GOODYEAR, Ariz. — This is turning into Camp Nightmare for David Bell and the Cincinnati Reds.
Already reeling with the suspension to Noelvi Marte, a strange rib issue bothering right-hander Nick Martinez, a forearm strain to Ian Gibaut and a slow start to spring by Matt McLain, the Reds were dealt a blow Sunday when they received word they’d be without their regular center fielder to start the season.
TJ Friedl, who left Saturday’s game immediately with a right wrist injury trying to make a diving catch, suffered a fracture of his distal radius in the wrist and will be out indefinitely.
Friedl told reporters Sunday that the injury needs time to heal and they will re-evaluate in 3-4 weeks.
But it certainly figures to be longer than that before he can swing a bat again.
“Right now, the only thing I can really do is let the bone heal,” Friedl told reporters. “I’ll do what I can on my end to keep the hand stable and in place and not move it around. Just let the bone heal on its own.
“I’m trying to be optimistic. It is what it is. I don’t want to look back on it, sit in the past and play the question game of why why why? I’m just going to let the bone heal and put my body in the right position moving forward.”
The Reds will no doubt miss his all-out effort on defense.
TJ FRIEDL, WHAT. A. CATCH 🔥🔥🔥 #reds pic.twitter.com/Wod03BPxin
— Therapy N’SportsNetwork:💭🏀⚾️🏈 (@TherapyNSports) July 19, 2023
David Bell said after Sunday’s 4-2 loss to Cleveland at Goodyear Stadium that Will Benson will get a heavy dose of reps in center, as he did Sunday. With all of the depth added in the offseason on the pitching staff and in the infield, center field was one area the Reds were hoping they wouldn’t need much behind Friedl.
Now, that’s changed. Could they trade for a veteran outfielder or will they choose to see if someone on the roster like Benson, Stuart Fairchild or Tony Kemp can hold the fort while Friedl recovers? Certainly, the order right now would be Benson and then Fairchild.
Benson had just one start in center last season and has 10 over his two big league seasons. Fairchild has 31 starts in center in three seasons while Tony Kemp has 38 starts at the position over eight big league seasons, including no errors in 90 chances.
Barring a trade, Bell has those options from which to choose with the opener a week from Thursday.
Watching Brandon Williamson Sunday, one could tell something was off from the start. After retiring the first batter of the game, he yielded a scorching hit to right by Andres Gimenez. He then walked the next three batters to force in a run. Will Brennan grounded out to second for a 2-0 Cleveland lead before Bo Naylor lined out to Jonathan India to end the frame.
In the second, Williamson allowed a one-out double to right-center and a triple to Stephen Kwan to make it 3-0. A wild pitch scored Kwan and it was 4-0.
Williamson was done after just two innings, allowing three hits, four runs, three walks and a wild pitch while striking out one. He was pulled after facing just 12 batters.
With Nick Lodolo still ramping up for the season coming off his stress reaction and Nick Martinez dealing with a rib issue, it appeared the left-hander was in the running for a rotation spot. After Sunday’s game, David Bell said Williamson was pulled with soreness in his left shoulder.
Williamson is now 0-3 this spring with a 6.55 ERA in three starts and four appearances. He’s yielded 13 hits and eight earned runs over 11 innings, walking three while fanning 10.
Hopefully, this only involves a dead-arm period of buildup in spring as the Reds badly could use another starter to step up.
There was some encouraging news regarding Nick Martinez Sunday as David Bell said before the game that the right-hander had a good session in a three-inning simulated game Saturday. Bell said the ribs responded well and Martinez is on track for another start before the team heads east for Cincinnati.
The hope is that Martinez, who has allowed just two hits and one unearned run over five innings this spring, will still be in line for the rotation to start the season. But again, the final start of the spring will likely determine that.
Not that spring statistics are any sort of barometer for success in the season, but Matt McLain is still looking to get on track. He is 0-for-13 with a walk to start the spring with two more strikeouts Sunday against Cleveland ace Shane Bieber, bringing his strikeout total to seven this spring.
Clearly, the most important part of the spring for McLain is to make sure that he is fully healthy and that last year’s oblique and this spring’s new oblique issues are completely resolved. He’s looked good in the field and made another nice throw on a putout Sunday. He’s handled all 15 chances this spring cleanly.
Perhaps the best sign from Sunday’s 4-2 loss was the play of Jonathan India. He fielded all three balls hit at him and has been a perfect 5-for-5 in two starts in left this spring. The toughest chance was a hard-hit slicing line drive off the bat of left-handed hitting Bo Naylor. India took a step, read the ball, stood in his tracks and made the catch. On Jose Ramirez’s fly to left, the ball was blown over to the left field line and India made a nice running catch smoothly to end the fifth.
To top it off, India ripped a clean single to right-center off Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase in the sixth.
Lefty Sam Moll is expected to make his spring debut Monday against the Giants after building up his arm for the first four weeks of camp. Also making his first appearance of spring is the newly-acquired Justin Wilson, another veteran lefty signed to add depth to a bullpen that is already without Ian Gibaut, Alex Young and likely Moll to start the season. Wilson last pitched for the Reds in 2022 and was signed Friday to a one-year, $1.5 million guaranteed major league contract.
Another positive Sunday was the work of the bullpen. Led by Tejay Antone’s two perfect innings, the combination of Antone, Buck Farmer, Fernando Cruz and Michael Byrne went six scoreless innings, one hit, six strikeouts and no walks.
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: Will Benson
RF: Jake Fraley
DH: Jonathan India
C Luke Maile
INF Nick Martini
OF/INF Tony Kemp
OF Stuart Fairchild
RHP Hunter Greene
RHP Frankie Montas
RHP Graham Ashcraft
LHP Andrew Abbott
RHP Nick Martinez
LHP Justin Wilson
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
LHP Alex Young
OF TJ Friedl
LHP Sam Moll
INF Noelvi Marte
DH/1B Mike Ford
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
RHP Casey Legumina Triple-A Louisville
OF Rece Hinds Triple-A Louisville
LHP Reiver Sanmartin Minor League Camp
INF Josh Harrison
