Andrew Abbott

Reds Activate Andrew Abbott From Injured List

By Nick Deeds | April 12, 2025 at 3:59pm CDT

The Reds activated southpaw Andrew Abbott from the injured list earlier today, as noted by Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Abbott will be starting tonight’s game against the Pirates. Outfielder Will Benson was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Abbott, 26 in June, emerged as a regular rotation option for the Reds when he was a rookie back in 2023. He posted a strong 3.87 ERA (120 ERA+) in 21 starts that year while striking 26.1% of his opponents, but his sophomore campaign saw him take something of a step backwards. While the southpaw’s 3.72 ERA and 118 ERA+ were largely unchanged from his rookie campaign, his peripheral numbers suffered as he posted a well below-average 5.02 FIP across 25 starts. Much of that can be attributed to his lackluster 19.5% strikeout rate in his follow-up season, though a sizable increase in his home run rate also played a role.

The lefty mostly looked good during Spring Training, with a 2.57 ERA and five strikeouts against just one walk in seven innings of work across two outings. Those sorts of numbers would normally put Abbott in a good place to improve upon his work in 2025 this year, but a slow build up to the season after last year was cut short by a shoulder strain meant that he actually started out on the injured list rather than breaking camp with the club. Fortunately, it proved to be a relatively brief IL stint as he finished building up with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate in Louisville with a 3.60 ERA in two starts.

With Abbott now back in the majors, he’ll be tasked with sliding into the back of the Cincinnati rotation alongside Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, and Brady Singer. It’s a strong group that the Reds figure to lean on heavily this year as they look to fight their way back into the postseason for the first time since 2020, though the eventual return of youngster Rhett Lowder from the injured list could push someone out of the mix. Abbott could be a candidate to move out of the rotation depending on his performance, though perhaps the most sensible choice would be Martinez given his past experience (and success) in a bullpen role.

Moving off the roster to make room for Abbott is Benson, who appeared in just one game after being called up from the minors earlier this week. That lone appearance left much to be desired, as Benson struck out four times in four trips to the plate, but that he’s been in the minors at all this year while the Reds rely on players like Blake Dunn and Jacob Hurtubise to fill in while Austin Hays is on the injured list is telling of how far his stock has fallen in the organization’s eyes. It wasn’t long ago, after all, that Benson was one of the team’s best hitters with a .275/.365/.498 slash line back in 2023.

A lackluster 2024 season that saw him strikeout out in 39.7% of his plate appearances with a subpar 75 wRC+ was enough to push him out of the club’s roster plans for this year despite that impressive history, and while he’s raked in nine games at Triple-A this season it seems he’ll need to show more improvement to get a substantial opportunity in the majors this year. In the meantime, Gavin Lux has joined Dunn, Hurtubise, and Jake Fraley in the corner outfield mix while Hays is out of commission, while TJ Friedl remains the club’s everyday center fielder.

Reds Notes: McLain, Spiers, Abbott, Stephenson

By Anthony Franco | April 8, 2025 at 6:17pm CDT

The Reds announced a few moves before tonight’s game in San Francisco. Cincinnati placed second baseman Matt McLain on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 5, with a left hamstring strain. They also optioned righty Carson Spiers while recalling outfielder Will Benson and infielder Noelvi Marte from Triple-A Louisville.

The team specified that McLain’s hamstring strain was “slight,” so it’ll probably be a short-term absence. He had not played since Friday. Injured list stints can be backdated by a maximum of three days. The Reds were initially hopeful that McLain would be able to avoid the IL but seemingly knew he’d need at least a few more days and did not want to continue playing with a short bench. He’ll be eligible to return a week from today.

McLain had started seven of the first eight games at the keystone. The former first-round pick hit three home runs but was batting .214. Santiago Espinal has made three starts at second base, while Gavin Lux has started one game. The latter is in the lineup tonight against Giants right-hander Landen Roupp. Lux has mostly played left field in the early going. Blake Dunn gets the start there this evening. Marte, Benson and Espinal are all available off the bench.

Spiers heads to Louisville after opening the season in the rotation. The 27-year-old got the fifth rotation spot with Rhett Lowder and Andrew Abbott beginning the year on the injured list. Spiers combined for 9 1/3 frames of five-run ball over two starts. He allowed one run over six innings against the Rangers in his season debut before surrendering four runs across 3 1/3 innings in Milwaukee on Sunday.

