Every year sees spring training get going and then almost immediately the news starts up that such-and-such player has some sort of injury. That is exactly what’s happening in Goodyear, Arizona with the Cincinnati Reds. Blake Dunn is coming off of one of the more impressive minor league seasons in recent history on the Reds farm, hitting 23 home runs and stealing 54 bases while hitting .312/.425/.522 between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga last year.
Towards the end of the season he missed nearly a week before returning to the lineup for the playoffs. But after sitting out, he returned to the lineup as the designated hitter with Chattanooga after not having served in that role all year with the Lookouts. And he was wearing a compression sleeve over his elbow. News came out of Arizona today, via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith, that Dunn is dealing with elbow irritation.
It’s unclear if this is related to last season’s issue or not. But it’s not ideal either way. Dunn was probably on the outside looking in when it came to making the big league team out of spring training. He’s never played in Triple-A, and while it’s not unheard of for guys to jump over that level, the Reds outfield for now seems to be “set” as long as Jake Fraley, Will Benson, Spencer Steer, and TJ Friedl are healthy. Dunn isn’t likely a player the team would look to bring in to play in a platoon/bench role. He’s the kind of guy they will be looking at giving every day playing time to.
Still, after the season he just put up, even his not being on the 40-man roster currently, a strong spring and any reason a spot could potentially open up, and he could have a direct path to the big leagues. He’s a strong defender, has some pop, has some of the best speed in the organization and he knows how to use it, and has shown a good understanding of the strikezone. Over the next week or so we’ll get a better idea of just how much the elbow irritation is currently limiting him.