Kuzul

The 2010 NLDS has arrived and it has pitted David against Goliath.
 
It’s the mighty Philadelphia Phillies against the “happy to be here” Cincinnati Reds.
 
Going from 78 wins to 91 is an outstanding achievement. The Queen city enjoyed quite the celebration when the team went out to Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati to celebrate the teams’ first postseason appearance since 1995 on Monday.
 
But is that it? Are you satisfied Reds fans?
 
The media has given the Reds a minuscule chance of beating the mighty Phillies—the same team that has gone to back-to-back World Series, winning one of them.
 
Critics look at the ridiculous rotation of H2O: Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels and think the Reds are screwed. They see All-Stars Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Jason Werth, and Shane Victorino and think the Reds young pitching staff is screwed.
 
Not so fast my friend.
 
Led by Dusty Baker, managing his fifth postseason with his third different team, the unproven Red have to show poise and maturity when they take the field against a weathered Phillies team.
 
They also have absolutely nothing to lose. All the pressure is on the home team.
 
With 22 wins in their last at-bat in ‘10, the Reds are very familiar to playing the underdog role. Sure ESPN radio host Colin Cowerd has called the Reds “frauds” all year. Sure they have an awful record against the other three NL teams in the postseason, 10-19 to be exact. Sure there starting pitcher doesn’t feature a single “ace”.
 
But think about all the times this club has been doubted throughout the “big 162”. They were picked to finish third in the majority of preseason predictions. A .500 or better record was the bar that was set.
 
After an embarrassing home loss to the Padres in mid-April, the Reds seemed destined for yet another long season.
 
As the season rolled on most expected the St. Louis Cardinals to eventually catch the Reds after they captured first place in May. After being swept in a four game set at Philly to end the first half, the doubters again emerged.
 
The brawl series had everyone more than convinced that the little team that could ran out of steam.
 
Well here they are, predicted by none and given no respect by all. Now the Reds once again find themselves facing the same scenario. So how can this miracle upset occur?
 
Cincinnati committed just 72 errors this season. That’s the third-fewest in the National League, and their fielding percentage of .988 was second best in the NL. The Phillies committed 83 errors.
 
The Reds were the highest-scoring team in all of the NL. If a game comes down to one swing, there are few better to have on your side then soon-to-be MVP Joey Votto, whose 37 homers and 113 RBI beat the numbers of any Phillies player this season.
 
The Reds had six players with at least 18 home runs (the Phillies had five). They hit more homers than the Phillies 188-166 and had a significantly higher team average (.272-.260).
 
And if the Phillies’ pitchers have a weakness, it’s the home run, their 131 homers allowed is tied for second in all of baseball.
 
If the Reds starting pitching can hold the potent Phils lineup to three or four runs a start, the Reds power can do the rest.
 
But that is certainly a big IF.
 
Walks will destroy you and Reds pitchers walked 108 more batters than the Phillies in 2010. That was a large factor in Philadelphia’s notably better ERA (3.66 to 4.03).
 
Should rookie Travis Wood be in the rotation? He is the only Reds lefty starter and had a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Phils in July.
 
Problem is, the Philies line-up was banged up, it was their first time seeing Wood, and he has only pitched in the majors since June. So there is no need to second-guess Baker. Look for Wood to be the first one out of the ‘pen if a starter falters early.
 
Bronson Arroyo has been rocked by the lefty-latent Phillies line-up. Edinson Volquez was pitching in Single A ball last month. Johnny Cueto has been known to get overly emotional in big moments.
 
These are legit concerns and what everyone is looking at. It’s obvious: Phillies three-man rotation> the Reds three-man rotation.
 
The Phillies are finally healthy after being banged up for most of the season. All of the mashers have returned.
 
So you can see why most think the Reds are going to get eliminated very quickly.
 
The Red Legs must rely on their potent line-up filled with power, stellar defense around the diamond and the bullpen to carry them. Aroldis Chapman will be used to lock-up the lefties in big moments. Arthur Rhodes and Nick Masset are some of the best middle-relievers out there.
 
The Philies bullpen is not nearly as intimidating as the starters. Getting to the ‘pen early will be a huge advantage for the Reds. Hanging tough with the Phils through the first six innings will be the key. A tie game in the seventh is a big Reds advantage.
 
