Cincinnati Reds: Will a refreshed Derek Dietrich reignite the offense?
by
Drew Koch6 hours ago
Follow @DrewKoch714
With
Jesse Winker nursing an injured neck, look for
Derek Dietrich to rejoin his
Cincinnati Reds teammates for a three-game set in Pittsburgh. Dietrich and the Pirates are not known to be friendly toward one another, but I don’t expect any fireworks this weekend. However, Winker’s injury is an opportunity for Dietrich to get back to the player he was in May.
What better place for Derek Dietrich’s return from the injured list than PNC Park? While it has yet to be announced, it makes the most sense for the Reds to activate Dietrich from the injured list after he’s now played in three games as part of a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville. Dietrich has hit just .182 with no extra base hits and 2 strikeouts in 11 at-bats for the Bats.
For a player who was picked up during the offseason and signed to a minor-league deal, Dietrich was doing quite well for himself and became a fan favorite overnight. A go-ahead home run during Opening Day never hurts either. There was also the three home run performance in front of the Great American Ball Park crowd on May 28th. Dietrich was on top of the world.
But Dietrich has fallen from grace. Since that night, Dietrich is 16-for-104 (.154) with 39 strikeouts and just 2 home runs over that 46 game span. Dietrich has more hit-by-pitches (15) than walks (13) during that stretch of games and a .612 OPS.
If Derek Dietrich is activated before Friday’s game against the Pirates,
David Bellshould not even hesitate to insert the slugger into the starting lineup. Dietrich has abused the Buccos this season to the tune of .397/.400/1.138. That’s right, Deitz has an OPS of 1.538 against Pittsburgh this season.
Not only has Dietrich dominated the Pirates at home, but he’s dominated the Pirates in Pittsburgh. In three games at PNC Park, Dietrich is 4-for-9 (.444) with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs. Dietz is 10-for-27 lifetime at PNC Park with an 1.185 OPS.
While there’s a chance that Curt Casali will be activated before tonight’s game, I fully expect it to be Dietrich. Will Dietz get a start in any of the games against Pittsburgh this weekend? I sure hope so.
Though
Josh VanMeter and
Freddy Galvis, two players who occupy Dietrich’s usual positions (second base and left field), have been playing well of late, the Cincinnati Reds need to figure out if Dietrich fits into their plans for 2020. The left-handed slugger is arbitration eligible after this season.
https://blogredmachine.com/2019/08/23/cincinnati-reds-refreshed-derek-dietrich-reignite-offense/