Reds: 3 players who may lose their roster spot when Jesse Winker returns

Jesse Winker has been out of the Cincinnati Reds lineup since the middle of August with an intercostal injury. While the team survived the initial blow of losing possibly their best hitter, the strain of not having Winker in the lineup over the past month has caught up with David Bell’s club of late.

The Reds are reeling, having fallen behind both the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres in the chase for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Entering play today, Cincinnati is 1.5 games back of the Redbirds and trail the Friars by a half-game.

Winker’s absence is a big reason why this Reds club has dropped seven consecutive series and lost four straight games. The Redlegs need their team leader back in the worst way, and after beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville earlier this week, I’d say we can expect Da Wink back any day now.

That spells bad news for a few players who haven’t yet performed up to their capabilities of late. Plenty of Cincinnati players, both in the field and on the mound, have been struggling. Who’s most likely to get the axe when Jesse Winker returns to the lineup?

1. Jesse Winker could replace Reds outfielder Tyler Naquin.

Under normal circumstances, Tyler Naquin’s name would not be among those mentioned as a possible causality of Jesse Winker’s return. However, since colliding with infielder Jose Barrero in an attempt to make a catch during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals last week, Naquin has been out of the lineup.

Naquin was one of the bright spots when Winker hit the IL last month. Since Winker has been out of the Reds lineup, Naquin slashed .360/.415/.680 with five home runs and 10 RBIs. Cincinnati skipper has called Naquin’s availability day-to-day, but with the Redlegs in the heat of the playoff chase, his roster spot may be in question.

Tyler Naquin was a terrific pickup earlier this year on behalf of Nick Krall and the Reds’ front office. The left-handed slugger has put up career numbers this year and is squarely in the mix to be part of Cincinnati’s starting outfield in 2022. However, the timing of this injury could see Naquin hit the IL and Winker return to the active roster.

2. Jesse Winker could replace Reds infielder Asdrúbal Cabrera.

If Tyler Naquin is deemed healthy enough to play in the coming days, Asdrúbal Cabrera is the obvious choice to be given his walking papers. The Reds pounced on the opportunity to pick up Cabrera on waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, but that shrewd pickup has not helped Cincinnati’s cause.

Cabrera is a veteran infielder, former All-Star, and former World Champion, but that was in the past. Since joining the Cincinnati Reds prior to September, Cabrera is 0-for-19 with five strikeouts. Cabrera came within an eyelash of recording his first hit with the Redlegs on Tuesday night while pinch hitting in the ninth inning, but his fly ball to right field was hauled in on the warning track.

Picking up Asdrúbal Cabrera was the correct move. The Reds were in the middle of a playoff chase, and both Mike Moustakas and Eugenio Suárez have played well below expectations this season. Adding Cabrera gave David Bell a switch hitting bench bat capable of playing both corner infield spots.

However, the move just hasn’t panned out. Like the majority of players on the Cincinnati roster, it appears that Cabrera is pressing; trying to do too much and, in turn, doing virtually nothing. With Max Schrock actually putting the bat on the ball, the Reds would be much better using the 26-year-old as the top utility infielder over the next few weeks of the 2021 season.