Reds news: Jose Barrero starts at second base in Sunday’s finale

CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 21: Jose Barrero #38 of the Cincinnati Reds high fives his teammates. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 21: Jose Barrero #38 of the Cincinnati Reds high fives his teammates. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

David Bell’s lineup card has been filled out for Sunday’s series finale versus the Miami Marlins. The Cincinnati Reds skipper decided to give rookie second baseman Jonathan India the day off and inserted fellow rookie infielder Jose Barrero into the starting lineup. Barrero will make his first major league start at second base.

Last night, Bell brought in Barrero late in the game as part of a double-switch when Michael Lorenzen replaced Mychal Givens on the mound. Barrero replaced India at second base and was part of the double-play tandem that secured key outs in both the eighth and ninth inning.

Barrero has played second and third base in the minor leagues this season, in addition to his regular spot at shortstop. After gaining some measure of experience at shortstop during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020, will make his 21st career major league start this afternoon, but his first at the keystone.

The Reds have experimented with Jose Barrero all over the field.

While it’s expected that Jose Barrero will soon become the Cincinnati Reds shortstop of the future, his athleticism has afforded the team the opportunity to see how skilled the 23-year-old can be all over the diamond, including center field.

While Barrero hasn’t played in the outfield at the minor league or major league level, Jeff Pickler has been working with the rookie on the fundamentals of playing center field. This appears to be nothing more than an exercise to see if Barrero could field the position in an emergency, but only time will tell if the Reds’ coaching staff is serious about a potential position change.

With Jonathan India out of today’s game and Jose Barrero getting the nod at second base, David Bell will turn to Tyler Naquin atop the Cincinnati batting order. The 30-year-old has been white-hot of late, riding an 11-game hitting streak including a 3-for-3 effort last night with three doubles and a walk.

This will be Barrero’s second start of the 2021 season. Don’t expect the Dominican native to stick at second base for the long haul, as India has made it painfully clear to the Reds and his opponents  that he’ll be occupying the keystone in the Queen City for years to come. India is leading the NL Rookie of the Year conversation and has a great chance to take home the award this season.

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