Reds place two players on IL in two days

The Reds have placed two players on the injured list in as many days, with outfielder Henry Ramos hitting the 10-day IL today due to a right hip strain.  This move comes on the heels of Derek Law being placed on the 15-day IL yesterday (retroactive to May 17) with a sprain in his right elbow.  Right-hander Alan Busenitz was called up from Triple-A to replace Law, while outfielder Will Benson was called up to take Ramos’ spot.

Cincinnati signed Ramos to a minor league deal in January, and brought Ramos up to the active roster near the end of April.  This represented Ramos’s second look in the Show after he debuted with 18 games with the Diamondbacks in 2021, and he has matched that total with 18 more games for the Reds this year.  Ramos has hit .242/.356/.306 over 73 plate appearances for the Reds, cooling off after a hot start that saw him collect nine hits and six runs in his first 26 PA.

The switch-hitting Ramos has played mostly as a right fielder and designated hitter this year.  Between Ramos’ absence and TJ Friedl’s recent IL placement with an oblique strain, Cincinnati is a little short on outfield help, but Benson will get another chance to show what he can do at the MLB level.  Benson has only a .370 OPS over 82 career PA with the Reds and Guardians, and the former 14th overall pick (for Cleveland in 2016) performed very well for the Guards’ Triple-A affiliate in 2021.

Law ranks second on the Reds with 20 appearances this season, delivering a quality 2.57 ERA despite a very high 14.3% walk rate.  The Reds first signed Law to a minor league deal last August, and then non-tendered him during the offseason before re-signing him to another minors deal.  Manager David Bell told the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith and other reporters that the “pretty good news” is that Law has seemingly avoided a serious injury, as the veteran righty has a relatively minor flexor mass strain and will be re-evaluated in 10 days.