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Reds Place Relief Pitcher on IL; Alexis Diaz on the Way?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Drew Crabtree | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 1:50 PM ET

The 2025 Cincinnati Reds have been all kinds of everything. In one game, they'll score 14. In the next three, they won't score at all. Now, at 8-8, fresh off the club's first sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates since 2021, the Reds are looking forward to building on their momentum as winners of six of the last eight.

One of the missing pieces to this point due to injury has been former All-Star closer, Alexis Diaz. This year, the Reds have gone with a more closer-by-committee approach due to Diaz's absence. On Sunday, he was back in the clubhouse with the team but had not been activated just yet.

On Monday, the team's day off, the Reds announced that Sam Moll would hit the 15-day IL with a left shoulder impingement (retro to April 11). Since the start of the 2024 season, this will be the third IL stint for Moll with this designation.

Something had to have been bothering Moll of late. Remember back to the 2023 season when the Reds traded for Moll. He posted a 0.73 ERA and 0.973 WHIP with a ridiculous 645 ERA+ in 25 appearances. Last year, he had a 3.35 ERA and 1.088 WHIP across 48 appearances.

This year, Moll has come on in relief three times. In those three appearances, he's allowed four runs off three hits and three walks over the course of 2.0 innings.

The team is off on Monday, so the Reds will likely wait until Tuesday to make an official announcement but this does seem to be a move to activate Diaz. Guys like Austin Hays and Tyler Stephenson are on their way back as well but with Diaz already back in town, it's a matter of time.

When Diaz is on, he's one of the best closers/relief pitchers in baseball. When he's off, he's good for at least one hit and one walk, putting himself and the team in a rough spot. This spring, he struggled but how much of that was due to his hamstring injury?

Time will tell.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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