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    Brian O'Grady (Photo: Doug Gray)
    Photo: Doug Gray

    Reds notes: Alex Wood has a set back, Brian O’Grady hits a monster home run

    Doug Gray 21

    The Cincinnati Reds got some bad news on Tuesday. Left-handed starter Alex Wood was supposed to throw a bullpen session ahead of a scheduled rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Thursday. That didn’t happen, though, as Wood was experiencing soreness. Things had been looking better for the left-hander who has had several set backs along the way. He last pitched in a game in late February during spring training. Over the weekend he threw live batting practice to several players and was looking like he would be ready to head out on a rehab stint. Right now there’s no timetable for how long he’ll be out before getting back on a mound.

    Brian O’Grady gets instant payback for Louisville

    In the 2nd inning of the Louisville Bats game on Tuesday night against the Indianapolis Indians Brian O’Grady stepped up to the plate and ducked as the first pitch, a 93 MPH fastball, went over his head. Fortunately, the ball didn’t hit him. Unfortunately, the ball did hit his bat and the pitch went down as a strike. It never sits well when a pitch goes by a guys head, but it definitely doesn’t when it is a fastball.

    Brian O’Grady clearly expressed his unhappiness with his reaction after the pitch. But he stepped back into the batters box. The next pitch caught a tiny bit more of the plate than the previous one. It caught more of his bat, too. O’Grady clobbered it for his 16th home run of the season, and he hit it well beyond the center field wall and up the hill, into the trees on top of the hill.

     

    Josh VanMeter just continues to beat up on the International League for Louisville. He was optioned back to Triple-A last week by the Reds. All he’s done in six games since being optioned is hit .440/.462/.680. He’s hitting an absurd .356/.436/.726 through 36 games in Triple-A with 8 doubles and 14 home runs.

    The Bats lost catcher Stuart Turner to the injured list. It may not be long until Louisville gets an old face back in town though to help out behind the plate. Chad Tromp spent 53 games with the Bats in 2018, but saw his season end late in the year with a shoulder injury. He’s been rehabbing in Goodyear with the Arizona League Reds this past week. And he’s been hitting the cover off of the ball. He’s gone 10-20 with 5 doubles and a home run. He’s also walked twice and struck out twice.

    Doug Gray
    Doug Gray is the owner and operator of this website and has been running it since 2006 in one variation or another.

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    21 Responses

    2. Yeah, we’re not seeing Wood this year. Wish we still had Josiah Gray. Get that is what was required to dump Homer Bailey’s contract though.

      1. Was trying to bring Wood back a dog and pony show? Did he really have a chance to come back? Hope it was just bad luck and not smoke and mirrors.

        Maybe the soreness will just last another day or so and they can keep him on some kind of track. But not expecting it, so that it won’t be disappointing when he never pitches.

        2. That’s reassuring. Hope it’s just an extra day of soreness or something and he can keep going.

    3. When u acquire a player- they have a pending physical, if it’s a pitcher, how do u not pitch them to make sure they are healthy before finalizing trade ?? Especially when they have a history of injury like wood. Reds gave up a lot for a guy who will never pitch a game- someone needs to be held accountable for that

      2. The Reds clearly had him take a physical. He was fine. He even pitched early in the spring.

        The idea that they didn’t check him out is wild.

        1. He had a physical. Standard procedure. Wood had back problems in the past. Had to know it was a gamble. Trying to get something instead of nothing for Bailey’s salary. Gamble didn’t pay off very well. Not gonna second guess it. It just stinks.

          But–if there actually were something to be held accountable for–still wouldn’t be held accountable.
          ;-)

    4. That December 2018 trade with the Dodgers will go down as an infamous trade in Reds history. Just a terrible, terrible trade by the Reds front office. But what the heck we got Yasiel Puig in the deal. Puig in 72 games has 70 strike outs. You can’t spell Puig without a “K”. Puig’s OBP is worse than Billy Hamilton’s OBP. Adam Duvall would be better in the Reds OF than Puig. At the very least, the Reds did get a nice utility player in Kyle Farmer in this trade.
      Sad thing is, Yasiel Puig has played so poorly that he is probably untradeable at the deadline. What is a team going to pay anything of value to obtain a rental corner OF hitting just .236/.283/.456 with a wRC+ of 86??? Seriously, who would trade for Puig?? Atlanta, Philly, Cubs or Brewers? None have the need. LA Dodgers or Colorado? LA doesn’t want him back and Colorado may be the only place the Reds could trade him to, maybe. Any team in the AL? NYY and BOS are a big no. Tampa maybe if they were interested in Edwin Encarnacion. MIN and HOU don’t have the need. Puig in Coors Field in Colorado and competing against the Dodgers is about the only selling point the Reds could use. Woohoo, Puig can hit the ball hard, but he sure makes an inordinate amount of outs on those “hard hit” balls. There will be little to no market for Puig between now and the trade deadline. Better hitters will also be available.
      So what will the Reds front office do when they find absolutely no market and no takers for Puig? Why, sign him to an expensive extension, no doubt.

