Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings June 30, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY

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1 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings June 30, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1977-Joe Morgan scores five runs without a base hit, reaching on three walks and two errors MLB.COM Votto homers twice in loss to Brewers By Mark Sheldon and Adam McCalvy / MLB.com 12:54 AM ET + 79 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- After losing Chase Anderson and his 2.89 ERA to the disabled list, the Brewers need starters to step up to keep their surprising contending hopes afloat. A day later, Jimmy Nelson provided reason for optimism. Nelson allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings during an 11-3 Brewers rout over the Reds on Thursday that salvaged the finale of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park. Nelson also walked one and tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, as he improved to 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA. "When you lose one of your best pitchers, to have the other guy step up the way he did today, that's encouraging," said left fielder Ryan Braun, who hit the first of six Brewers home runs in the game. "Chase has obviously been phenomenal, but Jimmy has been right there with him. It's exciting to see him take that step forward, because he's always worked hard enough to be that guy. He's wanted to be that guy, and we're seeing it come to fruition." Said Nelson: "We're just going to have to step up as a rotation and do our job until he can get back. That's why it's a team." The Brewers' six homers came from Jonathan Villar (who hit two), Jesus Aguilar, Braun, Manny Pina and Domingo Santana. Aguilar's was part of a three-hit, four-rbi night. In his second start of the season back from the disabled list, Reds starter Homer Bailey got clobbered again. Bailey gave up six earned runs on six hits -- including three homers -- over three innings with two walks and two strikeouts. In two starts, totaling just 4 2/3 innings, Bailey has a ERA. "It's not the first time I've had two bad games in a row, so we'll just keep going until it kind of sharpens up," said Bailey, who returned Saturday from Feb. 18 elbow surgery that removed bone chips. The Brewers sent nine to the plate during a four-run third inning, which was started by a Villar solo homer off Bailey to right-center field. In reliever Kevin Shackelford's big league debut, Villar greeted him with a lead-off homer in the fourth inning. Shackelford then gave up a pair of one-out hits before Aguilar hit a three-run homer to center field that made it The six homers in the game were one shy of a Great American Ball Park record for one team in a game, and it was also the sixth time in franchise history that Milwaukee hit six or more homers in a game. The club record is seven. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Braun shows brawn, again: In his third game back from the disabled list, Braun maintained his personal destruction of the Reds with his second homer in as many nights. With two outs in the first inning, Braun pulled a solo homer off of the left-field foul pole for a 1-0 lead. It was his 24th career homer at Great American Ball Park, which broke Lance Berkman's record for a visiting player at the stadium. "I think Ryan's health is the thing -- being able to play three games means he's feeling pretty good," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "I wasn't too worried he wasn't going to hit. He's going to hit." Votto foils Nelson twice: Nelson didn't allow any hits until the fourth inning, and of his three for the game, two were solo home runs from Joey Votto. The Reds' first baseman lifted a 1-1 pitch to right field in the fourth and started the Reds' half of the seventh with a lead-off homer on a 3-1 pitch to center field. Votto has 23 homers for the season after hitting 29 for all of "I have not seen this type of power display and the consistency of barrel-on-ball for power since I've been here," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

2 QUOTABLE "The goal is to get to October in first place, not July. It's a good position to be in, and we're there now, but the goal is to continue to play good baseball and win series. I still feel like our best baseball is ahead of us." -- Braun, after the Brewers ensured they would finish June with at least a share of first place in the National League Central SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS It was the sixth time that at least eight home runs were hit at Great American Ball Park in one game. The ballpark record since it opened in 2003 is 10, set on April 14, 2014, by the Reds and Pirates. UNDER REVIEW In the top of the third inning, Aguilar's drive to right field landed at the base of the wall and went under the padding. Arismendy Alcantara did not raise his arms asking for a ground-rule double and retrieved the ball as Santana scored. The Reds challenged the ruling on the field to seek a dead-ball ruling. The call on the field was confirmed, though, as the ball was not viewed as being lodged under the padding. Price argued the outcome with home-plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth and was eventually ejected. It was Price's 11th career ejection and his