The Cincinnati Reds fired back at former pitcher Mat Latos after he criticized the team's organization.
Latos, who now plays for the Miami Marlins, previously blamed the medical staff of the Reds for allegedly rushing his recovery after suffering a knee injury so that he could play.
"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?'" Latos told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal according to the Miami Herald.
Aside from the medical staff, the athlete also took a shot at the Reds' team management and said it made a lot of bad decisions by releasing various players such as Bronson Arroyo and Scott Rolen.
In response, Bryan Price, the manager of the Reds, said Latos made the comments about his former team to distract them from focusing on this season. Price also noted that Latos' statements were unnecessary.
The Reds' current pitcher Homer Bailey then added that like court proceedings, the allegations made by Latos need to be examined to prove their truthfulness.
Dr. Tim Kremchek, the medical director of the Reds, defended the team's staff and said Latos' recovery was not rushed. The physician said the player went through a lot of daily medical procedures facilitated by numerous staff members before he was allowed to return to the field.
Catcher Devin Mesoraco validated this based on his own experience with the team's medical staff.
"I fought and fought to say, 'Hey, I want to play opening Day.' They kind of held me back," he said about the Reds' doctors according to Cincinnati.com.
"For him to say that they're rushing people to get back in the game couldn't be further from the truth," Mesoraco added.
