Cincinnati Reds unsure if Mat Latos will make a start on Sunday
Although the rotation is apparently no longer a prime concern for the Cincinnati Reds, the team has yet to decide who will throw on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox. The pitching coach, Bryan Price, said on Thursday, March 29, he is not sure if it really
is Mat Latos who will make the start.
Mat Latos currently has calf strain which the Reds hope will not be of big worry. Nonetheless, while considering the contingency plan, the club is looking at Latos’ ailment too.
"I'm not going to say he'll definitely pitch," pitching coach Bryan Price said. "We're optimistic the calf strain won't be a tenuous issue. However, I think we need to get a little closer to the start date before we sign off on him taking the ball."
There are a set of reasons why the Reds want the player to gain full fitness before he is tried on the mound. The pitching coach sheds light on this: "We have to be confident he can do all the things: Cover first base, run the bases and all the things he
needs to do to go full bore in a game," Price said.
Considering the dominating presence of Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto and others, the Reds indeed have a healthy list of pitchers. Mat Latos, nonetheless, has an important contribution to make largely because he will be the consistent part of the rotation
this season.
Mat Latos has three years’ experience. With the 72 appearances, he has had as many starts, pitching a total of 429.2 innings, giving up 361 hits and 174 runs. His ERA stands at 3.37 with 1.15 WHIP, winning 27 games in the career.
His calf injury on Wednesday may well be of concern now. The Reds will be hoping, so it seems, that the injury is not overwhelmingly serious. This is largely because they want to have as solid a defence as possible coupled this season.
The past year was not a particularly good experience for the Reds with their failure to make it to the postseason. With the Opening Day game not far, the Reds will hope to have a refreshingly good start this time.
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