Leg 2 of The Amazing Race 37 started off well for Ernest and Bridget Cato. In Wednesday's episode, the father and daughter were the first to get to the Intersection in Osaka, Japan, where they paired up with the second team to arrive, Brett and Mark, for the Roadblock. Ernest and Mark opted to do the Roadblock together... and then it was all downhill from there. The two had to perform a routine on Taiko drums, but Ernest struggled greatly, and they watched all the other teams pass them. After the Intersection ended, Ernest and Bridget caught up with a few teams at the sumo wrestling Detour, but it was too little too late, and the duo became the third team to be eliminated.

"Unfortunately, I'm one of my mother's children who didn't get the DNA of rhythm," Ernest tells Gold Derby. "So it was just keeping up with the rhythm of being able to follow the beat, knowing my cue, pre-taking the drumsticks and hitting the drums or not queuing in. And then once I kind of decompressed a little bit, I was able to get it at the end, but it was definitely at the end."

Unlike Ernest, Mark got the routine down pretty quickly, but they made 17 attempts before they passed the task. Ernest felt the extra pressure of not letting down another team on top of not letting down his own teammate. "I definitely felt the pressure that I now have the destiny of someone who's not on my team's fate," he says. "So that did play a role in me constantly trying to focus. I can't let this young man down, and I didn't want to let him down. So that may have played a role in that also 'cause now I'm thinking more about them and not really focusing on the mission at hand."

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While it was difficult to watch her father struggle, Bridget was less worried about him and more concerned with Brett. "Sitting next to Brett while this is all going down and not being able to do anything of it, like trying to be positive with him, but also giving him his space — that was really tough," she says. "We were both just staying positive. Brett was emotional. I was getting emotional, but Brett was nothing but encouraging, didn't say a bad thing. His concern was just mostly making sure Mark's head was still in the game, seeing how like frustrated, rightfully so, Mark was getting. But we were both focused on staying positive for our teammates, so I just have so much love and respect for Brett and Mark because I think they were such great partners to have in this moment."

"Mark and I will forever have a bond. Mark was very encouraging. Mark was very patient. And at the same time, you gotta think about Mark was going through his emotions also," Ernest adds. "Mark was very, very strong and I appreciate Mark."

Brett and Mark blew through the sumo wrestling Detour, which was a relief to Ernest and Bridget, who "would have felt horrible" had Brett and Mark been the team eliminated.

"Brett and Mark killed it at the the next challenge. They were in and out, and I just remember us [having] a sigh of relief when they got in and out of the sumo wrestler challenge, like knowing that they were gonna make it onto the next round," Bridget says."That was like the best feeling ever. I was like, 'OK, I feel way better now that they're gone and they they they got in and out and passed some of the other teams that passed us up.' That was so great to see."

Which twenty-six Reds will we see?

A good bit has changed about the nature of the Cincinnati Reds roster mix since last we gave our best guess at who might be included on it come Opening Day.

Spencer Steer’s shoulder maintained its issues, and he received a cortisone shot back on March 1st. Andrew Abbott, though, has seen his shoulder progress well enough that he threw a pair of IP in a AAA game just yesterday. Rhett Lowder is still behind schedule, unfortunately, but at least it looks like he’s moving forward and not backwards. Speaking of ‘back,’ Tyler Stephenson headed for an MRI after lingering back pain.

Rule 5 draftee Cooper Bowman was sent back to the Oaksacvegas Athletics, while former top prospect Noelvi Marte was officially sent down to AAA.

That’s a lot to process, as are the risks of losing players in camp as non-roster invitees if they aren’t selected to start the season. Same goes for players with no options remaining, as they very well could be scooped up on waivers if not placed on the roster from day one.

With Opening Day now less that two weeks away (!!), here’s our latest, greatest estimate of which Reds will make up the Opening Day roster.

Catcher

I’ve got Tyler Stephenson (1) still on here alongside Jose Trevino (2), as all initial reports on Ty Steve’s back are that his issue is minor. It may mean we see more of Jose in the lineup early on, so far there’s nothing to suggest these aren’t the two backstops they’ll carry from day one.

Infielders (5)

Elly De La Cruz (3) and Matt McLain (4) are the cornerstones of this team, and they’ll form the middle infield. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (5) and Jeimer Candelario (6) seem to be locks in the corner rotation, while Santiago Espinal (7) has solidified his spot as the do-it-all infielder in reserve.

Gavin Lux

Gavin Lux (8)! He’ll see time at 3B, 2B, LF, and even at DH when the time is right. Since I’ve got Spencer Steer beginning the year on the IL, Lux’s versatility will help offset that usually created by having Steer on the roster for the time being.

Outfielders (5)

TJ Friedl (9) is back and healthy and poised to be the everyday CF and leadoff man all 4-WAR style once again. He’ll be flanked by Jake Fraley (10) and Austin Hays (11) most days, with Stuart Fairchild (12) a RHH option on days when Terry Francona wants to stack those up against southpaws. That brings us to Blake Dunn (13), whose RHH ability wins out in this mix over Will Benson since Lux, a LHH, is filling the ‘move anywhere when it’s time to switch’ role previously occupied by Steer, a RHH. In other words, I think Francona will choose to have one more righty bat around than another lefty.

Starting Rotation

Hunter Greene (14) will start on Opening Day, as well he should. He’ll be flanked in some order by each of Nick Martinez (15), Brady Singer (16), and Nick Lodolo (17) for sure at this point. Since the season is long as all heck, I just don’t think the Reds will rush back Andrew Abbott at anything less than ‘full stretched out,’ so I expect him to begin on the IL and miss a turn or two through the rotation - if anything, that may make him even more valuable down the stretch in August/September. I think the Reds carry Carson Spiers (18) as something of ‘starter on an expected bullpen day’ for the time being.

Bullpen

I don’t believe Graham Ashcraft (19) starts the year in the minors - rather, I think he’s carried as the piggyback guy for Spiers’ turn through the rotation with the expecation that he can fill-in for multiple IP when needed in a role akin to how Martinez began last year. Brent Suter (20), Sam Moll (21), and Taylor Rogers (22) form the LHP corps in the ‘pen, while Alexis Díaz (23) will resume his role as the closer. RHP options Emilio Pagán (24) and Scott Barlow (25) have guaranteed money on their deals, so they’ll be down there until they prove ten times they shouldn’t be, leaving one final spot that I’m expected to be filled by Tony Santillan (26) - he pitched well enough last year to deserve it and he’s out of options, so that’s a no-brainer.

Notes

Steer and Abbott are the two notable omissions here. Despite how dismal the Reds have begun seasons in recent memory (and how much that has folded any and all optimism entering those years immediately), I just think they’ll play it safe with them (and Lowder). Abbott getting ~27-28 starts is still very much viable, as is Steer surpassing 550 PA.

Ian Gibaut being back in camp is cool, and he’s fanned 8 against a lone walk in 7.0 IP so far this spring. He’s not on the roster, however, as a NRI on a minor league deal, so I don’t expect him to beat out the rest of the options above. That said, I do think he’s showing enough right now to firmly be in the mix as the first bullpen arm promoted when the inevitable dings happen to the rostered names ahead of him.

Chase Petty has looked really, really solid so far in camp, and at this rate he’ll make his debut (and more) as a Red at some point this year...just not on Opening Day or in the first few turns of the rotation, assuming all goes well elsewhere.