“I don’t want to be sitting on the bench or sitting in Arizona,” DeSclafani said. “I want to be here. It’s definitely been challenging, but I can’t do anything about it. I want to be healthy and be able to play this game for a long time. I’ve got to take care of this first.”
DeSclafani was 9-5 with a 3.28 ERA in 20 starts last season. Without him, the Reds were 12-13 heading into a game Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and one game back in the National League Central Division.
“I feel we have a solid team here,” DeSclafani said. “I know we’re a month into it, and it’s definitely early. We’ve played some good baseball and some bad baseball, but we’re still in this thing. The bullpen’s been great. The starting pitching has had its good times, and it’s gone through a rough patch. I still think we’re in this, and I want to be a part of it.”
This is the second straight season DeSclafani has opened the season on the DL. Last season, he battled a strained oblique muscle and didn’t debut until June 10. He doesn’t know if there’s anything he could do differently in the offseason to prevent the early injuries.
“It’s not like I’m sitting around and doing nothing,” he said. “I’m getting my running in. I’m getting my workouts in. I go to therapy three or four times a week. I’m definitely active. This is my career. This is what I want to do. I want to have a long career. I try to take care of my body as much as I can. I don’t know if it’s bad luck. I don’t want that label on me, for sure. I want to be a guy that’s reliable, that comes in and makes 30-plus starts. I haven’t been able to do that.”
Hot bat: Adam Duvall hit his fifth home run in his last 11 games Monday. His three-home run gave the Reds a 3-2 lead in the sixth, and they beat the Pirates 4-3 in 10 innings. He's tied for fifth in the National League with eight home runs and leads the Reds with 20 RBIs.
“The power component has always been there,” manager Bryan Price said. “He has always hit homers. He has always hit extra-base hits. He has always driven in runs. To do it at this level with consistency is what I fully expect. I don’t see this kid taking a step back. I think he’s a really solid baseball player.”
Next game: Rookie Davis (2-1, 11.17 ERA) will make his fourth start of the season in a 7:10 p.m. Wednesday game against the Pirates. He'll try to bounce back from the worst start of his young career. He allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings April 26 in a 9-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
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