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An awkward-looking fastball missed wide and outside against Washington Nationals star Juan Soto in the Bottom of the 2nd inning last night, and it was the last pitch Cincinnati Reds starter Jeff Hoffman threw on the night. It resulted in his 5th walk of the game after logging just 4 total outs, and immediately after throwing it he motioned to the dugout.
Trainers came, trainers went, and Hoffman’s day was done. This morning, he was placed on the 10-day IL due to his right (throwing) shoulder, and the question now becomes just how long he’ll be out.
The Reds announced the new on Twitter, noting that Cionel Perez had been recalled to take Hoffman’s place on the active roster.
The #Reds today placed on the 10-day injured list RHP Jeff Hoffman (right shoulder), recalled from Triple-A Louisville LHP Cionel Pérez and appointed as the 27th player for the scheduled night game RHP Art Warren. Pérez will be active for the suspended game. pic.twitter.com/bE710f8jYS
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 27, 2021
Because last night’s game was suspended and there is a doubleheader today, Art Warren was added as the team’s designated 27th player. And despite Perez not having been on the roster for the start of yesterday’s suspended game, he’ll be available when it resumes later Thursday.
As for Hoffman, it’s quite a frustrating development after he got off to such a solid start to his 2021 season. Through his first 4 starts he’d logged 20.1 IP and owned a shiny 2.66 ERA, making his acquisition from the Colorado Rockies over the winter look like a steal. Since then, however, things got sideways in a hurry, and after departing yesterday he’s yielded 18 runs (15 earned) over his last 20.2 IP, with an alarming 20 walks in that time.
It’s enough to make you wonder if there was something he was trying to pitch through all along that got aggravated last night.
For the Reds, well, it throws a serious curveball at their starting rotation. With Wade Miley already on the 10-day IL and Vlad Gutierrez set to take his spot tomorrow, they’re already scrambling for sustainability there. Add-in the struggles seen from Luis Castillo all season long, and it’s an incredibly far cry from the lofty heights seen by that unit just last year. Odds are that Tony Santillan will be next up for the Reds if they choose to tap into their AAA depth, though the fact that Tejay Antone is still out there in the bullpen and still being overlooked as a starter remains one of the more puzzling storylines for the Reds so far this season.