The Cincinnati Reds have placed first baseman Joey Votto on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder discomfort. They have called up Nick Senzel to take his spot on the 26-man roster. They also announced that Curt Casali has been returned from his rehab assignment and that they have outrighted Henry Ramos to Triple-A Louisville.
Joey Votto started game one of yesterday’s doubleheader against the Los Angeles Angels, but he was pinch hit for in the 6th inning. Votto has struggled to hit for average this year – he’s currently at the .200 mark. But he’s still drawing walks and he’s been hitting for plenty of power, though he only had one extra-base hit since homering in back-to-back games on August 6th and 7th. The left shoulder is the same one that Votto had surgery on last season.
Nick Senzel was optioned to the minor leagues a little over a week ago. He joined the Bats in Iowa and has played in six games, going 5-26 (.192) with a double, triple, and two walks. Last night he picked up his first multi-hit game with Louisville when he went 2-5 with a double. He’ll likely slide back into a utility role where he can fill in all over the field or come off of the bench to face left-handed pitching – he’s hitting .305/.367/.537 against lefties this season in 90 plate appearances.
Curt Casali’s rehab stint has been cut short. He’s attempting to come back from a foot contusion. He had played in six games on rehab assignment with Louisville and had gone 6-23 (.261) with a double. Casali needed some additional time off after playing three straight days to begin his rehab assignment, not playing for four days and then playing every other day before he was called back.
Henry Ramos reportedly accepted his outright to Triple-A and will be joining the Bats according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
I hope this isn’t the last we see of Joey. 🙁 Sadly, Father Time is undefeated.
Well that would explain the way Joey’s been swinging the bat the last couple of weeks with all these goofy choppy half swings and everything else where he’s not really making full committed swings. I thought it might be something physical because his swing has looked so off the last couple of weeks.
Let’s hope that’s not it for him this year but I’ll bet it is.
I wouldn’t bet against it being the end of the line.
Figured this would be coming as he needed an excuse for poor play.
Think it’s time to put a fork in him since he doesn’t seem to realize it himself.
And the 3 headed catching experiment resumes, why I’m still not sure.
That is not necessarily true. Returning from Rehab doesn’t mean returning to ML Roster. Likely returning from rehab to be DFA’d
or just continued on the IL. Recall that Votto was returned from rehab and not activated then subsequently sent on a 2nd rehab and returned and activated.
Not quite yet perhaps. As I read it, Casali was returned from rehab but not announced as reinstated to the active roster.Those are 2 distinct moves. Time will tell
Ah OK, thank you both for the clarification
Casali is not back to being active. He’s back on the IL and not rehabbing.
I read this as Casali is still on the IL, but not on rehab assignment any longer. Akin to Votto earlier in the year.
Bummer for Joey. But honestly, not for the lineup. He’s been pretty bad for quite a long while now.
Surprised it was Senzel. But, good for the organization for continuing to give him opportunities. Hope he can help. Not sure about the wisdom of bringing up Marte in the middle of a stretch where every game matters. But, I do think it will help him in 2024.
Just win, baby. One at a time. Tonight will be tough.
So Joey’s bad and we dontneed him yet his replacement is Nick Senzel. Am I the only one that can’t make sense of that claim?
“Surprised it was Senzel. But, good for the organization for continuing to give him opportunities.”
How many opportunities is that guy going to get? Unbelievable that he’s called up again. smh
It makes sense about Votto. I never thought I’d seem him look so bad as he has recently even if he was 80 years old much less 40. lol
Casali played first base the other night. Now that Votto is out ,Bell can use him there. Get all three catchers in the game at once.
I think it is just a way to get CES and Steer in the line up more. Can Justify Senzel coming off the bench more than JV
Here’s hoping Joey heals and comes back banging. Here’s also hoping Senzel uses his final lifeline to become the player we always hoped he would be.
All he needs to do to be a useful piece is hit LHP and cover multiple spots on the field. Unfortunately his bat still hasn’t mastered hitting OPPO handed pitchers, though we have seen flashes this year.
