Reds news: Kyle Farmer draws start while Eugenio Suarez gets day off

It’s likely little more than one day off for the Cincinnati Reds shortstop, but Eugenio Suarez will watch Tuesday’s game versus the Dodgers from the dugout. Kyle Farmer will be taking Geno’s spot in the field and batting eighth. The returning Mike Moustakas will take Suarez’s spot in the batting order, hitting cleanup behind Joey Votto.

The Reds escaped last night’s scare in Los Angeles with a 5-3 victory in the 10th inning following a go-ahead home run off the bat of the Jesse Winker. Suarez did actually contribute with an RBI. However, the 29-year-old is 2-for-31 in his last seven games, and his 36 strikeouts lead all of Major League Baseball.

Reds shortstop Eugenio Suarez is getting the day off.

I don’t expect this to be anything more than an off day for Eugenio Suarez, and depending on the late-game scenarios that fall into place, we could easily see him on the field as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement.

Fans have been clamoring for David Bell to give his faltering star a day off to clear his head, but I’m of the belief that until Mike Moustakas returned to the lineup, the Cincinnati skipper was not going to take Geno’s bat out of the lineup; no matter how poorly the Reds’ shortstop was hitting.

Tonight, Kyle Farmer will get the nod at shortstop and will bat eighth. Jonathan India and Nick Senzel are also getting the night off, with Alex Blandino and Tyler Naquin drawing the start. Right-hander Walker Buehler is on the hill for the Dodgers tonight.

To be honest, I’d love to see Bell give Suarez one more day out of the starting lineup before the team returns to the Cincinnati for a three-game set with the Chicago Cubs. Farmer or Blandino could substitute for the former All-Star on Wednesday afternoon’s game, giving Suarez three full days of rest before getting back on the horse.

We knew that 2021 would be a roller coaster defensively with Eugenio Suarez taking over duties at the shortstop position. However, I don’t think many fans expected Geno to struggle as much at the dish. For the season, Suarez is hitting .133/.240/.289 with three home runs and eight RBIs. Suarez’s 10 walks, however, lead the team.