C. Notes: Veteran Luke Weaver looking like a favorite to land a rotation spot
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When Luke Weaver met with reporters in the clubhouse at Scottsdale Stadium on Sunday, he was trying to catch his breath.
It wasn’t the effort from pitching — he needed just 12 pitches to get through his perfect inning in the Reds’ 7-6 loss to the Giants — but from the workout he does after each appearance.
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“It was quick enough where I had to focus to get a deep breath,” Weaver said.
Weaver got an infield groundout, a strikeout looking and an infield popup against the first three batters of the Giants’ lineup.
“He looked great,” Reds manager David Bell said following the game. “Looked like he was in command of everything and healthy. Looked like he could’ve gone back out for a second inning, but that will be the next step.”
The 29-year-old Weaver has 81 big-league starts under his belt for the Cardinals and Diamondbacks, but was used primarily out of the bullpen a year ago with the Diamondbacks and Royals.
His lone start in 2022 was his third appearance of the season and he only pitched out of the bullpen with Kansas City, where he was traded at the deadline.
Weaver is in Reds camp on a one-year deal and is among the pitchers battling for one of the final two spots in the team’s rotation.
Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo will start Monday and Tuesday, more or less tipping the hand that Greene is expected to be the Opening Day starter followed by Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft. It’s behind those three sophomore starters that there is an open competition.
Weaver, by virtue of his experience, is likely the favorite for one of the final two spots, along with Luis Cessa, who finished last season in the rotation. Connor Overton, who impressed with the Reds before a back injury cut his season short, is also in contention along with rookies Levi Stoudt and Brandon Williamson. Williamson started Saturday’s Cactus League opener, allowing a run in his inning. Justin Dunn’s shoulder has sidelined him and he is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season.
Weaver made 25 starts in 2018, going 7-11 with a 4.95 ERA. His best season came the next season in his first with Arizona, going 4-3 with a 2.95 ERA in 12 starts. He started 13 games in 2021 before being moved to the bullpen last season.
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The Reds signed him this offseason to a one-year deal worth $2 million. If Weaver doesn’t make the rotation, he’ll likely return to the bullpen.
But the Reds liked what they saw in Weaver, despite his 6.29 ERA last season when he dealt with right elbow inflammation. Despite the high ERA, his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) was 2.69 and his xFIP was 3.82. He struck out 38 batters in 35.2 innings last season and allowed just one home run.
It’s those numbers that led the Reds to think he could perform better than he did last season.
“Last year was a little chaotic the way it all went down,” Weaver said. “I just kind of had to adjust and do my thing to learn where I’m at, where my feet are, being present in it. I learned a lot.”
Weaver said he’s worked on his curveball this offseason and threw some good ones on Sunday.
Reds manager David Bell was on the Cardinals staff when Weaver debuted with the team as a 22-year-old two years after being drafted in the first round out of Florida State. Bell’s late brother, Mike Bell, also knew Weaver from his time with the Diamondbacks.
“He’s experienced a lot at an early age. He has the stuff to do it,” Bell said. “He has plenty of arm and the pitches to get it done. He did it as a reliever but we know he can do it as a starter. He’s kind of the most veteran pitcher — Cessa is up there — as far as the mix of pitchers competing for those spots. He might be the most experienced.”
Sims returns
Reliever Lucas Sims started his spring late last season and made just six appearances before a back injury cut his 2022 short.
Sims started on time with no restrictions this season and got his first appearance of the spring out of the way on Saturday.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt like I was going to throw up before a spring training game before today,” Sims said.
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Sims gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, but then retired the next three, including strikeouts of the Guardians’ second- and third-hole batters.
“Overall, I’m just happy with the first one,” Sims said. “I’m ready for the next one.”
If Sims is healthy, he could be a vital cog in holding any leads late in the games this season ahead of closer Alexis Díaz.
“He was throwing a lot of breaking balls, which is definitely a part of the game and it looked really sharp,” Bell said. “His fastball is going to be more effective when he’s ahead in the count and he just got behind a little bit on that. But other than that, he looked great. It was great to see him back out there.”
Vegas baby, Vegas
The Reds will head to Las Vegas this weekend to face the A’s, with Greene and Lodolo starting the games at Las Vegas Ballpark.
The Reds will have split-squad games in Arizona, as well, with the Royals coming to Goodyear on Saturday and a game against the Angels in Tempe on Sunday.
Bell will stay with the team in Arizona, while bench coach Freddie Benavides will manage the team in Las Vegas. The team going to Las Vegas will mostly be volunteers.
“I asked some of the older guys first,” Bell said. “We have to have representative rosters. I tried to give everybody an option as much as possible. There were some guys I couldn’t ask as I put everything together. Then (pitching coach Derek Johnson) worked on the pitching with the starters, keeping them on track. It just came together.”
Among those headed to Las Vegas is outfielder TJ Friedl, who lives there in the offseason.
Also at the end of this week, players in the World Baseball Classic will be leaving Reds camp to report to their national teams either in Miami or Arizona.
More dirt at GABP
With the rule limiting the shift based on where the infield dirt transitions to grass, there is a need for uniformity across baseball as to where the grass actually starts.
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With the new rules, Great American Ball Park had to move the dirt back 2.5 feet to meet the specifications of Major League Baseball.
“We were going to do that anyway. We had a really shallow infield, so we extended it,” Bell said. “We made it exactly what it’s supposed to be. It’s deeper. You can see it. It’s noticeable.”
Through the first two exhibition games, the shift rules haven’t seemed to have much impact, but the Reds also have fewer left-handed hitters than most teams and their most prominent left-handed hitter, Joey Votto, has yet to play.
Shortstop showcase
Two of the team’s top prospects played shortstop at Scottsdale Stadium back-to-back on Sunday. Elly De La Cruz got the start at shortstop and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and RBI. Marte came in and was hitless in his lone at-bat, but did make a nice play in the bottom of the ninth to throw out the go-ahead run at the plate.
“That was a great play in the ninth right there. That could’ve won the game,” Bell said. “He hadn’t got a lot of work in at short (this spring). He’s mostly been working at third. We didn’t want to totally forget about short, so it was a way to get him in the lineup today and he ended up making a great play.”
De La Cruz, a switch hitter, got two at-bats against a right-hander and one against a lefty.
“More than anything, maybe making the defensive plays is a good way to get into the action,” Bell said. “He made them look easy.”
Friedl had a double, triple and two RBI. Michael Siani replaced him in center and had a hit and RBI of his own.
New team adjustments
Luke Maile used the PitchCom system with the Guardians last season, but noted that he was a little slow Saturday because while the equipment is the same, the buttons are customizable and different teams set up their PitchComs differently.
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“It’s kind of like playing the piano, a new instrument, it takes a few weeks before your fingers start making sense of it,” Maile said.
Maile did throw out a pair of batters in his first game with the Reds, making it better was that it was against his old team and a pair of former teammates.
“My boy (Josh) Naylor decided he was feeling fast today, went ahead and threw me a bone to start my year off back there,” Maile said. “In spring, everybody is going to run. Just make a good, accurate throw and set the tone for how it’s going to look.”
(Top photo of Luke Weaver: Cincinnati Enquirer / USA Today)
