The Cincinnati Reds dropped their eighth game in nine tries, losing their third straight series.

After back-to-back outings on Sunday and Monday where their starter failed to make it out of the third inning and the 19-inning marathon on Wednesday night, the last thing the Reds needed on Thursday was to go to the bullpen early. However, that is exactly what manager Dusty Baker had to after right hander Homer Bailey left the game due to what was called “shoulder spasms”. The injury occurred when Bailey was at the plate during the fourth inning.

It is the same shoulder that caused the right hander to miss the first month of the season. It remains unclear whether or not it is related. Bailey will fly back to Cincinnati for further examination as the rest of the team heads to Atlanta.

“He said he just felt some discomfort on the swing when he was hitting,” Baker told reporters. “You could tell his velocity went down quite a bit after that.”

Bronson Arroyo left the road trip earlier in the week to have his back examined. Bailey has been the Reds’ best starter since his return, posting a 3-0 record and 3.00 ERA over five starts.

The is expected to call up Mike Leake, who was sent to Louisville after being ineffective earlier this month, to start Friday night’s opening game in Atlanta.  He replaces Edinson Volquez, who was also sent down to the minors in attempt to get things straightened out.

The rotation, considered to be a strength at the beginning of the season, has limited the Reds due to injuries and poor performance. As a result the team now sits just one game over .500 and has gone 21-25 since starting the year out with five straight wins.

In an effort to rest the bullpen the Reds have turned to Carlos Fisher (95 pitches) and Daryl Thompson (79 pitches) to eat up innings in emergency call-up relief assignments. The team lost both of those games.

MLB cincinnati reds, homer bailey, bronson arroyo, carlos fisher, mike leake, edinson volquez, daryl thompson