The Cincinnati Reds will venture over to Surprise, Arizona for Saturday’s Cactus League action, the Kansas City Royals playing host for the day. The Royals will be starting veteran left-hander Kris Bubic, and perhaps with that in mind manager Terry Francona has rolled out a starting lineup featuring a lone left-handed hitter (TJ Friedl) to start the day.
Hat-tip to Redleg Nation’s Doug Gray for relaying the travel roster for the day, one that features red-hot regulars Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, and Sal Stewart in the heart of the lineup.
Fellow lefty Nick Lodolo will start for Cincinnati on the day, doing so now with a potential Opening Day start in his crosshairs with fellow starter Hunter Greene sidelined indefinitely with elbow stiffness. As things look at the moment, Greene will almost certainly not be ready to go on Day One, leaving the likes of Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, and Brady Singer the most obvious candidates to get the honor.
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In Lodolo’s first (and only, so far) start of Cactus League play, he fired a pair of scoreless IP with 4 K, nary a walk, and a pair of scattered hits, though that did come against the lowly Chicago White Sox. On Saturday, he’ll get the chance to show even more against a more potent Royals club even though their star, Bobby Witt, Jr., is away with Team USA playing in the World Baseball Classic.
Old friends Jonathan India, Brandon Drury, and Kevin Newman are in the starting lineup today for the Royals.
First pitch is set for the usual 3:05 PM ET, though there is once again no televised feed. Reds radio will be there for your ears, however, on 1360 WSAI.
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