Reds Cut Ties with All-Star Closer

Alexis Diaz was underwater from the first drill in spring training in Goodyear, Arizona. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday for

Diaz strained his left hamstring in pitcher’s fielding practice or PFP. He slipped coming off the mound.

The Reds held the 2023 All-Star out for a while. He didn’t pitch in Cactus League games well enough and caused concern. He was scheduled to pitch in the final game before leaving Goodyear but was scratched.

The Reds wanted him to work to correct his mechanics and permanently vanquish the effect of the injury before entrusting Diaz to hold a lead when the season began.

“We scratched him and we visited with him, DJ (pitching coach Derek Johnson, Franky (Mulloy, manager, biomechanics), Simone (Bannaccorso, strength and conditioning Daytona). What happened was he had the hamstring issue earlier. His lead leg is not where it needs to be. He’s got some moving parts,” Reds’ manager Terry Francona said. “There’s multiple concerns. We’re sending him out there. He’s either going to get hurt or pitch the way he needs to. It’s just not fair. We’re going to give him a chance to get right.”

The Reds placed him on the 15-day disabled list in March retroactive to March 24. He was reinstated on April 15.

Diaz pitched in six games, the last being the first game of a double header with the St.Louis Cardinals on April, 30. He entered the game in the top of the ninth with the Reds trailing, 1-0. He gave up a three-run home run to Victor Scott II. The Cardinals made it three home runs in succession with Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn doing the honors.

The Reds optioned Diaz to Louisville after the second game.

“We told him that we’re not giving up on him,” Francona said.

Luis Mey was promoted and showed promise but the Reds optioned him to Louisville on Thursday. Emilio Pagan took over the closers role and has saved 13 games in 15 tries and is sixth in MLB.

It was not just this spring challenge for Diaz. His numbers were progressively worse year-by-year. The ERA was 1.85 in his rookie year 2022, 3.07 in 2023, 3.99 last season and 12.00 this season. His WHIP has gone up each year. Walks per nine innings were higher each year and his strikeouts lower.

Diaz pitched a scoreless inning for Louisville on Wednesday to drop his ERA to drop his ERA to 4.61. He is 1-2 with two saves. He walked 12, hit two batters and struck out 16 in 13 ⅔ innings.

Diaz was a 12th round pick in 2015. The Reds obtained 22-year old RHP, Mike Villani.

Villani made his professional debut with the Rookie-ACL Dodgers earlier this week, logging 2 perfect relief appearances. He was originally selected by the Dodgers in the 13th round of the 2024 first-year player draft from Long Beach State University (CA), the same school that produced current Reds farmhands Connor Burns and Graham Osman (both at A-Dayton).

 As a senior at Long Beach State University in 2024, Villani tied for the Big West League lead with 10 saves, tied for 12th-most among all NCAA Division I pitchers. He was the first LBSU player selected by the Dodgers since 2016.