As noted late last night, the Cincinnati Reds optioned Jumbo Diaz and Keyvius Sampson while designating Steve Delabar for assignment. They didn’t announce the corresponding moves until this morning and now we know that the team has called up pitchers A.J. Morris, Dayan Diaz and Josh Smith.
A.J. Morris has spent his entire season in Louisville in 2016. It’s his first season with the Reds and he’s posted a 2.70 ERA in 30.0 innings. The 29-year-old has been used mostly as a starter, making six starts, but has also appeared out of the bullpen three times. He’s walked nine batters and he’s struck out 21 batters.
For a quick scouting report on Morris you are going to see a fastball in the 89-91 MPH with some sinking action to go with a good slider in the low 80’s. When he takes the mound it will be his big league debut.
Dayan Diaz, like Morris, has also spent his entire season with the Louisville Bats. In 12 games and 14.1 innings he’s posted a 1.88 ERA. The 27-year-old has walked four batters and has just seven strikeouts on the season. He’s pitched better in May than he had in April, walking no one in 7.0 innings and striking out five to go along with a 1.29 ERA.
A quick scouting report on Diaz will show a fastball in the 92-95 MPH range to go along with a slider in the low-to-mid 80’s. At times it seems like he’s showing a cutter in the upper 80’s.
Josh Smith has been in the Bats rotation all season, making eight starts with a 3.86 ERA in 42.0 innings. He had a very strong April, posting a 1.13 ERA in 24.0 innings with four walks and 19 strikeouts, but his May has been a real struggle. In four starts this month he’s posted a 7.50 ERA in 18.0 innings with nine walks and just 15 strikeouts. He’s generally thrown strikes in his minor league career, though he really struggled to do so in nine big league games in 2015 with Cincinnati.