Reds option struggling reliever Diaz to Triple-A

CINCINNATI — The Reds knew there would be some unknown quantities within a bullpen where roles weren’t set until after Spring Training. One of them wasn’t expected to be power right-hander Jumbo Diaz.

Diaz, who was with the club the previous two seasons, was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday to make room for starting pitcher Robert Stephenson. Diaz struggled in eight appearances this year, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and three walks. He also gave up three homers, including Ben Paulsen’s three-run shot in the eighth inning in Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Rockies.

“He’s a better pitcher than he’s shown in his first eight appearances, we know that,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “But we need the guy we’ve come to expect to not only be what he’s been in the past but exceed that. He needs to be better than he’s been at the big league level at this point, and we’re confident he can get there. We just can’t use the season at this level to help him find his way.”

Data provided by Statcast™ indicated a variety of possible reasons that Diaz wasn’t effective. It is, of course, a small sample size, as the 32-year-old faced 29 batters this …

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