When the Reds acquired Dane Myers this winter, he looked like the kind of depth piece who could bounce between Cincinnati and Triple-A Louisville without making much noise. The projections backed that up, pegging him for only about 25 big-league games in 2026. Instead, Myers has turned a low-profile move into a real weapon for the Reds.
A big part of that rise has come from a skill set that doesn’t always show up on a lineup card: pinch-hitting. Myers has become Cincinnati’s preferred bat off the bench, and he has made that role matter.
He has appeared 32 times as a pinch-hitter this season, going 10-for-30 with five doubles and a home run. Before 2026, he had gone just 4-for-30 in those situations.
That production has already delivered in a big spot. Earlier this week, Myers hit a two-out homer in the ninth inning to send the game against the St Louis Cardinals into extras. He’s also done his best work when the pressure is highest, batting .298 in high-leverage situations compared to .253 in low-leverage ones.
The Reds never seemed to view him as a headline addition. Myers had just put together his first full-time run with the Miami Marlins in 2025, appearing in 106 games and splitting time between center field and right. When Cincinnati brought him in, the expectation was that he would share time with JJ Bleday, whom the club had signed just days earlier.
That fit made sense on paper, especially with Myers owning an .820 OPS against lefties and a .584 mark against righties. But his bench work has become the bigger story, and it’s what has kept his bat in the mix even when he isn’t in the starting lineup.
Myers has also benefited from the changing shape of the Reds’ outfield. The downturns by TJ Friedl and Noelvi Marte have opened up playing time in center and right, turning what looked like set spots into competition. Since coming off the injured list in mid-July, Myers has had trouble locking down starts, even as he’s made the most of the chances he gets.
He started only 20 of the first 83 games, yet he currently leads the club with a .260 batting average. That kind of production has kept him in the conversation with Bleday, Héctor Rodríguez, and Michael Toglia for at-bats.
For all the bench damage he’s done, Myers still looks like the kind of player who can fit into a longer-term plan. He handles center field well, runs the bases with confidence, and stays ready even when he isn’t in the lineup. That profile could make him more than a short-term fix as Terry Francona shapes the Reds’ outfield depth chart for 2027.
Myers put it plainly on making the most of his move to center field: "I wouldn't mind staying here (in Cincinnati) for a long time."
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Reds Suddenly Face Another Lineup Concern With Michael Toglia
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Terry Francona said there is some optimism around Toglias recovery, though the next round of testing will help determine how soon he can move forward. For a Reds team trying to keep its lineup intact down the stretch, any absence in the middle of the order or on the bench can complicate the day-to-day mix, and this one now leaves Cincinnati waiting on a clearer timetable. [Read more 🡒]