Cincinnati Reds third-base coach J.R. House wants to stay aggressive, wants a few plays back

Just like fans, Reds third-base coach J.R. House said the outs at the plate always stick in his mind more than the close plays that result in runs.

House regretted his decision to wave Eugenio Suárez to the plate in the third inning Monday on a line-drive single to left field. Suárez was thrown out at the plate by at least 10 feet by San Diego Padres left fielder Josh Naylor.

“We’ve been aggressive on the bases,” House said. “There are definitely some ones that I would like to have back. There’s no doubt about it. It’s obvious. Any time a guy gets thrown by 15 feet, you know what I mean, you want to take a second crack at it.”

After games, House studies video of plays at the plate to look at what he could’ve changed on his read from the third-base coaching box, what the runners could’ve done differently and whether it was the right situation to be aggressive.

The Reds want to be aggressive to put more pressure on the defense, but Joey Votto was tossed out at the plate by several steps last week and Jesse Winker was out at home earlier this month versus the Atlanta Braves.

“Everything is a calculated risk,” House said. “How much are you willing to risk on it as far as accuracy of the arm. We have all those reports. We do a pretty good job of studying them and making sure we’re prepared overall as a staff for our position. It’s just making that quick decision and relying on what happens as far as the outcome because we can’t predict the future. At the same time, we can prepare as best as possible.

“You have to learn from mistakes. I think that’s just life in general that anyone goes through. Try not to make them again and make yourself better for it. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

GARRETT RETURNS: Amir Garrett completed his eight-game suspension and was activated prior to Tuesday’s game against the San Diego Padres. The Reds had a 2-6 record during his suspension and the bullpen had a 4.30 ERA.

“It’s very tough to watch my team compete without me,” Garrett said. “I love being here. I love being around these guys. I love going to battle with them every single day. We’re still in it. I always say we can run off 10 straight and be good. It’s a crucial time for us.”

Garrett, who was suspended for throwing punches in a benches-clearing brawl against the Pittsburgh Pirates last month, threw three bullpens during his suspension and wanted to maintain a normal routine. In his bullpen sessions, he tried to create a game-like atmosphere and pitched with max effort.

He is the only left-handed reliever in the Reds’ bullpen, entering Tuesday with a 2.74 ERA in 52 relief appearances.

“I feel like sometimes if you’re too fresh, I don’t feel as good,” Garrett said. “I was trying to be on the same routine that I’ve been throughout the whole season.”

VANMETER LEADOFF: Josh VanMeter was batting leadoff for the first time in his big-league career Tuesday. He hit leadoff in 17 games at Triple-A Louisville last year.

VanMeter is hitting .289 with 10 doubles and four homers in 128 at-bats this season, posting a .377 on-base percentage. In 25 plate appearances to lead off an inning, VanMeter has nine hits, three doubles and two homers.

“Leadoff hitter, yeah they’re at the top of the order and set the table in some ways,” Bell said. “The other thing is they have a chance to come up late in the game. It happened (Monday) night. That’s a factor. We want him up at the plate in almost all situations. There’s no hesitation there as far as what he can handle even though he is a first-year player and there should be. He’s shown to be able to handle a lot.”

VanMeter was batting second in the lineup for his previous four starts before Tuesday.

“We have a little bit of a different makeup to our lineup right now,” VanMeter said. “Or just the personnel. Josh, his at-bats have solid, really since he’s been here. He goes deep into counts. He’s not afraid to go deep in counts. He can walk.”

REHAB ASSIGNMENTS: Derek Dietrich played his first rehab game for Triple-A Louisville on Monday. He went 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs and one hit by pitch. Dietrich went on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 5 with left shoulder inflammation.

Catcher Curt Casali returned to his rehab assignment at Louisville on Tuesday. He played in two games from Aug. 9-10, but he halted his rehab when he felt soreness in his left hamstring. He went on the IL on July 18 with a sprained ligament in his right knee.

“I still feel like in Pittsburgh we’ll see them,” Bell said of Dietrich and Casali.

SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE: Major League Baseball released its 2020 spring training schedules on Monday. The Reds will open Cactus League play against the Cleveland Indians on Feb. 22, 2020 at Goodyear Ballpark.

The Reds will play 17 games at Goodyear Ballpark, which includes two “road” games against the Indians, who share the facility.

Their final spring training game is March 22 against the Indians. Opening Day is March 26.