GOODYEAR, Ariz. — As spring training continues, Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price is revealing more and more of his philosophy.
One thing the Reds will do more this year is use shifts on defense. The Reds rarely used radical shifts with former manager Dusty Baker.
“The one thing we can access through the data is the highest percentage of area where guys are going to hit the ball — both in the air and on the ground, against left-handed and right-hander pitchers,” Price said. “I know at times pitchers get anxious when you have an over shift on a hitter.
“But we’re playing percentages. I think we’re going to be a little more inclined to try to set our defense to defend the areas of the field where the highest percentage of balls are hit based on the hitter. It makes sense.”
A key to shifts is getting the pitchers to buy in.
“That’s something we’ll be talking about with our pitchers,” Price said. “So we don’t come into Opening Day and we get the shifts on . … Starters can be a little temperamental with defensive shifts. We know that. We have to talk to them about their mental approach and if they have any concerns we talk about it.”
Jay Bell, the Reds bench coach, was Pittsburgh’s hitting coach last year. The Pirates used shifts a great deal, but Bell says there’s more to it than that.
“It’s not so much the shifts,” Bell said. “It’s just being progressive with alignments. You’ve got to have the pitchers buy into it. It’s their game. But it’s important they understand the tendencies. We’ve got so much information now that we don’t need to guess.”
NOTES, QUOTES
–RHP Mat Latos threw off the mound Wednesday for the first time since Feb. 14 knee surgery. “It went really good,” Latos said. “The elbow felt fine, the knee felt fine. I didn’t expect to throw any change-ups. They allowed me to throw change-ups. I expected to feel a little sore once or twice while I was throwing as I was getting the feel back into the stride on the slope and landing downhill, so there’s a little more momentum, a little more body weight to it.”
–RHP Mike Leake, who scratched from his last start with an abdominal strain, threw a bullpen on his regular day. He’ll make his next start as scheduled. “It felt fine,” Leake said. “I had no pain at all. I should be good to go.”
–LHP Sean Marshall threw from 60 feet after taking a few days off with some stiffness in his shoulder. “It was good,” Marshall said. “I’m getting back on track. I was definitely feeling the effects of some overuse — a lot of long toss, a lot of strengthening exercises. I had a little stiffness, but that’s subsided.”
–INF Jack Hannahan (offseason elbow surgery) still has not appeared in a game. “He’s having the typical slow rehab from shoulder surgery,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “With a shoulder you have a lot of bad days. He’s getting closer to feeling good enough to play.”
–RHP Homer Bailey went three no-hit innings his second spring start. He walked one and struck out two. He gave up two runs in his first outing. I got through three innings. That was kind of important,” he said. “I’m just trying to build up the endurance. I threw a couple of breaking balls. Overall, it wasn’t too bad. It was a lot better than it was the last time out.”
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I don’t know why he had the setbacks last year. I don’t why it was more of a struggle for him. It may have been playing time. It may have been an injury involved, although I don’t know of any. But what I do know he’s been one of more impressive players in camp.” — Reds manager Bryan Price on OF Roger Bernadini