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Woof - The Reds game was so miserable last night, we couldn't even bring ourselves to do a recap. It's easy to get down on this team right now (injuries mounting, bullpen struggling, crushing defeat last night) but these stretches happen to every team. The Reds have still won 21 of their last 31 games. The boys in red will take a much needed off-day today before welcoming the angry birds from St. Louis to town.
BP should be ready to go by Friday - The Reds will need Brandon Phillips in the lineup and in the field this weekend if they hope to pick up an ground on the Cardinals in the division. Phillips was likely available to pinch hit last night, but as we all know... that wasn't necessary.
Reds players, according to a scout - Danny Knobler talked to a rival scouts about the Reds. One scout noted [GASP!] OBP as the reason the Reds score so many runs. I thought scouts hated numbers, especially OBP... Oh well. The piece also offers quotes from a scout on Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Aroldis Chapman and Ryan Hanigan.
Choo coming back to earth - The folks Baseball Prospectus are predicting that which we are already seeing: Shin-Soo Choo will cool off a bit from his incredible start to the season. Here's what they have to say:
OK, look, I don't think he's going to explode at home plate after being hit by one of those pitches (a billion points for that reference). Choo has a track record of being a .370 OBP guy (which is really nice to have!), and the HBPs are pumping up the OBP. That eventually has to come back down to earth). But there's more. He's hitting more than 20 percent of his fly balls over the wall. While HR/FB stabilizes more quickly for batters, it's well above his career norms. Choo might be getting some help from the Great American Small Park, but I don't buy that the underlying talent has changed all that much. Choo is picking a good time to do this. He's a free agent at the end of the year.
Cardinals lineup change? - Matt Holliday is struggling relative to his career norms, and the Cardinals might move him from the 3 spot in an attempt to "jump-start" his bat, as Derrick Goold explains. (man... that Goold dude would be great to talk to about the Reds-Cardinals series this weekend. TEASER!)