Bobby Nightengale | Cincinnati Enquirer

Kareem Elgazzar, kelgazzar@enquirer.com

GOODYEAR, Arizona – As pitchers and catchers conducted their first official workout Saturday, Luis Castillo flashed a smile when he signaled for his first changeup in a bullpen session.

Catcher Tucker Barnhart hollered with excitement from behind the plate.

Castillo threw about a half-dozen changeups before he finished his first bullpen of spring training. It’s the first step as he tries to improve on his breakout 2019 season. Castillo finished with a 15-8 record and 3.40 ERA in 32 starts. He struck out a team-high 226 batters in a career-high 190 2/3 innings.

“It’s the same goals as last year, being an Opening Day starter and getting to the All-Star Game, maybe even the Cy Young,” Castillo said through translator Jorge Merlos. “You know how good this team is right now, our goal – and my goal especially – is to get to the postseason and hopefully into the World Series.”

Kareem Elgazzar

As much as Castillo’s changeup was a weapon last year – 155 of his 226 strikeouts were through changeups, according to Statcast – he’s working on developing his slider. He threw his slider about 17% of the time last year, but he wants to become more unpredictable for hitters.

"I’ve been definitely working on the slider a lot," he said. “I felt really good last year. I thank God that he gave me the opportunity to go out there and play well. Hopefully, this year, we have enough health for myself and the rest of the team that we’ll do well this year.”

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BARNHART SWITCH: Barnhart experimented with only hitting left-handed during the final month of the 2019 season and he decided in the offseason that he was going to drop switch-hitting.

Last season, Barnhart had a .760 on-base plus slugging percentage as a left-handed hitter and a .436 OPS when he hit as a righty.

“I just feel like for me it’s putting my best foot forward,” Barnhart said. “Sometimes hitting right-handed, I felt like I’d go to the plate with a hand tied behind my back. At the end of the day, it’s about production. It’s about producing for your team and being comfortable and confident and giving yourself and your team the best chance to win. I feel like that’s what hitting left-handed does for me.”

With Barnhart as a left-handed hitter and Curt Casali as a right-handed hitter, it adds to the possibility of a platoon at catcher this season. Barnhart could hit against right-handed starting pitchers and Casali could start against lefties.

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Cincinnati Reds spring training, Feb. 15

BACKUP SHORTSTOP: Shortstop is the one area of the Reds’ roster that doesn’t have much depth. Freddy Galvis is the starter, but there are no other natural shortstops on the 40-man roster.

Eugenio Suárez has started only two games at shortstop since 2015. Alex Blandino has 60 2/3 innings at the position in his big-league career and Kyle Farmer played one inning at shortstop last season.

“I think people underestimate how he plays that position,” Reds manager David Bell said of Farmer. “I would have no hesitation having Kyle play an extended period of time at short. We don’t have the depth at that position as we do at pretty much every other position. It’s a consideration. We’ll get a lot of guys playing time over there.”

Farmer, a utility infielder and backup catcher, was a shortstop at the University of Georgia where he set school fielding records. He moved to catcher when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013.

“I think Kyle, I don’t see any reason for him to play, really, any other position in spring training besides short and catch because we know he can play second base,” Bell said. “We know he can play third. We know he can do those two too, but he might as well get his work in as much as we can at those two spots.”

It will be the first time Farmer focused on shortstop throughout an entire spring training.

“I’m a shortstop who can play catcher,” Farmer said, smiling, “not a catcher playing shortstop.”

INJURY REPORT: Relievers Nate Jones and Jesse Biddle, both non-roster invitees to camp, will have a delayed start to spring training games.

Jones, a Northern Kentucky product, had right flexor mass surgery in May and was sidelined for the remainder of the 2019 season. He is not expected to participate in games until the second week of spring training.

“(Friday) was actually my last bullpen on that (rehab) program,” Jones said. “I threw about 30 pitches. All pitches, fastballs, changeups, sliders. Everything went well. Now, I get to be a regular person and get mapped out how spring is going to go now, so I’m pretty excited about that.”

The left-handed Biddle has arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in September. He is not expected to throw in games until March.

OPENING SPRING STARTER: Reds prospect Tejay Antone is expected to start the Reds’ first spring training game against the Cleveland Indians on Feb. 22.

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Cincinnati Reds pitchers and catchers report, Feb. 14