Notes: Roster moves; Winker adjusting

The Reds made roster moves on Thursday, with lefty reliever Brooks Raley designated for assignment while right-hander Tejay Antone and utility player Josh VanMeter were optioned to the alternate workout site at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio. Cincinnati also added right-hander José De León to the roster. De León, who was already with the club on the taxi squad, will provide long relief.

“We’re in a situation, given our availability in the bullpen, we needed De León’s innings now. And not just his innings, we believe he’s a really good pitcher,” manager David Bell said.

Thursday was the deadline for all teams to trim their 30-man Opening Day rosters to 28 players. Teams were initially slated to pare further from 28 players to 26 in two weeks, but following an agreement with the MLB Players Association, Major League Baseball approved all clubs carrying 28 through the end of the 2020 season.

Under the 28-player rules, teams will be allowed a 29th for doubleheaders. The taxi squad maximum for road trips was increased, from three players to five.

“I think it’s appropriate,” president of baseball operations Dick Williams said. “MLB sought the input from all the clubs. I think the feedback was pretty unanimous that everybody was in favor of it given what we’re dealing with. I think it keeps a level playing field for everybody. It gives us a little more flexibility to deal with some uncertain situations, allows us to be a little more careful with our players.”

Antone was sent out after he pitched 4 1/3 innings in a 2-0 loss to Cleveland on Wednesday during his first big league start. He has a 2.08 ERA in two games this season but was not going to be ready to pitch again for at least four days before he could go to the bullpen.

VanMeter was hitless in 14 at-bats this season with seven strikeouts.

“We really believed that what’s best for our team in the long run -- including Josh -- that for whatever time it is, he would benefit more from taking a step, going to get some at-bats at Prasco and really make the most of this opportunity,” Bell said.

Nice timing for De León
De León, who will turn 28 on Friday, is in the big leagues for the first time since making three relief appearances last season for the Rays.

“This is probably the best early birthday gift I can get,” De León said.

De León is keeping No. 87 instead of switching to a lower one.

“This is the number I’ve been wearing since I was a kid because of my birthday, Aug. 7,” he said. “When I was in my first camp with the Dodgers, they said that I was going to get No. 67, and I was like, ‘You know, it’s my first one. My first camp. I know I’m going to get a linebacker number anyway, so might as well go with 87,’ which I was wearing when I was a kid. I’m sticking to it. It doesn’t matter where I go, I know that’s going to be available.”

Cincinnati acquired De León for cash in a November trade with Tampa Bay and thinks highly of his stuff and considers him a potential rotation piece.

“His changeup is elite, he gets a lot of swings and misses with the fastball,” Bell said. “He has a chance to be a really great pickup for us. We’re excited about him.”

Bauer back on track
Friday’s scheduled starter at Milwaukee, Trevor Bauer, was warmed up last Saturday when the tarp was brought out less than 10 minutes before game time. After the game was postponed until the following day, he pitched Game 2 of the doubleheader and went the distance with two hits allowed over seven innings in a 4-0 victory.

“I was more sore than normal,” Bauer said on Thursday. “Mainly it was central nervous system-wise; I was crushed. Just really tired for two days and all that. It was an exhausting outing, an exhausting weekend, emotionally, intellectually, physically, all around. So I took a couple of days of added recovery. Took a recovery week in the weight room and training-wise to catch up a little bit, but I feel great today. I slept really well last night. Threw a really good bullpen yesterday. I’m back on track. All my markers are trending in a normal fashion, so I’m excited for [Friday] to get back out there.”

Winker adjusting
Bell acknowledged on Wednesday that Jesse Winker is struggling, in part, because he is still adjusting to a new role as the designated hitter. Speaking on Thursday, Winker noted that one of the tougher parts is a routine that requires him to stop paying attention to the game so he can hit in the cage until his next time up.

“I literally remove myself from the game, and then come back to it,” Winker said. ”Usually after an at-bat, you go run the bases, you run back out to your position, you make a play, you’re always nonstop in the game for three hours. But when you’re DH-ing, you’re in the game for as long as your at-bat is. I do my best to get away, and then come back. But you always have to make sure that, obviously, you come back.”