The Cincinnati Reds have placed left-handed reliever Ross Detwiler on the 15-day injured list with lower back pain and have called up Buck Farmer from Triple-A Louisville. Farmer had to be added to the 40-man roster, but the team had an open spot after designating Robert Dugger for assignment yesterday.
Ross Detwiler had been solid in his 18 games for the Reds. The 36-year-old had a 4.20 ERA in 15.0 innings while walking 6 batters and striking out 16. He had only allowed 1 of the 7 inherited runners to score against him after taking the mound.
The addition of Ross Detwiler to the injured list puts what could be considered an entire pitching staff’s worth of pitchers on the Cincinnati Reds injured list. He’s the 12th pitcher on the injured list for the big league club.
Buck Farmer is coming back up to the big leagues. He began the season with the Reds, and he was good in April in his eight games, posting a 2.79 ERA with 5 walks and 14 strikeouts in 9.2 innings. But his first two appearances in May went south as he allowed 6 runs in just 2.1 innings. Cincinnati then designated him for assignment. He cleared waivers, elected free agency, then re-signed with the Reds the next day on a minor league deal and headed to Triple-A Louisville.
In his first outing with the Bats on May 11th he allowed 3 runs on a hit and 3 walks in 0.2 innings. Since then he’s been very good, pitching in 19 games with a 2.49 ERA spread out over 21.2 innings with 17 hits, 6 walks, and he’s struck out 33 of the 86 batters he’s faced (38.4%). Over the last month, though, he’s been even better than that. In 9.2 innings he’s allowed just 1 run, walked no one, and he’s struck out 20 of the 37 hitters he’s faced (54%) for Louisville. We’ll see if that translates to the big leagues, but he’s certainly earned the opportunity to see if it does.
Crazy timing. Dugger could’ve just taken the spot of Detwiler.
After the best game he’s thrown, no less.
Glad to see Buck Farmer back with the Reds. He has certainly earned the chance and I believe he’ll do a good job.
Should have kept Robert Dugger. He earned it this year at big league level Farmer has not.
Ross Detwiler is solid for sure, like you said. Detwiler has a lot of fans in Redleg land. For most of the season, his ERA was one of the lower ones. You can always use a veteran like him that is doing well. Let’s hope for a speedy recovery.
On a team with such a weak bullpen, how is it that Dugger arrived, had one solid outing, and is discarded? And is it just me or are we seeing former Reds relievers thriving in almost every season this year? Matt Whisler (of are we sure that’s a balk? fame) just the most recent example? Here’s hoping Buck has developed into a solid option, and I get that you can’t manage injuries, but wow this bullpen carousel is frustrating and discouraging.
Cionel Perez is 4-1 with an under 1 ERA for the Orioles. Maybe the key was to use him more than the Reds did.