ST. LOUIS Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama has continued to wait for his turn to contribute in a more meaningful way this season.
And wait…
And wait …
It hasn’t been easy, especially for a player who is used to being a lineup fixture. In Japan with Seibu, he played
share-square-878170
The formal roster move the Reds made on Friday was as expected first baseman Joey Votto was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left thumb and outfielder Shogo Akiyama was activated from the IL.
But a lot more happened to the look of the team beyond that one move. Votto’s absence created a tectonic shift at several positions as manager David Bell and the club maneuvered the lineup. For Friday’s game against Cleveland, Mike Moustakas moved from third base to first base.
“Going over and playing a new position again, it’s always good. I’m excited. I like first base. It’ll be fun to get back over there, for sure,” said Moustakas, who played 10 games at first base last season with eight starts. “I just want to win, so whatever I can do to help us win ballgames is what I’m going to do.”
share-square-1423198
Shogo Akiyama isn’t used to sitting out of games because of injuries, but that’s what the Reds outfielder will be doing for the next few weeks because of a left hamstring strain. He will open the regular season on the injured list, the Reds announced Monday.
Akiyama felt something while running to first base on a groundout during Saturday’s game vs. the A’s.
“I heard something before I landed on the base, and after I landed on first base, it felt like I lost some power,” Akiyama said through translator Luke Shinoda. “I knew it was going to take time from the beginning, so I wasn’t really surprised, but I am disappointed to say the least.”