Matt’s Take – Reds need to survive June

By Matthew McAdow
HCP columnist

With an injury to De La Cruz (awaiting to hear – hopefully nothing major), the bullpen in shambles, and still awaiting for Hunter Greene to join the rotation amongst others, Cincinnati can’t repeat another bad month in June.  

Cincinnati has to find a way to survive and in reality, they need to be roughly 4 or 5 games above .500 come June 30. I believe it’s possible, but Francona will have to manage this bullpen and their woes accurately, while making the tough calls on Friedl and McLain – it’s past time for Arroyo and Marte to join this team. With a June schedule consisting of the Royals, Cardinals, Padres, Diamondbacks, Mets, Yankees, Brewers, Pirates, and Brewers again, this could get real interesting or real ugly in a hurry.  I prefer interesting.
  
Positives 

The Reds are above .500 and the Cubs are coming back to reality.  This division is going to be a tight division until the very last game.  

JJ Bleday hit .301, 1.018 OPS, had 31 hits, and 8 HR in the month of May.  In all of baseball since his debut, he is 6th in HRs, and 4th in SLG.  He has the 6th most RBIs in baseball since then as well.  All-Star?

Edwin Arroyo better be on the team this week. He is the player of the month in AAA, slashing .356, 8 HR, and an OPS of 1.086.  He is better than Matt McLain.  

Noelvi Marte is killing it in AAA as well and should replace TJ Friedl by the time I finish my article.  His .379 average in AAA Louisville is more than anything TJ Friedl could produce right now.  

Chase Burns – Cy Young Candidate Season.  Keep Carrying us, kid.  

Nick Lodolo looks a little sharper and might be returning to form after a quality start against the Braves to secure a win.  

Negatives

Bullpen Woes – No Ashcraft, No Pagan, No Johnson, with a struggling Santillan and Phillips down in AAA.  What a disaster after a great April. 

TJ Friedl and Matt McLain – Enough Said. 

Back end of the rotation desperately needs help.  

Chase Petty should be pitching out of the pen on the big league roster right now.  

Francona won’t let Benson get enough playing time – might as well trade him in a package for a pitcher at this point.  

Stephenson is still batting below .200.  His last seven days seems promising, but he’s struggled mightily as a whole.  This team needs him to really step it up to bolster this lineup.