CINCINNATI (AP) -The Reds overhauled their work-in-progress bullpen with four more moves on Saturday, and put infielder Juan Castro on the 15-day disabled list with a partially torn ligament in his throwing elbow.
Right-hander Kirk Saarloos was called up from Triple-A Louisville and right-hander Jared Burton was reinstated from the disabled list after recovering from back spasms.
Rookie right-hander Marcus McBeth was optioned to Louisville and 32-year-old right-hander Ricky Stone was designated for assignment, ending their rocky stays with one of the NL’s worst bullpens.
The Reds’ bullpen has 18 losses this season, most in the league. Relievers have been shuttled back and forth from the minors and the disabled list since April – only closer David Weathers and rookie left-hander Jon Coutlangus have been on the active roster all season.
Cincinnati has used 13 relievers in all this season, four of them rookies.
“It’s a constant tryout,” said interim manager Pete Mackanin, who also has retooled the batting order during his four games running the club. “You’ve got to get the right mix.”
The Reds also called up infielder Jeff Keppinger from Louisville to fill in for Castro, who has a potentially season-ending injury. The 35-year-old infielder got a cortisone shot in his sore right elbow on Friday night and will avoid throwing for about 10 days.
Castro said the elbow has bothered him occasionally since spring training and had gotten worse in recent weeks, prompting him to have it examined.
“I’ve got a partially torn ligament,” he said. “We’ll give it a couple of weeks and see if it’s better and go from there.”
If there’s no improvement, surgery would be an option.
Castro is hitting .180 in his reserve role. He is a valuable backup at shortstop, third and second base, making 18 starts overall this season.
The Reds got Saarloos in a trade with Oakland on Jan. 22, giving them a player who could start or relieve. He went 0-3 with a 5.09 earned run average in 20 relief appearances and was 0-1 as a starter before he was sent to Louisville on May 28.
Burton had been on the disabled list since June 12 with spasms in his lower back. He was 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA in 11 appearances before he got hurt.
McBeth was 2-2 with a 7.59 ERA in 12 games. Stone, who was out of baseball last season working in a drywall business, was promoted from Louisville on June 29 and had a 7.36 ERA in three appearances.
Keppinger was leading the International League with a .368 average when he was called up Saturday.
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