third for arguing after a replay ruling. In the eighth inning, Alcantara led off with a grounder played up the middle by Villar, who made a slick play and throw to first base and a fully-extended Aguilar. Alcantara was called out on the field, but the umpires opted for a crew review since the Reds already lost their challenge, and the ruling was overturned for an infield single. WHAT'S NEXT Brewers: Matt Garza will start for Milwaukee opposite the Marlins' Edinson Volquez in a matchup of veteran right-handers Friday at 7:10 p.m. CT at Miller Park. The game begins the Brewers' final homestand before the All-Star break, which includes six games against the Marlins and Orioles. Reds: The homestand continues for Cincinnati with a three-game series vs. the Cubs, starting at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday. Scott Feldman, who has a 3.68 ERA in five June starts, will take the mound for Cincinnati. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV. Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from Follow him on and Facebook and listen to his podcast. Adam McCalvy has covered the Brewers for MLB.com since Follow him on like him on Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Bailey adds to Reds' rotation struggles Veteran right-hander has ERA of through first two starts of 2017 By Mark Sheldon / 1:29 AM ET + 10 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- The Reds hoped the return of Homer Bailey would be just the thing to stabilize their struggling rotation. But two starts into his 2017 campaign, Cincinnati's starting pool looks to be in even more disarray than before he came back. Thursday marked Bailey's second outing of the season after spending the better part of 2017 on the disabled list rehabbing from preseason elbow surgery. He lasted three innings, allowing six hits, six runs and three home runs while walking two batters and hitting another in the Reds' 11-3 loss to the Brewers. This comes less than a week after he gave up eight runs over 1 2/3 innings against the Nationals. Bailey's ERA currently sits at "Just not quite as sharp, but a little bit better than last time, which is not really hard to do," Bailey said. "It's just kind of a process. It's not the first time I've had two bad games in a row, so we'll just keep going until it kind of sharpens up."

3 What has been consistent over the two starts is how well opposing teams are hitting Bailey. Per Statcast, 11 of the 23 balls in play against Bailey this season have been "hard-hit", or have an exit velocity of 95 mph or more. Four of the 13 balls in play Thursday were hard-hit, two of which had exit velocities of 106-plus mph -- including a Ryan Braun solo home run that started the scoring in the first inning. "A couple of mistake pitches," Bailey said. "The one to Braun, obviously, I just didn't finish the pitch very well. I kind of put it on a tee there for him, and a guy like him is going to do that. Other ones, it seemed like everything they hit in the air went out of the park." Coming into the game, Reds starters ranked last in the Major Leagues in ERA, innings pitched, home runs allowed and opponent OPS. Reds pitchers, including relievers, have now given up a home run in a franchise-record 22 straight games. This isn't how the Reds envisioned things when Bailey and fellow starter Brandon Finnegan returned from injury earlier this month. But despite the fact the latter is back on the DL after re-injuring his left shoulder and the former has yet to see the fourth inning, Reds manager Bryan Price said he still has confidence in his rotation. "I don't feel sorry for myself or our team," Price said. "I do think we've fallen victim to what many, many teams around baseball have fallen victim to, and that's not being able to stay healthy with our starting rotation. The guys that are in there, I think are capable of doing a fine job." Price also said right-handed rookie Jackson Stephens would start for the Reds when they take on the Cubs on Saturday, a decision prompted by Finnegan's return to the DL. Stephens will be the eighth Cincinnati pitcher and the fifth starter to make his Major League debut this season for the club. Jeremy Vernon is a reporter for MLB.com based in Cincinnati. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Price to get Scooter ABs after Cozart returns Gennett has five home runs in last 10 games entering Thursday By Mark Sheldon / June 29th, COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- The Reds did not activate Zack Cozart from the 10-day disabled list on Thursday, which meant at least one more game for Jose Peraza at shortstop and Scooter Gennett at second base. When Cozart returns to shortstop, Peraza will shift back to second base. That doesn't mean Gennett's brief tenure as a regular member of the Reds' lineup is over, though. "There's a lot of flexibility," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's proven, I think, we have to stay with the multi-positional theme to keep him in the lineup with regularity." Besides his natural second base, Gennett has also played both corner outfield spots and third base this season for the Reds. Entering Thursday, Gennett was batting.366 (15-for-41) with five homers in the last 10 games, and his 12 homers on the season are two shy of his career high. He's batting.306 with 42 RBIs in just 180 at-bats. "It's just going to mean we're