Reeling Reds place Devin Mesoraco on disabled list as manager comes under fire
Things are going from very bad to even worse for the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds lost their ninth game in a row on Monday, their worst losing skid in 17 years, are already 10.5 games behind in the National League Central, and placed All-Star catcher Devin Mesoraco on the disabled list.
Maybe that’s not exactly a major blow to the Reds as the move should have been made long ago. Mesoraco has been suffering from a left hip injury for most of the season. He’s been limited to just 45 at-bats and has eight hits and two runs-batted-in, while starting just five games behind the plate. Last year Mesoraco appeared in 114 games, slashed .273/.359/.534 with 25 home runs on his way to his first All-Star selection.
It’s just the latest in what has already been an ugly season for the Reds.
Johnny Cueto, the team’s ace, missed a start on Sunday with elbow stiffness, though the team doesn’t expect him to miss any more time.
To top it all off, fans and some media are calling for manager Bryan Price’s head. Less than two months into the season Price has generated several headlines. First was his 77 f-bomb tirade against the media in April, then on Saturday he was ejected before their game against the Indians even started.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports says the Reds’ All-Star Game hosting duties may be preventing the team from making a major move due to the negative publicity that would come with it. Though it shouldn’t.
“I cannot understand, however, why the Reds would hold off on Price if they determine that a change is necessary. The All-Star Game is seven weeks away, for goodness’ sake. It already is sold out, and will shed a positive light on Cincinnati regardless of the condition of the local nine.
The time to act – if the Reds want to act – is now.”
Who would have thought a team that’s already eight games under .500 would be so interesting to watch as the season rolls on.
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Ian Denomme is an editor and writer for Yahoo Sports. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter.
