Cincinnati Reds News

Matt McLain  • SS  •  Reds  |  Christian Encarnacion-Strand  • 1B  •  Reds

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain To Play In Arizona Fall League

Cincinnati Reds infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand), Matt McLain (shoulder) and Edwin Arroyo (shoulder) will play in the Arizona Fall League, which began play on Monday. Both McLain and Arroyo missed all of 2024 after suffering shoulder injuries. McLain also dealt with a stress reaction in his rib cage. He is slated to play shortstop, second base and center field in the AFL, and he could also play in the outfield. If fully healthy in 2025, McLain is expected to mostly see time at second in Cincinnati. Encarnacion-Strand was limited to 29 games before suffering a season-ending hand injury in June that required surgery. He will be available to play first and third base in the AFL and could also see action in the outfield. The 24-year-old will need to prove himself in spring training in order to find consistent playing time to open the 2025 campaign.
6 days ago   
Jonathan India  • 2B  •  Reds

Jonathan India Has "Clean-Up" Surgery On His Ankle

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (ankle) had surgery to "clean up" his ankle, according to president of baseball operations Nick Krall. India will have a normal offseason and is expected to be ready for spring training. The 27-year-old ended up playing second base all year in 2024 with Matt McLain dealing with multiple injuries. Second base is still the only defensive position India has played in the majors after starting 132 games there. However, first base and the outfield could be in play for India in 2025, as well as third base, with McLain returning to play the keystone. Playing time could be an issue for India if McLain can stay healthy next season. In a career-high 151 games in 2024, India slashed .248/.357/.392 with 15 home runs, 58 RBI, 13 stolen bases and 84 runs scored as an everyday player over 637 plate appearances.
6 days ago   
Nick Martinez  • SP  •  Reds

Nick Martinez Expected To Opt Out

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez, who is scheduled to make $12 million next year if he doesn't opt out of his contract, is expected to opt out and hit the free-agent market. Right-hander Emilio Pagan is also expected to opt out and become a free agent. Martinez appeared in 42 games (16 starts) in his first season with the Reds and finished the season in the starting rotation and was the National League Pitcher of the Month for September after going 4-1 with an 0.83 ERA in five starts in September. When/if Martinez opts out, the Reds will have the option of making him a qualifying offer of one year and roughly $21 million for 2025. If the Reds offer it and Martinez rejects, the Reds will receive an extra draft pick as compensation. The 34-year-old was solid in 142 1/3 innings for the Reds, posting a 3.10 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and a 116:18 K:BB in his hybrid starter/receiver role.
6 days ago   
Julian Aguiar  • SP  •  Reds

Julian Aguiar To Miss All Of Next Season After Having Tommy John Surgery

Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitching prospect Julian Aguiar (elbow) had Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2025 season. Aguiar, the team's No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline, also ended the 2024 season with a right-shoulder injury. The 23-year-old former 12th-round pick in 2021 out of Cypress College will now focus on rehab all of next year while hoping to be good to go for spring training in 2026. Aguiar made his major-league debut with the Reds in 2024 and made seven starts, struggling to the tune of a 6.25 ERA (6.86 FIP) and a 1.33 WHIP while striking out 19 and walking 12 in 31 2/3 innings pitched. He relies on a fastball-slider mix and occasionally mixes in a curveball and changeup. Aguiar didn't become a full-time pitcher until his junior year in college and was named the Reds' Minor-League Pitcher of the Year in 2023. He has the chance to be a back-end starter for the Reds in 2026.
Oct 8   
Elly De La Cruz  • SS  •  Reds

Elly De La Cruz Ends Season With 67 Stolen Bases

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz showcased his game-breaking speed on Sunday, going 1-for-5 with a triple and two stolen bases in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs. De La Cruz finishes the season with 67 stolen bases, easily good enough for first in the majors. Interestingly enough, though, Elly only stole 10 bags in August and September combined, which equates to a 30-steal pace. That's not bad at all, but it's also not what fantasy managers would expect from the speedster. It was still a great season for the 22-year-old, who showed major improvements at the dish and contributed some power to go along with the speed. He will be a top-20 pick in most drafts next year and could rocket into the top 10 for those chasing upside.
Sep 30   
Noelvi Marte  • 3B  •  Reds

Noelvi Marte Retreats To The Bench On Friday

Cincinnati Reds infielder Noelvi Marte will start on the bench for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Santiago Espinal will start at the hot corner and will bat eighth against Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon. In 13 career at-bats against Taillon, Espinal has hit .231 with a .462 OPS. Marte has been a regular for the Reds at either third base or designated hitter down the stretch and has hit .240 (12-for-50) with two doubles, four RBI, four walks, 18 strikeouts and three stolen bases in 15 games in the month of September. Overall, 2024 has been a disappointment for the 22-year-old Dominican after opening the year serving a suspension. He's managed to hit just .212/.251/.306 with four long balls, 18 RBI and nine stolen bases in 222 at-bats. Espinal will be a low-upside DFS sleeper at the bottom of Cincy's batting order.
Sep 27   
Jonathan India  • 2B  •  Reds

