Manager Bryan Price said Cingrani has mild shoulder tendinitis and could return by mid-May.
“My concern toward the end of his outing yesterday was the velocity was dropping down,” Price said. “He hasn’t been really acute with his command either. His delivery has kind of wavered a little bit.
“Upon further investigation, we realized he was having a little bit of discomfort in his left shoulder. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be a big issue, but with multiple days off coming up, we can really avoid him until about the middle of the month. That’s what we plan to do.”
Cingrani (2-2, 3.34 ERA) wanted to pitch through the pain and didn’t want to go on the DL. He even said he would have kept pitching Wednesday after allowing three runs in the first four innings.
“I’m fine right now,” he said. “It’s just a little tendinitis. I’d keep throwing. But it’s their call. I don’t agree with it. That’s what they want to do because they don’t want me to injure myself. I understand. I think I could keep throwing and be fine. They’re exercising caution.”
Cingrani wouldn’t say exactly how long the shoulder has bothered him. Overall, he has pitched well, but he hasn’t lasted past the sixth inning since his first outing of the season when he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Cardinals on April 2.
Because the Reds have three off days in the next two weeks, they won’t need to find a fifth starter until May 17 in Philadelphia. They recalled reliever Curtis Partch from Triple-A Louisville to take Cingrani’s roster spot.
The Reds have two off days next week on Monday and Thursday before and after a two-game series in Boston. They have another off day May 12.
“The problem with the schedule here with this two-day series and three days off in eight days, it can get your starters where they’re pitching once a week for a while,” Price said. “As much as rest is nice periodically, these guys are very routine-oriented and pitching every sixth or seventh day isn’t a huge benefit to everybody in the big picture. All things being said, if this was going to happen, this was about the right time for it to happen.”
April review: The Reds were 12-15 through April 30. That's not good, but they haven't been really great in the first month since 2006 when they were 17-8 and set the club record for wins through April. In the seasons since 2006, they have not been more than two games over .500.
Today's game: Mike Leake (2-2, 3.82) makes his sixth start of the season for the Reds against the Brewers' Wily Peralta (3-1, 2.56).
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