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The Reds placed the outfielder Jesse winker on the 10-day injured list, according to a team announcement. Best prospect José Barrero placeholder image was called in by Triple-A Louisville to take his place on the active roster.
Winker, 28 tomorrow, recently missed three games due to that same intercostal discomfort and made the injury worse when he returned to the roster yesterday. He left the game after just three innings.
Even a 10-day absence for Winker would be a blow to the Reds, who lag the Padres by two and a half games in search of second place in the National League Wild Card. The All-Star left fielder has long been a quality bat, but is in the midst of a breakout campaign in 2021. In 481 home plate appearances, he’s recorded a .307 / 0.395 / 0.560 batting line. with a career-high 24 home runs, a record 32 NL doubles, a triple and a stolen base. Winker’s total 235 bases lead the National League.
The Reds are rich in outfield options to help cover Winker’s absence. Aristide Aquinas and Shogo Akiyama figure to step up and take on most of the extra work, joining Tyler naquin and Nick castellanos in the outfield. Even with that depth in place, however, there’s no way to just replace the production of Winker, who is among the game’s elite. His 152 wRC + is tied for sixth in qualifying hitters.
Cincinnati could have called an outfielder in rehabilitation Nick senzel, but the presence of Aquino and Akiyama gives them enough cover in the outfield that they are comfortable turning to a more concrete response to another position of need: the shortstop. The Reds played utility Kyle farmer There with regularity in recent weeks, but his bat has gotten cold in his last 10 games. Barrero, meanwhile, is considered one of the game’s top prospects, placing 15th in Baseball America’s midseason Top 100. It will allow Farmer to return to a utilitarian role and bounce around the diamond.
Even for those who would say the outfield is still a bigger need considering Farmer’s play over the past six weeks, the simple fact is that Barrero has outperformed Senzel at Louisville. Senzel has hit 0.286 / 0.316 / 0.429 in 10 games since starting his rehab mission, while Barrero has produced a 0.303 / 378 / 0.532 batting line during the season. Since the calendar moved in August, it posted an excellent slash .292 / .358 / .625. Given their status as the main threat to the Padres’ hold over the second-place Wild Card, the Reds naturally go for the more productive of the two potential replacement options for Winker. Senzel still thinks he’ll be back before long – barring a setback – but Barrero has earned his place so far.
This will be the second big league look for Barrero, who went through Jose Garcia after initially signing but adopted his mother’s last name as a tribute to her after her passing earlier this season. Barrero went 13 for 67 with no additional hitting in 68 home plate appearances for the Reds in the shortened 2020 season, although some difficulty was to be expected after making the A-ball jump to the Majors due to lack of a minor league season last summer. Now, with a little extra seasoning under his belt, the Reds will have a better look at a player they hope can become their future shortstop.
Barrero racked up 92 days of Major League service in the 2020 season – service time was prorated last year – and would need an additional 80 days to achieve a full year. There are only 49 days left in the 2021 calendar, so he cannot meet that threshold, although if he stays in the big leagues he will most likely qualify as a Super Two player now (assuming current systems of Super Two and arbitration remain in place in the next collective agreement). As it stands, it would be controllable through arbitration throughout the 2027 season.
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