It seems Abbott will be back from the injured list this weekend. The left-hander has made a pair of rehab appearances in Louisville. He got up to 92 pitches across 4 1/3 innings on Sunday. He’s back to essentially a full workload after falling slightly behind schedule in camp because of some residual shoulder discomfort. Abbott, who turned in a 3.72 ERA over 25 starts last season, will slot behind Hunter Greene, Nick Martinez, Brady Singer and Nick Lodolo.

Cincinnati also provided an encouraging update on Tyler Stephenson last night. Pat Brennan of The Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Stephenson was cleared to begin baseball activities after an MRI. The fifth-year catcher suffered a mild oblique strain halfway through March. Jose Trevino has been pushed into primary catching duty while being backed up by Austin Wynns. They’ve played very well, combining for a .286/.333/.536 line over 31 plate appearances.

NL Injury Notes: Realmuto, Turner, Suarez, Abbott, Murphy, Freeman

By Mark Polishuk | March 30, 2025 at 10:43pm CDT

X-rays were negative on J.T. Realmuto’s left foot after he fouled a ball off himself in Saturday’s 11-6 win over the Nationals. The Phillies took Realmuto out of the game, and the catcher also didn’t play today “more a precaution than anything,” manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Realmuto will likely be back in action tomorrow when the Phillies have their home opener, though Trea Turner could miss a third straight game as he recovers from back spasms. Thomson said Turner was available off the bench today and might play Monday, though the Phils’ off-day on Tuesday would allow Turner to get a full four days of recovery time if he is held out of Monday’s lineup.

In other Phillies injury news, Ranger Suarez threw a 26-pitch bullpen session on Saturday, and an up-and-down bullpen is now slated for Tuesday. If all goes well, Lauber writes that Suarez will make at least one minor league rehab start before being activated from the 15-day injured list. Suarez was bothered by a bad back during Spring Training, and the Phils decided to put him on the IL to give him more time to heal up and them finish his spring preparations in advance of his 2025 debut.

More injury updates from around the National League…

Speaking of pitchers on the 15-day IL, the Reds told reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that southpaw Andrew Abbott will throw his first rehab start with Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. Abbott is slated for another outing on April 6, and a decision will then be made about whether or not he might be activated onto the Reds’ roster. A shoulder strain ended Abbott’s 2024 season in late August, and recovering from that strain set Abbott back in his usual offseason work, so the Reds opted to slowly ramp the left-hander up in Spring Training. If all goes well, Abbott should line up to make his 2025 debut on April 11 or 12, depending on how Cincinnati sets up its pitching staff.
Braves catcher Sean Murphy will also probably be starting a minor league rehab assignment this week, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes that Murphy will likely take the field for the Braves’ A-level affiliate on Friday. Murphy cracked a rib after he was hit by a pitch during a Spring Training game in early March, and we’ve already hit the lower end of the initial 4-6 week recovery timeline. Still, Murphy appears to be making good enough progress that a return to Atlanta’s lineup should be feasible by mid-April.
Tyler Freeman left today’s game with a bruised left wrist after he was hit by a Taj Bradley pitch, but x-rays were negative, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding writes. Freeman might be well enough to return to the Rockies’ lineup tomorrow, though since Colorado doesn’t play on Tuesday, this is another situation where a player with a minor injury might simply get an extra day to fully heal.

Andrew Abbott To Begin Season On Injured List

By Darragh McDonald | March 20, 2025 at 1:54pm CDT

Reds manager Terry Francona provided members of the media, including Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, updates on the club’s pitching plans to start the season. Left-hander Andrew Abbott will start the season on the injured list. That will allow right-hander Carson Spiers to have a rotation spot to start the year. Meanwhile, righty Graham Ashcraft will head to the bullpen. Fellow righty Lyon Richardson has been optioned to Triple-A, per a club announcement from earlier today.

Sheldon emphasizes that Abbott hasn’t experienced a setback, just that the Reds have been moving him along gradually. At the start of camp, about a month ago, Abbott relayed that he was a bit behind schedule, taking things slowly after he finished 2024 on the injured list due to a shoulder strain. He thought he still had a chance to be ready by Opening Day but Francona said the club wouldn’t rush him to just meet that specific target.

