The Reds just handed Héctor Rodríguez the kind of opening young players dream about, and the kind they can blow in a hurry.
With Noelvi Marte optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday, Cincinnati effectively cleared the runway for Rodríguez to become the club’s de facto right fielder. That’s a major shift for a rookie who only got the call to the majors a little over two weeks ago and had been stuck with uneven playing time while Marte was still on the active roster.
The path was always there in pieces. JJ Bleday is locked into left field, which left right as Rodríguez’s best shot at steady work. Now the job is his to grab.
He already gave the Reds a taste of what that can look like on Monday in Game 2 of their doubleheader with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Starting in right field, Rodríguez delivered his first RBI hit in the majors with a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull Cincinnati even at 4-4. The Reds went on to win in extra innings on Elly De La Cruz’s walk-off single.
Rodríguez arrived after the trade deadline with a specific mission: add some left-handed pop after Cincinnati sent Nathaniel Lowe to the Cleveland Guardians on August 3. So far, the numbers have been rough. He’s 3-for-31 (.097) with eight strikeouts and three walks since the promotion, and the free-swinging approach that defines him has shown up quickly at the big league level.
That matters, because it’s the same kind of offensive profile that pushed Marte back to the minors. If Rodríguez wants to stay on the roster through the end of the season, he’ll have to tighten things up.
The bigger picture is simple enough. Cincinnati doesn’t have a real alternative in right field.
Bleday can handle both corners, but left is his better fit because of his arm strength. Spencer Steer can also move to either corner, though he’s a better defender on the infield dirt than out on the grass.
And there aren’t any top outfield prospects waiting in the upper levels of the minors.
So the Reds are giving Rodríguez a real chance to settle in. He should get a fairly long leash over the next several weeks, and if he wants to shape his place in the organization beyond this season, the opportunity is right there in front of him.
In Other News...
Spencer Steer Update Could Force A Tough Reds Decision
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The more pressing watch, though, is Spencer Steer, who is due for a wrist re-evaluation that could determine whether surgery becomes necessary. Any update there would ripple beyond Steer himself, since the Reds have already had to manage lineup uncertainty and can ill afford another extended absence from a player theyve had to count on in multiple roles. For a club trying to keep momentum while navigating injuries and roster churn, this is the kind of situation that could force a difficult decision soon. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Face An Elly De La Cruz Question They Cant Ignore
Terry Francona has made it clear he would rather not keep Elly De La Cruz in the leadoff spot, even with the switch-hitting star still giving the Reds all the traits that normally make a lineup look better at the top. De La Cruz brings speed, plate discipline and the kind of dynamic threat Cincinnati can build around, but the way he has been used has also put extra pressure on both him and Sal Stewart in the heart of the order.
The bigger question is whether the Reds can find a cleaner answer before next season, because this is not a problem that looks likely to solve itself. De La Cruzs slump has come at the same time the club has struggled, and a more traditional table-setter would make sense in theory, but the available choices may not fit Cincinnatis budget or roster needs all that well. [Read more 🡒]
Tommy Pham Just Piled Onto A Reds Frustration Fans Already Feel
A dropped fly ball was bad enough for the Reds to absorb in a game against the Cardinals, but the noise around it only grew after Tommy Pham took the criticism public on social media. Pham, who spent time with Cincinnati before moving on and is now in the minor leagues in the Phillies organization, took aim at Dane Myers and suggested the outfielder had put personal numbers ahead of the team, a charge that immediately stirred debate.
For Reds fans already bracing for another round of frustration, the episode added an unwelcome layer to a loss that might otherwise have faded quickly. Phams limited role this season gives his comments a certain awkwardness all their own, but they still landed in a familiar place for Cincinnati: another distraction attached to a team trying to sort out the basics while the conversation turns somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]