Jim Cowsert-USA Today Sports
Cincinnati Reds‘ rookie right-hander Tony Cingrani will likely miss his scheduled start on Sunday. Cingrani left Tuesday’s ballgame against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth inning due to a strain in his lower back.
Today, Cingrani was throwing a bullpen session, but after throwing only a dozen pitches, he told a member of the Reds’ medical staff that he was experiencing some pain in his lower back, so his session came to a close after that.
Related: Unfortunately, Greg Reynolds Will Start For Cincinnati Reds Sunday
Tuesday, when media members were asking Cingrani about his injury, he said, “It’s not that bad, I’m pitching my next outing, that’s for sure.”
Well, Tony, you might be wrong. Reds’ manager Dusty Baker has not said anything about Cingrani’s injury since Tuesday, so it will probably take a while until we know if he will start on Sunday or not.
The only reason that Cingrani is a Red right now, and not a Triple-A player, is because Johnny Cueto has been injured for the majority of the season. If the Reds lose Cingrani for an extended period of time, that will be bad news for them.
He is having a splendid season thus far, as he is 6-3 and has an ERA of 2.72. If the Reds lose him, their starting rotation won’t be nearly as good. This year, the Reds rotation has posted a 54-35 record and a 3.29 earned run average, both of those statistics are rank No. 2 in the National League.
The Reds have had a lot of success this year. They are the the fifth-best team in the NL and are in line for a playoff spot. In order for them to go deep into the playoffs, they will need the talents of guys like Cingrani, so they are hoping that he will be able to recover from his injury very quickly.
Coop Ledford is a Cincinnati Reds writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @CoopLed and add him on Google Plus.
