PHILADELPHIA – In a pair of transactions on Friday, the Reds saw the returns of a bat that was missing from their lineup and a key reliever for late-inning situations.
Cincinnati activated third baseman Noelvi Marte and reliever Graham Ashcraft from the injured list. A week ago on June 27, the Reds got another big bat with the return of left fielder Austin Hays, and now with Marte back, manager Terry Francona's lineup is closer to whole.
“I love it. I always say it’s fluid, but it’s nice," Francona said. "The kid [Marte] worked hard. He had to be patient for a long while, but once he was able to take off the shackles, he got after it.”
To make room for the additions, infielder/outfielder Ryan Vilade and reliever Sam Benschoter were optioned to Triple-A Louisville.
Before going down with a left oblique strain on May 5 and missing two months, Marte was playing very well. After healing, he played nine games on a rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League team, Double-A Chattanooga and Louisville. He batted .333 with a 1.059 OPS and two homers.
“Mentally, I told myself, I have to be patient. I know this is going to require time.' As soon as I started feeling better, started doing the exercises and I felt like I was getting OK, I started to push myself up like I have," Marte said via translator Tomas Vera. “I stayed positive the whole time. When the injury happened, I felt like, ‘OK, don’t worry. This is going to be fine. And by the time I get back, it will be all right to go.’”
Marte, 23, opened the season in Louisville but earned his way back and kept hitting while batting .294 with an .857 OPS and three home runs in the Majors.
“The thing I was happiest about was he was given nothing," Francona said. "He was told that early in Spring Training and had a good spring, work-wise, got sent down, continued to have a good work ethic. He went to Triple-A and knocked the ball all over the place. When he came up with us, he was in a really good spot and continued that.”
Ashcraft, who had been out since June 16 with a right groin strain, faced batters in a simulated game in Boston on Wednesday. He was supposed to do that again this weekend in Philadelphia but was instead activated.
“I just think everybody felt like he was ready," Francona said. "He’s healthy. I think it’s OK.”
In his first season as a reliever following three years in the big league rotation, Ashcraft entered Friday at 5-4 with a 4.19 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 29 appearances.