Cincinnati Reds: Will a refreshed Derek Dietrich reignite the offense?

Give me a better scenario than Derek Dietrich returning to action for the Cincinnati Reds to face the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend.

With Jesse Winker nursing an injured neck, look for Derek Dietrich to rejoin his Cincinnati Reds teammates for a three-game set in Pittsburgh. Dietrich and the Pirates are not known to be friendly toward one another, but I don’t expect any fireworks this weekend. However, Winker’s injury is an opportunity for Dietrich to get back to the player he was in May.

What better place for Derek Dietrich’s return from the injured list than PNC Park? While it has yet to be announced, it makes the most sense for the Reds to activate Dietrich from the injured list after he’s now played in three games as part of a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville. Dietrich has hit just .182 with no extra base hits and 2 strikeouts in 11 at-bats for the Bats.

Dietrich took Reds Country by storm back in May. With a .304 batting average, 12 home runs and 22 RBIs, not to mention his lengthy stare as the ball left his bat and found its home in the bleachers, Dietrich established himself as one of the Reds best players during the early part of the 2019.

For a player who was picked up during the offseason and signed to a minor-league deal, Dietrich was doing quite well for himself and became a fan favorite overnight. A go-ahead home run during Opening Day never hurts either. There was also the three home run performance in front of the Great American Ball Park crowd on May 28th. Dietrich was on top of the world.

But Dietrich has fallen from grace. Since that night, Dietrich is 16-for-104 (.154) with 39 strikeouts and just 2 home runs over that 46 game span. Dietrich has more hit-by-pitches (15) than walks (13) during that stretch of games and a .612 OPS.

If Derek Dietrich is activated before Friday’s game against the Pirates, David Bell should not even hesitate to insert the slugger into the starting lineup. Dietrich has abused the Buccos this season to the tune of .397/.400/1.138. That’s right, Deitz has an OPS of 1.538 against Pittsburgh this season.

Not only has Dietrich dominated the Pirates at home, but he’s dominated the Pirates in Pittsburgh. In three games at PNC Park, Dietrich is 4-for-9 (.444) with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs. Dietz is 10-for-27 lifetime at PNC Park with an 1.185 OPS.

While there’s a chance that Curt Casali will be activated before tonight’s game, I fully expect it to be Dietrich. Will Dietz get a start in any of the games against Pittsburgh this weekend? I sure hope so.

Though Josh VanMeter and Freddy Galvis, two players who occupy Dietrich’s usual positions (second base and left field), have been playing well of late, the Cincinnati Reds need to figure out if Dietrich fits into their plans for 2020. The left-handed slugger is arbitration eligible after this season.