Dietrich added to Reds' player pool

CINCINNATI -- Derek Dietrich realized he was one of the fortunate ones. The Reds utility player, who was added to the team’s player pool on Wednesday, acknowledged that he had contracted COVID-19 last month ahead of reporting to Summer Camp workouts.

Dietrich tested positive in Goodyear, Ariz., before he reported to the team’s complex for voluntary workouts. He reported having no obvious symptoms.

“I had a day about one month ago where I was a little bit more tired than the norm, probably because I was doing a lot of working out or something, so I just [attributed] it to that,” Dietrich said. “Really, would not even have known that I had COVID otherwise, without the recommended tests that the Reds put the guys through that were working out in Goodyear.

“I know a lot of people have some serious symptoms and my heart goes out to all of them. Just mentally knowing that I went through this is enough, but then when have the physical symptoms, obviously that’s when it gets really bad. My heart goes out to everyone, thank God that I didn’t have any symptoms. I’ve just been waiting to get back and do what I love.”

Dietrich, who will turn 31 on Saturday, reported to the team's alternate training site at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio. It was a long process to get back on the field.

“It was a lot longer than I expected it to be, but it’s two negative saliva tests, then an antibody test and a full physician’s clearance: EKG, echocardiogram, respiratory, normal procedure,” he said. “Major League Baseball is doing everything to make sure the players are healthy and safe and ready to return to action, but it took a long time to get clearance.”

During his first season with the Reds in 2019, Dietrich batted .187/.328/.462 with 19 home runs and 43 RBIs in 113 games. Despite only 67 starts, he was tied for third on the club in homers and tied for second in the Majors with 25 hit-by-pitches.

Dietrich slugged 18 homers before the All-Star break and endured a second-half swoon in production while he batted .071 with one homer. Much of the time, he battled a sore left shoulder, and he had arthroscopic surgery to debride it on Sept. 27. The Reds took him off the 40-man roster after the season but signed him to a Minor League contract on March 1 and brought him to camp as a non-roster player.

Now that he’s recovered from COVID-19, Reds manager David Bell doesn't believe Dietrich will need much time to get up to speed.

“It’s great to have him back,” Bell said. “He became a big part of our team last year and we saw what he was capable of in the first half. He had the shoulder injury in the second half. He’s healthy and takes great care of himself. He’s in great shape.”

Dietrich used the time in isolation to work out on his own. Before the pandemic shut down the country, he purchased fitness equipment for his home. He also tried to perform as many drills as possible -- including tossing a ball to himself and hitting one-handed.

“Players go, ‘I’m in the best shape of my life.’ And then you’re like, 'OK, we’ll see.’ Well, I’m in the best shape of my life at 30 years old,” Dietrich said. “This gave me perspective, changed my way of thinking a little bit, humbled me, motivated me, and really just I have empathy for everyone dealing with this because it sucks, it really does, and I didn’t have symptoms.

“This doesn’t just affect you personally. It affects a lot of people and a lot of Americans are dealing with this, so it’s real, very real. … I’m in the best shape of my life physically, mentally, emotionally at this point. These kinds of things make you stronger, and this -- no doubt about it -- made me stronger.”