Flood of roster turnover trickling down to Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the rash of injuries that have struck the Cincinnati Reds over the past month, fans have needed more than just a program to keep up with revolving door of players that have come and gone to keep the roster fully stocked. With reinforcements being constantly called up, the Louisville Bats roster has also become volatile, with 55 transactions already made through the season's first 51 games.

At this point last season, the Bats had only made 38 transactions, but neither Louisville nor the Reds had experienced the plethora of injuries seen thus far in 2011. The pitching staff has been hit particularly hard by the injury bug, as the Bats only have three hurlers who have stayed off the DL and been with the team for the duration of the season's first two months.

The past week and a half have featured an ever greater array of roster moves for Louisville, as the Reds and Bats have both seen their luck with health go from bad to worse. Nine different pitchers who were not with Louisville on May 21st are now donning Bats' uniforms, as the team has promoted from double-A, demoted from the majors, acquired a few from other teams, and gotten Reds' reliever Aroldis Chapman on injury rehab.

Right-handers Steven Jackson, Brandon Hynick, and Chris Mobley were not even in the Reds' organization last week, but have been acquired by the team to help fill the holes in the pitching staff. Hynick, who was last playing for International League rival Charlotte in the White Sox organization, made an effective first start with the team this past weekend, while Jackson and Mobley have been used sparingly thus far out of the bullpen.

Some pitchers, such as Carlos Fisher and Jeremy Horst, have stayed healthy and been the beneficiaries of Cincinnati's injury problems. After starting the season at triple-A, both have been summoned to Cincinnati, keeping their talents at the big league level by effectively pitching out of the Reds' bullpen.

Other pitchers who started the year with Louisville, however, haven't been as fortunate. Dontrelle Willis and Jordan Smith have both looked good in their time with the Bats, but now find themselves on the shelf. Willis, who probably would have gotten his first action with the Reds after the spate of injuries, went on the DL May 23rd with a thigh strain. The former big league all-star has posted a 2.72 ERA in eight starts. Smith, who has bounced between Cincinnati and Louisville this year, was placed on the DL on Memorial Day. He hasn't allowed a run in four appearances with the Bats.

Despite the constant changes, manager Rick Sweet has kept the team afloat, leading the club to a 28-23 record that is among the best in the league.

While the injuries have wreaked havoc on both the Reds and Bats roster, it has provided opportunities for some players who had not seen action before. After a spectacular start to the season with Louisville, pitcher Chad Reineke made his Reds debut on Tuesday night against Milwaukee. With the rash of roster change over the past week in Louisville, it will be interesting to see who will step up and help the Bats continue their early season success.