Welcome to the first 2021 regular-season Reds Inbox. From time to time -- especially on team off-days -- I will be answering your questions, and there are a bunch of them this week as the club is off to a hot start.

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Now on to this week’s questions.

How much patience will the organization give Eugenio Suárez at shortstop? I know it's been a rough start for him defensively. But since they're winning, does that help?
-- Jamie B., via Facebook

Eugenio Suárez has committed three errors -- including two on Opening Day -- while having some difficulty with turning would-be double plays. But he also made a splendid diving catch on a hot line drive in the first inning of Tuesday’s 14-1 win over the Pirates.

The Reds are going to stick with Suárez for a while. It’s going to take a little time for him to get into the flow again. If the Reds moved him back to third base, that means Mike Moustakas would go back to second base and hot-hitting rookie Jonathan India would not have a place to play. They don’t see him as a shortstop.

If there was one thing the Reds showed with their offseason moves, it’s that they aren’t too concerned about team defense. They like pitchers who rack up strikeouts and hope their offense can produce enough to outscore everybody.

What do the Reds do? I can’t see them sending Tyler Naquin down if he keeps hitting this way. I believe Aristides Aquino is out of options and would likely be claimed by another team. Your suggestion?
-- @bruce_weingart, via Twitter

These are good problems to have, right? While Tyler Naquin, Nick Castellanos, Nick Senzel, etc. are having sensational starts, these things always have a way of working itself out. Jesse Winker, who hit well in his first two games, is due to return to the lineup from a stomach bug, likely on Friday at Arizona. Naquin will probably return to a bench role, but that’s OK. There’s a good chance he will be needed to step up again. A season is more successful when the entire roster contributes.

Do you think the Reds are choosing to bring Shogo Akiyama back slowly because of all the outfield depth and Aquino's not having an option?
-- Alex A., via Facebook

No way! Shogo Akiyama, who strained his left hamstring in Spring Training, is slated to possibly return sometime in mid-May. It’s been a nice week of hitting for much of the Reds outfield, but there are a lot of peaks and valleys to a season. If one of them is slumping, or injured, Akiyama could be very much needed when he is ready to return. When he was hitting well the last month of 2020 from the leadoff spot, the lineup started to produce better.

Do you see early success having changed Tejay Antone’s outlook? One inning doesn’t look like a big step toward being stretched out.
-- @cinciredsfanman, via Twitter

No. Tejay Antone’s long-term future is as a starting pitcher. But for now, he’s a very important reliever in the Reds’ plans. As for stretching him out, the situations haven’t really dictated his being needed a lot.

The general expectation is that Antone will pitch in the close games, especially with a lead, and he could work anywhere from one to four innings -- kind of like what Michael Lorenzen often did last season.

When will Sonny Gray and Lorenzen be ready to start, and what happens with José De León and Jeff Hoffman at that point?
-- Richard P, via Facebook

Sonny Gray pitched 4 2/3 innings in a scrimmage against Royals Minor Leaguers on Monday and could be close to returning from a back injury. Lorenzen’s timetable is murky. He had a small setback last week with his right shoulder strain and then had flu-like symptoms knock him down for a few days.

As for De León and Hoffman -- who both had solid first starts this week -- they will likely become part of the front end of the bullpen. Again, these are good problems to have for a team, a lot of people playing well. There was a good stretch of years when it was the other way around for Cincinnati.

Is there a way for the Reds’ organization to stand up to MLB for Castellanos?
-- Chris P., via Facebook

Any player who is suspended by MLB can appeal. That is what Castellanos is doing after he was given a two-game suspension for his role in Saturday’s bench-clearing fracas with the Cardinals.