“I don’t even think about that just because I think that’s where you make mistakes, when you put an artificial deadline,” Francona said last month. “We’re going to do what’s right for every player. If somebody isn’t ready, whether it’s him or somebody else, we’ll figure out a way to make it work until they’re ready.”

That thinking still seems to be the plan. Rather than try to force Abbott to be ready for the first week of April, they will just let him be ready whenever he’s ready. Since it seems to have been sort of a borderline call, perhaps he will only miss a very short time. IL stints can be backdated by three days, even at the start of the season, meaning he could be back as soon as 12 days into the campaign.

For now, the club will proceed without Abbott. Four rotation spots will be taken by Hunter Greene, Brady Singer, Nick Lodolo and Nick Martinez. As mentioned, the fifth will go to Spiers, who posted a 5.46 earned run average in a swing role last year. For what it’s worth, his numbers have been good in camp. He’s allowed three earned runs in 10 innings, with ten punchouts and four walks.

He likely won’t have a firm grip on a rotation spot. As mentioned, Abbott could return fairly quickly. The Reds also have Richardson and Connor Phillips as healthy options on the 40-man. Rhett Lowder is another, although he was slowed by elbow soreness early in camp and has an uncertain status at the moment. Prospect Chase Petty isn’t on the roster but should be in the Triple-A rotation and pushing for a promotion this year. Spiers has options and could be pushed to Triple-A himself at some point, or perhaps to the bullpen.

As for Ashcraft, he’s generally been a passable back-end starter of the ground ball variety. In 60 starts over the past three seasons, he has a 4.91 ERA. His 16.6% strikeout rate is subpar but his 7.6% walk rate is good and he’s kept 50.2% of balls in play on the dirt.

It was reported earlier in camp that the club had some hope that Ashcraft could thrive in a bullpen role. Per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, Ashcraft said today that he’s excited about the move, hoping that his stuff plays up in shorter stints. His fastballs (four-seamer, sinker, cutter) have generally averaged in the 95-98 mile-per-hour range in his career. He hasn’t translated that into many punchouts yet but perhaps the relief role will allow him to find an extra gear.

Photo courtesy Sam Greene, Imagn Images.

Reds Notes: Extensions, Steer, Abbott

By Nick Deeds | March 2, 2025 at 2:19pm CDT

The Reds are in the midst of a youth movement, with a number of key young players within their years of team control. Despite that reality, the only player they’ve managed to secure a long-term extension with who fits that description is right-hander Hunter Greene, who agreed to a six-year deal back in 2023. Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported yesterday that the club is unlikely to add another extension alongside Greene’s this spring after an offseason where the club focused on creating depth in hopes of avoiding a campaign derailed by injuries like they suffered in 2024.

“We certainly have guys in that service-time range,” general manager Brad Meador said (as relayed by Wittenmyer) when asked about extensions. “We’ve talked about some of it. We haven’t gone into real specifics with anyone. It’s been pretty vague with the agents.”

In particular, Wittenmyer notes three players who have expressed interest in getting a longer-term extension done with the Reds: veteran right-hander Nick Martinez, who reportedly discussed an extension with the Reds before accepting their Qualifying Offer back in November, as well as youngsters Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson. Those extension talks between Martinez and the Reds fizzled out once the right-hander accepted the QO, while Wittenmyer notes that both Steer and Stephenson expressed openness to the idea of an extension but there have not been talks between them and the Reds about the matter to this point.

Stephenson would appear to be the more urgent extension target should the Reds have interest. The 28-year-old was a first-round pick by the Reds back in 2015 and has five seasons in the majors under his belt. He rebounded from a down season in 2023 to establish himself as one of the better offensive catchers in the game last year, hitting .258/.338/.444 in 138 games. A free agent following the 2026 season, it wouldn’t be a shock if another solid offensive season from Stephenson put him outside of the Reds’ financial comfort zone as an extension target, though the 2026-27 free agent class features a number of interesting catching options as discussed by MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald last week. That could make Steer a more logical candidate for an extension in the long run, given that he’s under team control through the end of the 2028 season.

Speaking of Steer, the right-handed slugger received a cortisone injection in his ailing shoulder yesterday as he attempts to combat continued soreness after playing through the issue last year. While a timetable for his return remains unclear, manager Terry Francona emphasized his desire to avoid Steer playing through the issue again this year like he did in 2024, and did not shut the door on the possibility of a trip to the IL to open the season for Steer, as noted by Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.

