3 Reds whose time on the Opening Day roster will be short-lived

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The Cincinnati Reds have yet to officially announce their 2022 Opening Day roster, but for all intents and purposes, the 28 players ready to leave Goodyear, Arizona on a flight to Atlanta, Georgia are set. The Reds will employ 11 relievers to begin the season, four starting pitchers, and 13 position players.

The latest blow to the Reds Opening Day roster was the loss of utility player Max Schrock. The 27-year-old will miss 4-6 weeks with a calf injury. Schrock will be joined by infielders Jose Barrero and Donovan Solano on the Injured List, as well as pitchers Justin Dunn, Luis Castillo, Tejay Antone, Mike Minor, and Lucas Sims.

While it's always exciting times for prospects and young players within an organization to find out that they made the Opening Day roster, sometimes that jubilation is short-lived. Last season, Cam Bedrosian broke camp with the Reds but lasted only six games.

Right-hander R.J. Alaniz was called up for just three appearances in 2021 and Edgar Garcia was dismissed after 4.1 innings of work. So with those scenarios in mind, which three Reds players might find their time on the Opening Day roster to be over rather quickly?

1. Daniel Duarte, Reds right-handed pitcher

The Cincinnati Reds bullpen will have a pair of unfamiliar faces joining them on Opening Day and one is Daniel Duarte. The 25-year-old was added to the team's 40-man roster last fall and made a good enough impression this spring to find his way onto the Reds Opening Day roster.

Duarte pitched well last season across three levels of the minor leagues. Combined, Duarte appeared in 19 games and covered 23.2 innings while punching out 32 batters. The right-hander posted a 3.11 ERA and a 31.8% strikeout-rate. However, the 11.8% walk-rate is what's concerning.

Duarte will likely be yo-yo'd between Cincinnati and Triple-A Louisville this season unless he makes a tremendous impact during his first taste of the big leagues. The Reds do have a handful of other relievers who could be sent down as well, so Daniel Duarte will have to excel in their early going in order to maintain his spot on the roster.

New York Mets third baseman Brandon Drury (35) attempts to make a barehanded catch. / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

2. Brandon Drury, Reds infielder

Let's be real about this; if it weren't for three different infielders going down with injuries, we're not talking about Brandon Drury being part of the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster. But, with Jose Barrero, Donovan Solano, and now Max Schrock all slated to miss time, Drury is the Reds best option to back up shortstop Kyle Farmer.

How long will Drury be part of the Reds roster? I'd say about as long as it takes Solano to return from the injury that will put him on the 10-day IL. While Drury is fine utility player, Solano was signed to be one of Cincinnati's key bats versus left-handed pitching.

Drury, who was part of the New York Mets bench mob last season, has actually performed well in Cactus League play this spring. The 29-year-old is slashing .400/.526/.800 with a home run and six RBIs. However, the back of Drury's baseball card would tell you that he's a career .249 hitter with an OPS of just .711.

If by some chance Brandon Drury can mimic the success he's had this spring and last season with the Mets (.274/.307/.476), then there's an outside chance the Cincinnati Reds could hang onto the former 13th-round pick. But, I don't think Drury should get too comfortable being part of the 28-man roster.

Alexis Diaz at Cincinnati Reds Photo Day. / Sam Wasson/GettyImages

3. Alexis Diaz, Reds right-handed pitcher

It was mentioned earlier that the Cincinnati Reds bullpen had a pair of fresh faces. In addition to aforementioned Daniel Duarte, Alexis Diaz is expected to break camp with the team. Diaz might be the most surprising name on the Reds Opening Day roster, as the 25-year-old has yet to pitch above Double-A.

However, Diaz did two things well for the Chattanooga Lookouts in 2021. He kept the ball in the ballpark (0.43 HR/9) and he got batters to swing and miss (38.9% strikeout-rate). Both of those numbers bode well for the former 12th-round draft pick.

But, just like Duarte, the inexperience will have Diaz on a much shorter leash than the likes of Dauri Moreta, Ryan Hendrix, and Tony Santillan. Diaz is the younger brother of New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz. The Reds are hopeful that the ability to shutdown opponents in the ninth inning runs in the family.

For now, however, we're likely to see the high-leverage situations go to pitchers like Santillan, Luis Cessa, and Hunter Strickland. David Bell has already announced that after the fifth starter (Nick Lodolo) joins the rotation next week, one of the relievers will be sent down.

Next. Predicting the Cincinnati Reds 2022 Opening Day roster 4.0. dark

We're likely to see an in-season battle between Alexis Diaz, Daniel Duarte, Ryan Hendrix, and Dauri Moreta; all of whom will be vying for a more permanent role in the Cincinnati Reds bullpen. Diaz's lack of experience may be his downfall, but his stuff is flat-out filthy.

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1. Daniel Duarte, Reds right-handed pitcher

2. Brandon Drury, Reds infielder

3. Alexis Diaz, Reds right-handed pitcher

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