Reds' Alex Blandino: Making push for utility job
Blandino is still in consideration for winning the Reds' final bench spot, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports. Blandino is hitting .387/.424/.484 in 33 big league plate appearances through Sunday in spring training.
Working against Blandino is that he has options remaining and Cliff Pennington and Phil Gosselin, his veteran competitors, do not. Blandino was a first-round draft pick back in 2014 but has taken a long time to develop, finally having a breakthrough of sorts at two levels last year. His upside right now appears to be as a utility infielder, and the long-term prospects don't seem great with Eugenio Suarez and Nick Senzel locked in on the left side of the infield.