SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — David Bell and the Reds have full confidence that the most important factor in the preparation of Frankie Montas for the 2024 season is his health and strength.
Both have been there.
The results, not so much.
For the second straight start, Montas was knocked around in Cactus League action Wednesday, despite earning the win in a typical Arizona spring shootout in the desert, 19-11, over the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium.
Montas took to the mound for the first time since being tabbed the Opening Day starter March 28 at Great American Ball Park against the Nationals. He was slated to go five innings.
He only made it through three, allowing five hits, four runs, two homers and three walks in facing 18 batters, including two in the fourth inning before getting yanked. His spring ERA is 9.39 and batters are hitting .353 against him.
“It was a rough start,” Montas told reporters. “I couldn’t land my breaking stuff for strikes. The positive was that I threw really good sinkers. They’re big league hitters, and they make adjustments. I can’t try to get big league hitters out with just one pitch.”
He walked three in the first inning, driving his pitch count up but got out of it allowing just one run. He threw scoreless innings in the second and third before getting hit hard in the fourth and not retiring a batter.
Montas has allowed 12 hits and eight runs in 7 2/3 innings, including four homers and four homers to go with five strikeouts and a hit batter.
“I threw a couple of good pitches and didn’t get the call,” Montas said. “I also wasn’t attacking well with my fastball in the first inning and got myself in trouble.”
Bell didn’t sound any alarms after the right-hander’s third start.
“Frankie was fine,” Bell told me. “He didn’t get ahead like he knows he needs to win when he’s really good. He wasn’t able to throw secondary pitches where he wanted to throw strikes with them. So that’s what made it a little bit more tough for him, but he’s fine.”
Montas was signed to a one-year, $16 million deal in the offseason and the Reds rewarded him for his preparation in camp and his early work by naming him the Opening Day starter.
In addition to potentially two more starts, Bell also has the ability of throwing Montas in an extra bullpen or a simulated game to make sure he appropriately stretched out for March 28.
“I mean, he threw a few too many pitches to be able to get to the five innings today, but we’ll be able to make up for that. So he’s fine,” Bell said.
The Reds hit a spring-high seven homers in Wednesday’s 19-11 slugfest, led by Luke Maile’s fifth inning grand slam. Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Stuart Fairchild also belted their third homers of spring.
Tony Kemp, Nick Martini and Mike Ford also homered. All three are battling for what appears to be one final bench spot on the roster.
“Whoever’s left in our camp now has a real shot to make a team so yeah, everybody’s playing well, so I’m sure it’s gonna come down to some tough decisions but it’s good to see guys,” Bell said after the win.”
“It’s helpful for us for us to see them more out there and they’ll have a track record. But now it’s a different, coming over to a new team and seems like the more they play the more comfortable they get and they’ve just kind of settled in now. So it’s good. It’s a good situation and all really good guys.”
One of the more reliable but understated pieces of the Big Red Machine has passed. Back-up catcher Bill Plummer passed away Tuesday at the age of 76. The Reds acquired Plummer from the Cubs in a 1969 trade and he played for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. He was in the minors again to start 1970, but was called up to the pennant-winning Reds in September, playing in four games with nine plate appearances, including his first career hit.
Known for his defensive skills, Plummer was always a reliable backup to Johnny Bench during the Big Red Machine years. He had a .983 fielding percentage, but was just a lifetime .188 hitter. His most memorable game came in 1974, when he hit two home runs in Philadelphia off hall of famer Steve Carlton.
The Reds Wednesday reassigned RHP Connor Phillips and OF Bubba Thompson to minor league camp and optioned both to Triple-A Louisville. They also reassigned to minor league camp OF Conner Capel, IF Erik González and IF Mark Mathias.
This leaves 39 players remaining in Major League spring training camp.
Latest 26-man Opening Day roster projection for 2024:
C: Tyler Stephenson
1B: Christian Encarnacion-Strand
2B: Matt McLain
SS: Elly De La Cruz
3B: Jeimer Candelario
LF: Spencer Steer
CF: TJ Friedl
RF: Jake Fraley
DH: Jonathan India
C Luke Maile
INF Nick Martini
OF Will Benson
OF Stuart Fairchild
RHP Hunter Greene
RHP Frankie Montas
RHP Graham Ashcraft
LHP Andrew Abbott
RHP Nick Martinez
LHP Sam Moll
RHP Lucas Sims
RHP Buck Farmer
RHP Alexis Diaz
RHP Emilio Pagan
RHP Fernando Cruz
LHP Brent Suter
RHP Tejay Antone
LHP Nick Lodolo
RHP Ian Gibaut
INF Noelvi Marte
OF Tony Kemp
RHP Carson Spiers Triple-A Louisville
LHP Brandon Williamson
INF Edwin Arroyo Minor League Camp
RHP Rhett Lowder Minor League Camp
RHP Chase Petty Minor League Camp
LHP Justin Bruihl Triple-A Louisville
LHP Alex Young
RHP Casey Legumina Triple-A Louisville
OF Rece Hinds Triple-A Louisville
LHP Reiver Sanmartin Minor League Camp
INF Josh Harrison