going to have to mix and match a little bit," Price said. "I think I was able to do that fairly well the first couple of months. But you can't deny his impact on our ballclub and my desire certainly to have him in the lineup with some regularity. I just can't do it at one position. I feel like it's very important that we continue to develop Peraza as a second baseman and middle infielder, and I don't want to deprive him of that opportunity to develop." Gennett, who was claimed off of waivers on March 28 from the Brewers to fill a utility role on the bench, was pleased to learn he would keep his playing time. "Whenever you get in there, there's always an opportunity to improve, to show them what you can do," Gennett said. "That's all we try to do as ballplayers. I think I've been doing a pretty decent job of that recently. I think there's more room for improvement. The more you play, the more opportunities you have to show what you can do. I'm just willing to do whatever they ask. It's not up to me. All I can do is control my preparation, and ultimately the results will dictate if I'm working hard or not." As for Peraza, Price acknowledged that he's had an up-and-down season, but he also pointed out that the 23-year-old now has a full body of work on his resume. In his first 152 Major League games, he hit.282/.311/.367 with 39 stolen bases.

4 "The league gets to know him a little bit, so he's got to compete with that. He's got to compete with the league knowledge of what he's handled well, what he hasn't handled well," Price said. "I'm not at all disappointed and I have not lost any confidence in his ability to be an outstanding player. I think he's going to be an impact player for us." Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from Follow him on and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Senzel, Herget selected for Futures Game By Jeremy Vernon / MLB.com June 29th, COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- Two Reds prospects, infielder Nick Senzel and right-hander Jimmy Herget, will participate in the SiriusXM All- Star Futures Game at Marlins Park in Miami on Sunday, July 9, as members of the U.S. Team at Marlins Park in Miami. The game can be viewed live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 4 p.m. ET. Senzel, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft and the Reds' top prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, has a slash line of.297/.364/.460 with 27 doubles and 31 RBIs in He spent the first part of the season with Class A Advanced Daytona, where he hit.305 and led the Florida State League with 26 doubles. He's currently 3-for-17 (.176) in five games since being promoted to Double-A Pensacola on June 21. Herget, Cincinnati's No. 17 prospect, has posted a 2.70 ERA, a 4.15 K/BB ratio and 19 saves in 30 games between Pensacola and Triple-A Louisville. Herget has picked up the save for Louisville in each of his last two appearances on Tuesday and Wednesday. He was selected by the Reds in the sixth round of the 2015 Draft. Jeremy Vernon is a reporter for MLB.com based in Cincinnati. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Feldman to face off against former team By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com June 29th, COMMENT The Cubs have had to deal with injuries, inconsistent pitching and an underachieving offense, and aren't running away with the National League Central Division the way they did last year. On Friday, Chicago has a chance to gain some ground in the division when it faces Cincinnati at Great American Ball Park. The Cubs are 5-1 against the Reds so far this season. "The good thing for us is that no team has really taken charge in the division and as poorly as we feel like we've played from time to time, I believe we're only a game back," said Jake Arrieta, who will start the series finale on Sunday. "We've still got plenty of time to play." On Friday, Mike Montgomery will make his fifth start of the season when he faces former Cubs pitcher Scott Feldman, who leads the Reds in innings pitched and has posted a 3.68 ERA in five June starts. The Cubs may be without Kris Bryant, the reigning NL Most Valuable Player, who sprained his right ankle Wednesday when he awkwardly stepped on third base after catching a popup. Bryant's status was day to day. He may try to rush his rehab. Bryant has batted.300 with five home runs, seven doubles and 20 RBIs in 21 games at GABP. Bryant also wants to help the Cubs get back on track. "This is different than what I've experienced the last two years," said Bryant, of the Cubs playing.500 baseball. "I just think it's important that we learn from it and all the things we're going through now and it makes us better for the future. This point, being as low as we are right now and where we're at will make us better." Considering that the Cubs are relying on what manager Joe Maddon calls "underclassmen," they're feeling pretty good about being close to the first-place Brewers. "In spite of all the baseball adversity we've had this year, we're actually in pretty good shape," Maddon said. "Of course, I don't like our record... but positionally speaking, not bad." Three things to know about this game Montgomery's 27.5-percent called-strike rate in his last outing was the highest by a Cubs starting pitcher this season. Among the lefty's 25 called strikes, 12 came on the first pitch.

