The Reds Report: June 11

by:Eric Roseberry•06/11/17
[caption id="attachment_223100" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports[/caption] The Reds got off to a great start this week thanks to a four-game sweep of the Cardinals. However, the team stumbled over the weekend dropping their first two games to the Dodgers (Sunday's game was not finished when this article was written). As of Sunday morning, the Reds were just three games back of the NL Central-leading Brewers. Let's get to this week's Reds Report.

Who Run the World? Scooter Gennett.

On Tuesday, Reds fans were treated to a historic performance at Great American Ball Park. Scooter Gennett became just the 17th player in major league history to hit four home runs in one game. The Reds celebrated Gennett's big night with the following video. Gennett's final stats from the Reds win over the Cardinals were remarkable. He went 5-5 with 4 home runs and 10 RBI. The home runs will get the attention, but it was just the 15th time since 1924 that a player racked up at least 10 RBI in one game. Simply put, Gennett put together one of the greatest single-game offensive performances in MLB history.

Zack Cozart Update

Well, apparently some of you answered the challenge from last week's Reds Report. As of Tuesday, Cozart had moved up to second place in the voting to be the National League's starting shortstop at the All-Star Game. Jamie Ramsey of Better Off Red offered a helpful summary of Cozart's growing credentials.

It's Almost Draft Day

The MLB Draft kicks off on Monday, and the Reds will have the second pick. They were in the same position a season ago, and they used that selection to take Nick Senzel. There are a few players who could hear their name called when Cincinnati makes their choice. Brendan McKay of Louisville could be the Reds pick. Kyle Wright is another option, but several outlets project the pitcher from Vanderbilt to be the #1 selection (Minnesota Twins). Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Hunter Greene could likely be Cincinnati's pick. Greene was a shortstop/pitcher this season for Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles. He could be developed as a pitcher or position player. However, most expect him to end up on the mound given the 17-year-old hit 102 mph on the radar gun in January. It's always risky taking a player out of high school, but Greene has the kind of upside that makes him worth it.

A Few Pitching Notes

There's plenty of uncertainty surrounding the Reds starting rotation. This week, there were a few updates regarding members of the staff.
  • The Reds got some disappointing news about injured starter Anthony DeSclafani. Bryan Price told Tom Groeschen that at this point, he doesn't expect DeSclafani back in the rotation until at least August.
  • There was a scary moment in Saturday's game when Amir Garrett was hit by a line drive on his left hand. Joshua Thornton of MLB.com had a helpful breakdown of what followed. He noted that Garrett couldn't feel his hand immediately after being hit. However, Garrett's x-rays came back negative, and he's still scheduled to make his next start.

Tyler Mahle to start the AA All-Star Game

How about some good news on the pitching front? Tyler Mahle, who has a 1.66 ERA in 12 starts for Pensacola, has been selected to start the AA All-Star Game. Doug Gray notes that Mahle has been the best pitcher in the league up to this point. It's likely the 22-year-old will be in Louisville sooner rather than later.

What's Ahead

The Reds head to San Diego on Monday for a three-game series. They'll return home on Friday to host the Dodgers over the weekend. You can read Eric’s writing all season long at Red Reporter, Beyond the Box Score, and Baseball Prospectus. He also hosts the On Baseball Writing Podcast and appears on the Red Reporter podcast.

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