” Here’s also hoping Senzel uses his final lifeline ”
Which one of his “final lifelines” is he using this time? 🙂
Joey isn’t banging anymore. Some people need a big dose of reality
Doug, any word on the corresponding moves with pitchers? I know the teams get an extra pitcher when they have a doubleheader.
I’ve read SO many comments (here and elsewhere) that said I’d never be seeing Senzel in a Reds uniform ever again — no way, no how, no chance whatsoever, take it to the bank — I had actually started believing them. By this point I should know better than to believe any prediction anyone makes about anything, especially when they’re made with absolute confidence, but sometimes I can still be a bit naive.
Well look at the string of events it has taken. India, Fraley, Fairchild, and Votto to IL (did I miss anyone). Ramos recalled and then DFA. Hopkins, Siani, Volser recalled. Who would have ever seen something like this on the position player side???
Right, but what I was hearing was that the Reds were absolutely not willing to bring Senzel up. Period. He was done. That’s clearly not true, is it? They chose him over Barrero, for example. They could have DFA’d him and brought up someone else (Mancini, Lopez, Vosler, Reynolds, etc.) but instead they brought Senzel back. I think this proves that all those predictions were wrong, doesn’t it?
If not Barrero I would have rather had Lopez than Senzel. He’s having a really good year.
It doesn’t mean Bell will play him though, lol. I didn’t make those predictions, but like you I figured they were true.
Speaking of other confident – and popular RLN – declarations, perhaps the Reds actually rushed CES? Really need him to step up and give consistent ABs to provide some thump in the middle of the lineup.
So, maybe the organization does actually know what it’s doing sometimes, even when the thinking heads of RLN disagree. And even thought they will now (apparently) bat Martini 5th and leave Benson at his 8th position. Lol.
Rushed? Huh? He’d played a lot more games in AAA than McLain or Elly, and was hitting great. He was probably the best all-around hitter in AAA baseball when he was finally called up. What more was there for him to prove? If it made sense to bring up McLain (which it did) and Elly (which it did), then CES was certainly not rushed.
And by the way: despite his growing pains, he’s currently on pace to hit .246 and about 20 to 22 home runs over the course of a full season. That’s not elite production, obviously, but it’s not the kind of production from a rookie that should make anyone say “this guy clearly can’t hit major league pitching and should still be in the minors.” Those are the kinds of stats that should make you say “this guy has a really bright future. He’s just a rookie.”
Steer, last year, hit .211/.306/.326. Maybe the Reds should have left him the minors so he could keep working on some things, but I don’t think so. I’m glad they “rushed” him last year. And I’m glad they “rushed” McLain and Elly and Abbott this year.
Great post J.
Let’s don’t forget, regardless of rushed or not the young man is still a rookie trying to get adjusted to mlb life and pitchers. Need to cut all the rookies some slack occasionally.
I’m a sucker for hyperbole, too, but I haven’t read anything of the kind here.
Sure, some folks here are good-to-be-gone with Senzel, but that kind of talk ain’t happening.
Not no way, not no how.
Nigel Tufnel had an amp that went to eleven.
Yours is turned up to twelve.
How must it feel about now to be Jose Barrero and to have had the run he has had at AAA only to see Senzel recalled and that coming after Hopkins, Siani, Ramos, and Vosler were all recalled?
Like Doug said yesterday, someone must really not like Barrero’s AAA K rate in August despite his bottom line production.
Vosler was recalled? Is that today, but hasn’t been announced? Or just a mistake?
I am a huge Barrero supporter, but I would rather see him at AAA getting regular AB’s. The only way I want to see him up again is to replace someone injured (EDLC or McLain) or because he played his way there. He has got to cut down on the strikeouts and increase his walks for the latter.
Vosler is a brain cramp. I crossed him and Martini.
Barrero’s OPS at AAA in going on 200PAs since being sent down is .929. in the last 2 weeks his OPS is .988 but his OBP is just under .300. That’s probably the burr in his saddle.
