CINCINNATI -- Just how decimated by injury has the Reds' rotation been this season? With Scott Feldman going on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday with right knee inflammation, all five pitchers that were in the club's rotation on Opening Day have been on the DL.
Even members of the preseason projected roster -- Homer Bailey and Anthony DeSclafani -- have spent all or most of this season injured.
Feldman already had an MRI exam on his knee, but is expected to get a second opinion. Reds manager Bryan Price did not know how long the veteran right-hander would be out and also didn't rule out surgery.
"I do know that going into it, I anticipated this being more than one start," Price said. "And in the same breath, I don't know for sure. I think we'll know more as the process goes, and get another set of eyes on the MRI results and get a little bit better understanding of what's going on with his knee."
In another expected move, starting pitcher Sal Romano was recalled from Triple-A Louisville to start vs. the D-backs Tuesday night. To fortify the bullpen, right-handed pitcher Lisalverto Bonilla was recalled from Louisville to be available as a long reliever. And to clear a spot, outfielder Jesse Winker was optioned to Louisville.
What does Price see the rotation being like going forward? He currently has Tim Adleman, Luis Castillo, Bailey and Romano in the starting staff.
"Inevitably, we're probably going to take another look at our young Triple-A starters," Price said. "So these last 10 weeks are very important because I think we have to have a vision of what our starting rotation is going to look like in 2018, but we have to have that vision in 2017."
Among the starters the Reds could access at Louisville are Robert Stephenson, Jackson Stephens, Garrett, Cody Reed and one starter who has not been called up yet in Tyler Mahle, who is not on the 40-man roster. Reed and Garrett have struggled in recent outings, however.
Feldman lasted one inning and gave up five runs in a 6-1 loss to the Nationals on Monday, before his knee wouldn't allow him to continue. Asher Wojciechowski, who pitched five innings with one run allowed after Feldman, is a candidate to pitch on Saturday vs. the Marlins in Feldman's spot.
"We certainly have Asher as one of the candidates, the other option would be to do something at Triple-A," Price said."[Wojciechowski is] probably going to need two, three days off for sure. We [might] need him to pitch relief before that spot came up, or we [might] decide we like him. I like the job he's doing in this length relief role.
"I think we'd all like to see some of our young guys in the system come up and perform in the rotation [and be] given the opportunity to hold that job for enough time to evaluate if they're really ready to pitch here."