After a rough start to the season, the Cincinnati Reds have sent struggling reliever Alexis Díaz down to Triple-A Louisville. His most recent outing—where he gave up five runs and three home runs—was the final straw. His ERA has now skyrocketed to 12.00.
Díaz’s stats had shown warning signs for a while. His advanced numbers (like xFIP and BABIP) hinted that his performance had been declining and that he might have been getting lucky things weren’t worse. He also leaned too heavily on a weakened fastball, which has led to hitters doing much more damage than in past seasons.
Despite Díaz’s struggles, the rest of the Reds’ bullpen has been solid, ranking fourth-best in the National League with a 3.57 ERA.
To replace Díaz, the Reds called up Luis Mey, but the move raised some eyebrows. Mey has struggled with control, walking seven batters in nine innings at Triple-A. His xFIP (expected fielding independent pitching) is 4.96, so he’s not exactly dominating.
Many think Alan Busenitz, who’s pitching better in Triple-A, might’ve been the better choice—but since he’s out of minor league options, the Reds may be holding off on using him until it’s absolutely necessary.
In the meantime, the bullpen is expected to hold steady, giving Díaz time to reset and improve in the minors.
