Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds acquired Archie Bradley from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for infielder Josh VanMeter and outfielder Stuart Fairchild on Monday.

Bradley has six saves in 10 appearances for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's averaging 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings and boasts a 2.01 FIP, which is on pace to be a career high, per Baseball Reference.

Cincinnati hasn't made the postseason since 2013, but the front office started taking steps toward ending that drought with the acquisition of Sonny Gray in January 2019. Adding Trevor Bauer ahead of last year's deadline was another signal of intent, and the team signed Mike Moustakas, Nicholas Castellanos and Wade Miley this past offseason.

The Reds still sit fourth in the National League Central at 15-19, but they're only two games off the final wild-card spot. FanGraphs gives them a 48.3 percent chance of reaching the playoffs.

Bradley is more than just a one-year rental, too, since he's under team control through 2021 before hitting free agency in 2022.

The 28-year-old right-hander will be a strong option in a setup role or high-leverage situations before manager David Bell hands the ball over to closer Raisel Iglesias.

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, were in selling mode ahead of the deadline. In addition to Bradley, they announced the trades of Starling Marte and Robbie Ray.

MLB.com ranked Fairchild as the 11th-best prospect in the Reds' farm system. The center fielder batted .264 with 12 home runs and 54 RBI over 109 games between High-A and Double-A in 2019.

Some will argue convincingly Fairchild and VanMeter are a lackluster return for Arizona, given both Bradley's performance and his contract status.

Sports broadcaster Thom Brennaman wrote an op-ed in the Cincinnati Enquirer apologizing for his use of an anti-gay slur during the Cincinnati Reds' 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

On the Fox Sports Ohio broadcast, Brennaman was heard referring to something as "one of the f-g capitals of the world."

"I could to try to explain it or tell you about who I am and what I believe, but those things would all be excuses," he wrote in Thursday's op-ed. "The simple fact is, what I said was wrong."

"I used a word that is both offensive and insulting. In the past 24 hours, I have read about its history; I had no idea it was so rooted in hate and violence and am particularly ashamed that I, someone who makes his living by the use of words, could be so careless and insensitive. It’s a word that should have no place in my vocabulary and I will certainly never utter it again."

Brennaman apologized on the air during the game before leaving the booth and handing play-by-play duties to broadcast partner Jim Day.

The Reds subsequently issued a statement condemning his remark and announced he has been suspended:

Reds relievers Amir Garrett and Matt Bowman addressed Brennaman's comment on social media:

In addition to his work with the Reds, Brennaman works with Fox Sports for its coverage of the NFL season. USA Today's Chris Bumbaca shared a statement from Fox, which said he won't be a part of the network's broadcaster rotation for 2020.

The 56-year-old is the son of Marty Brennaman, who spent 46 years calling Reds games and was the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award in 2000.

Prior to joining the Reds in 2006, Brennaman called games for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Cincinnati Reds play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman was removed from the team's broadcast Wednesday night after a hot mic caught him using a homophobic slur, per Jill Martin of CNN.com.

After the game, Reds players Matt Bowman and Amir Garrett tweeted messages of support for the LGBTQ community:

The Reds also released the following statement, noting that Brennaman has been suspended and the team would be "addressing" its broadcasting team in the upcoming days:

Brennaman used the slur between games of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals. After it went viral on social media, he began apologizing in the top of the fifth inning during the second game.

"I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air that I am deeply ashamed of," he said. "If I have hurt anyone out there, I can't tell you how much I say from the bottom of my heart I'm so very, very sorry. I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith."

That statement was interrupted by a Nicholas Castellanos solo home run, which Brennaman called, before continuing his apology:

"I don't know if I'm going to be putting on this headset again. I don't know if it's going to be for the Reds. I don't know if it's going to be for my bosses at Fox. I want to apologize for the people who sign my paycheck, for the Reds, for Fox Sports Ohio, for the people I work with. For anybody that I've offended here tonight, I can't begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am. That is not who I am and never has been, and I'd like to think maybe I could have some people that can back that up. I am very, very sorry and I beg for your forgiveness."

Field reporter Jim Day replaced Brennaman in the booth for the remainder of the game.

Thom Brennaman, who is a longtime announcer for the Cincinnati Reds, was caught on a hot mic during Wednesday's Fox Sports Ohio broadcast using a homophobic slur.

ESPN's Jeff Passan noted Brennaman, who was calling a doubleheader between the Reds and Kansas City Royals, said "one of the f-g capitals of the world."

He issued an apology during the second game after video of the incident started circulating on social media.

"I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith," he said, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I don't know if I'm going to be putting on this headset again. I am very, very sorry. I beg for your forgiveness."

Nightengale noted Jim Day took over the play-by-play announcer duties from Brennaman following the apology.

Later that night, the Reds announced that Brennaman was suspended, although they did not note how long the broadcaster would be out of the booth.

