The Cincinnati Reds made two roster changes on their off day. They sent outfielder TJ Friedl and left-handed reliever Alex Young to join the Triple-A Louisville Bats to start their rehab assignments.
Friedl suffered a broken wrist during spring training on March 17th while attempting a diving catch. It has been just over six weeks since the injury.
Cincinnati’s offense has been struggling in Friedl’s absence, with the worst batting average in the National League at .218. Only the Marlins have a lower on-base percentage. Although the Reds are average in slugging percentage, they’re still below the league average. Friedl, who had a .279/.352/.467 batting line, should improve the offense and provide better defense and speed on the bases. However, there’s concern about his performance coming off a wrist injury, but power isn’t a significant part of his game.
Alex Young has been dealing with low back disc degeneration and hasn’t played a regular-season game this year. He only pitched one game during spring training, giving up six runs (five earned) on four hits, including a home run, and two walks, without recording an out.
Young pitched 53.2 innings in 63 appearances for the Reds in 2023, posting a 3.86 ERA with 20 walks, 50 strikeouts, and 10 home runs allowed. Cincinnati’s bullpen has been average this season with a 4.02 ERA, ranking 18th in baseball, likely influenced by the Great American Ball Park.
Since Young had minimal spring training, he will likely spend significant time with Louisville to work his way back. Pitchers have up to 30 days on a rehab assignment, so he could be there for the entire month. Position players are limited to 20 days, but Friedl may not need all of them.