Jonathan India Playing Against Cubs

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (head) is back at second base and atop the batting order as the leadoff hitter for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Chicago Cubs and right-hander Jameson Taillon at Wrigley Field. India was hit in the head by a pitch from Cleveland Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee on Tuesday and entered the league's concussion protocol. The 27-year-old only missed Wednesday's contest with the Reds having Thursday off. He'll be back in there for the final three games of the regular season this weekend. India has two hits with an RBI in four career at-bats against Taillon but enters Friday's contest on a cold streak of late, going 6-for-28 (.214) with a homer, triple, two RBI and three strikeouts in nine games since Sept. 15. The former National League Rookie of the Year in 2021 will be looking to finish off his 2024 campaign strong.
Sep 27   
Jonathan India  • 2B  •  Reds

Jonathan India Clears Concussion Protocol

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India cleared concussion protocol after being hit in the head with a pitch in Tuesday's game against the Guardians. Although India did not start Wednesday's game versus Cleveland, the 27-year-old did come on as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and later stayed in the game to play second base. The Reds are idle Thursday so look for the former N.L. Rookie of the Year to be back in the lineup for Friday's road game to take on the Cubs. It looked like India had finally found his stroke in June, slashing .380/.454/.587 during the month, but has limped to a .214/.327/.377 line since the beginning of July and owns a .246-15-58-83-13 stat line for the season.
Sep 26   
Jonathan India  • 2B  •  Reds

Jonathan India Not Playing On Wednesday

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (concussion) is in the league's concussion protocol after being hit in the head by a pitch on Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians and is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest at Progressive Field. Santiago Espinal will instead get the start at the keystone and will bat seventh versus Guardians right-hander Andrew Walters. Even though India said he was fine after Tuesday's game, it's really no surprise that he's not in the lineup a day later, and it's possible the 27-year-old doesn't play again in 2024 with the regular season ending this Sunday. For now, fantasy managers should consider the former first-rounder to be day-to-day. If India cannot return for the final series of the season this weekend against the division-rival Chicago Cubs, expect to see Espinal make more starts at second.
Sep 25   
Jonathan India  • 2B  •  Reds

Jonathan India In Concussion Protocol

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (head) is in the league's concussion protocol after being hit in the head by a Tanner Bibee pitch in the fifth inning on Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians. India did say after the game that he thought it was mild and that he'd be OK, but fantasy managers still playing for something in the final week of the season shouldn't expect India to play on Wednesday. The 27-year-old former fifth overall pick went 0-for-1 with a walk and the hit-by-pitch in three plate appearances on Tuesday before being removed early. With the Reds out of the playoff picture, they aren't going to take any chances with India if he's not 100 percent. In his fourth year in the big leagues, India has hit .247 (129-for-523) with 15 home runs, 58 RBI, 13 stolen bases and 83 runs scored in 147 games for a disappointing Reds club.
Sep 25   
Jakob Junis  • RP  •  Reds

Jakob Junis Moved Back To Wednesday

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Jakob Junis (personal) has been scratched from his scheduled start on Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field due to personal reasons and is now expected to start on Wednesday. Right-hander Carson Spiers will make a spot start on Tuesday in Cleveland as a result. Junis will now have an extra day of rest before facing the Guardians on the road in the final week of the 2024 regular season. The 32-year-old has been great all year, but especially of late, allowing only three earned runs on eight hits while walking just one and fanning 15 over 19 2/3 innings in his last four starts against the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves. Junis has only thrown 62 innings in 2024 due to injury, but he's posted a nice 2.61 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 23 outings (five starts) when healthy.
Sep 24   
Rhett Lowder  • SP  •  Reds

Rhett Lowder Tosses Five Shutout Innings In Win

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder continued the impressive start to his young career, tossing five innings of shutout ball in Saturday's 7-1 victory over the Pirates. The 22-year-old allowed five hits and two walks while striking out four on the way to earning his second win of the season. In three of five starts the righty hasn't allowed even a single run, posting a 1.40 ERA to this point. His command was off in the first two starts, walking eight batters, but he's cleaned that up since then, walking just three over the last three starts. Lowder's next start lines up with the Cubs on the road next weekend.
Sep 22   
Elly De La Cruz  • SS  •  Reds

Elly De La Cruz Has Monster Day At Plate, Smashes 25th Homer Of Season

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz had a monster day at the plate on Saturday, racking up three hits and four RBI in the Reds' 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. De La Cruz smashed a three run shot off Jared Jones in the fourth inning, his 25th HR of the season. His final statline was 3-5 with four RBI and two runs recorded. The 22-year-old's sophomore season continues to be a stellar one. Though he won't win the NL MVP, he's very likely to receive MVP votes and finish in the top three along with likely winner Shohei Ohtani and Francisco Lindor. Fantasy managers have to be thrilled with De La Cruz's 2024 season and should look for more continued success in 2025 from the young superstar. He'll look to continue adding onto his impressive numbers on Sunday when he faces off against the Pirates' stellar rookie Paul Skenes.
Sep 21   
Spencer Steer  • LF  •  Reds