5 Zack Cozart (strained right quad) may return from the disabled list on Friday. Reds manager Brian Price said he wants to keep Scooter Gennett in the lineup when Cozart returns. Gennett has played second base, and was batting.317 this month. Cozart has been sidelined since June 17. "We're going to get through today, and he could be as early as [Friday], but we'll get to [Friday] and define that for sure," Price said. "I think today is just going to be a day of rest. And I think there's a good chance tomorrow, or certainly this weekend, that he'll be back in the lineup." Ben Zobrist (left wrist) began a rehab assignment Thursday with Double-A Tennessee and he'll return when he tells Maddon he's ready. Jason Heyward (left hand abrasion) has been throwing and hitting in the cages but still needs time to heal. Carrie Muskat has covered the Cubs since 1987, and for MLB.com since She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings. You can follow her on and listen to her podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Homer Bailey has second-straight shaky start for the Cincinnati Reds C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com 11:37 p.m. ET June 29, 2017 Homer Bailey shaved off his ERA, so that was good. Too bad he started the day with an ERA of Bailey s second start of 2017 was only slightly better than his first, allowing six runs on six hits in three innings in an 11-3 Reds loss to the Brewers at Great American Ball Park. Just not quite as sharp, but a little bit better than last time, which is not really hard to do, Bailey said afterwards. It s just kind of a process. It s not the first time I ve had two bad games in a row, so we ll just keep going until it kind of sharpens up. Bailey didn t make it out of the second inning in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, giving up eight runs in that outing. He recorded four more outs than he did in that performance and two fewer runs. Neither is something to brag about, and hardly the savior of the rotation that the Reds had hoped to see. The past six days have been tough for that hope, with Bailey laying a pair of eggs and Brandon Finnegan leaving his start in the fourth inning of Monday. Finnegan s return to the DL will not be a short stay, so the Reds rotation instability doesn t seem to have an end on the horizon. The team will make another call to the minors for a starter on Saturday, tabbing right-hander Jackson Stephens to start against the defending World Series champs. As it is, Scott Feldman and Tim Adleman are the only two starters the Reds can even consider reliable. Rookie Luis Castillo has shown great promise in his two starts and then there s the large group of young starters who have failed to take advantage of their opportunities in the big leagues Amir Garrett, Cody Reed, Sal Romano, Rookie Davis and Robert Stephenson. That doesn t even include the likes of Asher Wojciechowski and Lisalverto Bonilla, who have also started for the Reds. Reds starters have a big-league worst 6.29 ERA, more than a third of a run worse than any other team in the majors (Baltimore, 5.93) and one-and-a-third run worse than any other National League team (Philadelphia, 4.96). Reds manager Bryan Price, though, remained optimistic that things weren t as bad as they have been for much of the season. I feel we've got Castillo, Homer's going to get better. Feldman's throwing the ball well, Adleman's throwing the ball well. Jackson Stephens will be throwing the ball well on Saturday, Price said. I don't feel sorry for myself or our team. I do think we've fallen victim what many, many teams around baseball have fallen victim to, and that's not being able to stay healthy with our starting rotation. The guys that are in there, I think are capable of ding a fine job. Both Price and Bailey are confident that the once-prized starter hasn t just fallen off the table, never to win another game. Bailey s velocity was anywhere from Thursday was just his 10th start in the last three years. Returning is a process, Bailey said. When you re so used to just following that process, you just kind of keep rolling with it. The action on the pitches looked good, the velocity s there, Bailey said. Just getting back to the speed of the game, maybe taking your time and being a little bit sharper. That little bit of sharpness is the difference between the home run and the ground ball, or the home run and the pop out. It s just going to take a little bit of time.

