Reds Insider: Keppinger, Dunn off today

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Keppinger, Dunn off today

Jeff Keppinger, Dusty Baker said, hurt his quad sliding into second the other day. He's getting a couple of days off. He's taking batting practice, etc. just not playing.

Speaking of days off, Adam Dunn is off today -- completely. Baker gives his established players a whole day off. They don't even have to come to the complex. Brandon Phillips, Scott Hatteberg, Edwin Encarnacion, Javy Valentin, Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo have all gotten one.

"It's more a mental day off than anything," Baker said.

25 Comments:

at 12:20 PM

Jake said...

John,

Is Bruce still injured.I notice that he has only been pinch hitting. Does this mean he is set to start the year at AAA?

at 12:21 PM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

This blog has sunk almost to the depths of Bill Koch's. Not quite that bad but getting there. No interest in waiting hours for posts to be visable. Not blaming John Fay.

Maybe if there were some way to verify a blogger's age. The ones that ruined this blog can't be more than 15 years old. Can they?

at 12:50 PM

docproc said...

Thanks for the info, John--I was worried that somehow Kepp had entered Dusty's doghouse.

Of course, we (and Jay Bruce) all know how Dusty feels about quad injuries...

at 12:54 PM

John Fay said...

Bruce played RF yesterday and got two at-bats. That said, yes, he's probably going to start the year at Triple-A.

at 12:57 PM

MJ said...

A building is only as good as the bricks that its built with. If you want a better building bring better bricks to the construction site.

at 1:02 PM

MJ said...

I'm ok with Bruce starting the year in AAA for the start of the season. Patterson has played well enough for now and with Hop struggling he won't be there for long. I predict by the end of May he'll be back with the club.

Any thing in the works regarding Freel John?

at 1:02 PM

Mr. Doom and Gloom said...

the dreaded quad stran...

any truth to the rumor that dusty has heard kepp's got a history of leg problems and that he will now be shelved for a few days, relegated to spot duty, and then sent to minor league camp thursday when neifi perez is signed?

at 1:07 PM

Jake said...

I dont really see what Bruce can do at AAA.I say go with him from day 1. So what if he has not had the best of Springs.Part of his problem this Spring is that they are handling him with kid gloves.One at bat here,and 2 at bats in another game do not help him make his case.If he were a veteran I would understand.

at 1:12 PM

Anonymous said...

i dont get it. does anyone really
"ruin" the blog?

i have this ancient philosophy or just ignoring bozos. they usually go away if the fish aren't biting.

they can only ruin it, if the reader chooses to let them

at 1:22 PM

MJ said...

Its not that Bruce has had the sort of spring that sets him back or a bad one but its that he hasn't had the kind of spring that sets him apart from the other guys in the competition for the job.

at 1:41 PM

Mr. Redlegs said...

I dont really see what Bruce can do at AAA. . .

Really? The guy's got 187 ABs at Louisville.

Funny, but almost 100 percent of Reds fans were saying exactly the same thing about Bailey last year. The Reds' development people kept saying no, no, no, he's not major-league ready.

But they finally gave Bailey his shot and the very concerns they had about his readiness were quickly and accurately apparent. They've been proven correct again this spring.

Obviously, Baker and the brass have seen some things in Bruce this spring they want him to work on. There's absolutely no reason to rush him. When he's ready, truly ready, he'll get his call.

at 1:43 PM

Bearcat of 2010 said...

John,

Any news on David Ross' back injury? Javy might be a better start anyways considering we should have two young Latin American pitchers in the starting rotation.

at 1:46 PM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

On another rant, is anyone else listening to the ballgame and tired of the "tired old Ed Smith Stadium" comments from "tired old Marty" already? I guess that will go on for the rest of spring training.

at 1:49 PM

Jake said...

John,
Have you ever thought about doing a "Where are they now" type of reports?I think it would be very interesting to read.Whether it would be members of the Big Red Machine,or guys from the 80's or 90 teams.

at 2:09 PM

MJ said...

I've got WLW on online but the game isn't on. Some Drib I'd rather not get into talk radio is airing at the moment.

at 2:10 PM

Jake said...

