The infield combine in Cincinnati obtained a bit much less crowded yesterday when third baseman Noelvi Marte was suspended for 80 video games after testing optimistic for Boldenone, a banned performance-enhancing substance. That lack of Marte figures to considerably affect the membership’s plans within the first half of the season, as Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes that the 22-year-old was slated to begin wherever from six to 9 of each ten video games for the membership this season. That leaves round 50 to 70 begins within the first half of the season to be accounted for, although the Reds fortuitously have loads of choices at their disposal who will have the ability to assist cowl for Marte’s absence.
Particularly, Goldsmith notes that offseason addition Jeimer Candelario is predicted to get the lion’s share of enjoying time at third base, which might open up begins at first base for the likes of Christian Encarnacion-Stand and Jonathan India, in addition to DH begins for outfielders resembling Spencer Steer and Jake Fraley. Whereas Cincinnati’s choice to not solely decline to deal from the crowded infield combine with a view to enhance different areas of the roster, but in addition bolster stated infield with the addition of Candelario was considerably stunning on the time, in mild of Marte’s suspension the selection to take care of the membership’s depth forward of the 2024 marketing campaign seems to have been a sensible one.
Whereas Marte’s absence seems prone to enhance the enjoying time obtainable for a number of gamers, the precise positions the place that enjoying time is much less sure given the variety of versatile gamers the membership has at its disposal. Supervisor David Bell just lately indicated to reporters (together with Goldsmith) that Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain would stay centered on shortstop and second base, respectively, in mild of Marte’s harm, whereas Spencer Steer will proceed to be a daily presence within the membership’s outfield combine. That being stated, Bell additionally famous that Candelario nonetheless figures to see a while at first base.
In the meantime, every of De La Cruz, McLain and even Steer are able to enjoying throughout the infield, and India figures to play a mixture of first, second, third, and left subject this season. With Encarnacion-Strand prone to get common time between first base and DH, some DH begins prone to be provided to catcher Tyler Stephenson, and the likes of TJ Friedl, Will Benson, and Jake Fraley combating alongside Steer for normal time within the outfield, the membership nonetheless has extra regulars competing for taking part in time than room within the beginning lineup. Whereas it ought to be famous that accidents and under-performance can permit these enjoying time points to resolve themselves naturally all through the season, it seems that the membership’s positional combine is essentially wholesome getting into the season.
That even goes for India and McLain, even though the pair have each largely sat out video games up to now within the spring. India made his spring debut simply yesterday after being slowed getting into camp by a tear of his plantar fasciitis, as debut that was proper according to what was anticipated final month. MLB.com notes that Bell has indicated to reporters that India ought to have “loads of time” to arrange himself for Opening Day later this month, and it appears cheap to anticipate that the identical would apply to McLain, who Bell indicated is slated to make his spring debut tomorrow. India will look to construct on a 2023 season that noticed him slash a league common .244/.338/.407 in 119 video games whereas battling the aforementioned plantar fasciitis, whereas McLain figures to be a key fixture of the membership’s lineup after slashing a superb .290/.357/.507 in 403 journeys to the plate throughout his rookie season final yr.
Additionally poised to make his spring debut tomorrow is left-hander Nick Lodolo, who Goldsmith provides is “most likely not” in place to make a begin in the course of the first week of the common season, per Bell, with the Reds focusing on a possible first begin of the common season on April 9 towards the Brewers. That would depart Lodolo poised to overlook the primary two turns by the beginning rotation to open the season, that means the membership may begin the season with a rotation of Hunter Greene, Frankie Montas, Graham Ashcraft, Andrew Abbott, and Nick Martinez. It’s an enormous season for Lodolo, who struggled to a 6.29 ERA and 5.79 FIP in seven begins final yr earlier than lacking the rest of the 2023 season with a stress response in his left tibia. Previous to his injury-marred 2023 season, Lodolo entered the 2022 marketing campaign as a consensus top-40 prospect within the sport and made 19 begins for the Reds, pitching to a 3.66 ERA with a 3.90 FIP in 103 1/3 frames.
