The Reds announced Monday morning that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Alejo Lopez and designated outfielder Scott Heineman for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster.
Heineman, 28, was 3-for-30 in a brief, 19-game look with Cincinnati this season after coming over from the Rangers via a December trade that sent young Jose Acosta to Texas. That rough showing dipped his career batting line in the big leagues to .172/.249/.325 through 173 plate appearances — all coming with either Texas or Cincinnati. Heineman has a much better track record in Triple-A, where he’s posted a hearty .302/.368/.458 slash through 699 trips to the plate.
As for the 25-year-old Lopez, he’s in the midst of a breakout campaign in the upper minors. He didn’t enter the season regarded as one of the better prospects in the Reds organization, but Lopez destroyed the Double-A Southern League with a .362/.437/.448 batting line before moving to Triple-A and upping the pace with a .358/.436/.526 slash through a nearly identical sample of plate appearances.
Lopez has had some good fortune in terms of balls in play (.404 BABIP in Double-A, .368 in Triple-A), but his output is also buoyed by what look to be exceptional bat-to-ball skills. Lopez has just 18 strikeouts against 24 walks through 229 plate appearances this season, helping to offset a lack of power. Lopez has only two home runs (both in Triple-A) and just nine long balls in 1564 plate appearances in minor league ball overall. But he’s also swatted 19 doubles in this year’s 229 trips to the plate and gone 6-for-7 in stolen base attempts.
Lopez has split his time between second base and third base this season, with the former of those two spots being his primary position throughout his minor league career. He does have some experience at shortstop and got some work in left field while playing winter ball in Mexico. He’ll give Cincinnati a switch-hitting presence to bounce around the diamond. This will be Lopez’s first call to the Majors after being a 27th-round pick by the Reds back in 2015. He’s controllable through at least the 2027 season.
talk about an offensive explosion for Lopez. guy’s hitting everything.
Lopez reminds me of Jose Miguel Fernandez except he hits for less home run power and steals more bases while playing a middle infield position.
I’d try him or India at SS before Suarez. Doubt the Reds will do that though…
yeah, i dont get their reluctance to India at SS
India has only ever played 3B and 2B. He’d need some development time at SS. They wouldn’t just want to put him there during the MLB season. Maybe they could have given India some time at SS in AAA this year, but instead he earned his way into the big league lineup at 2B straight out of spring training.
Might Heineman be on the way to the Cleveland baseball team in view of Naylor’s serious injury?
Royals need an OF. Is he a CF?
Hes terrible at the plate so have at him
you’d be better off calling someone up from single A
What took them so long. Ridiculous the guy starts centerfield yesterday and now we can’t get rid of him fast enough. Poor management up and down
Probably wanted to give him one last shot to show something against a LHP.
Who do you manage, since you’re so judgmental on management?
Don’t worry the Phils will claim him with the rest of the crap they have
Farewell, Buttman