The Cincinnati Reds have their closer back, activating right-hander Emilio Pagán ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, but they’re also down another center fielder with Dane Myers headed to the injured list with a left shoulder contusion.Myers left Monday’s loss in Milwaukee after making a running catch and crashing into the wall in the fourth inning. Myers had to be carted off the field.Myers is the second Reds center fielder to go on the IL in the last week, joining Blake Dunn. TJ Friedl, the team’s Opening Day starter in center field, was promoted when Dunn went on the IL Sunday with a right elbow strain.Since the Reds optioned Friedl to Triple-A before the game on June 3, either Dunn or Myers had started 19 of 21 games for the Reds in center field, with Noelvi Marte starting the other two. Friedl started 39 of the team’s 60 games in center before his demotion. He started Sunday in Pittsburgh and is 0 for 6 with the Reds since returning.
The Reds called up infielder/outfielder Ivan Johnson to fill Myers’ spot on the roster. Johnson, 27, was hitting .290/.388/.489 with nine home runs at Triple-A Louisville. Most of Johnson’s professional starts have been at second base, but he’s also played in the outfield, mostly in left.Friedl, 30, is hitting .173/.250/.247 this season in the big leagues and saw similar declines in his defensive metrics in center as he put up at the plate. Friedl’s struggles opened the door to both Myers and Dunn, both of whom have outperformed Friedl offensively and defensively. Myers, in his first season with the organization, was hitting .256/.358/.385. He’d become a key part of manager Terry Francona’s bench, going 9 for 28 as a pinch hitter and hitting .300 overall coming off the bench in 43 of his 63 games this season.Marte started two games in center, but misplayed two balls in the Reds’ loss to the Mets on June 17 and hasn’t played there since.Pagán, 35, was second in the National League with 32 saves last season, but is 2-1 with a 6.43 ERA and six saves this season. He was carted off the field with a left hamstring strain at Wrigley Field on May 5. The Reds are 19-28 in his absence, with the bullpen being a major reason for the slide. To make room for him on the roster, right-hander Zach McCambley was optioned to Louisville.The Reds are also expected to get Hunter Greene back this week, with the team’s scheduled Opening Day starter taking the mound either Friday or Saturday against the Orioles.