“We need to discuss the next few days or the next week,” Francona said, as relayed by Sheldon. “Everybody points to Opening Day, and I get it, myself included. I’m not saying he’s not going to be ready, but we’ve got to do what’s right for him.”

If Steer is out of action to begin the season, that could open up more playing time for youngster Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first base early in the year. It could also benefit infielder Santiago Espinal by way of opening up third base in the event that Jeimer Candelario shifts across the diamond to cover first.

In more positive injury news, Wittenmyer relayed earlier today that southpaw Andrew Abbott threw his first bullpen session of the spring. Abbot had been behind in camp after a shoulder strain cut his season short last year, but Abbott told reporters (including Wittenmyer) after his bullpen session that it was a “big step” in his progression and that he believes he still has time to be ready to pitch in the first turn through the rotation when the season begins later this month. That would be welcome news for the Reds, particularly given the fact that right-hander Rhett Lowder also entered camp behind schedule. If healthy, Abbott figures to slot into the club’s rotation alongside Greene, Martinez, Brady Singer, and Nick Lodolo.

Rhett Lowder, Andrew Abbott Slightly Behind In Camp

By Anthony Franco | February 17, 2025 at 10:25pm CDT

A pair of Reds starters are slightly behind in the early portion of camp. The Reds revealed last week that rookie right-hander Rhett Lowder was delayed in January by minor elbow soreness that arose during his offseason work (relayed by Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer). Meanwhile, lefty Andrew Abbott tells Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that he has taken things slowly after his ’24 season was cut short by a shoulder strain.

While any kind of elbow/shoulder soreness for a pitcher raises some alarm, the Reds don’t seem especially concerned by either injury. Lowder began a throwing program this morning (as noted by Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer). Abbott has thrown a couple bullpen sessions in the lead-up to Spring Training. He tells Sheldon that he’s likely to throw another bullpen session or two before facing hitters in a simulated game or batting practice.

The southpaw indicated that he still believes he’s on track for Opening Day. Terry Francona was less committal, largely out of an abundance of caution. “I don’t even think about that just because I think that’s where you make mistakes, when you put an artificial deadline,” Cincinnati’s manager told Sheldon. “We’re going to do what’s right for every player. If somebody isn’t ready, whether it’s him or somebody else, we’ll figure out a way to make it work until they’re ready.”

If healthy, Lowder and Abbott will vie for roles at the back of Francona’s starting staff. Hunter Greene will be at the top of the rotation. Trade pickup Brady Singer is locked into a spot. Nick Martinez has the flexibility to move between starting and long relief, though he seems likely to begin the year in the rotation after accepting a $21.05MM qualifying offer. That’d leave two jobs for the group comprising Lowder, Abbott, Nick Lodolo and perhaps Carson Spiers or Graham Ashcraft. The latter two could find themselves in the bullpen.

Lowder, the seventh overall pick in 2023, made a case for a rotation spot late last season. Cincinnati called him up in August. He took the ball six times and turned in a 1.17 earned run average across 30 2/3 innings. His strikeout and walk profile was nowhere near as impressive as the ERA, but that’s not especially surprising for a 22-year-old attacking MLB hitters for the first time. Lowder had excellent peripherals across 22 starts for Triple-A Louisville, where he turned in 3.64 ERA through 108 2/3 frames. He fanned more than a quarter of opponents against a 5.4% walk rate while getting ground-balls at a strong 51.7% clip.

Abbott has posted a 3.78 ERA in 46 starts over the last two seasons. While he put up a sub-4.00 ERA in each year, his underlying marks went in the wrong direction last season. Abbott’s strikeout rate fell by nearly seven points from his strong 26.1% mark as a rookie. He missed fewer bats on a per-pitch basis and became more susceptible to the home run ball. The Virginia product landed on the IL with the shoulder injury in the middle of August.

Reds’ Brandon Williamson Leaves Start With Elbow Strain

By Anthony Franco | September 17, 2024 at 11:43pm CDT

Reds starter Brandon Williamson left tonight’s start against the Braves in obvious discomfort. The southpaw looked to be in a lot of pain after throwing a pitch to Michael Harris II in the second inning (video provided by Pitching Ninja). Williamson came out of the game and Cincinnati later announced that he suffered an elbow strain (X link via Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer). The Reds have yet to provide much beyond that initial diagnosis. They’ll presumably send Williamson for imaging within the next couple days.