Yeah. His overall numbers are .281/.342/.587 according to the Bats site though. He does K too much. Then again he’s not the only one. It seems like he would be a better overall option to me.
Barrero has to stop striking out if he wants to play on the Reds. Period end of story.
I guess this makes the Mancini move a little more clearer. This could be a way for him to bow out but still be with the team.
Maybe Votto could come back the last series of the year for A joey Votto appreciation night. This gives the Reds an opportunity to watch an infield of Marte/Elly/McLain/CES and Id like to see Steer get reps back at 1b. I thought he was good there. Let benson and Friedl play every day in the OF and see what they can do against lefties.
I think they have to put the team on the field which gives them the best shot of making the playoffs. That may well include dumping the platoon routine and playing Freidl and Benson everyday.
Let’s not forget that the June breakout came in the midst of the likes of Freidl, Fraley, and Senzel being out, the departure of Myers, and upon the heels of McLain then EDLC arrriving. Bell was forced to improvise. Benson and Fairchild were cast into expanded roles and delivered along with the rookies.
Maybe the same can happen now. At the very least, I hope Bell respects the order in which guys were recalled when they were all available to be recalled and sits Senzel at the far end of the bench unless and until the others have not gotten the job done.
If Votto comes back I only want it to be if he’s ready to play well. Coming back just for the last series otherwise may not be a good idea at all considering our playoffs hopes could come down to the last few games.
I don’t know what to make of this. Votto certainly didn’t look healthy for the last few days (I even said he looked like “a wounded animal trying to figure out what to do with a baseball bat”), but I can’t help but wonder if someone (probably not named Bell) said “look, we can’t keep doing this. We’re trying to make the playoffs, and you’re hurting our chances. So, option A is you’re injured. Option B is…” and Votto interrupted and said “Ok, I’m injured.”
I had the same question. I wonder if he is injured, or “injured.”
He’s a legend in Cincy. Hopefully it’s nothing, but….
All those days recently where Votto hit 5th or 6th while aged and hurting. Nothing against Votto – he doesn’t write the lineup card.
Flashbacks of Moose hitting 5th all year in 2021 on a very competitive Reds team while slashing a minuscule .208/.272/.372.
That, and Winker hitting 2nd against LHSP every day still burns me.
Thought this year that Bell had turned the page over those years……
Votto does have the ability at any time to tell management that his shoulder is not right. The article says it has been bothering him for two weeks. How many series has he played with a hurting shoulder and when did he say something? Previously it was reported that his shoulder has been hurting for 5 years and he was playing with it. I sense a pattern, but I know nothing factual so just opinionating.
Let’s remember Votto or Bell took him out of the lineup in game one. If you go back to his last at bat he doesn’t look right running to first. IMO. Let’s face it, the old Joey Bangs isn’t walking through that door ever again.
The worst of conspiracy theories.
Dude is one year out on major surgery. He’s nearly 40.
What’s the point of these kind of posts.
We’ve got LDS playing the cynic here.
Doing a good job, even if he is batting 8th.
He’s crushing “cynical”.
Don’t be redundant.
Votto is a borderline HOF player that will get in. He’s just gonna lower his lifetime OBP and AVG by continuing to play. I think the right move is to agree with the Reds to end it this year with him receiving the buyout. They should announce a couple of weeks before the end of the season that the last homestand are his appreciation run. The dude has had an extremely good career and is set for a great retirement. Of course Votto may still wanna play and I’m not too sure how the Reds would approach that. I personally think that it’s best for the Reds to turn the page but there seems to be 2 camps on that with the fans.
only been a few games but Marte may not quite be ready for the majors yet. i think Senzel gives us a little more offense and defense at 3rd right now.
give Joey a month off and have him ready for the last 2 weeks of the season. how about Joey hitting a walk off homer to clinch a playoff spot !
