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Reds Place Lucas Sims On Injured List, Select Robert Dugger

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The Reds announced a series of moves in their bullpen before tonight’s game in Pittsburgh. Lucas Sims has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to yesterday, due to lower back spasms. Cincinnati selected Robert Dugger to take his spot on the roster. The Reds also optioned Dauri Moreta to Triple-A Louisville and recalled Jared Solomon.

Sims heads to the IL for the second time this year. The right-hander missed the first two weeks of the season after back spasms delayed his Spring Training ramp-up work. He made it back for six games in between the IL stints but looked out of sorts. Sims has allowed seven runs, walked six batters and struck out just five during 6 2/3 frames of work. Last season’s 4.40 ERA across 47 frames wasn’t great, but he punched out an elite 39% of opponents on a hefty 14.8% swinging strike rate.

This year, the 28-year-old’s swing-and-miss numbers are way down. That’s also true of his velocity, with his fastball, slider and curveball all losing a tick or two relative to last season. It certainly seems as if he’s yet to get completely right physically, and a new bout of back spasms will keep him out for at least the next two weeks.

Dugger returns to the majors just four days after being designated for assignment. The righty cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Louisville yesterday. He didn’t appear in a game for the Bats before quickly being called back up. Cincinnati never filled Dugger’s 40-man roster spot after designating him and also removed COVID substitute Ronnie Dawson from the roster earlier this week; their 40-man tally now sits at 39.

During his first MLB stint with the Reds, Dugger made just one appearance. He soaked up three innings of relief, but that workload knocked him out of commission for a few days. Because he’s out of minor league option years, the Reds then removed him from the 40-man to clear an active roster spot. That was the second time he’d found himself in that situation, as the Rays also DFA Dugger following one extended relief outing. He’ll again have to stick in the majors or be exposed to waivers now that he’s back in the big leagues.

Reds Reinstate Mike Moustakas From Injured List

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TODAY: Moustakas has already been reinstated from the IL, and Dawson was optioned back to Triple-A.  The Reds also announced that recently-designated right-hander Robert Dugger cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. Dugger has accepted the outright assignment, the team announced Wednesday.

MAY 9: The Reds announced to reporters, including Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, that Mike Moustakas has been placed on the injured list. No designation was given for Moustakas’ placement, which suggests he will be on the Covid-related injured list. Outfielder Ronnie Dawson has been called up as a substitute player.

The Reds have had a series of players go on the Covid list in the past week, with Moustakas now joining Joey Votto and Nick Senzel. Tyler Naquin was also in that category but was able to return a few days ago. The team didn’t specify whether Moustakas tested positive, has virus-like symptoms, or was exposed to someone who tested positive. Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician). If Votto is “merely” dealing with symptoms, he could return in shorter order. Players who test negative can return once their symptoms dissipate, so long as they’re cleared by the joint committee and the team doctor.

For Moustakas, this is his second IL stint of the season, as he missed some time in April due to a biceps strain. Since returning, he had been on a hot streak, hitting .344/.462/.531 in that small sample. But that will now be stalled by this second trip to the IL. It’s yet another frustrating development for the Reds, as the club is off to a miserable 5-23 start, thanks in part to so many players being out of action, either for Covid or otherwise.

As for Dawson, this is the second time he’s been a substitute player to help the club try to get through this outbreak. Under the 2022 health and safety protocols, the commissioner’s office has the sole discretion to determine whether a team has been sufficiently impacted by COVID to call up “substitute” players. If granted permission, the team can then return those substitutes back to Triple-A (and, if he was not previously on the 40-man, off the roster entirely) without utilizing a minor league option or passing the player through waivers.

Dawson already went through this process, being selected to the club last week but then being removed when Naquin returned. He only got into a single game while on the roster, going hitless in three plate appearances. In 28 Triple-A games this year, the 26-year-old is hitting .267/.373/.436.

Reds Designate Buck Farmer For Assignment

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The Reds announced a series of transactions this afternoon. Robert Dugger, recently claimed off waivers from the Rays, has reported to the team and joined the active roster. Reliever Buck Farmer has been designated for assignment to open space. Cincinnati also activated outfielder Tyler Naquin from the COVID-19 injured list and returned “substitute player” Ronnie Dawson to Triple-A Louisville.

Cincinnati signed Farmer to a minor league deal over the offseason, and he made the Opening Day roster. The veteran righty has worked 12 innings over ten appearances, allowing ten runs (nine earned) on 15 hits and seven walks. Farmer has struck out a solid 17 batters with a personal-best 13.2% swinging strike rate, but the Reds have elected to go in a different direction based on the poor results.

