Loss for Reds of bullpen leader Emilio Pagán 'tough pill to swallow'
“He’s such an integral part of what we do,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “He’s struggling right now, and we’ve got to be there for him.”
CHICAGO – Emilio Pagán dropped to the ground after one pitch, clutched his left hamstring, rolled over in pain and punched the grass. By the time the cart carried Pagán off the field Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, it seemed like the competitive heart of the Cincinnati Reds ’ battered pitching staff went with him. “It’s a tough pill to swallow,” catcher Jose Trevino said.
“As one of our leaders, one of our captains, one of the dudes that cares about this team more than a lot of us, he’s a big, big pice of this. ” The Reds expected to learn more after an MRI Friday morning what the severity of the injury is and how long it might sideline their closer, who was pressed into ninth-inning duty early last season and went to earn career-high 32 saves with a produced a 2. 88 ERA.
Pagán will join four other key Reds pitchers on the injured list, including rotation ace Hunter Greene, who’s expected to be out until around the trade deadline after undergoing elbow surgery in March to remove bone chips. The loss of Pagán might be as significant as any of them because of the influence he has off the mound in the clubhouse and bullpen, an influence the Reds valued enough to spend more on him as a free agent ($20 million, two years) than anyone else over the winter. “He’s our head guy back there,” setup man Tony Santillan said.
“He’s our voice. He’s our leader. Anytime you see somebody like that go down, it never feels good for anybody.