6 The Brewers hit three homers off of Bailey one by Ryan Braun in the first, another by Manny Pina in the second and a third by Jonathan Villar to lead off the third. Bailey gave up three more runs on three more hits in the third. He hit for himself in the bottom of the inning and left. Bailey s final line was three innings pitched, six hits, six runs, two walks (one intentional), two strikeouts, one hit batter, one wild pitch and three home runs. He threw 71 pitches, 47 strikes. Price watched the final four batters Bailey faced from his office after getting ejected arguing a replay review that went against the Reds. Later he said the umpires got the call right, but he was frustrated that the difference between this call of a ball stuck under the fence in right field was tiny compared to a similar call that also went against the Reds earlier this month against the Dodgers. He's made two starts, his two starts haven't been very good and we're just going to have to keep giving him the ball every fifth day and let him work through finding his way, Price said. He's getting good coaching, he's gotten good coaching, he's got a good gameplan, he's thrown to both catchers. There's no excuses, he just hasn't been very sharp. RHP Jackson Stephens to start for Reds on Saturday Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 11:14 p.m. ET June 29, 2017 Updated 10 hours ago Jackson Stephens will start for the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, Reds manager Bryan Price announced after Thursday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. It will be Stephens' first big-league start. Stephens spent a short period of time in the Reds' bullpen earlier this year, serving as an emergency long reliever. But he was never called upon, and returned to the minors without making his big-league debut. Stephens, a 16th-round draft pick of the Reds in 2012, does not have impressive Triple-A numbers, but is one of the few Triple-A pitchers who has not already failed in the big leagues this year. He has a 4.97 ERA in Triple-A and has walked nearly four batters per nine innings. He's been better lately, however, recording a 3.09 ERA in his last eight games, seven of which were starts. Walks have continued to be an issue, though. In choosing Stephens, the Reds passed over previously auditioned young pitchers like Cody Reed, Robert Stephenson and Sal Romano. Both Reed and Stephenson have struggled mightily with command. Stephenson and Romano both turned in strong recent outings, but pitched too recently to be ready for a Saturday start. The Reds also bypassed right-hander Tyler Mahle, who impressed in his first Triple-A start after a promotion from Double-A. But Mahle is not on the 40-man roster, which means the Reds would have had to risk losing a player permanently in order to create room for him. Stephens ostensibly will be given a chance to stick in the rotation. With Brandon Finnegan back on the disabled list and Anthony DeSclafani not expected back until late July at the earliest, there are no looming returns of more seasoned pitchers on the horizon. Cincinnati Reds recap: Another short start for Homer Bailey in loss to Milwaukee Brewers Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 10:29 p.m. ET June 29, 2017 Updated 11 hours ago The game lasted nine innings, but the Cincinnati Reds managed to lose in in about three, falling 11-3 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday at Great American Ball Park. Here are the main storylines. Box score: Brewers 11, Reds 3 Homer Bailey struggled mightily, again. In Bailey s first start since coming off the disabled list, he lasted just 1 ⅔ innings and gave up eight runs. His outing Thursday was better, but that doesn t mean it was good. Bailey lasted just three innings and surrendered six runs, including three home runs. Ryan Braun got him for a solo shot in the first, Manny Pina hit one in the second, and Jonathan Villar clubbed a leadoff homer in the third. Bailey went on to surrender three more runs in that final inning, yet somehow lowered his ERA. It now sits at Bailey took an at-bat when his spot came up in the bottom of the third, but that was likely only because the Reds were suddenly expecting to make several pitching changes and were playing with a short bench. He threw 71 pitches. Kevin Shackelford got a rude welcome to the majors. Shackelford took over for Bailey to start the fourth, making his major-league debut. It got off to quite a rough start.

