This troubling stat is extremely concerning for Reds reliever Luis Cessa

Just when you thought the Cincinnati Reds were clawing back in yesterday's game versus the Milwaukee Brewers' outfielder Hunter Renfroe took Luis Cessa deep. The Reds reliever has now surrendered more home runs in 2022 than he did all of last season.

Cessa has been tagged on five separate occasions this season. He leads all Reds relievers in that category, except for Dauri Moreta who's currently down at Triple-A Louisville.

Cessa is not the same pitcher that we saw come over from the New York Yankees last July. Cessa went 26.1 innings last season with the Reds and owned a 2.05 ERA and 0.68 BB/9.

Reds reliever Luis Cessa has given up too many home runs in 2022.

Luis Cessa is 3-1 with a 5.13 ERA in 24 games this season. If you remove the games in April against the Los Angeles Dodgers where Cessa appeared as an opener, the right-hander owns a 4.26 ERA. All five of Cessa's home runs allowed have come in relief.

Unsurprisingly, four of Cessa's five home runs allowed have come at home. Great American Ball Park is hitter's paradise, and opposing batters have tattooed 30-year-old to the tune of .341/.356/.659. Away from home, however, Cessa is allowing a meager .276 slugging percentage to the opposition.

Luis Cessa was thought to be one of David Bell's most reliable relievers heading into the 2022 season. Of course, the same could've been said for Tony Santillan and Art Warren. All three have performed well below expectations so far this season.

Cessa's track record suggests that the right-hander can bounce back from his early-season struggles. The first half of Cessa's 2021 season saw him put up a 3.00 ERA, but over the second-half of the season, Cessa trimmed his earned run average to 1.88. His WHIP also dropped from 1.278 to 0.977 last season.

The Cincinnati Reds need Luis Cessa to be that reliable presence in the bullpen. The right-hander is under team control for one more season, and will be an interesting to player to follow at this year's trade deadline.