DALLAS (AP)—The Cincinnati Reds are still trying to figure out whether
Aroldis Chapman(notes) will wind up as a starter or closer.

The Cuban left-hander with a fastball that regularly tops 100 mph has
pitched in 69 games during his two-year career in the majors, all of them in
relief.

Reds manager Dusty Baker says the team hoped to stretch out the 23-year-old
Chapman in the Arizona Fall League and then send him to pitch in Puerto Rico.
But Baker said the plan didn’t work because the Reds found Chapman has weakness
in his shoulder.

“So right now we’re back to the drawing board, I guess,” Baker said Monday
at the winter meetings. “I’d love to tell you a definitive answer, I just don’t
have one.”

DALLAS — The Cincinnati Reds are still trying to figure out whether Aroldis Chapman will wind up as a starter or closer.

The Cuban left-hander with a fastball that regularly tops 100 mph has pitched in 69 games during his two-year career in the majors, all of them in relief.

Reds manager Dusty Baker says the team hoped to stretch out the 23-year-old Chapman in the Arizona Fall League and then send him to pitch in Puerto Rico. But Baker said the plan didn’t work because the Reds found Chapman has weakness in his shoulder.

“So right now we’re back to the drawing board, I guess,” Baker said Monday at the winter meetings. “I’d love to tell you a definitive answer, I just don’t have one.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Reds manager Dusty Baker, right, and catcher Ramon Hernandez walk off the field at Great American Ball Park for the final time this season after a 2-0 win. / DAVID KOHL/AP

Written by

Associated Press

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MILWAUKEE (AP)—The slumping Cincinnati Reds held a team meeting on
Saturday before taking on the Milwaukee Brewers after losing six of the last
eight games and falling two games under .500 for the first time in more than a
year.

Reds manager Dusty Baker declined to say what issues would be discussed, but
the Reds have alternated losing leads and failing to generate enough offense
over the last week and a half.

Cincinnati has dropped two consecutive one-run games against the Brewers to
start this four-game series.

The Reds lost Thursday’s opener 5-4 after going 2 for 13 with runners in
scoring position and stranding men on the corners in the ninth. On Friday, they
squandered leads of 4-0 and 7-5 when closer Francisco Cordero(notes) allowed three runs
in the ninth.

Johnny Cueto(notes) struck out 138 batters while winning 12 games over 31 starts for the Cincinnati Reds last year, but he hasn’t taken the mound this season due to an irritated right triceps.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Cueto will make his return to the Reds rotation on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs. In his four rehab starts for Triple-A Louisville, he had a 6.28 ERA with six walks and 13 strikeouts, according to MLB.com.

The site reports that Cueto will take Mike Leake’s(notes) spot in the rotation. “We’ll probably move [Leake] to the bullpen,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said, according to MLB.com. “We were trying to do that anyway. Remember, coming out of spring training, he was going to be the long man. He performed well in those other guys’ absence.”

Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: Cincinnati EnquirerMLB.com

Related: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds

CINCINNATI — Reds starter Mike Leake will keep his spot in the rotation while he handles a misdemeanor shoplifting charge.

Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker decided to keep Leake as his starter Thursday for the final game of a series against Arizona. Leake was arrested Monday afternoon at a downtown department store, accused of removing the tags from six T-shirts and trying to steal them.

Baker talked to Leake before deciding to keep him on schedule to start.

“We talked about how he felt and could he handle the pressures of it, and he said yeah,” Baker said. “Sometimes when you’re in times of trouble, it’s easier to go to work than to not go to work.

“I remember when Pete Rose was having problems at home — his dad passed — (and) I asked Pete how he was dealing with it. He said those three or four hours at the park were a sanctuary from his problems. When the game was over, the same problems were there. So hopefully this will be a sanctuary from what transpired this week.”

Police arrest reports said Leake removed the price tags from six American Rag T-shirts at a Macy’s store Monday and tried to leave without paying for them. The shirts were valued at $59.88. Leake makes $425,000 in his second season in the majors.

Leake has not discussed the arrest, other than to issue an apology “for this distraction.” He declined to be interviewed Tuesday, saying he would rather wait until after his start Thursday to talk to the media.

Leake had his first court hearing Tuesday before the series opener against Arizona. His lawyer asked to let him enter a Hamilton County diversion program for first-time offenders. If accepted, he would pay a $200 fee, likely perform volunteer work and take a class.

He also would have to acknowledge guilt. His record could be wiped clean once he completed the program. His next court date is May 18.

Baker has thought about the reaction Leake will receive from fans at Great American Ball Park when he starts.

“You’re always concerned, but it’s going to happen sooner or later,” Baker said. “Probably be less adverse fan reaction at home than it would be on the road, you know. We considered that.”