7 Villar smacked another leadoff homer to welcome him, and Jesus Aguilar hit a three-run homer with one out to make it Shackelford calmed down after that, getting out of the inning and pitching a fifth. He recorded two more outs in the sixth, but then put two aboard on a walk and single. He was then lifted for right-hander Ariel Hernandez, who loaded the bases with a walk but escaped the inning. Joey Votto won t stop hitting home runs. In the fourth, Votto destroyed a ball to right to break up a no-hit bid by Milwaukee righthander Jimmy Nelson, giving him 22 on the year. The ball carried 420 feet, according to Statcast. In the seventh, he added another off Nelson, this one to straight-away center and traveling 409 feet. Votto now has 23 home runs through 78 games after hitting 29 a year ago. He s on pace for 47, which would break his career high by eight. Bryan Price was ejected. The Reds manager earned his 11th career ejection in the third after arguing with home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth following a replay review. On the play, Aguilar had looped a double to right to score a runner from first, but the ball got stuck in the padding at the wall. Right fielder Arismendy Alcantara picked the ball out and threw back to the infield. The Reds challenged that the ball was lodged under the padding and a ground-rule double should have been called. Replay officials confirmed the call on the field, and Price exited the dugout for an animated discussion with Culbreth, normally an automatic ejection. After about a minute of debate, Price was ejected, his third removal for arguing a replay decision as manager. Jose Peraza to remain 2B starter once Zack Cozart returns Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 6:31 p.m. ET June 29, 2017 Updated 15 hours ago When Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart returns from the disabled list which could come as early as Friday a middle infielder will have to head to the bench. The Reds have already decided that will be Scooter Gennett, with Jose Peraza remaining the starter at second base. Gennett has outplayed Peraza handily, at least at the plate. He s hit.306 with a.934 OPS, and has clubbed 12 home runs in just 191 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Peraza has hit.254 and has a.615 OPS in nearly 300 plate appearances. Peraza has a negative overall value as measured by Baseball-Reference s Wins Above Replacement, while Gennett has been worth nearly two wins to Cincinnati. But the 2017 season has always been more about development than immediate winning for the Reds, and they remain committed to letting Peraza figure it out in his first full major-league season. I feel like it's very important that we continue to develop Peraza as a second baseman and middle infielder, and I don't want to deprive him of that opportunity to develop, manager Bryan Price said. Gennett said he understands the decision. When asked if he felt he deserved a starting role, he responded that who starts and who sits isn t left to him. Like any player, he said, he wants regular playing time. Price is determined to find Gennett that, whether he starts or not. Before taking over second as Peraza shifted to short in the wake of Cozart s injury, Gennett could go several days in a row without starting somewhere on the diamond. Now, Price will be more proactive about finding him starts at second, third or either corner outfield position. It's not going to look like it was before, because there were times where he'd go three or four or five days without playing, Price said. I don't think that's going to happen frequently at all. But he will be more than simply a second baseman. Peraza appreciates the faith the organization is showing in him, despite his disappointing results on offense compared to a year ago. Last season, Peraza hit.324 with a.762 OPS, including.366 with an.870 OPS since receiving regular playing time following a mid-august call-up. Both Price and Peraza said the drop-off has to do with major-league pitchers being more familiar with Peraza s strength and weaknesses. Heat maps of his plate discipline compiled by Baseball Savant show a much higher willingness to swing at pitches outside the strike zone, especially pitches down and away.