      1. Suarez, E CIN 3B 77 283 37 70 14 0 16 45 32 84 1 2 .247 .328 .466 .795
        Puig, Y CIN RF 72 270 32 64 9 1 16 44 16 70 11 3 .237 .283 .456 .738

        Suarez 84 K in 77 G. BA .247 OPS .795 HR 16 RBI 45.
        Puig 70 K in 72 G. BA .237 OPS .738 HR 16 RBI 44.

        Not a lot of difference.

        1. If I’m DW, Suarez is being shopped with everyone else.

          No hustle. Part of the old losing mindset.

          Contract very valuable. Get something for the future with him.

          DD plays 3rd, Farmer plays 3rd, Van Meter and Blandino can play third, and in the future Senzel can play third if another good CF comes along.

          When things don’t work out as hoped, as it has for the Reds this year, instead of grasping at straws trying to “salvage” something, they need to be realists and plan ahead. Do I think they will? No.

        2. Suarez hasn’t been normal since the HBP v Pittsburgh this year. I’d DL him and bring up Blandino.

      2. Did you realize that puig has nearly a .900 ops over the last 30 days, and 1.100 over the last fifteen? He started out incredibly slow (as did literally every member of the reds offense), but has been carrying the offense for a month. By year end, puig is likely to have an OPS that is comparable to his career numbers. The dodgers trade was bad, but puig has time to right the ship.

      3. Yeah but it’s puig so haters gonna hate. He’s also batting over 400 in past 15 days.

        Airboy is right about him having no trade value, which in comparison, is not a surprise. No one has any trade value anymore. Outside of a couple relievers, Castillo, senzel and Suarez there’s not one red worth trading due to state of trade market.

        If I’m reds I look to extend detritch Iglesias and puig. Reds got a pretty good line up- let em all get 400 plus at bats and build some chemistry and see what happens over next couple seasons including the rest of this one

        1. Personally, I’d rather try to extend Gennett, Puig and Iglesias, but if it’s Dietrich I’d be Ok with that too. But the Reds definitely need to try, and I’ll be disappointed big time if they don’t.

      4. This is one of the most frustrating sentiments I see from fans. Instead of looking at the good process the team went through making the trade, they use hindsight to gripe. Is it really that hard to remember back to the time of the deal, when the Reds were lauded nationally for their savvy? When they became interesting, and most credible projections had them picking up serious ground? There are plenty of good trades that just didn’t work out because of injury or luck, but it doesn’t mean they were bad trades. How do the Reds look with Homer in the rotation for at least part of the year and Schebler everyday in right? I like Gray and Downs as prospects, but they have yet to help any big league team do anything, so I’m not sure why the hand wringing is so over the top.

        Breaking out that 20/20 hindsight to complain about a deal halfway through the season is easy, but it is an incomplete look at the outcome. And it’s just kind of lazy.

        1. I said at the time it was a terrible trade and I’ll stand by it. Dodgers gave up nothing of value to them. Reds would have been better off just eating Homer’s contract and holding on to the prospects. They basically gave up two guys that are going to end up borderline top 100 by the end of the year.

    5. So even the Pirates minor leaguers throw at Reds players. Teach em early I guess.

    6. There is no way you can call that trade bad for all we know Downs n Gray never see th show Neither one even in AA yet .We got controllable mbler in Farmer n I kno Puig has had few wtf moments but I watch every game n that dude hussle every ball out,plays Good D has a great arm ,steals bases. Loves th game and involved in th whichever baseball community he’s been in and He seems to be well liked with teammates n within the Reds dugout.That is not an bad trade in my book

    7. Not a bad trade at all even if Woods never pitches. Hopefully Puig continues to bash for a couple more weeks so we can flip him before he leaves. Farmer is a useful utility piece. I’d be open to trading Suarez as well, he hasn’t been special since the first half of last year. Heck this franchise needs so much I am open to trading anyone

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