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On Friday, they brought Casali up to the major-league team and designated Rosell Herrera for assignment open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Cruz was called up May 8 after Devin Mesoraco was traded to the Mets for Matt Harvey.
He hit .154 with one home run and two RBIs in nine games for the Reds.
The 29-year-old Casali is two years younger than Cruz and has a higher pedigree, having been a 10th-round pick of the Tigers out of Vanderbilt in 2011.
Cruz was a 26th-round pick of the Cardinals in 2007.
After winning 7 games in April, the Reds won 13 in May. What was better, what was not and what is next? https://t.co/FatsWz9GCU pic.twitter.com/BMNggd5Lmh
— daytonsports (@daytonsports) June 1, 2018
Neither of has given any indication he can hit major-league pitching.
Casali is a career .199 hitter with 19 homers in 408 big-league at-bats while Cruz has hit .216 with six homers in 621 at-bats.
Casali was most recently a member of the Durham Bulls, where he was having a decent season (hitting .274 with a .327 on-base percentage and a .780 OPS).
He's no Crash Davis, but he could prove to be an upgrade over Cruz.
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