Reds closer Raisel Iglesias doesn't want to make excuses for his early-season struggles, but he disagrees with the way he's been used in some games.

Iglesias, yielding a career-worst 4.86 ERA, already has lost five games, the most by any reliever in baseball. His five losses equal his entire total from last year when he saved 30 games with a 2.38 ERA in 66 appearances.

He says he's trying to adapt to the lack of control on his slider, his go-to-pitch. During the Reds' 6-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, he entered in the ninth inning with the game tied, 4-4. He gave up a double and then a two-run homer to Brandon Crawford on a changeup.

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"You can see the other closers, they don’t pitch in tie games," Iglesias told The Enquirer. "I’m the only one who comes in tie games and I’ve given up homers and I’m losing some games. I feel really bad.

"I already have five losses, something that hasn’t happened (to anyone else) in the big leagues. Five losses in the first month of ball. That shouldn’t be like that."

Iglesias has entered with the Reds ahead in nine games this season, and with the score tied in six others. He owns a 6.14 ERA in non-save situations, giving up 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings and a .633 slugging percentage to opposing hitters. In save situations, he's posted a 3.86 ERA, with seven hits in 9 1/3 innings and a .486 slugging percentage.

"The way they are using me is horribly wrong," he said.

Iglesias signed a 3-year, $24.125 million contract with the Reds in November to avoid arbitration for the next three seasons. The Reds told Iglesias this spring that they planned to use him in a non-traditional closer’s role, wanting to use him in the game’s biggest moments. At the time, Iglesias said he was proud that the coaching staff wanted him pitching in key situations, which may not necessarily be the ninth inning.

It hasn’t worked out the way he envisioned.

"The closer comes in to finish the ballgames," he said. "I've been coming into tie games on the road. I get it. There are situations that the team needs me."

Reds manager David Bell said Sunday that he still believed in Iglesias and will continue using Iglesias as a closer.

"It’s really frustrating for me," Iglesias said, "to come in a tie game and lose the game."

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PERAZA IN LEFT FIELD: José Peraza made his first start in the outfield Monday since Sept. 20, 2017. Against a left-handed starting pitcher, Reds manager David Bell wanted to stack Monday’s lineup with right-handed hitters.

Lefty hitters Jesse Winker, Derek Dietrich and Josh VanMeter were available off the bench.

“He’s played out there before,” Bell said of Peraza. “He’s gotten some work out there. He can run. He’s an athlete. We’re doing everything we can to give us our best chance every single day. He’s up for it.”

Before Monday’s game, Peraza played two innings in left field this season and a third-of-an-inning in center field.

GENNETT PROGRESSING: Scooter Gennett was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday, making room on the 40-man roster for center fielder Nick Senzel, but he’s had no changes to original recovery timeline.

Gennett was expected to miss 8-12 weeks when he suffered a right groin strain at the end of spring training March 22. He had a follow-up MRI within the past week and he said everything looked OK to start progressing more quickly.

He’s eligible to be activated from the injured list on May 26.

“Just like now, I’m just getting it stronger and ramping things up,” Gennett said. “I should be pretty progressive here. The first month is definitely the worst. Hopefully, in a week or two, I can be taking ground balls and hitting. Hopefully, I can get locked in real quick with the bat.”

An All-Star last year, Gennett had a .310 batting average and .357 on-base percentage with 23 homers and 92 RBI. He’s continued to rehab in Cincinnati, seeing his teammates before home games.

“It all depends on how I progress in the next couple of weeks,” Gennett said.