The left-hander has spent most of the season on the injured list. Williamson suffered a shoulder injury in Spring Training. While it initially looked as if he might need to undergo surgery, he managed to treat the issue with a series of injections. Williamson returned to the MLB staff this month. He’d allowed four runs (three earned) across 13 innings over his first three appearances of the season.

Williamson started 23 games for Cincinnati last year. The TCU product made his MLB debut in May and tossed 117 innings of 4.46 ERA ball over the next few months. Williamson was hit hard early on but turned in a 3.97 ERA in 70 1/3 frames after the All-Star Break. He had a good chance of securing a spot at the back of David Bell’s Opening Day rotation had he been healthy.

That wasn’t the case, and he’ll now hope that tonight’s elbow injury isn’t as serious as it initially seems. The Reds will certainly shut him down for the final couple weeks of this season. If he incurred significant ligament damage, that’d obviously have the potential for surgery that could sideline him next year.

Assuming the Reds place Williamson on the injured list, he’ll join Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Graham Ashcraft and Andrew Abbott. Rotation injuries have been a huge factor in Cincinnati’s disappointing season. Bell indicated before tonight’s game that the Reds are hopeful of getting Greene and Abbott back before the end of the year (relayed on X by Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). Lodolo, who went on the IL in late August with a finger sprain, will not return this season.

NL Central Notes: Pham, Walker, Greene, Abbott, McCutchen, Heller

By Mark Polishuk | August 31, 2024 at 9:53am CDT

Jordan Walker “will play every day” down the stretch for the Cardinals, manager Oliver Marmol told The Athletic’s Katie Woo and other reporters yesterday after St. Louis recalled the top prospect from Triple-A Memphis. After debuting with a solid rookie season in 2023, Walker has hit only .151/.229/.233 over 83 plate appearances at the MLB level this season, and the Cardinals have kept him at Triple-A for much of the season. While his production in Memphis this year was only decent, the Cards have seen enough to bring Walker back for an extended stretch of playing time that will ideally set the table for Walker to stick as a lineup regular in 2025 and beyond.

Some space in the Cardinals’ outfield was cleared for Walker when Tommy Pham was designated for assignment, a day after the team first put Pham on irrevocable waivers. Woo writes that Pham welcomed the news and had even discussed such a move with the Cards, as he’ll now have a chance at more regular playing time on another team. If he joins another club before Sunday, Pham will also be eligible for that new club’s postseason roster.

Reds Place Andrew Abbott On Injured List Due To Shoulder Strain

By Darragh McDonald | August 23, 2024 at 2:35pm CDT

The Reds announced that left-hander Andrew Abbott has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 20, due to a left shoulder strain. Right-hander Alan Busenitz has been selected to take his place on the roster. To open a 40-man spot for Busenitz, catcher Austin Wynns has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

At this point, the club hasn’t provided any information on when Abbott suffered the injury or how long they expect him to be out. He last took the ball on Sunday, tossing 83 pitches over five innings. His velocity was down a bit, per Statcast, with his fastball averaging 91.6 miles per hour. He was at 92.6 mph the previous start, perhaps indicating he wasn’t 100% last time out.

Regardless, it’s an unfortunate development for the Reds and their rotation. Abbott has been a mainstay this year, with a 3.72 ERA over his 25 starts on the season. Him and Hunter Greene are the two team leaders in innings but Greene landed on the IL last week due to elbow soreness. With Abbott now joining Greene on the IL, the club is without the two pillars of their rotation. That’s on top of Graham Ashcraft and Brandon Williamson, who are also on the IL.

Absences have been a key storyline for the Reds this year. In addition to those pitching issues, their position player mix currently has Wynns, Jeimer Candelario, Jake Fraley, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain and Nick Martini on the IL. They also didn’t have Noelvi Marté for the first 80 games of the year due to a PED suspension, lost TJ Friedl to the IL for a while, amid other issues.

Despite those challenges, the club is 63-64 and hanging in the playoff race. They are currently five games back of Atlanta for the final postseason spot in the National League, but staying afloat will be more challenging with the rotation in such trouble. Abbott was the scheduled starter today, so the club may have to do some kind of bullpen game, then proceed with a rotation consisting of Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, Carson Spiers and Julian Aguiar. Spiers and Martinez are swingmen who have moved into rotation roles due to injuries while Aguiar was just called up and has one major league start to his name.

