The Cincinnati Reds are off for much of this week for the All-Star break. So are the full-season minor league teams. But out in Arizona at the Reds complex the rookie-level ACL Reds are still playing their season. With no other options if he wanted to get on the field, Reds outfielder Dane Myers headed out to Arizona to play with the lowest level team in the farm system that plays in the US (the organization has two teams that player in the Dominican Summer League).
Myers, who is on the 10-day injured list after a hard collision with the wall in Milwaukee, has missed more than two weeks since he exited the game after his catch on June 29th. He was checked out and had x-rays and scans and in general, everything looked like it was right. But the collision was still leading to pain – which if you happened to see, you can understand why. He needed some time to be ready to get back on the field.
That happened on Monday night in the greater Phoenix area as the ACL Reds played a road game against the Kansas City Royals affiliate. There’s no official record of this game happening because in the bottom of the 5th inning a dust storm came through and delayed the game. But right after it came through so did a whole bunch of rain and after just over a 2-hour delay they decided to call the game. That game was tied at that point and with just eight days left remaining in the season the game was just cancelled and for record keeping purposes is treated as if it never happened.
The thing is, though – it did. Myers led off the game and was hit by a pitch in his first trip to the plate. The next time up he drew a walk. And in his final trip to the plate before Mother Nature intervened he would strikeout looking.
Last night he was starting in center for the ACL Reds again the Brewers affiliate. He popped up to first base in the 1st inning and in the 3rd inning he would strike out swinging. The next inning he drew a walk on seven pitches. In what would be his final at-bat of the day in the 6th inning he flew out to right field.
The Cincinnati Reds don’t get back on the field until Friday. They will be in Colorado to start a 3-game series with the Rockies that night. The Arizona Complex League Reds, where Myers is currently rehabbing, play tonight and tomorrow night. It’s possible that he could play in both games and then meet up with the team in Colorado if he and the organization believe that he is ready.






