Cincinnati Reds notes: Billy Hamilton will continue to bat ninth, Jim Riggleman says

Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman won't be left to his own devices to make a final decision on center fielder Billy Hamilton's place in the Cincinnati lineup.

"I really had myself and four or five opinions today talking about that," Riggleman said during his pregame media availability Monday at Great American Ball Park prior to the beleaguered Reds' game against the Atlanta Braves.

The conversation around Hamilton is certainly one that warrants serious discussion from the top Reds brass. 

Hamilton, who sported a .172 batting average entering Monday's game, has batted leadoff for most of the season but has occupied ninth position in the Reds' batting order for three of the last four games. 

In the one game in that stretch Hamilton didn't bat ninth, he came off the bench to pinch run. 

The Reds' just-concluded road trip yielded three hits in 17 at-bats for the speedy centerfielder. 

According to Riggleman, consistent success at the plate for Hamilton will likely produce a consistent answer regarding his placement in the lineup.

"Do we just put him back up there in the first spot and run with it or do we leave it down below, and until we're ready to say, 'Billy, go get 'em in that (leadoff) spot and do what you can do,' I want to leave him down there because I don't want to put him there today and not there tomorrow," Riggleman said. "When we do it, do it, because, as much as anything, if it's today (Scott) Schebler or tomorrow (Jesse) Winker, we want those guys hitting lower in RBI spots. 

"We eventually want to get (Hamilton) back up there and I can't tell you exactly when it will be." 

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Amir Garrett: Starter or reliever? 

Riggleman was also asked Monday about Amir Garrett, who has allowed eight total baserunners in 9 ⅔ innings this season. 

Garrett's 0.82 WHIP and ERA or 0.00 begs the question: Could Garrett reclaim a starting spot and move up into a starting rotation that had just two combined wins entering Monday's visit from the Braves? 

Riggleman asserted that the Garrett of the present day is the Garrett fans would have seen last season had the pitcher not battled hip issues.

In 2017, Garrett went 3-8 in 16 games (7.39 ERA, 1.613 WHIP). Fourteen of Garrett's appearance were starts. 

"He's a challenge for hitters and the more we can get him out there – and we intend to get him out there a lot more – the more we can get him out there to repeat that delivery, I think he's going to be that much better," Riggleman said. "Now, we seem to groom bullpen guys in the minor leagues but this could be a situation where he gets groomed (for the bullpen) here in the big leagues. If the rest of the ball club works out that he stays in the bullpen, he's taking to it. He really likes it, but if he could eventually start, that would be a real plus for us. Hopefully, the progress continues."