Cincinnati Reds lose SP Edinson Volquez to DL

May 21, 2009 @ 15:32:01

By Keith Hernandez
Edited by Tim Heaney

The Associated Press reports the Cincinnati Reds placed starting pitcher Edinson Volquez (back) on the disabled list Thursday, May 21, with a sore back.

In a corresponding move, the team recalled starting pitcher Homer Bailey, who will take Volquez's spot in the rotation and start against the Cleveland Indians Saturday, May 23.

Volquez initially felt back pain during his start against the San Diego Padres Saturday, May 16. He was then forced to stop his bullpen session short Wednesday, May 20, when he experienced more pain in his back.

The Reds' young pitcher is 4-2 with a 4.25 ERA, 45 strikeouts and 31 walks in 48 2/3 innings this year.

Bailey was sporting a 3-5 record with a 4.57 ERA, 17 walks and 43 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings with Triple-A Louisville. He is 4-8 with a 6.72 ERA in 17 major league starts since 2007.

Owners of Volquez should not be overly concerned, as Volquez's back injury does not appear to be too serious. For now, stash him on one of your DL spots and wait for his return.

Bailey could be picked up off the waiver wire as a replacement for Volquez, but don't expect too much out of the 23-year-old right-hander. He will mainly be useful in NL-only leagues and should not be considered in shallow mixed leagues.

His first start against the Indians and his potential second turn against the Milwaukee Brewers aren't favorable matchups, but if a pitching spark is needed, deep mixed players could give him a try as long as they don't count on an elite performance. There's some upside here.

If he performs well, Bailey may earn more consideration for a permanent rotation spot, but he would probably need another injury or a meltdown to occur. His best shot would be to take over for Micah Owings, who has been erratic this season after beating out Bailey for the job in Spring Training.

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Keith Hernandez

Keith, an editor with KFFL, joined the team as a Hot off the Wire analyst in 2008 and has been playing fantasy sports since 2005. He is involved in MLB, NFL and NASCAR content. He graduated from the University of California-San Diego in 2005 with a B.A. in Communications and was a four-year starter as a member of the baseball program.

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