As the Cincinnati Reds slip further and further out of playoff contention, it looks like their positioning won't improve as it's likely pitchers Homer Bailey and Tony Cingrani will miss the rest of the season. The Red Sox, also out of playoff contention, may shut down closer Koji Uehara.
Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey landed on the disabled list back on August 14 because of a strained right elbow. He originally suffered the injury on August 7 during an at-bat, but the team waited for multiple medical opinions before losing him for the required 15 days. Bailey was expected to return before the end of the season, but that looks less likely since he hasn't began a throwing program since the injury. The team is still awaiting test results for Bailey's injured elbow.
The right-hander just signed a $105 million contract in the offseason and hasn't been placed on the disabled list since 2011. The Reds have had a lot of bad luck this year, especially with Aroldis Chapman (who was hit in the head in spring training and missed two months of action), Joey Votto (played in only 62 games this year because of a number of injuries), Brandon Phillips (missed over a month due to finger surgery), and also Tony Cingrani. The left-hander was expected to have a big year in 2014 after posting a 7-4 record with a 2.92 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 23 games (18 starts) last season.
However, Cingrani was sent to the minors back in June after a dismal 2-8 record (13 games, 11 starts) with a 4.55 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. He then landed on the minor league disabled list with a strained shoulder and has remained out of action ever since. The latest news was that he received a platelet-rich plasma injection, but Reds manager Bryan Price said he's unlikely to return because there's not enough time remaining in the season to go through the entire rehabbing process.
But there is enough time remaining in the year to shut some players down if postseason hopes are lost, and that's what the Red Sox might do with closer Koji Uehara. The 39-year-old reliever has appeared in 59 games and recorded 26 saves with a 2.25 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 60 innings. Last year, the Japanese right-hander threw 88 innings between the regular season and the postseason, which was the most of his career as a reliever. In his last four appearances, Uehara is 1-2 with two blown saves and an ERA of 18.90, which brought his season ERA from a 1.40 to a 2.25.
The Red Sox are completely out of playoff contention as they sit in last place of the AL East and they've expressed interest in bringing Uehara back as their closer for next season (he's a free agent after this year). John Farrell might be inclined to rest his closer to better preserve their future relationship.
