Jonathan India Picks Up A Second Position

Jonathan India saw his 2019 regular season come to a premature end after he was hit in the helmet by a pitch in late August.

After heading out to play in the Arizona Fall League, the 2018 first-round pick from Florida had that season also come to an abrupt end when a wrist injury shut him down.

In 2020, the 23-year-old India’s spring came to a sudden halt the same way that everyone else’s did. Unlike many minor leaguers, the 6-foot, 200-pound third baseman was placed on the alternate training camp roster and got a chance to get back on the field over the summer.

Without a minor league season, few players have gotten a chance to get on the field to work, improve and show their skills to the highest evaluators in their organization. India, who has primarily been a third baseman since being drafted, has seen time at both third and second base this summer and taken advantage of the opportunity.

“Jonathan has been one of the real bright spots in our camp,” Reds senior director of player development Eric Lee said. “He’s making incredible strides defensively, particularly at second base and mostly as a result of the fact that Jonathan continues to be a tireless worker.

“He and (Jose) Garcia are early-work constants, and it is fun to watch them compete with and against each other under (coach Luis) Bolivar’s direction.”

The development isn’t just on the defensive side of the game for India. His offensive development has also continued to make strides.

In 2019, India split his season between high Class A and Double-A. After reaching Chattanooga in August, his walk rate jumped up to 15%, while his strikeout rate dropped to 18%. That approach and understanding of the strike zone could allow his raw power to begin to play in games more often.

“Offensively, Jonathan has been a tough out throughout camp and continues to show a rare combination of patience and damage ability,” Lee said.

 

RED HOTS

— Lefthander Nick Lodolo has primarily been a fastball, slider and curveball pitcher, but his changeup has been making strides this summer in a short amount of time. The pitch has been playing well against some of the advanced bats at the Reds’ alternate site.