IMO, the surest way Bell can lose this team in the locker room is to play Senzel ahead of the guys who have been called up ahead of him in the last 2 weeks, especially when he flatout said Marte was his everyday 3B. If Nick Krall thought Nick Senzel gave him a better roster than those call ups ahead of him, Senzel would have been called up ahead of them.
Yep. I doubt other players would be too happy about that.
4 games in, bench the top 50 prospect. Novel idea.
I agree with you about Senzel, his defense ar 3rd is definitely an improvement over Marte who doesn’t quite look sound defensively yet
…who knows about the bat with either one of them.
I am not comparing the 2 players by any means, so please do not think that for a second, but…. Look at what Mike Trout did the first time he got called up with LA and then got sent back down, came back a monster. Sometimes you have to know what to prepare against.
I was hoping we’d seen the last of Senzel. Oh well, he’ll be on the IL soon enough
Barrero has to reduce is Ks to be of benefit. We don’t need to return to the land of unproductive ABs. I agree that Brain and Friedl should play every day and I believe Friedl needs to be leadoff regardless of handedness. JV out of the lineup could be a big benefit with where his lack of production has been recently. If he can return and get back his slugging percentage he’s great near the bottom of the lineup. Steer, McLain, EDLC, Friedl, CES and Benson should play every game the rest of the season. Maile should be catcher one. These guys are young, healthy and hungry. Let them eat.
Benson not Brain. Lord, I need to check my posts.
Bad penny keeps showing up.
I’m with Melvin, Lopez.
They soured on Lopez & Barrero, but not Senzel.
I get Barrero because he can’t hit offspeed stuff.
Lineup is out and Martini is hitting in the five hole. Based on his lineups this year, Bell must believe that is the least important spot in the order.
lol
Bell never reworks the lineup. If somebody gets hurt and is scratched, Bell just crosses out that guy and then replaces him with his replacement. This time it’s Martini for Votto. Bell can’t be bothered with writing out a brand new lineup card. He is trying to save paper and the planet.
Haha!
Bell claims he likes to keep the lineup stable because guys don’t react well to instability. Aside from the fact that Steer has been one of the most consistent hitters despite being one of the few who’s actually bounced around quite a bit, what makes this claim doubly silly is that almost nobody on this team ever seems to be the slightest bit concerned about situational hitting. It’s not as if anyone seems to be saying “well, I’m a leadoff hitter, so I’m supposed to take a lot of pitches” or “I’m hitting second, so my job is to just move the runner from second to third and let the power hitters drive him in” or “the worst possible thing for me to do in this situation is strike out, so I’m definitely not taking strike three.” They all just seem to be in their own little worlds regardless of the situation, mostly swinging freely and swinging hard, totally and unconcerned about striking out, so I really fail to see how anyone is going to suddenly become a completely different hitter when he moves to a different spot in the lineup. But Bell is SO afraid of it, he’d rather stick a minor leaguer at #5 to avoid potentially confusing a guy who’s been hitting well all season? Incredible.
Martini might get four hits tonight, but if he’s really good enough to hit #5, he should have been up a long time ago.
“what makes this claim doubly silly is that almost nobody on this team ever seems to be the slightest bit concerned about situational hitting.”
That would seem to be the case most of the time. Swing for the fences no matter what the count no matter what the situation.
Bell thinks only the one thru four spots get the only ab’s. Lol
Responding to J above.
Bell is still in launch angle mode, hoping for a HR. I think that’s why he left Elly at #4 for so long, and Joey at #5 for the last while. Elly,is still in that swing for the fences mindset, ignoring sac fly opportunities, or simply cutting down on their swings with 2 strikes and shooting for singles.
Situational baseball in all aspects appears to not being taught, or no accountability. No player or staff leadership.
OMG, what does it take for Votto just fade into oblivion? The guy finds ways to make news and stays relevant. He’s not hitting, so must be an injury.
Or maybe it’s an injury like last year. What a weird comment
I think it’s pretty obvious when you just watch him swing that something has not been right with him for a while. When’s the last time you saw him take a really good full swing… it’s been a while. It’s not Joey bowing out because he’s not hitting.
