Sports Today: Is help on the way for the Reds?

An essential starting rotation makeover starts this weekend for the Cincinnati Reds.

They will start rookie Louis Castillo on Friday then Homer Bailey returns to the rotation Saturday.

RELATED: Homer Bailey’s return date setReds calling up another prospect to start Friday

Bailey you know.

Who is Louis Castillo?

He was one of the pitchers acquired from the Miami Marlins for Dan Straily last winter, and he is the top-rated pitching prospect in the Reds' system according to MLBPipeline.com (Higher than Rookie Davis and Sal Romano.)

Castillo looked great pitching at Fifth Third Field in the Reds Futures Game, but more important he has done something many of the top pitching prospects in the organization have not recently — avoided walking people.

Will the big stage change the way he attacks hitters? That seems to have happened multiple times before.

Among those to get their chances with the big club and do little with them are Cody Reed and Robert Stephenson, both of whom are still in Triple-A as Castillo gets his shot in The Show.

"We sent Cody and Robert down to Triple-A to really focus on repeating their delivery," Reds manager Bryan Price told reporters in Tampa after the Reds lost to the Rays on Wednesday afternoon. "I think this isn't so much a direct message to those guys. It is really wanting them to settle in there and let them get on a really nice roll -- it doesn't mean if you throw two or three good ballgames and that means you're ready to come back." 

I like this approach.

Many of the Reds’ young pitchers seem to have suffered recently from a crisis of confidence. They crumble when the going gets tough. It falls apart mentally and then physically for them very quickly.

And obviously what the Reds have been doing has not worked, so it makes sense to try something else….

Wednesday was also an interesting day in college basketball as Dane Goodwin of Upper Arlington de-committed from Ohio State. 

The initial report about the move included a nugget about Dayton being a sleeper team for the four-star prospect, whose father Damon played for the Flyers with current UD coach Anthony Grant.

The elder Goodwin threw some cold water on that notion in an interview with David Jablonski, though.

Asked about whether Dane would be interested in UD, Damon said, "As of right now, I think the schools he is interested in are Notre Dame, Villanova and Ohio State. Those are the places he's planning to take his official visits at this point."

With other reports indicating Goodwin had not been recruited at all by the new Ohio State staff when they were at Butler — probably because he was committed to a major program a few miles from his high school — it sounds like his de-commitment really is more of a fact-finding mission than a rejection of the Buckeyes.

Certainly can’t blame a kid for wanting to reevaluate his options as he gets to know a new coaching staff.

Damon Goodwin also told Dave he hoped the de-commitment would remain private…

Meanwhile, Dave also compiled a list of all of the 2019 players Dayton is recruiting. 

It’s a big group that includes players from the around Ohio, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Locals Amir Davis of Trotwood-Madison and Andre Gordon of Sidney are on the list, as are Pickerington Central point guard Jeremiah Francis and Newark forward KeShawn Heard. Francis and Heard also have Ohio State offers.

READ MORE: Who are the Flyers recruiting for 2019?

Grant has one open scholarship for 2018, and Versailles guard Justin Ahrens -- another former Ohio State commit -- is among those it has been offered to.

Here's a look at other 2018 players Dayton is recruiting...

Lastly: Tonight is the night we find out where Luke Kennard will begin his NBA career (assuming his rights aren't traded shortly after he is picked, which is not uncommon on NBA draft night).

We've got tons of stuff on Kennard. Make sure you check it out!

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