Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings March 14, 2015 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1932-The Reds send Tony Cuccinello, Joe Stripp and Clyde Sukeforth to the Dodgers for Babe Herman, Ernie Lombardi and Wally Gilbert. MLB.COM Leake shakes off rust in first at-bats of spring Manager Price expects rest of starters to hit in games next week By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- That wasn't planned by manager Bryan Price, but still welcomed. Most National League teams, including the Reds, usually employ a designated hitter in the earlier stretch of exhibition games.When they faced the D-backs on Thursday, it just so happened that the first Reds pitcher to hit in a game this spring, starter Mike Leake, was also their best-hitting pitcher. "We like to honor what the host team is doing. We didn't ask for the DH," Price said. "Leaker needs to hit. He's a good offensive player. He's a guy that, at times, I'll green-light him to hit in what would typically be a bunting situation for a starting pitcher. I like to keep that weapon. He can hit and run. He can be a good offensive piece for us. I think the at-bats for him are more important than for anybody else on our staff." Leake looked at a called third strike and flied out during his two at-bats in the 12-4 Cincinnati win over Arizona. He is a career .234 hitter with four home runs and 15 RBIs, but hit .333 as a rookie and .295 in 2012. His 69 hits are the most by any Major League pitcher since his 2010 debut season. Price anticipated having his starting pitchers hit in games by the middle of next week. "Especially when you get to five innings or five-plus innings, you know they're mostly going to get two at-bats. That's helpful," Price said. "You hate for these guys to bunt, or Johnny [Cueto] trying to bunt on Opening Day and he hasn't seen anyone throwing over 54 mph all spring." Bruce sits out third straight game with strained right calf Manager Price calls move precautionary, expects outfielder back Saturday By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Reds right fielder Jay Bruce, who was expected to return to the lineup Friday, was scratched from the game vs. the Dodgers. It is the third straight game Bruce has missed because of a strained right calf. The decision to keep Bruce out was viewed as precautionary, because he has recovered from the injury. "We're doing the all's-good-one-more-day thing," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We thought we were there yesterday, but we'll do it today. There's a very good chance he'll be in there tomorrow. We decided once we got here today, to give it one more day. No injuries are good injuries, but when you're that close to being 100 percent, I'd be sick to my stomach if he strained his calf when we know he's not quite at 100 percent. " Other injury news: • Catcher Devin Mesoraco (concussion) could return to the Reds lineup sometime this weekend. Mesoraco hasn't played since March 7. "He's come full circle," Price said. "I think they have to do one more of those days of testing and stuff like that. He's done everything, he's caught in the 'pen, he's hit. We're doing some blocking stuff today with the baserunning drill." • Center fielder Billy Hamilton (sore right shoulder) could also return on Sunday or Monday. Hamilton was injured March 6 vs. the Cubs during a wall collision. Schumaker will yield playing time for playoff push Versatile veteran hopes to inspire Reds with leadership By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Skip Schumaker is a veteran who understands his role on the Reds bench. Schumaker realizes that to achieve his personal big-picture dream of reaching the World Series again, he has to put his personal statistics on the back burner. Schumaker, 35, has been on playoff teams four times and was on the 2011 Cardinals World Series-winning club. "My goal at this stage of my career is to win another ring," Schumaker said. "People say that but some people just want big numbers. Of course, I want to have success but there is nothing better than being the last man standing on the field -- nothing better in the world. I just hope that guys here experience that. … Once you taste that, you want it back. That's what I want. Helping guys get there is a good thing." To get there, Schumaker knows that would mean less playing time, personally. "I was telling Jay Bruce the other day that if I play more than starting a few games, we've got problems," Schumaker said. "I expect everybody in our starting lineup to play 150-plus games. If you see the really good teams, very rarely is their starting lineup taking days off." Schumaker can play all three outfield positions and second base. Cincinnati has offseason acquisition Marlon Byrd in left field. Byrd played a career-high 154 games last season for the Phillies. Bruce, the right fielder, played 137 games last season and 160 games in 2013. Center fielder Billy Hamilton played 152 games as a rookie last year. Second baseman Brandon Phillips has played 150 or more games in six of his nine seasons in Cincinnati. "I expect that to happen. That means we are doing really good. That's what I'm hoping for," Schumaker said. "You don't want your bench guys starting 50-80 games. That means we've got problems, and injury problems." In the second year of a two-year, $5 million contract with a 2016 club option, Schumaker battled his own injuries in his first season for the Reds. Near the end of camp on March 21, he dislocated his left shoulder diving for a fly ball in left field. On July 10, he re- injured the same shoulder and suffered a concussion in a wall collision vs. the Cubs. In 83 games, Schumaker batted .235/.287/.308 with two home runs and 22 RBIs. Schumaker also brings veteran leadership inside the clubhouse, but not so much with "rah-rah" attitude. He can be an example of how to play and do little things correctly. If he sees a younger player doing something wrong, he might quietly take them aside privately and let them know. All of it is geared towards what Schumaker cares about most and what he measures all success against. "Playoffs," he said. "Everyone talks about winning a championship. I think the toughest thing to do is to get to the playoffs. One hundred and sixty-two games is a grind. Whatever happens in the playoffs, it's usually the hottest teams. It's not always the best team. If you get to the playoffs, you've done something." Dominguez drives in a pair and Waldrop scores twice Marquis solid despite giving up first hit and run of spring By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Chris Dominguez drove in two runs and Kyle Waldrop scored twice for the Reds against the Dodgers on Friday night in a 3-3 tie. The Reds scored in the second inning off Dodgers starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy, on a two-out walk to Waldrop, who stole second base and was doubled home by Dominguez. That was the lone run off McCarthy in three innings. The Reds extended their lead in the fourth inning against Joel Peralta, who was making his first appearance of the spring after dealing with a stiff shoulder. With one out, Waldrop tripled and, with two outs, scored on an infield single by Donald Lutz. The Dodgers cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth against Jason Marquis with a double from Justin Turner and RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez. Marquis, bidding for the fifth starter job, allowed the one run in four innings, giving up his first hit and run of the spring. Marquis also saw stretch of 17 in a row retired end. "I'm in a competition, so no runs, no hits is the ultimate goal every time I step on the mound," Marquis said. "But it was nice to get out of the stretch a little bit, get my timing down with men on base. "Through the course of the season, that's where a majority of your pitches are thrown from anyway. I felt pretty good. I went back out in the bullpen and threw some more pitches. I did most of my work from the stretch out there. I just tried to build off of where I was my last game and I felt like I was right there. all in all, I thought things went well." Cincinnati added a run off Carlos Frias in the fifth on a leadoff double by Marlon Byrd, a groundout by Waldrop and sacrifice fly from Dominguez. Marquis was followed by Aroldis Chapman, who pitched a perfect fifth inning but the Dodgers scraped for a run off him in the sixth. Joc Pederson followed his second infield single with a steal of second base, went to third on a groundout by Darwin Barney and scored on a groundout by Enrique Hernandez. Darnell Sweeney doubled of Keyvius Sampson to lead off the Dodgers' ninth and moved to third on a fly by Hernandez.