Reliever Smith to make spot start for Reds

CHICAGO — Because of injuries, a doubleheader on Saturday and some short starts from the rotation recently, the Reds find themselves a little shorthanded for starting pitchers. For Tuesday’s game, they are turning to the bullpen and reliever Josh Smith in a spot start vs. the Cubs and Jon Lester.

It will be Smith’s first start of the season after 29 relief appearances. Although manager Bryan Price will let the right-hander go as long as he can, it could amount to being a bullpen day to fill the innings.

“We’ll keep a mind’s eye on him, simply because he hasn’t been a starter for a while,” Price said on Monday. “I don’t expect him to finish the game, but he’ll certainly be the one starting it.”

Smith threw 62 pitches over 3 2/3 innings with one run allowed in Saturday’s 7-3 loss in Game 2 of a doubleheader vs. the Pirates. Originally expected to get the start on Tuesday, Keyvius Sampson was needed in Game 1 that day and threw 54 pitches over 1 2/3 innings.

“He didn’t bounce back as well as Smitty did after those long outings the other day,” Price said of Sampson. “I think we’ve got the ability to get more out of Smitty than we do out of Keyvius. It just made it a simpler decision. I didn’t …

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