Jeimer Candelario remains out of the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Dodgers due to neck stiffness. This marks his second consecutive missed start. However, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer, Candelario will be available off the bench for the series finale. Santiago Espinal will take over at third base in Candelario’s absence.
The Reds have yet to provide detailed information on the severity of Candelario’s injury. Nonetheless, it has been significant enough to keep him out of Saturday’s game. Espinal will step in at third base and bat ninth in the lineup.
Recent Performance Highlights
Before his injury, Candelario batted third and went 1-for-4 with a walk, a triple, an RBI, and a caught stealing in Thursday’s 6-4 extra-inning loss to the Padres. He tripled a run home in the first inning but was thrown out at home on a double-steal attempt. Later, he was removed for a pinch runner in the 10th inning after drawing a walk. Candelario’s recent hot streak led to his promotion in the batting order, batting third or fourth in the last four games. Over his last 12 games, he’s slashing .261/.320/.457 with four doubles, a triple, a home run, four runs, and seven RBI.
In Monday’s 6-5 loss to the Diamondbacks, Candelario went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. He has recorded multiple hits in three of the last six games, heating up with a 9-for-24 stretch, including two doubles, a home run, and six RBI. This improvement led to a move up the order to fifth, after spending time in the lower third since mid-April.
Candelario nearly hit a grand slam in the first inning but settled for a three-run double. This marked his second multi-RBI game in 34 appearances this season. Despite a season-opening slump, his bat has shown signs of life recently. He has hit safely in four of the last five games, going 7-for-20 with a home run, two doubles, and five RBI. This recent performance might prompt another move up the batting order. The Reds currently have the lowest OPS in MLB from the cleanup spot at .556.
The Reds are optimistic about Candelario’s return to form and hope his recent surge will continue once he fully recovers from his neck stiffness.
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