The Cincinnati Reds, under the leadership of Terry Francona, are making it clear they’re pushing for the postseason.
Despite sitting just outside the National League Wild Card picture, the Reds made a key move on Wednesday by acquiring starting pitcher Zack Littell from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Littell, a 29-year-old right-hander, brings solid production to the rotation. He’s 8-8 with a 3.58 ERA across 133.1 innings this season, striking out 89 while walking just 21. Ironically, his final appearance with the Rays came against the Reds on July 25, when he pitched six innings, giving up ten hits and five earned runs, including a pair of homers. For the month of July, Littell went 1-1 with a 4.18 ERA.
The Reds are gearing up for a critical stretch, beginning a three-game series with the Braves on Thursday. That will be followed by a trip to Chicago on Monday and a four-game set in Pittsburgh over the weekend.
Cincinnati currently trails the NL Central lead by 7.5 games but is only three games behind the Padres for the final Wild Card slot.
As part of the deal, the Reds are sending right-hander Brian Van Belle, who was on the 40-man roster, along with another minor leaguer to Tampa Bay.
Leave a Reply