Cincinnati Reds name Homer Bailey Opening Day starter
By Phil Akre
Cincinnati Reds starter Homer Bailey will take the mound for his first-ever opening day start. It marks a stepping stone after three years of injury-plagued campaigns.
From 2012-2014, Cincinnati Reds starter Homer Bailey accumulated 562.2 innings on the mound. In the past three seasons, Homer Bailey has thrown just 125.1 innings.
The injury bug has bitten Bailey…hard. There was the Tommy John surgery in 2015, followed by elbow pain during rehab which sidelined him for half of the 2016 season.
After getting surgery for bone spurs in his elbow in 2017, he finished the year with 18 games started, a leap from the previous two seasons where he started just eight games.
The wait has paid off for Bailey, as Cincinnati Reds’ manager Bryan Price wasted no time in making him the team’s opening day starter. MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon spoke to Price regarding the decision.
"“He’s best-suited for it,” Price said. “This is a guy who has pitched in the postseason. He’s pitched no-hitters, complete games and he’s pitched on really good teams. He’s best-suited to match up with everybody else’s experienced, top-of-the-rotation starter compared to asking the young guys to take it on.”"
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Price’s comments are certainly warranted, as Bailey, an 11-year veteran, is already the elder statesman of a very young Reds’ team. He leads a starting staff with an average age of 24.
Bailey said the idea of starting opening day was something he hadn’t thought of. He went on to say, “If you climb Mount Everest, nobody talks about the first step. You talk about getting to the top.”
While Bailey’s experience went into the decision to make him the No. 1 option, the decision isn’t being based off spring results.
Through his five spring starts, Bailey has allowed 15 earned runs in 18 innings, while striking out nine and giving up seven home runs.
It’s safe to say that the Cincinnati Red’s coaching staff is hoping this spring was Bailey shaking off some rust. He’ll look to start a new chapter of his career when he takes the ball against the Washington Nationals on Thursday, March 29th.