Struggling Reds RHP Brady Singer 'good' with 12-day layoff to 'reset'
· Yahoo Sports
NEW YORK – The last guy who wants to see Brady Singer skip a start is Brady Singer.
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But even the veteran right-hander calls the rainout that led to that decision a “blessing in disguise” for the chance it gives the struggling Cincinnati Reds pitcher to “reset” before his next start.
That comes Saturday at home against the formidable Atlanta Braves after the Reds decided to pull Singer for one turn after his last scheduled start was rained out during the recent series against the Cardinals.
“During the rain (Sunday at home), me and DJ grabbed him,” manager Terry Francona said, referring to Derek Johnson, the pitching coach. “We’re just trying to do what we think helps our team the most. I know that’s not a fun thing for a guy to miss a start, but the hope is he can spend a week with DJ and work on the stuff he does and almost have a reset. And we don’t mess everybody else up, too.”
The fact that the Reds didn’t play a game for three of the previous four days as they opened a series this weekend against the Mets in New York, meant nobody except Singer gets impacted with too much extra time off between starts, in particular the three best starters on the active roster. Nick Lodolo, Chase Burns and Andrew Abbott lined up for the three Mets games.
Singer has struggled with a 6.26 ERA, which would be a career worst if upheld, and has pitched more than four innings in only half of his 10 starts. Three of those short ones came in his past four starts, albeit the one on May 12 was ultimately shortened by a liner he took off the foot.
A year after giving up 19 home runs in 32 starts during his first season with the Reds, Singer already has allowed 14, including nine in his last four.
And he has just two quality starts so far, coming on back-to-back starts in mid-April.
“The rain kind of gave us an opportunity to give me a break,” said Singer, who doesn’t plan to throw more extensively than a normal between-starts bullpen. “Obviously, I want to start every game I can. But I think it was a little bit of a blessing in disguise with the weather, just to be able to sit back and take a break and get back at it again next round in the rotation.
“I think the reset is good right now,” he added. “I want to pitch, but sometimes you’ve got to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and get after it again next time.”
He'll be pitching on 12 days' rest when he takes the mound next.
Singer sounded a bit congested and occasionally coughed during the few minutes he talked Monday afternoon, saying he woke up with the bug after the flight to New York.
“Yeah, I feel terrible,” he said, agreeing the break could provide another potential blessing.
“Everything’s kind of piling on me right now,” he said. “We’ll be all right.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Struggling Reds RHP Brady Singer discusses 12-day layoff to 'reset'