ST. LOUIS -- The Reds recalled right-hander Matt Wisler from Triple-A Louisville and optioned Austin Brice to Louisville on Friday afternoon. The move was necessary following back-to-back extra-inning affairs against the Brewers on Wednesday and Thursday. Five different relievers were used in consecutive games and Jared Hughes tossed three straight nights.
Wisler spared the bullpen from another exhausting night in a 12-5 loss to the Cardinals in his Reds debut Friday night with two innings of scoreless relief, allowing a hit and fanning three.
Homer Bailey and Wisler combined for seven innings before the Reds rallied in the eighth, prompting interim manager Jim Riggleman to take out Wisler, who otherwise could have gone another inning or two.
"We [were] hoping we'd get through it with maybe those two guys and we didn't, but we scored, which put us in a position to pinch-hit and we were back in the game at that point. We will take that, of course, but it was the way it went," Riggleman said.
 Power bats return
Joey Votto, Scott Schebler and Eugenio Suarez were all in the lineup Friday after recently missing time.
"We hope it means a lot. We are still getting rust off a bit with Joey and Schebler, but you need some left-handed hitting," Riggleman said. "When Winker and Scheb and Scooter [Gennett] and Joey, all of it, we were really tough to pitch against. We are getting them back now, and we'll get going more offensively."
Schebler had a productive offensive night against the Cardinals with three hits (finishing a triple shy of the cycle), including a two-run home run in the eighth.

"After a bunch of swings and misses the first game or two again Milwaukee, [Schebler] started squaring a couple up, started looking like himself again," Riggleman said. "He really swung the bat well tonight."
Arizona Fall League update
Outfielder Taylor Trammell and second baseman Shed Long highlight eight Reds prospects selected Tuesday to play in the AFL this October. Trammell is the No. 3 prospect in the organization, according to MLB Pipeline (19 overall), and Long is the Reds' No. 8 prospect. Trammell is one of five top-20 prospects playing in the AFL this fall.
Alongside Tramell and Long, the Reds are sending pitchers Tommy Bergjans, Alex Powers, Ty Boyles, and Wyatt Strahan, catcher Mark Kolozsvary (who is on the taxi squad), and shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez (No. 23 in the Reds' system).
Tramell was successful in his first season with Class A Advanced Daytona, slashing .277/.374/.406 with 25 stolen bases. Long, who's been in the system since 2013, has a line of .260/.349/.405 with Double-A Pensacola.
The AFL season runs from Oct. 9 through Nov. 17.