The Cincinnati Reds will be skipping Luis Cessa’s spot in the rotation this upcoming week. With an off day on Monday it allows the team to go with just four starters this turn through the rotation. The next time that the Reds will need a 5th starter will be Sunday May 14th. Mark Sheldon of Reds.com is reporting that Cessa will join the bullpen temporarily while he is out of the rotation.
Yesterday we took a look at the potential options that could be there for the Reds front office to take a look at to replace Luis Cessa in the rotation. There were more than a few options, but there weren’t many ideal options. Andrew Abbott, the left-handed pitching prospect who has been on an incredible run in Double-A and Triple-A since the start of September last year is the option that would seem to make the most sense to step in for Cessa, who has posted an ERA of 9.36 through his six starts this season while posting what is far and away the lowest strikeout rate in baseball among starting pitchers.
As of today the word is that Cessa is moving temporarily to the bullpen. But Andrew Abbott has allowed four earned runs – and two of those came on a ball lost in the lights with two outs that led to two runs being scored on the play that should have ended the inning – over his last eight games that have covered 41.2 innings between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. He should have one more start before he could step in to fill that spot on the 14th. If he goes out and throws another gem for Louisville this week it probably wouldn’t be surprising to see the Reds make a move to just bring him into the rotation at that point.
While Abbott has only made two starts in Triple-A at this point, they called up Nick Lodolo after he had all of 6.2 innings in Triple-A. Graham Ashcraft got called up after just seven starts in Triple-A last season, coming up on May 22nd. Getting a lot of experience with the Louisville Bats hasn’t been something they’ve been too worried about in recent memory for their young pitchers.
We may get an early idea of how things could go as we get closer to the May 14th date. How the team is using Luis Cessa in the few days leading up to there will give clues as to whether or not they’re going to put him back out there to start.
Didn’t think it was a mistake to give Cessa this chance, and think most underestimate his value in the bullpen. Hope this is very much a case of addition by subtraction. Also wouldn’t mind getting Abbott 2 or 3 more starts with the Bats even if that means we see Herget/Lively/Stoudt again for spots – Abbott should be here in June barring a complete collapse.
My hope was a position player would be called up. In my opinion no reason to have 9 bullpen pitchers.
I believe it has to be 13 of each now. Buy I could be incorrect and it be a maximum of 13 pitchers. I am not sure on the rules update a couple years ago.
My understanding is 13/13 as well. There is some allowance for a specifically categorized 2-way player, but that, of course, doesn’t matter with us.
MLB starting pitchers average fewer than six innings per start and the Reds do not buck this trend. Their mainstay starting pitchers are three talented young guys with pitch limits who, Ashcraft excepted, haven’t yet mastered the art of pitch efficiency. When the pen routinely covers three, four or more innings per game it can easily get worn out. It isn’t the case that the same three guys can pitch every day.
Makes sense to me to go with a four man rotation since there are off days in the schedule. Most pitchers like staying on their routine schedule anyway. Looking forward to when Abbott gets the call.
Most MLB players like consistency and predictability. That’s one of my biggest gripes against He-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless. I know the article published this week said all was going to be fine on that front, but I don’t find myself believing that to any significant degree.
Then again, what do I know, right? 😀
Right, Mark. I mean, maybe, most MLB players like the excitement of variety. I haven’t polled them.
Potentially an awesome starting rotation is on the horizon with a pretty good bullpen too.
I’m ready for Abbott on 5/14 as the service times of all these young players being in a 3 year window together would be great. Hopefully, Abbott’s ERA for the MLB year would be 4.5ish or less .. that’s a win.
Next would be CES, Mclain, and EDLC, but not sure how to juggle the roster yet.
does anyone know if just tonight’s game is on Apple+TV or all of them from here on out are on there vs DirecTV ch #661
Tonight is on Apple TV+. The games will resume on Bally Sports starting tomorrow.
The other 2 White Sox games are on Bally Sports, so doubt it is from here on out.