The Reds will have to dig deep to pull it off, especially with the weight of 15 losing seasons in a row on their collective backs.
 
On paper this series should be a breeze for the Phillies…but that’s why they play the game…

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Congratulations to the Cincinnati Reds for winning the National League Central and advancing to the postseason for the first time since 1995.

The Reds are one of baseball’s young, up-and-coming teams with tons of future superstars in Joey Votto and Aroldis Chapman.

They have excellent veteran leaders in Scott Rolen, Orlando Cabrera, and Brandon Phillips.  Cincinnati’s manager is also one of the game’s best in Dusty Baker.

This team should be a contender to dethrone the Phillies as National League champions in 2010.

Unfortunately, the Reds starting pitching will be their demise.

The Reds do not have a number one pitcher to rely on once the postseason begins next week. Who are they going to throw out there, Bronson Arroyo? He would not be the best pitcher to send out onto the field in an elimination game.

The Reds rotation also remains a question mark even though their starting pitching has tons of depth.  Which Johnny Cueto will show up? Is Edison Volquez back to full strength?

Seriously, this team can not send out Homer Bailey to start a playoff game.

This team will be in major trouble if they have to face the Phillies or the Giants in the NLDS. 

The Phillies are going to send Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt to the mound in their first three games. The Giants have Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez ready to pitch come next week.

Who are the Reds going to send to the mound for games one through three? An average Arroyo, an inconsistent Cueto, and an unhealthy Volquez is not a recipe for postseason success.

Cincinnati’s offense is one of the best in MLB.  They are currently first in the National League in runs (768), home runs (181), and batting average (.271).

Unfortunately, just a good offense is not going to carry a team to a title. Ask the 2007 Phillies or the 1997 Indians if you want proof.

Starting pitching gets the job done in the postseason and the Cincinnati Reds do not have it this season.

Enjoy the postseason Reds’ fans.  Your team may be eliminated before you know it.

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The Cincinnati Reds have slept walk through the National League for much of September, but it really doesn’t matter.
 
The magic number for clinching a playoff spot is down to six. If the Reds go 6-6 in their 12 remaining games, the Cardinals would have to go 13-0 to tie. Pop some bottles.
 
The biggest surprise of the season is just a few days away from calling themselves “NL Central Champs.” Sounds pretty good huh?
 
Now it’s time to start thinking about postseason play.
 
The Reds will unfortunately have the NL’s worst starting pitching staff heading into October. Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, Tim Lineccum, Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, Mat Latos, and Ubaldo Jimmenz are all top-flight starters.
 
The Reds don’t boost a single one.
 
What they do have is a ton of solid to very good starters.
 
Bronson Arroyo will start the first game of the series. His consistency has been incredible and he is the only starter with any sort of postseason experience. He picked up his 15th win of the season last week, doing so for the third straight year.
 
He now has 16, a new personal best. He doesn’t blow by anybody; he just uses his excellent location and guile to frustrate the opponent.
 
For the season he has 20 quality starts in 31 outings for a 16-10 record.
 
Johnny Cueto is a lock for the second game. He leads the team with a 3.35 ERA. He has really come of age in his third season in the majors, cutting down on his walks and posting a 1.23 WHIP.
 
He has also done a better job of keeping his emotions in check. In previous seasons, a young Cueto would get frustrated and few hits would turn into a huge inning and an early shower.
 
He is much more composed and the Reds should feel safe trotting him on the mound for Game Two.
 
With more days off in the playoffs, the Reds will need just one more starter. The answer is not an easy one. Homer Bailey, Edinson Volquez, and Travis Wood are the three candidates.
 
Homer Bailey has been fairly consistent over the course of the past eight weeks. He missed three months with an arm issue earlier in the season, but appears to be healthily.
 
He has had nine starts since coming back and lowered his ERA .80 of a point to 4.73 over that span. Not exactly anything to get too wound up about. He is learning how to work himself out of jams and has cut down on his walks.
 
Bailey has consistently been able to reach 95 MPH on the radar gun and this is the same pitcher that Albert Pujols said “will be amazing” early this year.
 
Volquez returned from Tommy John surgery in July to mix results. He has been boom or bust for the Reds.
 
In 10 starts since his return, he has given up one run or less in half of his starts. Yet he has failed to reach the fifth inning in four of his starts, highlighted by not being able to get out of the first inning against the Giants.
 
