Notebook: Reds rookie Spencer Steer looking to find his timing at the plate

SAN DIEGO – Spencer Steer missed three games in mid-April with right knee/quad discomfort and it’s marked a dividing line in his rookie season.

Before his absence, he had a .320 batting average and .424 on-base percentage in 59 plate appearances with four doubles, two homers, nine walks and eight strikeouts.

After missing those games, Steer is hitting .167 with a .207 on-base percentage in 58 plate appearances. He hit a solo homer Wednesday, pulling a first-pitch fastball from Seth Lugo over the left field fence at Petco Park, but he’s totaled one walk and 20 strikeouts during this stretch.

Steer, playing through some nagging pain like a lot of players, attributed his offensive struggles to his timing.

“When that happens, you don’t really pick up the ball very well,” Steer said. “That leads to swinging and missing, and chasing pitches.”

Part of Steer’s slump is normal adjustments for a rookie player. Pitchers will spot a weakness and attack it. Jonathan India struggled offensively for about a month before he surged in June and won National League Rookie of the Year in 2021.

'We're putting up fights':Cincinnati Reds embracing gritty persona

Alexis Diaz:Reds closer 'unbelievable' in save against Padres

Reds coaches don’t see a major hole in Steer’s swing, so they’re confident he will rebound from the typical rookie ups and downs.

“It’s just tough because you work on it in the cage, and everything goes well in the cage,” Steer said. “You get into the box and you’re falling back into the old same habit. That’s kind of what has been going on. (Batting practice) has been good, cage work has been good. Then get in the box and adrenaline takes over, you try to do too much, and you find yourself 0-for-3 or 0-for-4 again.

“It’s no excuse you’re not feeling good that you can’t produce. Just trying to find ways to get on base and do something positive.”

Even before Wednesday’s homer, there have been small signs Steer is taking steps forward. He had a couple of doubles in Oakland and he was striking out a little less than he was last week.

“The last couple of games, I finally felt good in the box,” Steer said. “I felt like I was seeing it better. I felt like I gave myself a chance. I was on time (Wednesday), so I’m just going to keep building on that.”

A potential change in the starting rotation?

Luis Cessa had another rough outing Wednesday in the Reds’ 7-1 loss to the San Diego Padres. He lasted only 3 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits and three walks.

After six starts, Cessa owns a 9.36 ERA with more walks (12) than strikeouts (11) in 25 innings.

“We’re always looking to evaluate what’s best for the team,” Reds Manager David Bell said. “We know that Luis Cessa is a good pitcher. He’s been doing it for a while, mostly out of the bullpen. But we really liked what he did last year as a starter for us. It’s still early in the year, but we’ll take a look at that and see what’s best for our team.”

If the Reds weigh a change in their rotation, their top options at Triple-A are Andrew Abbott, Levi Stoudt and Kevin Herget. Abbott has only two starts at Triple-A after beginning the season at Double-A, but he’s been lights out with a 1.40 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.

Stoudt struggled in a spot start against the Tampa Bay Rays last month, and Herget began the season in the Reds’ bullpen before shifting to the rotation at Triple-A.

Cessa, who is a free agent at the end of the season, said he liked the movement on his pitches Wednesday, but his command was off.

“Today was one of those days I couldn’t find the zone early in the count,” Cessa said. “I battled. I tried to stay for the most innings I could for the team. It’s one of those days. It’s a long season, so I just look for the next one.”

Three catchers finding a regular rotation

The Reds committed to carrying three catchers this year when they signed Curt Casali and Luke Maile during free agency last winter. It was designed as a way to keep Tyler Stephenson in the lineup more often and they simply didn’t have enough catching to last the season last year.

Through the first 31 games of the season, Stephenson has appeared in every game with 13 starts at catcher. He hasn’t hit at his usual level, ending Wednesday with a .264 batting average, six doubles, zero homers and 11 RBI in 106 at-bats.

“I don’t think Tyler has played as much first base as I thought (he would),” Bell said. “As we’ve gotten into it, there is a little bit of a rhythm to all three of them. I think there have been two or three series in a row where they’ve each caught a game. That’s the case in this series too. It is making more sense.”

It’s been a slow start to the season for Casali with five hits in 27 at-bats, receiving 10 starts behind the plate. Maile has seven hits in 22 at-bats with eight starts.

“They both really want to play, but they know their role,” Bell said. “They both understand the situation of having Tyler and where he is in his career. That’s made it work, just who they are.”