GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Anticipation and excitement mixed with a little stress are all ingredients of life on the Spring Training roster bubble. Since the outfield is one of the few areas with open spots in Reds camp, Jacob Hurtubise is experiencing all of that this week.
"I think you wouldn¡¯t be human if you weren¡¯t [stressed]," Hurtubise said on Monday. "It¡¯s also more like trying to figure out where you¡¯re going to live, all that sort of stuff. In terms of where I end up, I¡¯m at peace with it but the anticipation of knowing where and when, that¡¯s the only thing."
Hurtubise, 27, is competing with fellow outfielders Blake Dunn and Stuart Fairchild for reserve spots as Cincinnati whittles down its roster toward the required 26 players for Opening Day on March 27 vs. the Giants.
There are complications, such as the club waiting before deciding if infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer (right shoulder injury) can open the season on time or must go on the injured list. A player from outside the organization joining the fray is always possible as other clubs jettison players during the final week of camp.
Regardless, Hurtubise has done his part by giving Reds manager Terry Francona and the front office plenty to consider.
"He¡¯s hard not to like. He¡¯s going to give you everything he has every minute of the day," Francona said. "And with a smile on his face. He¡¯s easy to pull for. When we do some fun stuff in the morning and recognize guys for stuff they did, more times than not it¡¯s little things in the game as opposed to big things like home runs, and when we recognize him, guys go bananas. They love him.¡±
Although he hasn't collected any hits in his last five games, the left-handed Hurtubise is batting .346 (9-for-26) with a 1.105 OPS in 18 games this spring.
¡°He¡¯s gotten a number of hits that have not been hard-hit," Francona said. "Saying that, I don¡¯t think you penalize somebody for that, because one, he¡¯s put the ball in play and two, he runs like hell to first [base]. And he uses the whole field. Guys that use the whole field are going to get more hits. It¡¯s just the way it is.¡±
During outfield relays and defensive drills before Monday's game vs. the Guardians, Hurtubise fired a perfect strike from left field to the plate.
Anything positive in any setting can't hurt at this point.
"You just look to put yourself in the best position possible," Hurtubise said. "Obviously early on, I competed really, really hard and then kind of got in a little rough stretch. That¡¯s baseball at Spring Training. I was still hitting balls hard, getting on base and doing my thing. It¡¯s been a great camp so far. I¡¯m looking forward to this last week and just competing. I¡¯m at peace with whatever the decision is.¡±
Hurtubise, who was signed by the Reds in 2020 out of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as an undrafted free agent, made his big league debut last season and spent about five weeks with the club.
In 29 games after his May 13 callup, Hurtubise batted .185 (10-for-54). After going hitless in nine straight games, he was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on June 21.
"I was competing really well and then struggled through a little skid after they got scouting reports on me," he said. "The biggest thing for me is just relaxing while I¡¯m up there and just enjoying every single moment and trying to help this team win.
¡°It¡¯s hard to describe the things that you can take away from it, just because it¡¯s such a rush. But I definitely had time this offseason to reflect on those opportunities and how I am going to grow as a player moving forward.¡±
Hurtubise said Francona spoke often early in camp about players embracing their roles, regardless of how big or small they are.
"If my role is to come in and get a pinch-hit or try and draw a walk, cause havoc -- that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to try to do," Hurtubise said. "I¡¯m not going to try to do anything more or anything less other than that. Just going out and playing my game. Even though it¡¯s a brand-new coaching staff, they have a feel for who I am as a player and a skillset that I bring.¡±
Now it's just a question of if that's enough to be in Cincinnati on Opening Day.