C. Trent Rosecrans

crosecrans@enquirer.com

J.J. Hoover is no longer the Reds' closer — nor is anyone else.

Reds manager Bryan Price said he talked to Hoover on Wednesday and told him he’d no longer be pitching exclusively in the ninth inning.

“I talked to J.J. I told him I’m going to bring you in different situations and sometimes that might be the ninth and sometimes it might be the seventh or eighth,” Price said after the team’s 6-5 victory over the Rockies. “But ... he needs to get himself on a roll and start to pitch the way we’ve seen almost the entire 2015 season.”

Hoover was 8-2 with a 2.94 ERA last season — and was 6-0 with a 1.74 ERA in 59 appearances through last August. With the offseason trade of Aroldis Chapman, Hoover inherited the role of closer and was the only pitcher in the Reds’ bullpen with a set role.

Doc: Reds' bullpen is a 'cluster'

So far, he hasn’t performed in that role. Hoover’s only had two save chances this season (Tuesday’s was not a save chance, because he came in with one out and a three-run lead), blowing the first on April 8 when he entered the game in the eighth inning against the Pirates and then on Saturday when he earned his first save, despite giving up two runs.

Price said after Tuesday’s game that he’d sleep on the decision, then Wednesday morning said Hoover wasn’t available for the afternoon game, giving him more time to think. Between the morning meeting with the media and the end of Wednesday’s game, Price made up his mind.

That means he’ll be going with a so-called “closer by committee.”

“There’s an ugly connotation to that. However we went through that in 2014 when Chappy got hit in the face and he missed the first five weeks of the season, so we utilized some different guys to get the job done and then (Jonathan) Broxton came back and he held the job until Chapman got back,” Price said.

However, there’s no heir apparent this time. Tony Cingrani, who allowed a run on a hit and two walks on Wednesday, is the most likely candidate, but that’d leave Price without another left-hander in the bullpen. Blake Wood, who gave up two runs on a hit and a walk Wednesday, closed in the minors last season, and right-hander Caleb Cotham has pitched well thus far.

None of those, however, are ready to take over full-time in the closer’s spot, Price said.

“There’s just a lot of use early in the season with these guys,” Price said. “What you’re going to see coming out of the bullpen is what you’re going to see. I can’t define roles at this point in time, but that will shake out. As we get toward the end of the month and into May, we’ll have a little more clarity as far as roles and things of that nature.”