The problem has been his mechanics. The Reds brass decided to send him way down the ladder to work out the kinks.
 
Since being called up from Class-A Dayton, he is 0-1 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts. Volquez has the stuff to snag the third spot in the rotation, but has he fully figured out all of his mechanical issues?
 
The rookie Wood is the third candidate. The lefty has been great for the Reds since being called up July 1st. He has the best ERA of the bunch at 3.43 ERA.
 
Wood has been excellent all season, allowing more than four earned runs only once in 15 starts. He has been the model of consistency for a rookie pitcher.
 
If the Reds play the lefty laced Phillies lineup, except Wood to get the call. Oh yeah, he almost threw a no-hitter against them back in July.
 
The problem is his pitch count (that’s Nolan Ryan’s groan you are hearing in the background). Between his AAA starts and 15 big league one’s; he has logged over 189 innings pitched. That is by far the most in his career for the 23-year-old.
 
Mike Leake has already been shutdown after reaching his innings limit, wouldn’t one assume the Reds will do the same with Wood?
 
Volquez is the best bet. He has the most dominating stuff when he is on and the Reds have to just cross their fingers that he doesn’t have a meltdown in the early innings.
 
But the beauty of the three-man rotation is that Bailey can always come in to save the day if Volquez falters early. Wood would be the guy, but he needs to be shutdown and preserved for the future.
 
Go with Volquez and take a deep breath.

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With the season winding down to a merciful end, the Reds are faced with a few hard questions.

The starting pitching has not been getting it done as of late, and that becomes a huge concern. In the three games thus far in the series with the Colorado Rockies, the starters are only giving an average of a little over four innings.  

That is entirely too much burden to place on any bullpen.

The only thing that has rescued them from “sixty-fourea” (a term I coined for anyone resembling the 1964 Phillies) has been the total collapse of the NL Central rival St. Louis Cardinals.

If the Cards had been minding the store, the Reds lead could easily be only three games.

Let us look at some other problems they are currently faced with.

Jay Bruce—what has happened to him? Before his injury, he was the hottest hitter on the squad. Since his unfortunate departure, the team has a record of 3-5.

He had just started killing the ball, as we all knew he could, after nearly a season of disappointment.

With his unavailability, the Reds have been reduced to only three outfielders: Jonny Gomes and rookies Drew Stubbs and Chris Heisey. Who would go in if one of them was ejected from a game or, God forbid, injured?

Would it be Miguel Cairo? He has played the entire infield this year but has played a few games in the outfield during his career.

Cincinnati’s’s active roster is pitcher heavy. They are currently carrying 16 hurlers—that is a bunch of sunflower seeds to be chewed on. Why so many, Dusty?

It looks to me like there are at least four long relievers in Matt Maloney, Sam LeCure, Carlos Fisher, and Logan Ondrusek. I would think they could slide by with no more than two.

They have three catchers and…wait for it….nine infielders. You have to be kidding me. Who needs nine infielders, especially when you only have four outfielders?

It looks like they have a dedicated sub for every infield position with Cairo thrown in as a “catch all.”

Why would you bring up so many infielders and be outfield poor? How come Wladimir Balentien hasn’t been on the MLB roster? He is batting .282 with 25 HR and 78 RBI at Louisville.

Now we get to the meat of the discussion, the starting rotation. Who should be the five starters that drive this limo to the big dance?

We all know that the first two are Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto, but what about the rest?

Do we pray for rain, then a tornado, and then a hurricane, or what?

The Reds have some good arms in that 16-man staff. Rookie Travis Wood should be the No. 3 man in the rotation, followed by Homer Bailey. Now it gets rough—I mean real rough.

Aaron Harang? Not after what we have seen lately. I see him as the sixth long man out there chewing cud.

Edinson Volquez? Don’t make me laugh, eh?

I can’t help but remember how he started us out in that series with the Giants. Unbelievably, he was warming up as a reliever in the end of the last game there. That would have been ironic for him to start and end the worst pitching series of the season.

I called for his departure several weeks ago, after two very good starts and two piss-poor outings. I was temporarily proved wrong, and he snapped out of it. Now, here we are with him playing American Legion ball in Dayton. He should be stuck in Louisville for the remainder of the season.