8 A heat map of pitches Cincinnati Reds infielder Jose Peraza has whiffed on over the last two years. (Photo: Zach Buchanan/The Enquirer) I keep chasing those pitches, Peraza said. The more at-bats that I take and the more pitches I see, I think I m going to make the adjustment at the plate, what pitches are out of the zone and what pitches are in the zone. When I figure that out, I m going to become a better hitter. Price pointed out that Peraza s career totals 577 plate appearances over parts of three seasons approximate about a full season s worth of playing time. Over that span, Peraza has been a.282/.311/.678 hitter closer to major-league average than he is now. The 23-year-old also has 39 career stolen bases. I'm not at all disappointed and I have not lost any confidence in his ability to be an outstanding player, Price said. I think he's going to be an impact player for us." Reds notes: Luis Castillo impressive in home debut C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com 6:05 p.m. ET June 29, 2017 When Reds manager Bryan Price went out to the mound to get starter Luis Castillo in the sixth inning of Wednesday s 4-3 Reds victory over the Brewers, he heard some chatter from his infielders. To a man, they were going wow, this kid is really a talented kid, Price said following Thursday s game. It s nice to have your infielders really excited to have a starter that is taking the mound and they really like being behind this guy. I thought that was good to hear. Castillo didn t get the win, but he certainly made an impression in his second big-league start and first at Great American Ball Park. He allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and nine strikeouts. He left with a one-run lead, but left-hander Tony Cingrani gave up a game-tying run in the top of the eighth and the Reds retook the lead in the bottom of the inning. Castillo made his debut last week in Washington, allowing two runs on two homers in five innings. He struck out five and walked five in that game. At Double-A Pensacola, he hadn t walked more than two batters in a start. He showed that same kind of control against the Brewers. (Wednesday) I was focused on trying to hit the spots, and I had a really good feel for my breaking ball pitches, so it was a great day for me, Castillo said afterward according to translator Julio Morillo.

9 Tucker Barnhart, who caught Castillo for the first time, was certainly impressed by what he saw from the 23-year-old rookie. Man, his stuff s electric. It really is, Barnhart said. The thing for me that s really going to help him he works on it in the bullpen, to kind of run the ball in on righties. When he s able to do that, when he starts to be able to do that it s going to open up so much more. He was really good (Wednesday). Again (Wednesday), like he was in Washington, he got out of some jams. For a young guy like that to come up right out of Double-A and be able to get out of jams and get us in the dugout limiting damage is huge. It really goes unnoticed at times. It didn t go unnoticed by his teammates. For a young guy, his second start in the big leagues, the poise he has on the mound is something that I think we notice more than anything, said Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett. Being ballplayers and having been in those shoes before being a young player coming up and you want to show what you can do, I think he was just very solid. Obviously, his stuff is good. You look at the other things. I m really impressed with him. He's really good. His delivery doesn't look max effort, his mechanics are sound. He's around the plate. He has three pitches he can command that are above average. The future is really bright for him. I don't see him going anywhere for a while. Cozart s lead shrinking All-Star voting closed Thursday night at 11:59 p.m. and as of Thursday morning, the Reds Zack Cozart still led all National League shortstops in voting, but his lead on the Dodgers Corey Seager had gone from around 300,000 votes on Monday to 100,000 on Thursday. The All-Star team will be announced Sunday night at 7 p.m. The Reds will be in the air to Colorado. Cozart, who will receive a donkey from Joey Votto if he makes his first All-Star team, said he s been keeping track of the voting and is appreciative of the votes he s gotten. Being in Cincinnati, I m competing versus a guy in L.A. A little bit different market. We knew that I was going to have to have people outside of Cincinnati really, really vote, which they have been doing, Cozart said. That s really cool. It s coming down to the wire. I hope it s me. Just in general, I hope I just make the team. Cozart could be activated from the disabled list as soon as Friday, Reds manager Bryan Price said. He hasn t played since June 18 because of a right quad injury. That time out could hurt him. I wish I had been playing these last 10 days and kept playing well instead of having the injury, he said. That s just one of those things. It ll be weird because I don t know if I m going to be a starter much less make the team in general. I ll find out Sunday, and hopefully, I m on it. Buchanan elects free agency Right-hander Jake Buchanan, designated for assignment on Tuesday, cleared outright waivers and elected free agency. Buchanan, 27, was claimed off of waivers from the Cubs on May 25. He appeared in five games for the Reds, putting up an 8.16 ERA over 14 ⅓ innings. Reds' Nick Senzel, Jimmy Herget named to Futures Game roster C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com Published 12:22 p.m. ET June 29, 2017 Updated 21 hours ago Reds top prospect Nick Senzel got quite the 22nd birthday present on Thursday. The third baseman was named to next month s Futures Game at Miami s Marlins Park on July 9. Right-handed reliever Jimmy Herget will join him on the United States team in the game played two days before the All-Star Game and televised live on MLB Network.

