CINCINNATI -- It wasn't like it was a reunion of long-lost friends, since it was just March 28 when the Reds claimed infielder Scooter Gennett off waivers from the Brewers.
As the two clubs prepared to face off for the first time this season on Thursday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Gennett was happy to see his former teammates and coaches. They, in turn, were pleased to see him.
"I got a couple of calls from the guys when they came in. I FaceTimed a little bit with the guys," Gennett said. "I'd been there, obviously, since 2009, so I've got a lot of friends over there. Some of them are like family. I've been around them so long."
With Jonathan Villar now a fixture at Gennett's natural position of second base, Milwaukee lacked room for the 26-year-old on the bench and exposed him to waivers. As a bench player for Cincinnati, Gennett has already helped the Reds to the tune of three home runs.

"We got together three or four times in the offseason to work on him changing positions, then he was there every day in Spring Training for the first shift, at 7 a.m.," Brewers first-base coach Carlos Subero said. "He put in lots of work, and good quality work. You never know how a guy who has been an everyday player is going to adjust to that situation. But knowing Scooter, you knew he was going to embrace the situation and get the most out of it.
"The one-and-a-half years I spent with him were great. He is a competitive kid, the kind of competitiveness that you can't teach. And he would say funny stuff out of the blue."
Gennett didn't feel it mattered much to face his old team in game No. 10 of the regular season.
"I'm excited just to see everybody. Hopefully we can beat them," Gennett said.