Cincinnati Reds hope Nick Travieso can get healthy enough to compete for a role as the season starts up

Nick Travieso delayed the start of his spring to overcome an injury before trying to make the Cincinnati Reds’ roster.

Nick Travieso had a scapula injury that kept him from being ready to start the 2017 season for the Cincinnati Reds.  It put him about two weeks behind the rest of the pitchers.  He wasn’t throwing on his own at the end of the winter because of the injury.

Travieso spent last season in Double-A where he was twice on the DL.  He made 23 starts covering 117 1/3 innings.  After being respected as having good control, he saw his walk per nine innings increase by over a complete walk in 2016.

He spent the 2015 in High-A.  After being drafted 2012, Travieso spent his first four seasons in the Reds’  organization at High-A or below.  As a first round pick mentioned in the same breath as Michael Lorenzen, it is time for Travieso to shine.

He was ranked as the Reds’ 17th prospect entering pre-season  That places him behind the usual rotation suspects of Amir Garrett and Robert Stephenson.  In the long term Travieso projects to be a middle of the rotation starter.

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Like most of the Reds’ prospects, Travieso has never consistently gone deep into games.  He averages only five innings per start.  The lack of dominance has plagued Reds’ pitching prospects.

With the uncertainty of the Cincinnati Reds’ bullpen Nick Travieso may be best suited to start his MLB career there.

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With his injury Travieso may be best suited for the bullpen this season, if he gets the call up.  He wasn’t ready to go a full five innings at the end of spring training.  He was, however, ready to go three plus innings by opening day despite not making the team.

With Scott Feldman being called upon to start the Reds have to use starting prospects as long relievers.  For all of the talk of multi-inning relievers, none of the pitchers are designed to pitch multiple low leverage innings.  This cost the Reds at points last year when they had to use Blake Wood, Ross Ohlendorf, and Jumbo Diaz just to get through games.

They need a pitcher to cover three plus innings when the starter is knocked out early.  It also would be a good opportunity for Travieso to work on his control and pitch selection.  With the rotation already so young, he wouldn’t likely see a chance at pitching in the rotation this season anyway.

Aside from the Feldman situation, Travieso’s starkest competition may come from veteran Bronson Arroyo, whom the Reds have high hopes for.  Arroyo made the starting rotation, but would make an ideal long reliever if Stephenson replaces Arroyo in the rotation at some point.  The other pitcher in camp that could cost Travieso a shot is multi-inning reliever, Barrett Astin.

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Whether Travieso stays in the minors, or ends up in the bullpen or even the rotation, he is in the Reds’ plans.  He just needs to stay healthy and extend his appearances to be ready to be a fixture in the Reds’ rotations.  That he isn’t penciled in anywhere is a sign of the Reds’ pitching depth.