The Reds inexcusable roster management puts David Bell in a no-win situation again
Jonathan India was a late scratch prior to Sunday's game versus the Atlanta Braves. The Cincinnati Reds are calling it a "rest day" for India, which seems preposterous. If it was a rest day, then why was he in the starting lineup to begin with? But I digress.
In addition to India out of the game, the Reds were also without starting shortstop Kyle Farmer. The infielder was struck on the hand by a 100-mph fastball during Cincinnati's game on Saturday evening.
The good news is that Farmer did not suffer a fracture, however, according to David Bell (via MLB.com), it's going to be a couple of days before the Reds shortstop is back in the starting lineup.
Then there's Aramís García who has now missed four consecutive games. The Cincinnati backstop has a bruised middle finger on his catching hand. So, the Cincinnati Reds entered Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves with an extremely short bench.
The Reds roster management is inexcusable.
With Jonathan India out for Sunday's game, Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell tabbed Max Schrock to be the team's starting second baseman and leadoff hitter. Michael Papierski, who was just acquired last week from the San Francisco Giants, started his fourth consecutive game behind the plate for the Redlegs.
Shortstop was manned by Matt Reynolds while Kyle Farmer was nursing what has to be an incredibly sore left hand. That left Brandon Drury as the team's only bench bat on Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves. That is absolutely inexcusable.
The Reds needed to recall somebody from Triple-A. The Louisville Bats are just up the road in Toledo playing the Mud Hens, so it wouldn't take long for a player like T.J. Friedl, Jose Barrero, or Chris Okey to hop in a car and make the three-hour trek down I-75.
Jonathan India's absence from the lineup was last minute, I understand that. But with Kyle Farmer and Aramís García both unavailable, who's the Reds emergency catcher? How can David Bell even think about using Drury as a pinch hitter until the ninth inning?
This is an epic failure on the part of the part of the Cincinnati Reds front office. After two days of García being unavailable, Okey should have been recalled. If Farmer is going to miss more than three or four days, call up Barrero. That's why you have these players down on the farm.