The Cincinnati Reds got a welcome update from the minors on Tuesday: Alfredo Duno is back.
Double-A Chattanooga activated the catcher and top prospect from the injured list after he spent nearly a month out with a right hamstring strain. Duno hurt himself while running out a ground ball on July 29 and had been sidelined since.
That’s a big boost for Cincinnati’s system, especially because the 20-year-old was producing before the injury. Across High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga, Duno hit .266/.391/.510 and piled up 37 extra-base hits.
MLB Pipeline still views him as one of the game’s premier young talents, ranking him No. 22 overall. Before the season, MLB Pipeline wrote: "Duno quickly got back to showing off impressive bat speed and raw power once he was fully healthy, routinely putting up elite-level exit velocities," MLB Pipeline wrote before the season. "His approach and swing decisions have also improved, with his walk rate jumping up while cutting his strikeout rate and keeping his chase to a minimum, giving even more confidence that he’ll keep hitting, and getting to his power -- which has shown up mostly to his pull side thus far -- as he progresses."
While Duno returns to action, the Reds are still trying to clean up some ugly numbers against the rest of the National League. Cincinnati is 13-27 against NL Central opponents this season, a .325 winning percentage that ranks second-worst in baseball, ahead of only the Nationals. Overall, the Reds are 34-53 in the National League.
Their division work has been especially rough. Cincinnati has taken only three series from NL Central teams, with two of those coming against the Pirates. The flip side has been interleague play, where the Reds have gone 28-17 against American League opponents, good for the fifth-best record in baseball.
The offense has also had trouble cashing in on the road trip. Over the first four games, Cincinnati has gone 6-for-32 (.188) with runners in scoring position, and only one of those hits has gone for extra bases. That issue has followed the club all year, with Reds hitters slashing just .216/.310/.377 in those spots.
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