Spencer Steer Sitting On Saturday

Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer is not in the team's starting lineup for Saturday's contest at Great American Ball Park against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates. With Steer taking the day off, the left-handed-hitting Will Benson will get the start in left field for the Reds and will bat ninth against Pirates rookie right-hander Jared Jones. Steer has really struggled in the month of September, batting .191 (12-for-63) with a homer, four doubles, two triples and 14 strikeouts in 18 games, so the Reds have elected to give him a day to clear his head. The 26-year-old right-handed slugger has hit just .230 (127-for-552) in 152 games this year, but he has recorded a 20-20 campaign for the first time in his career in just his third season with the Reds after falling five steals short in 2023. Benson has never faced Jones in his career and is a low-upside DFS sleeper who is hitting .189 (63-for-333) on the year.
Sep 21   
Tyler Stephenson  • C  •  Reds

Tyler Stephenson Homers, Drives In Five Runs

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson greeted Mitch Keller with a solo home run in the first inning of Friday's 8-3 win over the Pirates, then collected two more hits off of the righty before Keller departed in the bottom of the fourth, ultimately being charged with eight earned runs in the outing. The other two hits were a single and a double, as Stephenson finished 3-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored in the contest. It was the 28-year-old's third multi-hit game in his last four, and overall he's been a Top-10 option at catcher for fantasy. The former first-round draft pick owns a .265-19-64-67-1 line on the season with a .347 wOBA and 117 wRC+.
Sep 21   
Andrew Abbott  • SP  •  Reds

Andrew Abbott Not Expected To Return This Year

Cincinnati Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott (shoulder) is not expected to return from the injured list to pitch again this year, but he will continue his throwing program to build into a healthy, normal offseason. The Reds are out of postseason contention with just over a week left to play in the regular season, so Abbott will continue to rehab his left shoulder in hopes of being 100 percent ready to go for spring training next February. The 25-year-old southpaw saw his strikeout rate drop from 26.1% in his rookie season in 2023 to 19.5% this year, but otherwise his surface numbers were very similar in his second year in the big leagues. Abbott went 10-10 with a 3.72 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP and a 114:52 K:BB in 138 innings over his 25 starts. His 5.05 FIP suggests he was very fortunate to have an ERA under 4.00. As long as he's healthy in 2025, Abbott should have a starting role locked up in Cincy.
Sep 20   
Hunter Greene  • SP  •  Reds

Hunter Greene To Return On Sunday With Limited Workload

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (elbow) will come off the 15-day injured list on Sunday on a controlled workload to face the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates. Greene is recovering from right-elbow soreness and threw 52 games in a simulated game on Tuesday. Still, the 25-year-old hasn't been fully stretched out, so despite the plus matchup against Pittsburgh this weekend, he won't be a recommended fantasy start for those still playing for a championship late in the year. If Greene doesn't suffer a setback on Sunday, he'll be more appealing in fantasy lineups for his final start of the year next week, which is lined up against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Before his elbow injury, Greene took a step forward in 2024 as a first-time All-Star with a 9-4 record, career-best 2.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and a 162:53 K:BB in 143 1/3 innings over his 24 starts.
Sep 20   
Blake Dunn  • LF  •  Reds

Blake Dunn Has Game Of Firsts On Thursday

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Blake Dunn had a game to remember on Thursday, hitting his first major league homer and swiping his first two major league bases in a 15-3 loss against the Atlanta Braves. Dunn hit the homer off Chris Sale, so it wasn't a cheapy. The 26-year-old has mostly been a bench bat for the Reds in his brief major league time, so opportunities have been limited. He also hasn't hit well, but maybe this game will spark something. He won't matter for fantasy unless something big changes, but this was a nice little game for Dunn nonetheless.
Sep 20   
Will Benson  • RF  •  Reds

Will Benson Out Again Versus Braves

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Will Benson (finger) is out of the lineup again on Thursday versus the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park. Benson injured his left middle finger on Sept. 12 and hasn't played since, but apparently he's feeling better after coming off the bench in the team's last two games. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger will continue to be an outfield bench bat to close out the season. He does have 14 round-trippers on the year and 14 stolen bases in 328 at-bats, but he's hitting just .192 (63-for-328). Benson has played in just seven games in the month of September and has only one hit, an RBI, three walks and five strikeouts in his 13 plate appearances. Since the All-Star break, he's hit .200 (14-for-70) with four homers, four doubles, 10 RBI, nine walks and 30 strikeouts in 79 plate appearances.
Sep 19   
Brandon Williamson  • SP  •  Reds

Brandon Williamson Set To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Brandon Williamson (elbow) suffered a full UCL tear and will need Tommy John surgery, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Williamson has battled injuries all summer and just made his 2024 debut earlier in September. Through this small stint, the 26-year-old held a 3.77 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP across 14 1/3 innings of work. The TCU product made his MLB debut last season and posted a 4.46 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP across 117 frames. The former second-round selection should be expected to miss the entire 2025 campaign and will now set his sights on returning in the 2026 campaign.
Sep 18   
LEGEND
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