Alfredo Simon has not fared well in his return to the Cincinnati Reds this year. His latest start ended after 4.1 innings in which he was battered for 14 hits and 10 earned runs.
Simon enjoyed an All-Star season for the Reds in 2014 when he had a 3.44 ERA in 32 starts covering 196.1 innings. He posted a 15-10 record for a Reds’ team that finished 10 games under .500
Simon’s return to the Reds this year has been just about as far from All-Star caliber as possible. In seven starts and one relief appearance, he has a 10.34 ERA and 2.106 WHIP in 31.1 innings. His best start was an 111-pitch, 7.2-inning win on May 5. He only lasted at least six innings in one of his other starts.
Simon has pitched around a bout with biceps tendonitis this year. The lingering effects of that condition may account for some of his struggles in 2016, but Simon dropped off considerably in the second half of last year when he recorded a 5.65 ERA in 14 starts.
The Reds had traded Simon before the start of the 2015 season to the Detroit Tigers for Eugenio Suarez and Jonathon Crawford. He was given a one-year, $2-million deal late during spring training this year after no other team showed willingness to sign him as a free agent.
The Reds’ ongoing injury issues with starting pitchers has forced the team to assemble a makeshift rotation that includes Simon. Now, his lack of success as a starter so far this year makes him the likely choice to get bounced from the rotation once one of the five Reds’ starting pitchers currently on the disabled list returns.
The closest of those starters to returning appears to be Jon Moscot, who is scheduled for another minor league rehab start on Friday.
Shifting Simon to the bullpen will be a familiar role for him. He produced a sparklimg 2.78 ERA in 148.2 combined relief innings for the Reds in 2012 and 2013.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OutsidePitch MLB. You can folow him on Twitter and Facebook.
The post Alfredo Simon looks like odd man out of Cincinnati Reds’ rotation appeared first on OutsidePitchMLB.