AUGUST 19: Cincinnati manager David Bell told reporters (including Mark Sheldon of MLB.com) this afternoon the team does not expect Winker will be ready to return when first eligible next Thursday. Bell didn’t provide any specifics as to when the Reds do believe Winker can make it back on the field, although he noted that the 28-year-old hasn’t yet begun baseball activities.
AUGUST 16: The Reds have placed outfielder Jesse Winker on the 10-day injured list, per a team announcement. Top infield prospect Jose Barrero has been summoned from Triple-A Louisville to take his spot on the active roster.
Winker, 28 tomorrow, recently missed three games due to this same intercostal discomfort and aggravated the injury upon returning to the lineup yesterday. He exited the game after just three innings.
Even a 10-day absence for Winker would be a notable blow to the Reds, who trail the Padres by two and a half games in the hunt for the second National League Wild Card spot. The All-Star left fielder has long been a quality bat but is in the midst of a breakout 2021 campaign. Through 481 plate appearances, he’s logged a .307/.395/.560 batting line with a career-high 24 home runs, an NL-best 32 doubles, a triple and a stolen base. Winker’s 235 total bases lead the National League.
The Reds are deep in outfield options to help cover Winker’s absence. Aristides Aquino and Shogo Akiyama figure to step up and shoulder the bulk of the extra work, joining Tyler Naquin and Nick Castellanos in the outfield. Even with that depth in place, however, there’s no means of simply replacing Winker’s production, which ranks among the game’s elite. His 152 wRC+ is tied for sixth among qualified hitters.
Cincinnati could have called up rehabbing outfielder Nick Senzel, but the presence of Aquino and Akiyama gives them enough cover in the outfield that they’re comfortable turning to a more concrete answer at another position of need: shortstop. The Reds have been playing utilityman Kyle Farmer there with regularity in recent weeks, but his bat has gone cold over his past 10 games. Barrero, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the game’s top overall prospects, ranking 15th on Baseball America’s midseason Top 100. He’ll allow Farmer to return to a utility role and bounce around the diamond.
Even for those who’d argue that outfield is still a bigger need given Farmer’s play over the past six weeks, the simple fact is that Barrero has outperformed Senzel in Louisville. Senzel is hitting .286/.316/.429 in 10 games since setting out on his rehab assignment, while Barrero has turned in a .303/.378/.532 batting line on the season. Since the calendar flipped to August, he’s posted an excellent .292/.358/.625 slash. Given their status as the top threat to the Padres’ hold on the second Wild Card spot, the Reds are understandably going with the more productive of the two potential replacement options for Winker. Senzel still figures to return before long — barring a setback — but Barrero has earned the spot for now.
This will be the second big league look for Barrero, who went by Jose Garcia after he initially signed but adopted his mother’s last name as a tribute to her after she passed away earlier this season. Barrero went 13-for-67 without an extra-base hit in 68 plate appearances for the Reds during the 2020 shortened season, although some struggles were to be expected after he made the jump from A-ball to the Majors due to the lack of a minor league season last summer. Now, with some additional seasoning under his belt, the Reds will get a better look at a player whom they hope can emerge as their shortstop of the future.
Barrero accrued 92 days of Major League service time during the 2020 season — service time was prorated last year — and would need another 80 days to reach a full year. There are only 49 days left on the 2021 schedule, so he can’t reach that threshold, though if he’s in the big leagues to stay he’ll quite likely qualify as a Super Two player now (assuming the current Super Two and arbitration systems remain in place in the next collective bargaining agreement). As it stands, he’d be controllable via arbitration all the way through the 2027 season.
Has every single star been injured at one point?
Define star?
All star? Pretty close
Mr Nebraska: Why don”t you give me your definition?
(n) – a fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun.
Now we just have to define what would be an injury to said fixed luminous point.
Yes, it is extremely hard to constantly play baseball from age 5 onwards without running into injuries, the game itself presents dozens of injury chances a game, on top of longer term injuries that are from playing the game constantly from age 5 onwards.
Uhm, why not call up Senzel?
I guess that Farmer needs a break too…
I heard Farmer was playing injured most of the year
Barrero is outperforming Senzel, and they have enough outfield depth on the MLB roster to cover Winker’s absence.
Because Barrero deserves it? Not a Reds fan but if I were this would easily be the greatest silver lining to a Winker injury.
SR – It seems that Senzel is not yet fully recovered from his surgery. No need to rush him.
Senzel will likely be hurt again before leaving AAA.
All he does is get hurt. Does not seem he will ever live up to the hype as he is so fragile. Now India on the other hand .. is living up to his hype and more … hope it lasts.
Too bad for your MVP candidate. Head up, you are still in the Wild card Race!
Negative Ghost Rider. Reds will NOT take the Wild Card spot over the Friars. There is no “race” for Cincy….I know it….and you know it bud…..
Not so sure, but Wink down definitely hurts
A 2.5-game separation in mid August is a race.
It’s going to be 1.5 here in about 20 minutes or so.
Who’s going to pitch for them? They have three healthy starters right now. And the Padres have a tougher schedule. The Reds only have 16 games remaining against opponents above .500. The Padres have over 30. That’s a tough road. I’ll never count out Tatis and Co., but if they don’t get the starters back ASAP, idk if they can make it happen.
As a Padres Fan, I am stoked to see this news. Accept it Cincy Fans. You aren’t making the playoffs over us. Not this year, or any year for that matter. Accept it and find a new hobby or something. San Diego has the Wild Card locked up in the NL. Eat it.
With all your injuries bud…especially Darvish…you sign a has been in Jake Arrieta to help pick up the slack? Bwahahaha. Keep looking over your shoulder because the Reds are coming for you! There’s plenty of time left to catch you.
DiehardFriars isn’t worth responding too, he’s always obnoxious. His tears are going to taste extremely salty if his Padres come up short and miss the postseason.
Maybe you’re right, I never heard of @DiehardFriars, just like I never heard of the Padres before last year
All that talent and you’re stoked to be 2 games up in the Wild Card? Wow man you have some seriously low expectations.. I mean when you have all of those World Series titles I mean 2 NL championships in 53 seasons to back up the confidence
perspective… they have Jake Arrieta in the rotation.
Cockiest 3rd place team I can remember. 15 years since the Sandy Eggos won the division and literally forever since they won the World Series. I predict they lead the league in tears and stupid dances and nothing more.
Lol. Just look at your record over last 2 weeks and strength of remaining schedule. More significant than Winker injury. Wishfully hoping bud!
DiehardFriars…You know, that I know, that you know… that The Reds are gonna smoke your Fryers… it’s BBQ time!
Easy there big fella. Something something counting eggs before hatching etc..
29 games in 30 days…this will test cincy depth.
Reds and Cubs will be playing the Field of Dreams game next August. This season keeps getting better and better for all of us Redlegs fans.
I wonder if Javy and Amir will be training for their inevitable fight… it’s fun to watch that matchup. With Amir’s disposition I don’t see him letting go of the Javy walk-off behavior. Javy was struttin’ and running his mouth after too.
I will take extreme pleasure when the Friars die hard.
He must have hurt himself capturing his stolen base.
It’s a sad wildcard “race” that’s for sure. I’m not sure what is more pathetic, losing badly to the AAA Cubs (Reds) or picking up a starting pitcher cast off by the AAA Cubs and putting him in your rotation (Padres).