Maybe running Joey out there every day wasn’t good for him or the team. Just incomprehensible how Bell has managed his playing time.
+5000. Bell is more to blame than Votto. Can’t expect a 40 year old to be an everyday player.
I’m really surprised it wasn’t Barrero considering how well he’s been hitting in AAA and also Senzel’s complaining about playing time earlier and how that went. Obviously the Votto move had to be done, but I would have preferred they bring Barrero up… just think Senzel is not a positive in the dugout at this point.
Yes, I agree. Barrero could have played SS, and EDLC could have slid back to third base. It think that would make the team better defensively.
But the tea leaves indicate that David Bell does not like Jose Barrero, and would not play him if he was promoted to the Reds.
Noelvi Marte, despite his highly rated pedigree, is not hitting much.
I realize he’s a rookie, and am not giving up on him, but…he’s not hitting.
Maybe ease him in and play him intermittently, or whatever.
Did anyone else see The Athletic today? Jim Bowden did a column on the “Indispensable Under-the-Radar Player” on each MLB playoff contender. For the Reds?
Cincinnati Reds: Will Benson, RF/LF
A first-round pick by Cleveland in 2016, Will Benson was dealt to Cincinnati this past February for Justin Boyd and Steve Hajjar in a lopsided deal for the Reds. The Guardians gave Benson only 55 at-bats in the big leagues last year before deciding to move on. The Reds are glad they did, as he has slashed .281/.381/.498 with 11 doubles, six triples and seven home runs in 236 plate appearances. He has 14 steals in 16 attempts. He has played solid defense in both outfielder corners, including four assists and no errors. Of note, his sprint speed ranks in the 90th percentile and he’s impressed with his ability to take borderline pitches.
Nick Krall, general manager: “He has been a huge boost to our club since coming back from Triple A (in late May). He takes quality at-bats and plays excellent defense.”
“He takes quality at-bats and plays excellent defense.””
…and bats in the bottom of the order. 😉
I really like Benson. He really has been a huge asset to this team. However, for Krall to say that he has played excellent defense is a bit of an overstatement. He is a good defender, with potential to be great, but he has certainly made some bad mistakes on defense. He may not officially have any errors, but he has badly misplayed a few balls this season. I’m guessing that if you asked him, he would say the same.
Calling up Senzel is a big mistake for team chemistry, just my opinion.
Martini has some interesting stats. 286 big league at-bats with only 2 HRs, but a very nice .367 obp. That tells me he’s selective and this organization needs to weed out all hackers. As opposed to the Sarge from Full Metal Jacket:
“My orders are to weed out all non-hackers who do not pack the gear to serve in my beloved Corps. Do you maggots understand that?”
Last time Senzel was in the lineup after his whiny pity-party Reds went 0-7. Wonder if it’ll take him a week to report?
We can make whatever we want to of Joey going on the IL.For me if its been bothering him for 2 weeks well you know.Senzel back up is shocking especially after Bell said the new guy would play every day at third.Doubt if he plays at all in the field.Lots of auditioning going on in outfield as well but we will see.Barrero may still have a chance who knows.
I wonder what the team feels about Senzel? Like what do they think in the locker room? I know the manager will say one thing to sugar coat it all, but the team seems to have been playing better with him gone. Barrero would have added some speed and actually had earned another shot with what he has done in AAA. Isn’t that the point for sending guys back down that they can redeem themselves? Barrero has and Senzel has not.
President of the Barrero fan club here.Never though he got a legit shot but he is not part of the Reds plan going forward.I hope he finds a team that will give him the keys to short and just let him play next year.I was hoping he would be called up to play short leaving ELLY at third and McLain at second that would have been a great defense but Reds went for Marte.
Tommy Pham 5-4-3 dbp
That was fun.
Just surprised in Senzel being called up, not a smart move in my opinion, but hope he plays well.