After signing a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds in November, infielder Alex Blandino’s career is set to go down a different path.

Blandino will moving to the mound in Double-A, according to a report from 8DeportivoTN8 on Jan. 18. Blandino will supposedly specialize as a knuckleballer.

Per a report from MLB Trade Rumors, the 31-year-old Blandino does not currently have an invitation to major league Spring Training.

Blandino made his MLB debut in 2018, appearing in 68 games for the Reds at second base, third base, first base, shortstop, left field and right field before tearing his ACL. He returned to Cincinnati’s roster for 23 games in 2019.

After spending 2020 at the Reds’ alternate training facility, Blandino played in another 43 major league games in 2021.

Blandino tried to latch on with the San Francisco Giants the ensuing season, but he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in May 2022. He did not play at any professional level in 2023 before making his way back to the Reds’ minor league system this past fall.

In 135 career MLB games, Blandino is a .226 hitter with two home runs, 16 RBI, a .630 OPS and a -0.2 WAR.

Beyond his production at the plate and in the field, though, Blandino did actually get a few chances to pitch for the Reds over the years.

Blandino tossed 1.0 scoreless inning in 2018, striking out two of the four batters he faced. He didn’t get another shot until 2021, when he allowed four earned runs, four hits, four walks and five total runs across 3.2 innings and four appearances.

The position player utilized a knuckleball and a 90 mile-per-hour fastball in those scattered chances, and he appears to be committing to the rare off-speed pitch moving forward.

San Diego Padres right-hander Matt Waldron is the only active knuckleballer in today’s MLB. The last pitchers who primarily relied on a knuckleball to stick around in the big leagues were Boston Red Sox All-Star Steven Wright and New York Mets Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey.