Cincinnati Reds: Three reasons to be excited about the universal DH

1. Veterans, such as Reds first baseman Joey Votto, will be better rested.

The universal DH will become a tool for position players to take a break from the field, but still get at-bats. Two players this could benefit the most are first baseman Joey Votto and third baseman Eugenio Suárez.

Votto is entering his 14th season with the Cincinnati Reds. The most recent season Votto played every game was 2017. Since then he played 145 games in 2018, and 142 games in 2019. Many of the missed games over the past two seasons have come due to a variety of injuries to his legs and back.

For Votto to stay healthy during the 60-game season, he will need to receive frequent days off from playing in the field. In previous seasons, the downside of him not playing in the field is that his bat is removed from the batting order. The universal DH will remedy this situation.

If Votto isn’t manning first base, he could be the team’s designated hitter and recover from the wear and tear of playing in the field, while still producing offensively. The Reds have a variety of options on their roster to play first base.

Josh VanMeter and Kyle Farmer are both versatile utility players and could fill in for Votto. Even newcomer Mike Moustakas has experience playing the position from his time in Kansas City. As the active leader among current players in on-base percentage, a healthy Votto could lead to more hits and a higher OBP in 2020.

Another player that could benefit from rest provided by the universal DH is Eugenio Suárez. In January, Suárez underwent shoulder surgery following an injury in a swimming pool. Reports are that Suarez is 100% going into the 2020 season, but having a few days off from playing third base would definitely help.

This will keep Geno’s bat in the lineup while giving his shoulder time to rest. Moustakas, Farmer, VanMeter and, possibly even Nick Senzel could take over at the hot corner during games that Suárez needs a break.