they are playing in Columbus, Ohio. That’s a short drive to Cincinnati.
The lefty has limited action in the big leagues and it all came with the Colorado Rockies in 2019 and 2020 when he posted an 8.78 ERA in 13.1 innings, allowed 17 hits, 3 home runs, walked 3, and struck out 12 of the 60 batters he faced.
Cincinnati picked Phillip Diehl on waivers last April. Three weeks later the designated him for assignment and he cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Louisville. Since joining the Reds he’s only pitched in Triple-A, but he’s been very good in that time. Diehl has thrown 62.2 innings, allowed just 44 hits, 10 home runs, walked 13 batters, struck out 82, and posted an ERA of 2.73.
In an age of velocity, Phillip Diehl isn’t going to stand out. Well, he actually might, because he is a guy who doesn’t throw hard. His fastball works in the 89-90 MPH range on most nights. Even from the left side that’s considered to be below-average these days. Of course there’s more to a fastball than just velocity. Diehl pounds the strikezone with the pitch, as well as his breaking ball.
Update: 1:45pm
The Cincinnati Reds have made the move official. And with that they’ve also announced that they have placed left-handed reliever Justin Wilson on the 10-day injured list with elbow soreness. That move is retroactive to Sunday.
Throughout 2021, I thought Diehl deserved a shot at the Reds bullpen that was in much need of aid. Here’s his chance to prove he belongs!
Lopez sent down
Well, another tryout.
Sadly, I think the Sanmartin experiment as a starter, is over. I don’t know what the future is for this young man, but I don’t think he is starting again anytime soon.
I think Sanmartin will make a nice lefty in the bullpen. He tends to be at his best the first time through the order before the wheels fall off.
Agreed. Make him a reliever for an inning or two and keep the wheels on.
Good chance he is sent down but after the trade deadline there is likely to be a need for starters.
Interesting. They have to get to 26 by the 1st as well? I could pick quite a few that could be DFA’d.
I think technically it down to 26 by the 2nd May vs by the 1st. Not sure why the 1 day offset.
Also MLB has agreed teams can remain at 14 pitchers through the month of May. Allegedly the 13 pitcher limit will be enforced come June. Count me as a person who will believe that when it is a done deal. I suspect most all the NL organizations are barking loudly about it because they haven’t figured out how the DH world works yet and are still committed to doing things as they have come to do them in the past.
The bottom third of tonight’s batting order…yikes. Strikes terror not in the hearts of opposing pitchers, but in those of Reds fans.
At least Naquin and Moran aren’t being made to bat against lefties.
8.78 ERA, fits right in.
The reds also let jt riddle go after playing one game with us but his defense was better than Moose and Moran
Reds have mat Reynolds at 3b aquino right field tonight and drury hitting behind India as well.
Aquino is 2-38 with 21 strikeouts. He has gotten on base 4 times. Pretty obvious to me who goes on May 1st.
When your cleanup hitter has 3 ribbies 17 games in, that’s a problem. This team reminds me of early 80s teams that got behind early and never caught up. At least those teams had a chance when Soto pitched. Bring back Mario!
With Justin Wilson on the IL, looks like a guy with 13 MLB innings of experience whom the Reds DFA’d is now the de facto LH point man (aka The Closer). Good luck, Mr. Diehl. Of the 23 pitchers on the 40 man roster (some injured of course), there is no other LH pitcher that could possibly fill this role (except Sanmartin).
Every Hall of Fame pitcher had just13 innings of mlb experience at some point.
Did any of the Reds work out on their own during the lockout? Has any team in the majors had so many injured or out of shape players. It looks like the Reds players did not really think there was going to be a 2022 season. And the coaching staff did a poor job of using the abbreviated spring training as effectively as the competition. It still looks as if most of the Reds still are in spring training shape both physically and mentally.