Reds vs. Brewers: Pitching preview, prediction, and more

The Reds’ All-Star right fielder is finding his groove.

It’s taken a little time since returning to the field following a wrist injury, but the old Castellanos is back in the nick of time. If the Reds are going to qualify for the postseason, the Nick Castellanos that was present last week in Cincinnati will be needed throughout the remainder of the 2021 campaign.

During the most recent homestand, the right-handed slugger slashed .370/.414/.630 with two home runs, seven ribbies, and 10 hits in seven games. Additionally, he’s had three multi-hit games in his last four contests.

Even though the MVP talk surrounding Castellanos has cooled, there’s no disputing the incredible numbers he’s produced in the Cincinnati lineup this season. Currently, the 29-year-old Florida native ranks in the top 10 in the senior circuit in batting average, slugging, OPS, hits, total bases, and doubles. So come to think of it, why exactly has the MVP chatter slowed down?

While it’s anyone’s guess when fellow All-Star outfielder Jesse Winker will return to the lineup, there’s one thing perfectly clear; Nick Castellanos appears unwilling to let Tyler Naquin and Joey Votto lead the Reds to the postseason by themselves.

Prediction

This is it, Reds Country! This is the last opportunity for the Redlegs to directly impact the division by challenging the team that’s in front of them. Currently, 7.5 games behind the Brewers, will the Reds head to Miami any closer to the top?

Unfortunately, Cincinnati will visit South Beach even further behind in the division race as they drop two of three to their hosts, the Milwaukee Brewers. That means all of Reds Country will become Dodgers’ fans as Los Angeles visits San Diego to begin a three-game series tonight with the Padres.