The club has an off-day on Monday but then plays eight games in seven days thanks to a double-header next Friday, meaning they may have to call upon some depth. Lyon Richardson is on the 40-man roster but has been pitching in relief lately. Connor Phillips has a 9.92 ERA in Triple-A this year and just returned from a two-month stint at the club’s spring complex trying to get back on track. Prospect Rhett Lowder is at Triple-A but was just promoted there and has only one start at that level. Justus Sheffield is around in a non-roster capacity but has a 6.88 ERA in Triple-A this year.

For now, Busenitz will give the club a fresh arm for their bullpen. He signed a minor league deal with the club in January and has logged 55 innings over 40 Triple-A appearances this year. He has a 3.93 ERA in that time, along with a 22.3% strikeout rate and 7.9% walk rate. He is out of options and can’t be sent back down to the minors without first being exposed to waivers.

Wynns landed on the 10-day IL at the end of July due to a lat strain. It seems the club isn’t expecting him back any time soon, as he’s now ineligible to return until the final days of the regular season.

Brandon Williamson To Begin Season On Injured List

By Anthony Franco | March 19, 2024 at 11:16pm CDT

Reds starter Brandon Williamson will begin the season on the 15-day injured list, manager David Bell informed the Cincinnati beat on Tuesday (relayed by Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer). The left-hander departed his Spring Training start over the weekend with shoulder soreness.

There’s no indication it’s expected to be a long-term issue, but the team didn’t provide a timeline for his return. Williamson held a spot in the Reds rotation for much of last season. He started 23 games and worked 117 innings as a rookie. After being hit hard through his first eight starts, Williamson settled in as a decent back-of-the-rotation contributor. He finished his debut campaign with a 4.46 ERA, a respectable figure for a rookie pitching in one of the league’s most hitter-friendly home environments.

That came with middling peripherals, but the TCU product still had a shot of securing a season-opening rotation spot if he were healthy. With Williamson on the shelf, Bell said that fellow lefty Andrew Abbott will get a starting job. The Reds had previously been noncommittal on that, even though Abbott had a strong rookie campaign. Over 21 starts, he worked to a 3.87 ERA while punching out 26.1% of opposing hitters. The overall numbers were impressive, but Abbott’s production fell off dramatically down the stretch. He carried a 2.35 ERA into August before allowing more than six earned runs per nine in each of the final two months.

Abbott rounds out a season-opening rotation that’ll be fronted by offseason pickup Frankie Montas. The Reds announced that the hard-throwing righty will get the nod on Opening Day for his team debut. He’ll be followed in some order by Hunter Greene, Graham Ashcraft, fellow free agent signee Nick Martinez, and Abbott. Martinez has plenty of experience as both a starter and reliever. He’ll take at least one turn through the rotation but would be an option to move back to the bullpen once Nick Lodolo is ready for his season debut. The Reds have targeted the second week of April for the left-hander, who lost most of the 2023 season to a stress fracture in his left tibia.

Cincinnati was hit with bigger injury news over the weekend, as center fielder TJ Friedl was diagnosed with a fracture in his right wrist. He’ll be out for quite some time. At this stage of the offseason, there aren’t any MLB-caliber center fielders still available in free agency. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com writes that the Reds seem likely to turn to the combination of Will Benson and Stuart Fairchild to cover center field if they can’t find help outside the organization.

As a left-handed hitter, Benson would be in position for the stronger side of a possible platoon arrangement. The Reds kept him away from southpaws last season, limiting him to 44 plate appearances. Benson was excellent when put in favorable platoon situations. He hit .297/.389/.549 in a little under 300 trips versus righty pitching. That kind of production was always going to warrant a lot of play in the Cincinnati outfield. The bigger question is whether he’s capable of handling an up-the-middle position. Benson only has 88 major league innings in center field. Statcast and Defensive Runs Saved have each graded him as a roughly neutral defender in the corners.

Fairchild appeared in 97 games a year ago, hitting .228/.321/.388. He’s out of minor league options and was already set to break camp, but the Friedl injury pushes him into a more important fourth outfield role. The 28-year-old has posted roughly average offensive numbers against pitchers of either handedness in his major league career. He owns a more impressive .275/.371/.507 slash line over parts of three Triple-A campaigns.

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