Red Reporter SPRING BREAK news: Our boys watched the Reds go easy on Edinson Volquez last night, while meeting Rollie Fingers and probably attending a series of after parties on the mustache circuit. Stay tuned to @redreporter, @UncleWeez and this blog for pics, videos and trenchant observations.
The news about TJ Surgery for Ryan Madson has cast a pall on the spring frolics. It's starting to seem inevitable now, but other players have had spring elbow injuries that required a trip to the team doctor - most recently Ramon Hernandez - and come out the other side. I know, not the same, but it's still a shock every time I hear a player will be gone for a year. It sucks. The way to make it worse is to botch Madson's replacement.
There's been talk that today's starting pitchers are actually in competition for that last rotation spot. While it's certainly possible that Chapman could bounce Bailey out of the rotation, I think it's far more likely - especially with Madson's injury, that Chapman is the one in the big league bullpen to start the season. We've heard the one about Chapman in the bullpen, the one about Chapman in the rotation, so now I'm just waiting for the Chapman-to-LF story to complete my set.
Lineups after the jump