The Reds get a chance to reset the mood at Great American Ball Park this weekend, and the timing couldn’t be much better. After dropping the first three games against the Brewers before blowing past Jacob Misiorowski in the finale to avoid the sweep, Cincinnati now turns to a three-game Fourth of July set against the Baltimore Orioles.
Cincinnati comes in at 40-46, while Baltimore arrives at 40-48. Friday night opens with Brady Singer (3-7) on the mound for the Reds against Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers (5-7), a matchup that looks about as even as it gets on paper.
Saturday is the one everyone will be watching. Hunter Greene is expected to make his season debut for Cincinnati, and the Orioles will counter with Brandon Young (6-2). With Greene back in the mix and Young having put together the kind of season that can make a game feel bigger than the calendar says it is, there’s real potential for a memorable Independence Day showdown.
The series wraps up with Nick Lodolo (2-2) going for the Reds against Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish (5-8).
For a Reds team still hanging around the edges of the National League Wild Card race, this is the kind of series that matters. A win here would do more than just add to the record.
It would give Cincinnati something to carry into the second half after a long first half of the 2026 season that has left the club limping toward the all-star break. And with Greene’s return looming, the weekend carries a little extra weight.
If the Reds are going to find their spark, this is the sort of series where it could start.
In Other News...
Reds Cannot Afford To Get This Chase Petty Decision Wrong
With Eugenio Suarez out and Elly De La Cruz dealing with ankle concern, the Reds are already navigating the kind of injury pileup that can quickly tighten a roster. In the middle of that, Chase Petty has given Cincinnati a useful look in relief, showing enough promise to matter in the present while also reminding the club why he remains more than just a short-term bullpen arm.
The larger question is whether the Reds should keep treating Petty like a help-now reliever or use this stretch to pull him back into a starters path before the deadline reshapes the rotation. Hunter Greenes return could change how Cincinnati handles the innings ahead, especially if the front office decides to move pieces such as Brady Singer or Nick Lodolo, and Pettys next decision may say as much about the clubs long-term planning as any trade it makes this month. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Are Back In The Same Center Field Dilemma Again
The Reds are right back in search mode in center field, and TJ Friedls return from Triple-A gives them the most familiar option to sort through the mess. Friedl was recalled after being optioned in early June, a reset that followed an 18-game stint in Louisville, while Blake Dunn landed on the injured list with an elbow strain and opened up another hole in the lineup mix.
For now, Friedl looks like the leading candidate to handle center, with Dane Myers, Noelvi Marte, JJ Bleday and Matt McLain all in the picture as the staff keeps shuffling pieces around. Dunns injury also nudged Elly De La Cruz into the leadoff spot, which only adds another layer to the clubs latest lineup puzzle as it tries to stabilize the middle of the diamond. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Fans Had Every Reason To Fear This Gavin Lux Trade
When the Reds sent Mike Sirota to the Dodgers for Gavin Lux, the move was sold as a chance to get an established big leaguer while dealing from a prospect stash. It also immediately carried the kind of downside Cincinnati fans know too well with player-for-player swaps, because the club was betting on Lux stabilizing the infield and adding some needed offense while giving up a young talent with plenty of upside.
Instead, the trade has quickly tilted the wrong way for Cincinnatis side of it. Lux did not give the Reds the lift they needed, and his time in the field and at the plate never really delivered the payoff the front office was chasing before he was later flipped again for Brock Burke. Meanwhile, the loss of Sirota keeps looking more painful, which is why this deal keeps coming up as a cautionary tale every time the Reds are reminded how thin the margin can be on deadline-style roster moves. [Read more 🡒]