Alex Blandino has been activated and added to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos roster today. He was injured in spring training while playing in the World Baseball Classic qualifier for Nicaragua, but only missed the first week of the regular season. He’s taking the spot on the roster of right handed pitcher Nick Travieso who has been placed on the disabled list with a right groin strain, retroactively to April 13th.
Blandino returns to Pensacola after spending the last month of the 2015 season with the Blue Wahoos. In 138 plate appearances over 30 games last season the infielder hit just .235/.350/.374, but he did walk 18 times with just 21 strikeouts.
After the season was over he was sent to the Arizona Fall League. The infielder struggled with Peoria, hitting .175 with four extra-base hits in 19 games to go along with just five walks and 19 strikeouts.
The Reds number nine prospect entering the season, Blandino will look to rebound with his numbers from last season with both Pensacola and Peoria. Where he will slide into the field will be interesting once Calten Daal returns to the lineup, as the two of them seemed to share some time between shortstop and second base in Daytona last season – though Daal got a majority of the time at shortstop in the second half.
Nick Travieso took the mound last on April 12th and pitched 4.2 innings of 2-run baseball in the home opener for the Blue Wahoos. He didn’t seem to be removed from the game for an injury, he was replaced by Daniel Wright with two outs in the 5th inning and had already thrown 85 pitches in that span with two walks and three strikeouts. With the move being made retroactively, it would seem that it’s nothing serious with the groin injury and he may miss just one start, but that is pure speculation on my part. The minor league disabled list lasts only seven days, so he would be eligible to return, if healthy on Wednesday the 20th.