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Cincinnati Reds: Josh VanMeter’s injury is an opportunity for these players
Unfortunately, Josh VanMeter is likely to miss some time with a leg injury. The door is now open for these three Reds players to make the roster.
The Cincinnati Reds received some bad news this past weekend. According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Josh VanMeter will miss at least the next three to four days because of pain in the anterior muscle near the shin on his left leg. While this is definitely a blow to VanMeter’s chances of making the roster, it opens the door for several players to snag the open spot.
With just over two weeks remaining until Opening Day, the Reds roster is becoming clearer every day. The recent announcement of Eugenio Suárez’s impending return to the lineup is great news for the Reds, but it’s also a blow to those players who are on the bubble of making the 26-man roster.
While it’s never good to see a player out of the lineup due to injury, the depth that the Cincinnati Reds have this spring will serve them well if certain players are unable to go. VanMeter had been having a great spring, hitting .400/.526/.667 through seven games. There’s still a chance that last year’s rookie returns before the end of camp, but the Reds are likely to be very cautious.
So, if Josh VanMeter can’t go, that obviously begs the question of who will take his spot on the Opening Day roster. While it certainly was not a guarantee that the 24-year-old was going to break camp with the team, his impressive start in Cactus League play surely helped his case. So, who’s next in line should VanMeter begin the season on the injured list?
1. Alex Blandino
While Alex Blandino certainly doesn’t possess the pop in his bat of Josh VanMeter, he’s definitely shown his approach at the plate to be an improvement this spring. Blandino is hitting .429/.520/.810 through 21 at-bats in Cactus League play. The former Stanford standout has seven RBIs and five extra-base hits this spring.
I’ve always viewed Blandino as a player who does a lot of things well, but nothing great. However, a reliable glove is certainly part of Blandino’s repertoire and if he continues to show progress at the plate, it may be hard to keep the former first-round pick off the Opening Day roster.
Blandino has seen time at the big league level the past two seasons, but he’s been little more than a utility player who’s filled in during times of injury to full-time starters. That’s unlikely to change if Blandino breaks camp with the Reds, but the lack of reliable depth at the shortstop position only increases his chances of making the team.
Kyle Farmer has seen an abundance of time at shortstop this spring with the absence of Freddy Galvis, but the former Georgia Bulldog hasn’t played the position since he left his alma mater. Blandino’s experience at the big league level includes 11 games at shortstop and the 27-year-old has played nearly 200 games at shortstop during his minor league career.
Blandino wasn’t really on my radar coming into camp, but the results speak for themselves and it’s hard to ignore what he’s done this spring. While not a power-bat, Blandino works the count and had a 20.0% walk-rate last season according to FanGraphs. Don’t sleep on Alex Blandino’s chances of making the Opening Day roster.
2. Derek Dietrich
We all know how far Derek Dietrich fell following his explosive performance during the month of May last season. The left-handed slugger, who joined the Reds last season, hit .304/.400/.841 with 12 home runs and 22 RBIs last May, but fell apart over the remainder of the 2019 season. Dietrich signed a minor-league deal before camp started and is looking for spot on the roster.
We’ve seen Dietrich go deep this spring on two separate occasions, but the 30-year-old is hitting just .150/.250/.450 in 20 at-bats during Cactus League play. Two of Dietrich’s three hits have been round trippers, but the former Miami Marlin has shown little else this spring, having drawn just one walk and striking out a dozen times.
Derek Dietrich holds a special place in the hearts and minds of fans throughout Reds Country and the clubhouse as well, however, if he’s unable to produce, the prospects of Dietz landing on the Opening Day roster seem slim-to-none. This is especially true given the efforts we’ve seen from others within the organization this spring.
From where I’m sitting, Dietrich has one more week to prove that he deserves consideration for a spot on the Reds 26-man roster. Dietrich does have positional versatility, but there are other players on the roster who offer a similar set of skills.
It’s seemed all spring as though Josh VanMeter and Derek Dietrich were competing for the same position – a left-handed bench bat capable of filling multiple defensive positions on the field. VanMeter has outplayed Dietrich thus far, so if the Ohio native hopes to break camp with the team, it’s now or never.
3. Matt Davidson
Matt Davidson has brought his A-game to Reds camp this spring. The 28-year-old is hitting .375/.474/.875 with two doubles, two homers and five RBIs during Cactus League action. Davidson has an outside shot to make the Opening Day roster, but his prospects probably took a hit with news of Eugenio Suárez’s return to the lineup.
While Geno is scheduled to suit up in the coming days as the Reds designated hitter, that’s definitely not a guarantee that we’ll see the Venezuelan slugger in the Opening Day lineup. Now, if Suárez is able to play a few innings in the filed in the coming weeks, then I think it’s safe to say that he’ll be occupying third base on March 26th against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Davidson can play both first and third base and would be a nice right-handed bat off the bench, but Kyle Farmer, who’s also a right-handed hitter, is all but assured to be on the Opening Day roster. Farmer also has more positional flexibility, as he’s able to don the tools of ignorance and suit up behind the plate. Farmer is also capable of playing all four infield spots.
All Matt Davidson can do is keep slugging away. The former Chicago White Sox slugger never saw a major league field in 2019, playing all his games at Triple-A Nashville. Davidson hit 33 homers in the Pacific Coast League last season and racked up 101 RBIs.
Next. 3 forgotten players fighting for roster spot
In addition to Matt Davidson, Derek Dietrich and Alex Blandino, players like Christian Colón and Alfredo Rodriguez have an outside to take advantage of Josh VanMeter’s absence as well. If VanMeter is able to get back in the lineup over the next week, then his chances of making the cut greatly increase, but if he’s unable to go, the Cincinnati Reds will have to find a replacement.