Reds Stars Shogo Akiyama, Sonny Gray Expected to Play at Slugger Field

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Cincinnati Reds star outfielder Shogo Akiyama and ace right-hander Sonny Gray are scheduled to join the Alternate Training Site at Louisville Slugger Field. Akiyama was officially assigned to the team on Friday, while Gray remains “on track” to pitch in Louisville, according to Reds manager David Bell.

The Alternate Site team opens its schedule of scrimmages tonight (April 5) at Louisville Slugger Field at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for just $10 at batsbaseball.com.

Akiyama drew rave reviews prior to signing with the Reds in 2020, capping a dominant run in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball with six Golden Glove Awards, five All-Star selections and four awards as the Pacific League’s top offensive outfielder. He then made his Major League debut with Cincinnati in 2020 to become the first player born in Japan to appear in a game for the Reds.

Overall, Akiyama has hit .245 with seven steals and a .357 OBP in 54 games with Cincinnati. He ranked second among National League rookies in on-base percentage last season and was a finalist for a Rawlings Gold Glove Award.

Gray was the Reds’ Opening Day starter in 2020 and went 5-3 with a 3.70 ERA and 72 strikeouts over 11 starts last season. The former first-round pick originally made his Major League debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2013 and was named an American League All-Star with the A’s in 2015 and National League All-Star with the Reds in 2019. Gray paced his 2019 All-Star campaign with a career-high 205 strikeouts and the NL’s second-best opposing batting average of just .196.

Overall, Gray is 75-63 with a 3.54 ERA and 1,066 strikeouts in 197 career Major League games (188 starts) with Oakland (2013-17), the New York Yankees (2017-18) and Cincinnati (2019-20).