Reds manager: Mat Latos' comments 'unfair and inaccurate'
GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price says former pitcher Mat Latos' suggestion that the team rushed him back from an injury and lacked leadership in the clubhouse are ''unfair and inaccurate.''
Latos, now a member of the Miami Marlins, made his comments in an interview with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, published Sunday. A day later, Price and Reds general manager Walt Jocketty took exception to several of Latos' assertions.
"We do not compromise the health of our players," Price said Monday, adding the pitcher's comments have shed "a negative light on our organization. We've done nothing to deserve it."
Latos said when he was with the Reds last season, they rushed him back from a knee injury before he was ready. However, at the time, Latos told reporters in Cincinnati he was upset with the Reds because they were holding him back during his rehab to make sure he was healed.
From Rosenthal:
Q: I guess you learned that you have to take care of yourself. Jay (Bruce) went through the same thing, coming back too quickly.
A: There seems to be a trend going on there.
Q: Are they rushing guys back?
A: I won't touch any of that. I was told that I needed to start doing activities at a minimum of 10 days after surgery. They had me throwing on the fifth day after surgery. Then they had me running the seventh day after surgery. Then I was already lifting 10 days after surgery.
Q: So it wasn't entirely your decision?
A: No. They asked me how I felt. I felt great. I did. Because I didn't have something jagged and sharp in my knee as I was walking and running on it.
It's kind of obvious when you're looking at it and the (physical therapist) is looking at it, and this knee looks like a water balloon and this knee looks like a regular knee, don't you think you would say, "Hey, let's get some of that swelling down before we do anything?" But there's nothing I can do about it. I went along with it because I wanted to be out there. I figured they knew what they were talking about.
Latos, 27, made just 16 starts in 2014 after undergoing offseason surgery on his right elbow and left knee. The right-hander pitched to a 3.25 ERA with a career-low 6.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Reds traded Latos to his hometown Marlins in the offseason for pitching prospect Anthony DeSclafani and minor league catcher Chad Wallach.
- With files from theScore