Brian Fuentes will reclaim the closer spot when he returns

That according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times. And he’ll be returning tomorrow, in all likelihood.

Fernando Rodney has been 4 for 4 in save opportunities since assuming the closer role (the only appearance in which he gave up any runs was mopup duty in a 10-1 loss to the Twins on April 8th). Still, Scioscia appears to subscribe to the “you don’t lose your job to an injury” school of thought.

Not that he doesn’t hedge a bit: “Right now, Brian is going to pitch the ninth. If we
have to adjust, we will.” Still, Scioscia also says that he’s not sure if Rodney is “a four-out guy” right now, which suggests that he doesn’t fully trust him. Which, given Rodney’s propensity for wildness, is probably wise.

Reds no. 1 prospect Nick Senzel is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on Tuesday, the club announced Saturday. Senzel tore a tendon in his right index finger on Friday and is not expected to make a full recovery before the 2018 season comes to a close, though any offseason activity has not yet been ruled out.

Prior to the start of the season, MLB Pipeline ranked the 22-year-old infielder first in the Reds’ system and sixth in the league overall. He made a fine impression in his debut with Triple-A Louisville, too, slashing .310/378/.509 with six home runs and eight stolen bases in 193 plate appearances. A call-up seemed inevitable at some point in 2018, though the Reds will now have to shelve any immediate plans for the third baseman as he works through a lengthy recovery process in order to take the field sometime in 2019.

Impressive numbers notwithstanding, it’s been a rough year for Senzel. He missed nearly a month after another chronic bout of vertigo and logged just 21 games in Louisville before landing on the disabled list again. This appears to be the first significant injury of his professional career so far.