Cincinnati Reds Roster
- NL Central
- Stadium
- Great American Ball Park
Cincinnati Reds outfield prospect Yerlin Confidan has been on fire throughout the first half of May with a dominant .317/.396/.610 slash line with three long balls, one swiped bag, nine RBI, and a 5:6 BB:K. Overall, through 27 total games with Single-A Daytona this season, the 21-year-old has posted a .235/.327/.429 line with four home runs. Confidan has logged 123 games at the Single-A level, but with his recent hot stretch, he could finally have earned the opportunity to move up to High-A. Confidan should remain on your waiver wire in dynasty leagues for the foreseeable future, as he seems to be several seasons away from a major-league debut. However, it does look like the 21-year-old is beginning to find his footing in the minor leagues.
Cincinnati Reds outfield prospect Jay Allen II hit his seventh home run of the season in Thursday's victory. After getting a small taste of High-A ball last season, Allen has found his fitting at this level and has posted an excellent .322/.443/.621 line with seven swiped bags through 24 games. In 25 games at this level last summer, he struggled with a .154/.260/.220 slash line with just one home run. The 21-year-old is expected to reach the major leagues sometime in 2026 but is worth keeping an eye on in dynasty as he is showing a stellar combination of both power and speed.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz had a monster game on Thursday, going 4-for-4 with a double, three runs, an RBI, and an astounding four stolen bases. De La Cruz is now at 30 swipes on the season, putting him on a pace not seen since the 1980s. Although he has slowed down at the dish in May, he is still a major fantasy asset due to his stolen bases. He also has a .277 AVG, 35 runs, nine homers, and 22 RBI to round out his line, making him a five-category contributor. He's looking like a future first-rounder in fantasy leagues at this point.
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (migraine) is not in the starting lineup on Thursday with a migraine. He was also held out of Wednesday's lineup for the same reason. The 27-year-old should still be considered day-to-day. As a result, Santiago Espinal will get the starting nod at the keystone and bat in the eight-hole. Espinal has been swinging a hot bat as of late with a .400/.438/.600 line across his past five games with one home run. However, he has a tough task tonight in Tyler Glasnow, who enters Thursday with a 2.53 ERA and 73 punchouts across 57 innings, and is best to fade him in DFS this evening.
Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (groin) was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left-groin strain on Wednesday. Lodolo last pitched on Saturday in a loss to the San Francisco Giants, when he allowed four earned runs on five hits in six innings. He felt the injury following a side bullpen session before that appearance. Over six starts in 2024, Lodolo has gone 3-2 with a solid 3.34 ERA and 0.94 WHIP while striking out 43 with nine walks in 35 innings. It's not considered a major injury, but the Reds wanted to put him on the IL as a precaution, especially since he made just seven starts in 2023 with a stress fracture in his left tibia. Fantasy managers should keep the former first-rounder stashed in all fantasy formats for his high-strikeout upside. The Reds haven't named a replacement for Lodolo's start on Thursday against the Dodgers, but swingman Nick Martinez is expected to get "significant innings" on Thursday, according to manager David Bell.