Reds' Herget Works In Reverse Now

CINCINNATI—The Reds’ have taken several college relievers in the last couple of years and tried them as starters—from Michael Lorenzen to Tony Cingrani and Nick Howard.

While the team has had a varying degree of success with those pitchers, it’s been an organizational attempt to see if those pitchers could start and then maximize their talent.

The team has done the opposite with 2015 sixth-round pick, righthander Jimmy Herget. South Florida’s Friday night starter for all three years in Tampa, Herget was 24-11 and was named to the all-conference team in the American Athletic Conference in both years in the league.

The Reds amateur scouts saw a fastball in the low-90s and a good slider, to go along with a delivery that was universally described as “funky.”

“It’s just a reliever word,” laughed Jeff Graupe, the team’s director of player development.

At 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, Herget comes at batters with knees and elbows and creates quite a bit of deception.

“Jimmy is a tall, wiry kid. He has a funky arm action that adds to his deception,” Graupe said. “From what we’ve seen, his stuff plays really well in short-burst roles.”

Herget appeared in 20 games for Rookie-level Billings of the Pioneer League last year after the draft and picked up 15 saves as the closer for the Mustangs.

The Reds started him at high Class A Daytona this year, skipping low Class A.

“We pushed him to high A right out of the draft and he’s answered everything we’ve put in front of him,” Graupe said.

In his first 12 games for the Tortugas, the 22-year-old was 1-1, 1.12 and five saves. More impressive is the 26 strikeouts and two walks in 16 innings.

“We’ve challenged him so far,” Graupe said. “I’d like to see him go through that league a couple of times, but if he continues doing what he’s doing, we’ll keep challenging him.”

RED HOTS

• Righthander Zack Weiss hasn’t appeared in a game yet this year due to an elbow injury.

• Starting the season on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring, outfielder Yorman Rodriguez started playing in extended spring training in early May. Rodriguez, 23, is out of options.