I would like to see Maloney get another crack at the rotation. Before he was sent down to Louisville in June, he was doing quite well. In his last start with the Reds, he went six innings, allowing only four hits and one run. He also walked one and had one strikeout.

One thing is sure: There are only 23 games left, and some crazy stuff could still happen.

It ain’t over until the fat lady sings.

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The Reds are in prime position for a division title and a playoff berth, but are sure making it hard to believe, and while going about daily chores in the ugliest of fashions. It has worked thus far and I firmly believe its there for the taking and that it will happen. Just try not to look at them or pay too much attention.

The Reds are doing their best to make fans want to wring some necks. Believe me—I am well aware of the how the ugliness can make you teeter on that mountain of faith.

For example, on Tuesday I headed out to my car at 5 a.m. to go to work. Unfortunately, as I turned the key…nothing happened…dead silence. No lights, no noise, no flicker of life…just the early morning crickets.

I think the worst of the worst (an alternator bit the dust), but hope the best (battery needs replacing). I had no other way to work. I thought about jumping the battery, but thought better of it. That ended up being a blessing in disguise.

I called off work, and when “real” person time rolled around, I gave my 2004 Honda a jump. It started right up. I hit the road to the nearest auto parts place to get a battery, I get a quarter mile from my house and the Honda slowly loses all power and comes to a dead stop. Sitting in the middle of a Columbus residential street, my lights don’t work, locks don’t work and windows will not go up.

At this point I’m happy I didn’t jump the battery earlier and try to make it work because otherwise I would have been stranded in the middle of Interstate 71 in the dark of early morning hoping not to be turned into the latest hood ornament on the front end of one of the barreling tractor trailers passing by.

Luckily, a Good Samaritan (John) in a truck stops and asks to help push the Honda on a side street. We do that, but not before a second Good Samaritan stops and assists in that push. Those two take off and I’m examining the engine. A third gentleman (Greg) is working outside his home on the street I’m stranded on and inquires about my ordeal.

After explaining to him my fears about the alternator, and the previous hiccups that make me lean towards it, he says that if you buy a new battery that will give a bad alternator enough juice to get where you are going in order to get it fixed. I grab my backpack and walk home to get my bike and pedal to the nearest auto parts place. Once there, I’m told it will cost an arm and a leg (not quite, but it was not cheap at all).

I had no where near that amount until pay day.

And writing a check at this place is apparently similar to using a debit card, no wait to cash it, it’s withdrawn immediately. So essentially I’d be writing them bad check.

I had to enlist the help of my girlfriend, who was working in downtown Columbus, but she could not leave her office. So I had to bike the 12-15 miles south through the Ohio State University campus to meet her and retrieve the borrowed cash. Not that this is a great distance, but I’m a less than avid bicyclist, so I was not prepared at all. I make it back to my car in the 90-degree heat, dripping with sweat, as the return trip is all at a moderate incline.

I pop the hood on my car and Greg jaunts out from his house with a batter tester and suggests we see if the batter was really dead or my alternator was in the process of kicking me in the proverbial financial crotch. A minimum reading for a “good” battery is a 12.0.

My Honda had a reading of 5.6.

In a nutshell, I could have hooked the battery up to radio controlled car and it still would not have moved it.

I thanked Greg and prepared to lug the dead battery, by bike, no less, to the auto parts place. Greg, who was either really board or way to eager for any human willing to lend assistance, volunteered to drive his truck to the store. I sheepishly declined (trying to not too look helpless), but he insisted, and I didn’t say no a second time.

Mind you, I just moved to this neighborhood two months ago and know only a couple of immediate neighbors and no one beyond two blocks of us. Greg was way cool and drove the two of us to the parts place where I bought the ridiculously overpriced battery and returned the paper weight that had been used as my car’s power source.

On our way back, Greg reminded me to return to the parts place in order for them to conduct a free alternator test to see if I would be shelling out even more money. Thankfully the new battery allowed my car to start up like it was brand new. I thanked Greg who formally owned an Internet Service Provider before selling it a few years ago and now was just, as he put it laughingly, “…trying to be a leader among men.”

More or less, I don’t think he had anything better do to at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday.

Back at the auto parts store, their tester showed my Honda’s alternator was up to par and I was on my merry way.

