
3. Ryan Hendrix, Reds relief pitcher
I’d honestly hate to see this, but there’s a strong possibility that Ryan Hendrix‘s time in the big leagues may already be up. Hendrix got his first taste of major league action last week when he and Heath Hembree were called up as reinforcements following epical failures by the Cincinnati Reds bullpen.
The Reds bullpen is still in disarray despite some improvements over the past few games. Following last night’s contest versus the Los Angeles Dodgers in which Amir Garrett surrendered the lead again, there’s no way David Bell can count on AG, and Sean Doolittle hasn’t been that reliable either.
Carson Fulmer and Sal Romano have had their moments, and neither right-handed reliever has a minor-league option remaining. That would lead one to believe they’re safe, for now. Hembree has pitched well since his call up and there’s no way that Lucas Sims or Tejay Antone are sent down.
That brings us back to Ryan Hendrix. The right-hander has pitched in just one inning, but put up zeros across the board and struck out two of the three batters he’s faced. Is that enough to keep Hendrix on the 26-man roster? We’ll have to wait and see.
My guts tells me that the Cincinnati Reds will reinstate Mike Moustakas from the injured list and option José De León to the alternate site, allowing the right-hander to hone his craft. It seems like a long shot for Blandino to get the axe, and there’s certainly a chance that Ryan Hendrix is on the chopping block.