Bruce has proven he can hit low level pitchers.Take your lumps with him,and get the clock started.I just am not covinced that a combination of Patterson,Hopper,or Freel are the solution.He's compared to Jr. quite often by Reds brass.Do you think the Mariners made a mistake by playing him early? I don't think so. And you dont have to attack me for giving an opinion.Oh,I forgot Mr.Redlegs believes he is far greater than the rest of us.

at 2:11 PM

MJ said...

Fogg gave up 6 runs on 5 hits in 3 innings. Not exactly ringing endorsement for the #5 spot. McBeth is currently on the mound.

at 2:16 PM

Jaybee said...

Not a very good outing for Fogg today. 3 IP, 6 R (3 ER), 1BB, 1HR, 1SO. That's not the way to lock up a job. And, he may be the best of the rest for the 5th spot in the rotation.

Nice to see Votto bust out the HR stick today, though. He needs to wake up all of his bats.

I really am starting to like Jerry Gil as a utility guy. He knows how to "play the game."

at 2:17 PM

redfuture said...

The stars are finally falling into alignment. Votto hits a monster first pitch homerun off a LH (Dusty has got to like that)! Fogg hopefully has fallend behind Belisle again, now its up to Belisle to throw they way he can. Matt's got 92-95 mph fastball to go with sharp curve and slider. Two of my three pitching studs is all I could hope for. Affeldt is going to the pen. They are finally searching in earnest for a better catcher. All is right with the world.

at 2:33 PM

Unknown said...

John,

Have I been banned for some reason? My last 2 comments (yesterday and today) have not appeared in the thread.

at 2:57 PM

Mr. Redlegs said...

Being that baseball is a very simple game, logic, common sense and understanding are confined only by your own capacities, Jake.

at 3:37 PM

Unknown said...

Jake, I don't think it's an issue of anyone attacking you. There's just a contingent of us who believe that guys like Bailey and Bruce still have plenty they can learn at the minor-league level.

Sometimes you can rush a guy to the bigs and it works out OK. Sometimes, that guy struggles mightily and it takes twice as long to undo the mental damage you could have avoided by keeping him in the minors a bit longer.

We all agree that we want the Reds to win. But winning is as much about the environment you create as it is the players you're dealt. If fans want a winner, they need to get past the idea that major league baseball games are the place for "on-the-job training." The 25-man roster isn't for guys who will be good players someday, it's a place for guys who can contribute and help you win NOW.

All winter long we've read about Baker and how he wasn't hired to oversee a rebuilding project. Baker doesn't do rebuilding. He's here to try to win now. Was he dealt the hand to do that? Probably not, but time will tell.

When Bruce is ready for the bigs, he'll force the Reds' hand. Ditto with Bailey. But neither of them have been at AAA long enough to put up a large enough sample of numbers to force their way onto the major-league roster.

Patience, my friend.

at 8:12 PM

reaganspad said...

I think EE has been rushed to the majors. He was a can't miss talent type who has suffered the wrath of Marty the last few seasons.

Now after a couple of up/downs, he is hopefully ready for the bust em out.

if the did the same with Votto, he would have been up last june and they would have traded Hatte.

nice that we can actually develope our guys for a while. Make sure that when they come up, they can bunt, run the bases, hit the cutoff man and advance a runner.

I got real tired of our outfielders a few years ago all thinking they were going to throw the guy out at 3rd only to watch the trail runner walk to second base. Pena, Kearns, Dunn... they were all guilty of missing fundamentals.

I wonder if Wily Mo can hit a curve yet?

at 10:30 PM

redsfanwoody said...

If Bruce starts in Triple A or if he started in Majors either way probably wouldn't be wrong. I thought we got rid of taking pot shots at people a few days ago.

You could argue both points. Take for example Ellsbury of the Red Sox. Came up late in the year and provided a decent boost(not that they needed it) to them.

On the other hand, Pedrioa started this season with them,took some mighty lumps,but came out of it without losing his confidence.

So there's no right or wrong answer and many variables apply to it.

at 11:27 AM

MJ said...

We could take sides on that one and argue till we were blue in the face without either one of us being wrong. He's made a case either way. I think it comes down to whether or not they move Freel for a catcher. If Freel is moved then I think he stays up.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Keppinger, Dunn off today

25 Comments: