MILWAUKEE -- Getting out of Milwaukee and jetting west to begin a series at San Francisco on Monday isn't a bad thing for the Reds. This could also be a pivotal week for the club on the field, on its injury report and for potential roster decisions laying ahead.
The Reds dropped three of four games to the Brewers with an 8-2 loss on Sunday at American Family Field. Milwaukee has won each of the last 11 series over the Reds and 15 of the last 17 going back to 2021.
Time to turn the page, and do it quickly.
“All divisional games kind of matter so it stinks losing three out of four to these guys. But we’ve got to move on. We’ve got San Fran right now, so worry about them," said starting pitcher Carson Spiers, who gave up four earned runs and five hits over 3 1/3 innings.
While the Reds had their hands full with the Brewers, notable things were happening in Omaha on Sunday afternoon. That's where starting pitcher Andrew Abbott and closer Alexis Díaz were working in rehab assignments for Triple-A Louisville.
In 4 1/3 innings and 92 pitches, Abbott gave up two earned runs and four hits with three walks, four strikeouts and a home run.
Abbott, who is working back from a left shoulder strain that ended his 2024 season six weeks early, won't join the Reds in San Francisco since his turn to pitch doesn't come. The lefty will work a side bullpen session in Louisville on Tuesday, and the Reds will need to make a decision whether to give Abbott another rehab start or activate him.
Activating Abbott likely moves Spiers out of the rotation, and pushes him to either the bullpen or Louisville. Spiers won the fifth starter's job in camp after the club decided to have Abbott open on the IL. He had a strong first start of one run and three hits over six innings in a loss to Texas on Tuesday.
As for Díaz, he has already healed from the left hamstring strain he briefly had at Spring Training. In his first rehab game on Friday, he walked two batters and struck out two in a scoreless inning. On Sunday, he gave up an unearned run, one hit and one walk with a strikeout while throwing 22 pitches.
There appears to be no guarantee Díaz will get his closer's job back if he returns.
“I always think that you try to put your best team out there," manager Terry Francona replied when asked about the situation.
After he lacked effectiveness in camp, the club is giving Díaz more time to get straightened out and has added two more games to his rehab assignment in the coming week.
"We didn’t feel like he was ready, physically, which I think he agrees with," Francona said. "He’s going to pitch today and he’ll go back with Louisville and pitch at least a couple of more times. Maybe even a back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday just because he needs to get in sync and he understands that. I think he actually agrees with it.
"We would like him to be in that role, but he needs to be ready to be in that role.”
The Reds will also be hoping to get second baseman Matt McLain back in the lineup after he's dealt with a tight left hamstring. McLain hasn't started any of the past three games, but did pinch-hit on Friday.
“I’m ready to go. They know that but we’re being cautious," said McLain, who was available off the bench on Sunday.
Cincinnati's feast-or-famine offense, which is batting .210 through 10 games, is also waiting on a return of left fielder/cleanup hitter Austin Hays. Out since camp ended with a left calf strain, the Reds targeted Friday vs. the Pirates at home for his return, but he had yet to do more advanced baseball activity as of this weekend.
Just getting a little bit of lineup consistency would help. All the games vs. the Giants in the opening series at Great American Ball Park were decided by three runs or less. San Francisco took two of three but the Reds blew a ninth-inning save chance on Opening Day.
“We always want to be more consistent," said designated hitter Spencer Steer, who is batting .083 but hit his first homer of the season in the fifth inning of the loss. "I think everyone in here is kind of fighting that right now. We’ve got to start swinging the bats. Our pitching has done great so far. They’ve kept us in a lot of these games and we haven’t been able to score runs.”