10 Senzel, the No. 2 pick in last year s draft, is the No. 6 prospect in the game, according to Baseball America. Herget, 23, is a reliever who was recently promoted to Triple-A Louisville. The two will play for the USA. team against a team of prospects from the rest of the world in the game played two days before the All-Star Game. Senzel hit.305/.371/.476 with four home runs, 31 RBI and a league-high 26 doubles in 62 games at low-class A Daytona before his promotion. He s played in five games for Double-A Pensacola, going 3 for 17 (.176) so far. Herget had 16 saves for the Blue Wahoos, putting up a 2.73 ERA in 24 appearances. He had 44 strikeouts and 12 walks in 29 2/3 innings. Since being promoted to Triple-A Louisville, he s two saves in five appearances with 10 strikeouts and no walks in six innings. Last year left-hander Amir Garrett appeared in the Futures Game in San Diego. Also on Thursday, Louisville outfielder Jesse Winker was named to the Triple-A All-Star team. Winker, 23, is hitting.316/.398/.409 for the Bats. He made his big-league debut earlier this year and has made two short stints with the Reds, going 3 for 11 in limited playing time in the big leagues. The game is July 12 in Tacoma, Wash., and will be televised live on MLB Network. TRANSACTIONS 06/29/17 New York Yankees optioned 3B Miguel Andujar to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. New York Yankees designated RF Mason Williams for assignment. Toronto Blue Jays signed RHP Turner Larkins. Toronto Blue Jays signed RHP Nate Pearson. Toronto Blue Jays signed SS Logan Warmoth. San Francisco Giants signed free agent 1B K.C. Hobson to a minor league contract. Chicago White Sox signed free agent C Rob Brantly to a minor league contract. Houston Astros signed 2B Josh Rojas. San Francisco Giants released LF Aaron Hill. Pittsburgh Pirates placed C Francisco Cervelli on the 10-day disabled list. Concussion. Minnesota Twins placed LHP Craig Breslow on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to June 28, Left thoracic rib cage soreness Cincinnati Reds sent RHP Jake Buchanan outright to Louisville Bats. Texas Rangers sent RHP Eddie Gamboa outright to Round Rock Express. Tampa Bay Rays designated RHP Danny Farquhar for assignment. Tampa Bay Rays activated RHP Brad Boxberger from the 60-day disabled list. New York Yankees placed 1B Tyler Austin on the 10-day disabled list. Right hamstring bruise. New York Yankees selected the contract of 1B Chris Carter from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. New York Yankees transferred 1B Greg Bird from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Right ankle bruise. Toronto Blue Jays sent OF Dalton Pompey on a rehab assignment to Dunedin Blue Jays. New York Yankees selected the contract of CF Dustin Fowler from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Atlanta Braves selected the contract of LHP Rex Brothers from Gwinnett Braves. Atlanta Braves designated RHP Bartolo Colon for assignment. Chicago Cubs sent 2B Ben Zobrist on a rehab assignment to Tennessee Smokies. Los Angeles Angels sent RHP Bud Norris on a rehab assignment to Inland Empire 66ers. Boston Red Sox sent LHP Eduardo Rodriguez on a rehab assignment to Portland Sea Dogs. Milwaukee Brewers placed RHP Chase Anderson on the 10-day disabled list. Left oblique strain. Milwaukee Brewers recalled RHP Jorge Lopez from Biloxi Shuckers. Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent OF Blake Gailen to a minor league contract. Chicago White Sox placed RHP Jake Petricka on the 10-day disabled list. Right elbow strain. Chicago White Sox recalled RHP Juan Minaya from Charlotte Knights. Arizona Diamondbacks recalled 2B Ildemaro Vargas from Reno Aces. Arizona Diamondbacks optioned RHP Braden Shipley to Reno Aces. Minnesota Twins sent SS Ehire Adrianza on a rehab assignment to Rochester Red Wings. St. Louis Cardinals signed C Zach Jackson. Kansas City Royals signed free agent RHP Tad Ratliff to a minor league contract. Atlanta Braves sent RHP Chaz Roe on a rehab assignment to GCL Braves. Texas Rangers activated RHP Andrew Cashner from the 10-day disabled list. Texas Rangers optioned RHP Preston Claiborne to Round Rock Express.