All of that just to replace a dead battery in my car. It was hectic, annoying, stressful, trying and, downright ugly…but I (and my girlfriend, and Greg, and John, the other Good Samaritan, and my bike) got it done.

That’s how it’s going to be with the Reds. They lost two of the three to the Cards and have been outplayed by the Rockies and will continue to make what should be a full speed ahead end of the season into one that will make you stress yourself out.

It’s not going to be pretty folks, but they will get it done. To get through it, you may want to start drinking heavily.

Oh, and in case you missed it, according to the Cincinnati Reds Yahoo! Sports Team Report, Edinson Volquez could start in the place of Aaron Harang on Saturday. Volquez was recalled from low Class-A Dayton, where he made two starts to work his mechanics. In a combined 13 innings with Dayton, he allowed four runs (two earned), striking out 19 and walking four.

“I feel good,” he said. “I think I can throw more strikes.”

And Jay Bruce hit off the batting tee Tuesday. It was the first time Bruce swung a bat since straining a side muscle a week ago. The plan is for him to take batting practice Wednesday.

“If that goes well, he possibly could be in for this weekend,” manager Dusty Baker said.

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Over the course of what has been dubbed both “the Year of the Pitcher” and “the Year of the Rookie,” the baseball viewing world has ridden quite the figurative roller coaster.

At the beginning of the 2010 season, the world was abuzz with expectation and prediction regarding Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg, and he didn’t fail to impress, striking out 14 batters in six innings in his major league debut. Unfortunately, the excitement was short-lived, and we won’t be hearing from Strasburg until some time in 2012.

Never fear, though: there is a new phenom of the month, and his name is Aroldis Chapman. Like Strasburg, Chapman has the ability to kick the radar gun up over 100 mph. His 103 has been the talk of baseball.

But are we just setting ourselves up for another fall? Is Chapman simply destined to suffer the same fate as Strasburg?

Here’s ten reasons to think maybe he is.

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Throwing Edinson Volquez into the Lions Den has turned out to be a bad move.

He looked fantastic the first time out, but since then has been unrecognizable.

In only 12 innings he has given up 14 hits, 11 earned runs, ten walks and surrendered three long balls. All that pans out to an ERA of 8.25.

Apparently he has been thrown to the wolves much too early after having Tommy John surgery. He performed very well in his rehab assignments at Louisville, but his second and third starts have been horrendous.

I believe it was a mistake to bring him up so soon. They need to send him back down for more work and bring Matt Maloney back up.

In his two starts with the Reds, Maloney was only one out away from pitching quality games in each. His totals prior to being sent down to Louisville were 11 IP, 11 H, 4 ER with 2 B and a HR. An ERA of 3.09 and a WHIP of 1.14 belie his 0-2 record. His ERA+ is 140.

Being deadlocked with the Cardinals in the NL Central this late leaves little room for experimentation. Volquez should be on the next bus to Kentucky to make room for Maloney.

Since being down at Louisville, Maloney has won both his starts and had two quality appearances, giving up a total of 1 ER.

When engaged in a playoff hunt, every game means something. The worst thing to do is sit and do nothing. Just watching and continue to throw the former All-Star into the fray with hitters who are on their game will not get the job done.

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After recovering from Tommy John surgery and serving a 50-game suspension, Edinson Volquez finally made his much anticipated debut Saturday against the Rockies.

The former Reds’ ace didn’t disappoint. In six innings, he only gave up one run on three hits and looked like the player that dominated in 2008.

Mixing his 95 mile-per-hour fastball with his always dangerous changeup and an improved slider, Volquez overcame a tough first inning to strike out nine Rockies on the night.

Overall, it looked like the surgery worked wonders for the starter. He hit 97 mph on some pitches, faster than what he hit before the injury. He struggled mightily in the beginning of 2009, but seems to have put that behind him.

His return is a win-win situation for the Reds. Not only do they get one of their top pitchers back, but they might not have to make a trade for big-time pitcher to bolster the rotation.

Volquez’s debut felt like a player making his first start following a big-time trade. The sold-out crowd of 41,000 was electric.

His return could be the final addition needed to keep up with the Cardinals in the division. No offense to Travis Wood or Sam LeClure, but Volquez offers a lot more at the end of the Reds rotation.

