REDS BLOG

If Marlon Byrd's out, what's next for Reds?

C. Trent Rosecrans
crosecrans@enquirer.com
Marlon Byrd left Tuesday's loss to the Phillies with a fracture in his right wrist.

PHILADELPHIA — Reds left fielder Marlon Byrd will likely be heading to the disabled list after suffering a fracture in his right wrist in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Phillies.

Byrd was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning by Philadelphia starter Sean O'Sullivan. He stayed in the game and played in the field in the bottom of the sixth, even fielding a ball and throwing it back to the infield on Maikel Franco's double.

Byrd was then taken out of the game in the top of the seventh and replaced by Brennan Boesch.

"It hit him in the wrist, he has a wrist fracture, to what degree the injury is yet to be known, I don't know if it's a (disabled list situation)," Reds manager Bryan Price said immediately after the game. "I'd guess it is, but I don't know that for sure. We're going to wait until we hear from the doctors and they read the X-rays and they make that decision."

The Reds are currently playing with a four-man bench, which means any decision would have to be quick in order to avoid playing with a three-man bench on Wednesday.

Boesch, Skip Schumaker, Kristopher Negron and Tucker Barnhart make up the Reds' bench, and all but Barnhart have played left field this season.

There are currently three healthy outfielders on the Reds' 40-man roster, Yorman Rodriguez, Chris Dominguez and Kyle Waldrop.

Rodriguez debuted last September and entered Tuesday's game hitting .236/.265/.414 with five home runs and 18 RBI at Triple-A Louisville. Dominguez, who also plays in the infield, entered Tuesday hitting .203/.250/.370 with four home runs and 22 RBI at Louisville.

Waldrop is hitting .282/.313/.459 with five home runs and 29 RBI at Double-A Pensacola.

Non-roster options at Louisville include infielders Irving Falu (.312/.374/.391, 1 home run, 18 RBI) and Ivan De Jesus Jr. (.308/.380/.390, no home runs, 16 RBI), as well as outfielder Steve Selsky (.299/.353/.425, two home runs, 21 RBI).

The Reds would have to create a 40-man roster spot to bring any of those players up but would have the option of moving catcher Devin Mesoraco to the 60-day disabled list. Earlier on Tuesday, Price said there was no update on Mesoraco's status. He was scheduled to see another specialist for his hip impingement, but Price was unaware of whether that had happened or if Mesoraco was close to making a decision about surgery.

The Reds' top position player prospect is left fielder Jesse Winker, but he is not on the 40-man roster and has gotten off to a slow start at Double-A Pensacola, where he entered Tuesday hitting .229/.343/.314 with two home runs and 11 RBI.

According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, Byrd has an $8 million vesting option this season if he reaches 550 plate appearances. Last season, he had 637 plate appearances in 154 games, and so far this season he has 185 plate appearances in 47 games. He is making $8 million this season, but the Phillies are picking up half of that as part of the trade that brought him to Cincinnati.