With a 32-37 record, the Minnesota Twins playoff hopes are fading fast. For this team to get back into the AL Central race, they’ll need more from all 25 players in the clubhouse.
One player that the Minnesota Twins need to get things back on the right track is Addison Reed. However, after reading this next quote, it seems as though Reed has lost his place among manager Paul Molitor‘s good graces.
Molitor said Addison Reed has been taken out of the setup role "at least temporarily." Has worked once over past 8 days. "I’m going to use him when I think it’s the right time. I’m not sure exactly when that’s going to be right now." #mntwins
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) June 19, 2018
To be clear, Molitor didn’t say he has lost faith in Reed, only that he’ll use him when the time is right. With Minnesota struggling to win games consistently, Reed’s opportunities have been limited recently. This could be Molitor’s way to get Reed some innings in less stressful situations.
However, a manager doesn’t usually relieve a set-up man of his role just to get him innings. Reed is having a solid season when you look at the numbers, but there’s more to this than his win-loss record or his ERA. With that in mind, let’s take a look at his numbers to this point of the season and see what we can find.
The numbers
The Minnesota Twins signed Reed to a two-year $16.75 million contract during the offseason and that was looking like a bargain. He was easily the Twins most reliable pitcher out of the bullpen through the first month of the season.
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Reed pitched 14 innings appearing in 12 games and allowed only four earned runs through the end of April. Opposing batters hit only .208 with 13 strikeouts and four walks. That was only the beginning for Reed as he would continue to dominate up until late May.
Following his appearance on May 26th, he pitched 26 2/3 innings with a .236 ERA through his first 25 games. Reed allowed only seven earned runs with 27 strikeouts and batters hit .237 against him. He surrendered only three home runs and consistently pitched during high-leverage situations.
However, during his next appearance on May 29th, things started going in the opposite direction. Granted this is a tiny sample size, however, his numbers have ballooned.
During this seven-game stretch, Reed has already allowed seven earned runs and three home runs. Hitters are hitting .400 against him and he has managed only four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings pitched.
Can Reed re-claim the set-up role
There’s no reason to believe Reed won’t be back pitching high-leverage innings again soon. He has shown throughout his career that he’s a dependable right-handed arm out of the bullpen and has been effective this season.
This could be more of a way for Molitor to give Reed a little break. Trevor Hildenberger has stepped up during the early parts of this season. Along with Zach Duke and Ryan Pressly, Molitor has options to turn to. That’s good news for not only Minnesota Twins fans, but also for Reed.
He will be able to use this time pitching earlier in games to regain his confidence. A pitcher without his confidence is like a hot dog without a bun. It still works, but it’s just not the same. Reed is capable of being a game-changer in the late innings and that’s what this team needs.
Next: Breaking down the Twins All-Star hopefuls
Although he has struggled recently, Reed will be right where he needs to be when the time is right. However, not even his manager knows when that time will be.