Before this season, the 31-year-old Farmer had spent his entire career with the Tigers. He often soaked up multiple innings out of the bullpen and posted a sub-4.00 ERA in both seasons from 2019-20, but his final year in Detroit was disappointing. Farmer posted a 6.37 ERA in 35 1/3 innings last year, walking 12.3% of opponents in the process.

The Reds have a week to trade Farmer or place him on waivers. The latter seems likelier given his rough start to the season. He has more than five years of MLB service, meaning he can refuse an outright assignment in favor of free agency while still collecting his $850K salary. In any event, it seems Farmer’s time in the Cincinnati organization is coming to a close.

Dawson’s return to Louisville removes him from the 40-man roster after one appearance. He was selected as a designated COVID replacement when Naquin hit the injured list (alongside Nick Senzel) on Wednesday. Now that Naquin has been cleared to return, Dawson heads back to the minors. Albert Almora Jr. was selected as a substitute at the same time and remains on the MLB roster with Senzel still out of action.

Reds Select Albert Almora, Ronnie Dawson

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The Reds announced this evening that outfielders Nick Senzel and Tyler Naquin have been placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Fellow outfielders Albert Almora Jr. and Ronnie Dawson have been selected to the majors as designated COVID substitutes.

It’s the second time this season that both Senzel and Naquin have gone on the virus list. They join first baseman Joey Votto, who hit the COVID list yesterday. The team didn’t announce whether either player has tested positive, is dealing with symptoms, or has been identified as a close contact.

That the team specified Almora’s and Dawson’s selections as being of the “substitute” variety is notable for their roster status. Under the 2022 health and safety protocols, the commissioner’s office has the sole discretion to determine whether a team has been sufficiently impacted by COVID to call up “substitute” players. If granted permission, the team can then return those substitutes back to Triple-A (and, if he was not previously on the 40-man, off the roster entirely) without utilizing a minor league option or passing the player through waivers.

Neither Almora nor Dawson were previously on the 40-man roster. Almora inked a minor league contract over the offseason, while the Reds plucked Dawson from the Astros in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Both players can thus be taken off the 40-man and returned to Triple-A Louisville without clearing waivers as the team gets healthier.

Almora is the more familiar name for most fans. A top ten pick of the Cubs in 2012, he spent a few seasons as Chicago’s primary center fielder. Almora played strong defense and hit at a roughly league average level for his first couple years in the majors, but his offensive output turned downwards beginning in 2019. He played in 47 games but only tallied 54 plate appearances for the Mets last season. He has gotten off to a productive if atypical start at Louisville, hitting .380/.392/.460. Almora has walked just once in 51 plate appearances, but he’s also only punched out twice.

Dawson is an Ohio native who played collegiately at Ohio State. He made a brief debut with Houston last season, tallying six plate appearances in three games. The 26-year-old is hitting .283/.377/.435 over 106 plate appearances with the Bats. He has suited up at all three outfield positions but spent the majority of his time in the corners.

Astros Agree To Deals With 6 Draft Picks

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5:30pm: Rogers’ deal is worth $614K, an exact match of his slot price, Berman reports.  Dawson’s deal also matches his slot value, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.

3:29pm: The Astros have agreed to deals with six members of their 2016 draft class, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 (links: 1, 2, 3, 4). Second-round outfielder/second baseman Ronnie Dawson, third-round catcher Jake Rogers, fifth-round third baseman Abraham Toro-Hernandez, eighth-round right-hander Nick Hernandez, ninth-round southpaw Ryan Hartman and 10th-round righty Dustin Hunt will officially join the organization.

Financial terms aren’t yet available on any of the deals, but Dawson stands to collect the highest amount. His selection, 61st overall, carries a $1.057MM slot value. MLB.com ranked the lefty-swinging Dawson as the 121st overall player in this year’s class, lauding the Ohio State Buckeye’s athleticism, raw power, bat speed and strength. Baseball America was more bullish on Dawson, placing him 53rd prior to the draft and also offering similar praise as MLB.com. However, BA doesn’t expect Dawson to end up in center field as a pro and wonders whether the 21-year-old will hit enough to hold down a corner outfield position.

Rogers’ pick, 97th, has a $614K pool allotment. The backstop from Tulane earned a higher rating than Dawson from MLB.com, which viewed him as the 87th-best player available and sees him as the premier defensive catcher in college baseball – and, per some scouts, the best defender at any position in this year’s draft class. Rogers’ lack of offensive skills could be problematic, though, as the right-hander has both a big leg kick that disrupts his timing and a long swing. BA had Rogers at No. 95 because of his defensive skills, but the outlet contends that he should put more focus on trying to hit for average to improve his issues at the plate.

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