CINCINNATI -- Fresh off another relief appearance in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville, reliever Alexis Díaz was back in the Reds¡¯ clubhouse on Sunday morning at his customary locker.
However, Cincinnati did not activate D¨ªaz from the 15-day injured list -- where he opened the season because of a left hamstring strain during Spring Training.
¡°We talked about it this morning and we¡¯ll talk about it again after the game," manager Terry Francona said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to figure some things out.¡±
In five appearances with Louisville, D¨ªaz has a 5.40 ERA with four walks and eight strikeouts. The last two games marked his first time working on back-to-back days. On Friday, he struck out the side during one perfect inning.
On Saturday, in the second game of Louisville's doubleheader vs. Indianapolis, D¨ªaz gave up two runs on three hits, including a home run, with one strikeout. Of the 18 pitches he threw, 14 were strikes. The right-hander felt he was ready for activation.
¡°For sure. I threw three of the four games and I feel good," D¨ªaz said via interpreter Tomas Vera.
After getting a late start in camp because of the slight hamstring strain, D¨ªaz struggled with his mechanics and throwing strikes. It appeared his status as the Reds¡¯ closer could have been in jeopardy, especially after he encountered similar issues during the 2024 season.
An All-Star for Cincinnati in ¡®23, D¨ªaz felt the mechanical adjustment he made with his legs had worked well during the rehab assignment.
¡°Truly, everything was moving up in the right direction," D¨ªaz said. "What I did the last few outings is what they actually wanted me to do -- attack the hitter, be aggressive and do what I¡¯ve always done. I did what they told me to do."
Francona felt the club would evaluate the health, performance and mechanics of D¨ªaz ahead of any decision.
¡°I think it¡¯s everything. [It¡¯s] making sure he pitched enough where he can be who he is," Francona said.
To activate D¨ªaz, the Reds would have to send someone out from a bullpen that has worked well through the first two-plus weeks of the season. Graham Ashcraft was the last reliever to make the bullpen out of spring, but he has already proven himself in high-leverage innings. It appears quite unlikely that Ashcraft would be sent down.
Then there is the matter of whether D¨ªaz would get his job back as closer. Emilio Pag¨¢n has primarily closed games so far and has performed well while going 4-for-4 in his save chances.
The Reds have a scheduled off-day on Monday before opening a three-game series vs. the Mariners at home on Tuesday.