Cincinnati Reds: Josh VanMeter’s injury is an opportunity for these players

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.