Brennaman also calls games for the NFL on Fox.

He is the son of Marty Brennaman, a longtime Reds announcer who was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame and retired following the 2019 season.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer escalated his longstanding beef with Scott Boras on Saturday, accusing the power agent of attempting to get his vlog shut down and saying Boras had his clients accuse Bauer of disclosing a positive COVID-19 test of another player.

The latest in the Bauer-Boras beef apparently stems from the pitcher's vlog. Bauer tweeted earlier Saturday that he was documenting how teams handle a potential COVID-19 outbreak after the Reds' series against the Pittsburgh Pirates was postponed following a Cincinnati player testing positive for the virus.

It's unclear if this was an isolated positive test or if the Reds are looking at an outbreak similar to the Miami Marlins or St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals returned to action for the first time in more than two weeks Saturday and have only played seven games this season.

Bauer previously ripped Boras for having a "personal agenda" when the players were negotiating with MLB for the season's return during the pandemic. 

Major League Baseball announced that Saturday and Sunday's games between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates have been postponed after a member of the Reds tested positive for COVID-19:

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the person who tested positive within the Reds organization is a player, although his identity is unknown.

The two teams were scheduled to meet at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday and Sunday after playing the first two games of the series Thursday and Friday.

The Reds are second in the National League Central at 9-11, while the Pirates own the worst record in Major League Baseball at 4-14.

According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, all Pirates players and all but the one Reds player in question tested negative for COVID-19.

Positive COVID-19 tests have wreaked havoc on the MLB schedule so far this season. The Miami Marlins missed more than a week after over half their roster tested positive for COVID-19, as did the Philadelphia Phillies after a coach and a staffer tested positive.

The St. Louis Cardinals are set to return to action Saturday against the Chicago White Sox, marking their first game since July 29 because of multiple positive COVID-19 tests among players.

With several teams seeing multiple games postponed, MLB is in a difficult position. The 60-game schedule was already condensed, with few off days factored in, which may make it impossible for some of the teams to play all 60 games unless numerous doubleheaders are scheduled.

If it is determined that some teams can't play 60 games, it is possible that MLB will base the standings on winning percentages rather than win-loss records.

That would benefit a team like the Marlins, who lead the NL East at 9-4. The Atlanta Braves have more wins with 11, but Miami's .692 winning percentage trumps Atlanta's .524.

The Pirates are unlikely to be a factor in the playoff race, even with eight teams in each league qualifying for the postseason, but the Reds could be impacted by any postponed games.

Cincinnati boasts a host of sluggers, including Nick Castellanos, Joey Votto, Mike Moustakas and Eugenio Suarez, plus the starting-pitching duo of Trevor Bauer and Sonny Gray is among the best in baseball.

The Reds have a chance to be a dangerous team with the potential to go all the way to the World Series should they manage to qualify for the playoffs.

An unnamed Cincinnati Reds player has tested positive for COVID-19, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and The Athletic.

The status of Cincinnati's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday at 6:10 p.m. ET is currently unknown, but ESPN's Jeff Passan reported it's "likely" to be postponed. 

The Reds beat the Pirates 8-1 on Friday in Cincinnati. They are currently scheduled to host the Pirates on Saturday and Sunday before traveling to Kansas City for a two-game series with the Kansas City Royals beginning Tuesday.

Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirmed Rosenthal's report and said contact tracing is underway following the positive test.

As Jon Heyman of MLB Network and WFAN Sports Radio noted, all 30 teams were scheduled to play Saturday for the first time since Sunday, July 26, but that seems unlikely at this juncture.

Passan also provided this note: "People around baseball had been hopeful that with cases limited in the last two weeks to Cardinals players and staff that St. Louis’ return would signal some normalcy. With the positive COVID case on Cincinnati, as Ken Rosenthal first reported, that clearly isn’t the case yet."

COVID-19 outbreaks on the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals forced both of those teams to stay sidelined for significant portions of the season.

Miami is back in action and playing catch-up to the rest of the league. The 9-4 Marlins have played 13 contests now but are still eight behind some teams with a month-and-a-half left in the regular season.

The 2-3 Cardinals will have an even bigger mountain to climb: They were only able to play five games this year but will attempt to play 53 games in 44 days, including 11 doubleheaders.

Teams that the Marlins and Cardinals were scheduled to face are slightly behind others as well, although the newly adopted seven-inning doubleheader rule has allowed franchises to play games in a quicker fashion.

MLB is attempting to complete a 60-game regular season before a 16-team postseason amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused over 20.73 million confirmed cases and 751,000 deaths worldwide, per the World Health Organization.

The United States has had over 5.1 million cases and 164,800 deaths, including 55,907 confirmed cases on Friday.

Amid the constant schedule changes being imposed by MLB, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer has voiced his frustration with the people in charge of the sport. 