With Volquez back and the possible addition of Aroldis Chapman in the bullpen, the Reds would have the pitching strength to keep the wins coming. The Reds should take a page out of the Tampa Bay Rays’ book by putting Chapman in the bullpen like the Rays did with David Price late in 2008.

Volquez gives the Reds a good chance to win whenever he takes the mound. If Saturday wasn’t a fluke, hitters will have a hard time getting anything done against Volquez.

Hopefully Volquez is that final piece in the playoff puzzle. His timing could not have come at a better time with Cincinnati in the midst of a division race.

With that said, welcome back Edinson. You’ve been sorely missed.

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A little over a year removed from having Tommy John surgery, Cincinnati Reds RHP Edinson Volquez is set to make his season debut tomorrow night at home against the Colorado Rockies.

It’s like the Reds are getting a pitcher back without giving up anything.

But what type of pitcher are the Reds getting? Tommy John surgery is pretty common these days, but how do pitchers fare when they first come back from the surgery?

Let’s take a look at five pitchers who have recently come back from Tommy John surgery and how they fared in their first stint back in the big leagues. We will look at the win-loss record, ERA, WHIP, number of starts, IP/start, K/9, and the age when the pitcher had the surgery.

A.J. Burnett: 3.68 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 20 starts, 6.2 IP/S, 8.3 K/9, 26 years old

Tim Hudson: 3.61 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, seven starts, 6.0 IP/S, 6.4 K/9, 33 years old

Chris Carpenter: 1.76 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, three starts, 4.7 IP/S, 3.8 K/9, 32 years old

Francisco Liriano: 3.91 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 14 starts, 5.4 IP/S, 7.9 K/9, 24 years old

Josh Johnson: 3.61 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 14 starts, 6.2 IP/S, 7.9 K/9, 23 years old

As you can see, those are some pretty respectable numbers. But let’s see how they compare to the last year that particular pitcher was healthy.

Burnett: 12-9, 3.12 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 29 starts, 6.9 IP/S, 8.7 K/9

Hudson: 11-7, 3.19 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 22 starts. 6.4 IP/S, 5.4 K/9

Carpenter: 3.09, 1.07 WHIP, 32 starts, 6.9 IP/S, 7.5 K/9

Liriano: 11-3, 1.92 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 16 starts, 6.1 IP/S, 10.2 K/9

Johnson: 3.03 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 24 starts, 6.0 IP/S, 7.6 K/9

Outside of Carpenter, who had an extremely small sample size, every pitcher’s ERA and WHIP increased in his first half-season back in the majors. Outside of Johnson, every pitcher on this list also saw his IP/S decrease.

Volquez is 27 years old, so he would be right in the middle of the pack in this group. There is no reason to expect that Volquez can’t make a full recovery from the surgery.

So looking at Volquez’s last full year in the majors, in which he had a 3.24 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and averaged six IP/S and 9.5 K/9, I think we can expect an ERA around 3.70 with a 1.43 WHIP, about 5.1 IP/S, and 8.2 K/9.

Those are still some pretty good numbers, and numbers the Reds will take as they make their run in the second half.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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The Cincinnati Reds announced today that Edinson Volquez would be returning to the team after more than a year’s absence.

This is great news for the Reds who could use a pitching boost in the middle of the season.

Volquez hasn’t pitched for the Reds since last June.

In August of last year, he had surgery on his right elbow, and had to go through  recovery before he could even think about playing again.

On top of a major surgery, Volquez was found in violation of the MLB performance-enhancing drug policy last year.

Between having to serve his 50 game suspension concurrently with his rehabilitation and coming back to the game in the minor leagues, it has taken Volquez quite some time to make his way back to the Reds.

During his rehabilitation, Volquez played for two minor league teams. During his time in the minors, Volquez was able to work on his pitching abilities since his surgery, and did remarkably well.

Now it seems after all of his preparation, Volquez is ready to bring his talents back to his major league team, which could provide a needed boost to the Reds in the middle of their season.

In addition to already great pitchers such as Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto, Volquez will help the Reds expand their base of excellent available pitchers.

With the addition of another excellent pitcher, the Reds will be able to sub their pitchers if one isn’t performing.

In the last series against the Phillies, the Reds weren’t able to pull off a win, and Volquez coming back to the team could help turn this losing streak around.

His return could help bring in a fresh perspective to the way the Reds are playing, and mix it up enough in the pitching rotation to bring more wins this season.

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