Zach Buchanan

zbuchanan@enquirer.com

The walk to the dugout was a long one Saturday.

Cody Reed had just given up a go-ahead grand slam to Wilson Contreras, bringing the left-hander’s tally to seven runs in two innings. He trudged off the mound and over the first-base line, his head down the entire way. He was the last of his teammates to enter the dugout, and knew he wouldn’t be coming out of it again.

This was not how his return to the mound was supposed to go. He was fresh off a stellar run of relief outings, which taken together comprised six perfect innings. His probationary time in the bullpen seemed over, and he finally looked ready to capture that starter's promise that eluded him during his rookie season a year ago.

But then he walked his first two batters, and served up a home run to his third, Chicago Cubs star Anthony Rizzo.

After getting two outs to begin the second inning, he gave up a double and two walks, followed by Contreras’ back-breaking shot to center. And though the the Cincinnati Reds offense was robust at Great American Ball Park, the 24-year-old lefty had dug too deep a hole. Cincinnati lost 12-8.

Offense was there, but pitching dooms Cincinnati Reds against Chicago Cubs

“It’s hard to ask your bullpen to cover the innings and for your players to continually find ways to fight back from those types of deficits,” manager Bryan Price said. “We’ll have to find the way to right the ship with Cody as a starter if he’s going to get more opportunities. We’ve got to find a way to get him over that hump with the early innings.”

Price and the Reds have trod this ground with Reed before. Last season, the team waited what seemed like eons to bring him up after he tore up spring training and impressed at Triple-A Louisville. When he finally arrived, Reed seemed lost.

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In 10 major-league starts, he posted a 7.36 ERA. He struck out a healthy number of hitters, but too many of his pitches were walloped. He was sent down late in the season to sort himself out, but suffered a back injury before he could reappear in the big leagues.

As the disappointing starts piled up, he had less and less to say after each. Reed's frustration was palpable then, and was again Saturday.

“’I’ve had good starts before,” he said. “I didn’t give up any runs against the Cardinals that one time. I know I can do it. I just have to do it.”

Just how many opportunities he’ll receive is in question. Unlike when he was promoted a year ago – when Anthony DeSclafani was healthy, and Dan Straily and Brandon Finnegan were giving solid efforts each time out – the Reds have not been afforded the luxury of rotation stability in 2017.

Saturday, the bullpen had to cover seven innings, including five from long reliever Lisalverto Bonilla. Cincinnati’s starters have pitched just 6 ⅔ more innings than its relievers. The Reds will almost certainly send down Bonilla for a fresh arm Sunday morning, and Price wouldn’t guarantee that Reed would make another start when his spot came up again.

With right-hander Rookie Davis soon due off the disabled list and righty Tim Adleman sitting in purgatory despite strong recent results, Price may not want to watch his touted left-hander continue to take his lumps at the cost of the team’s bullpen health and ability to compete.

“We’ve got to find a way to put him in a spot where he’s going to help our ball club,” Price said. “I think he’s a big-league pitcher, but we can’t use every season as a trial-and-error season.”

Earlier in the month in Pittsburgh, Price theorized that most pitchers who struggle once reaching the majors do so because they’re in their own heads. Reed has copped to his own mental struggles many a time. Having freshly turned 24, he’s nowhere near his expiration date as a major-league project.

But Price isn’t interested in playing psychologist either. At some point, Reed will have to take charge of his own development from top pitching prospect to big-leaguer.

“If it was us making them great players, we’d be getting paid a lot more than the players are,” Price said. “But the players make themselves, for the most part, great players.”