Bauer tweeted that MLB needs to "figure it the f--k out" in reference to how it's handling game start times and deciding when to postpone games:

Bauer's outrage stems from a decision to change the start time of the game to avoid inclement weather in the Detroit area. 

Per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Detroit Tigers moved up the original start time for Saturday's game from 6 p.m. local time to 1 p.m. to avoid rain in the forecast. 

Nightengale noted the grounds crew at Comerica Park removed the tarp from the infield 10 minutes before first pitch when rain began to fall. 

Starting pitchers for both teams were down in the bullpen warming up for the game before tarp was rolled back over the field. The Tigers announced just after 2 p.m. local time that the game had been postponed and rescheduled for Sunday as part of a doubleheader.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Mike Moustakas and outfielder Nick Senzel have rejoined the team after winning an appeal following negative COVID-19 test results, per The Athletic's C. Trent Rosecrans and Ken Rosenthal. 

Rosecrans and Rosenthal reported Moustakas and Senzel appealed a ruling that had kept them out of the Reds' lineup since Sunday despite no longer showing symptoms and producing multiple negative coronavirus tests.

Cincinnati has dropped four straight games since a season-opening victory over the Detroit Tigers, with Rosecrans and Rosenthal noting Reds center fielders and second basemen have combined to go 0-for-20 during Moustakas and Senzel's absence. Outfielder Nick Castellanos expressed frustration after Tuesday's loss to the Chicago Cubs, per The Athletic.

"If you look at our lineup, unfortunately with some of these f--king protocols, you know, Moose and Senzel both have negative tests, but they are unable to play until Thursday," Castellanos said. "That's obviously been a big letdown because both of them are big parts of our lineup."

Moustakas believes he was dealing with food poisoning, while Senzel suspects he contracted a common head cold, according to Rosecrans and Rosenthal.

Winning the appeal would allow them to return Thursday for the series finale with the Cubs.

Moustakas, who signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Reds in December, was off to a strong start with four hits, including a home run, in eight at-bats over his first two games with the team. Senzel, a 2016 first-round pick, is 0-for-7 this season.

The shortened 60-game regular season because of the coronavirus pandemic has increased the importance of each game. Every win or loss is equivalent to 2.7 wins or loss during a standard 162-game campaign, so the Reds' four-game losing streak is like nearly 11 straight in a normal year.

Infielder Matt Davidson was placed on the injured list after an outside test showed him positive for COVID-19. Two league tests have returned negative results, per The Athletic. He's not planning to appeal his placement on the IL, though.

MLB is proceeding with caution after the Miami Marlins' widespread coronavirus outbreak, which is likely playing a role in Moustakas and Senzel remaining sidelined, per Rosecrans and Rosenthal.

The Reds will attempt to get back in the win column Wednesday against the Cubs at 6:40 p.m. ET.

Bleacher Report's David Gardner interviews athletes and other sports figures for the podcast How to Survive Without Sports.

Members of the Cincinnati Reds, including star first baseman Joey Votto, protested police brutality and systemic racism by kneeling during the national anthem prior to Tuesday's exhibition against the Detroit Tigers.

According to Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Votto did so alongside relief pitcher Amir Garrett, second baseman Alex Blandino and right fielder Phillip Ervin.

This comes after San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler knelt alongside first base coach Antoan Richardson and outfielders Jaylin Davis, Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater prior to Monday's game against the Oakland Athletics.

Nightengale noted Votto also wore a shirt that said "Black Lives Matter" during a workout.

"I felt obligated to say something and I feel like I've changed as a man," Votto said. "I feel like my perspective has changed. Going back to saying something, I didn't want to, but I couldn't sleep. It was a long stretch where I just couldn't sleep. When it affects me that deeply, I felt strong. I felt strong about saying something and learning. Every day I'm trying to learn."

The first baseman wrote a guest essay for the Cincinnati Enquirer titled "My Awakening" in June in which he explained how the video of the killing of George Floyd helped open his eyes to the systemic racism in this country.

"Only now am I just beginning to hear," he wrote. "I am awakening to their pain, and my ignorance. No longer will I be silent. #BlackLivesMatter"

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made the most headlines for kneeling during the national anthem as a means of protest, but former Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell did so as well in 2017.

Kerry Crowley of the Mercury News noted Maxwell was the only MLB player to do so at the time, although changing attitudes underscored by the worldwide protests following the killing of Floyd and the fact a number of prominent people within the sport have already knelt in exhibition games suggest more will once the season starts.

The league even responded to those who criticized Kapler and the Giants for kneeling:

In June, MLB issued a statement saying "our game has zero tolerance for racism and racial injustice" while adding "the reality that the Black community lives in fear or anxiety over racial discrimination, prejudice or violence is unacceptable." 

On Sunday, Buster Olney of ESPN reported the league and its players have discussed how to incorporate social justice elements into the sport in 2020.