The Cincinnati Reds are turning to one of their top prospects as they make a roster move ahead of their series against the Chicago Cubs.
Edwin Arroyo, once the organization’s No. 2-ranked prospect, is being promoted to take the place of infielder Ke'Bryan Hayes, who is headed to the injured list with a groin injury, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Arroyo’s first run in the majors was rocky. In his Major League debut, he had trouble adjusting to big-league pitching and hit just .244/.286/.282 in 131 at-bats, with four extra-base hits, five walks and 31 strikeouts. He was also the team’s primary second baseman when Elly De La Cruz went on the injured list at the end of May.
His return to Triple-A Louisville hasn’t exactly produced eye-popping numbers either, even though he was activated on August 1. He’s batting .265/.359/.500 with four home runs, but the bigger issue has been his chase rate. At Louisville, he swung at pitches out of the zone 37.7 percent of the time, and that number has stayed high in the majors at 38.5 percent.
With Cincinnati sitting nine games out of a Wild Card spot, the move makes sense as a chance to give Arroyo regular at-bats and some runway at the big-league level. If the Reds are looking ahead, this is a chance to see what he can carry into next season, if there will be a season.
The roster shuffle comes after Eugenio Suarez and TJ Friedl were placed on waivers earlier this week. That gave the other 29 teams a chance to claim either player without a trade, but neither one was claimed. Both remain with the Reds, at least for the upcoming Cubs series.
Friedl’s season has been especially rough. The 31-year-old is hitting only .158/.242/.234, and the on-base ability that once defined his game has vanished.
He has drawn just 20 walks, and his athleticism has clearly taken a hit, affecting both his defense and his ability to reach on bunt attempts. The source material notes surprise if the Reds tender his contract this offseason if he isn’t outright released by the end of the year.
Suarez has been more productive than Friedl, but still far short of what the Reds needed. He’s hitting .208 with a .705 OPS, his lowest OPS since his rookie season in 2014 with Detroit.
He has 35 extra-base hits and 57 RBI, well below the standard he set in each of the previous two seasons when he topped 100 RBI. It’s almost certain Cincinnati will not exercise its share of his $15 million mutual option for next season.
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