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Eugenio Suarez Eugenio Suarez Improving, but not close
Fri, May 8, 2026, 1:38 PM
Suarez (oblique) took 50 swings Thursday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
Analysis: Reds manager Terry Francona noted Friday that Suarez's left oblique strain is about 50 percent better. Suarez will rest for a few days after Thursday's workout before ramping things back up. While the veteran slugger is improving, his return is not imminent. Nathaniel Lowe will continue to be the Reds' primary designated hitter while Suarez is out. |
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Rhett Lowder Rhett Lowder Gets injection, not going on IL yet
Fri, May 8, 2026, 1:22 PM
Lowder was given an injection in the AC joint of his right shoulder after an MRI on Friday came back negative, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
Analysis: Lowder had to be lifted from Thursday's start versus the Cubs with right shoulder discomfort, but he's been cleared of structural damage and could throw a bullpen session as soon as Sunday if he responds well to the injection. A trip to the injured list remains a distinct possibility, but the Reds will not make a roster move with Lowder just yet. |
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Jose Franco Jose Franco Dispatched to minors
Fri, May 8, 2026, 12:48 PM
The Reds optioned Franco to Triple-A Louisville on Friday.
Analysis: He's exiting the roster to make space for Nick Lodolo (finger), who is back from the injured list to make his season debut Friday. Franco has been shaky during his time with the big club this season, posting a 4.30 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and 12:11 K:BB over 14.2 innings. The 25-year-old will likely go back into the rotation at Louisville. |
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Nick Lodolo Nick Lodolo Activated ahead of season debut
Fri, May 8, 2026, 12:46 PM
The Reds activated Lodolo (finger) from the 15-day injured list Friday.
Analysis: After missing the first six weeks of the season with a blister on his left index finger, Lodolo is set to make his season debut Friday with a start at home against the Astros. The left-hander threw 79 pitches in his final rehab start, so he's not expected to have any real workload limitations. Lodolo contributed a 3.33 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 156:31 K:BB across 156.2 innings for Cincinnati last season. |
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Sal Stewart Sal Stewart Snaps RBI drought in loss
Thu, May 7, 2026, 9:21 PM
Stewart went 1-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 8-3 loss to the Cubs.
Analysis: Stewart went deep in the sixth inning of Shota Imanaga, his 10th home run of the season and first RBI in 11 games. The rookie has been grinding of late and entered Thursday's contest on a 4-for-40 (.100) run over the last 10 games. |
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Blake Dunn Blake Dunn Homers in loss
Thu, May 7, 2026, 9:14 PM
Dunn started in right field and went 2-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Thursday's 8-3 loss to the Cubs.
Analysis: Dunn made his first start for the Reds since being called up Sunday, as the right-handed hitter stepped in against Chicago lefty Shota Imanaga. Until Thursday, Dunn was used as a pinch runner in his first three appearances. |
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Rhett Lowder Rhett Lowder MRI coming Friday
Thu, May 7, 2026, 9:06 PM
Lowder (shoulder) will undergo an MRI on Friday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Lowder was removed in the fourth inning of Thursday's game with right shoulder discomfort. Reds manager Terry Francona said he didn't believe Lowder was in a lot of discomfort, but Friday's imaging should present a clearer picture and inform the next steps for the right-hander. Lowder acknowledged that he had been dealing with something in the right shoulder, which may have impacted his previous start May 2, when he allowed eight runs, five hits and four walks over 1.1 innings. |
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Connor Phillips Connor Phillips Struggles again Thursday
Thu, May 7, 2026, 7:52 PM
Phillips was pressed into action Thursday against the Cubs after Rhett Lowder (shoulder) left in the fourth inning, and proceeded to allow five runs on four hits and a walk in one inning.
Analysis: It's tempting to give Phillips a little bit of grace given the circumstances of his entry into the game, and because of a mental mistake made by catcher Tyler Stephenson. But this isn't his first recent disaster outing, including one last weekend where he walked all four batters that he faced. For the season he has 21 walks allowed in 20 innings, and thus can't be a serious candidate for saves for the Reds even with Emilio Pagan (hamstring) out. |
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Rhett Lowder Rhett Lowder Leaves game with trainer
Thu, May 7, 2026, 2:30 PM
Lowder was removed from Thursday's game against the Cubs with right shoulder discomfort, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
Analysis: Lowder was able to make it through three innings Thursday, giving up one earned run on a solo homer from Michael Conforto. Lowder came out for the start of the fourth but was visited on the mound by a trainer after walking the first two batters he faced in the inning. The severity of his injury remains unknown, but the Reds may send the right-hander in for imaging to determine whether he's dealing with a structural issue. |
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Julian Aguiar Julian Aguiar Shelved at Triple-A
Thu, May 7, 2026, 2:23 PM
Triple-A Louisville placed Aguiar on its 7-day injured list April 9 due to an unspecified injury.
Analysis: Aguiar missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from Oct. 11, 2024 Tommy John surgery, but he received a clean bill of health coming into spring training. He secured a spot in Louisville's season-opening rotation and posted a 9.28 ERA, 1.88 WHIP and 12:8 K:BB in 102. innings over three starts before hitting the shelf. Aguiar owns a spot on the Reds' 40-man roster, but he's buried on the organization's starting pitching depth chart and has now been out of action for nearly a month, which makes it unlikely that he contributes to the big club anytime soon. |
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Nathaniel Lowe Nathaniel Lowe Absent from lineup
Thu, May 7, 2026, 10:37 AM
Lowe is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs.
Analysis: Lowe had made 13 straight starts, as he's settled in as the everyday designated hitter since Eugenio Suarez (oblique) went on the injured list. Elly De La Cruz is getting a day at DH while Lowe gets some rest. |
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JJ Bleday JJ Bleday Hits in five straight
Thu, May 7, 2026, 7:45 AM
Bleday went 2-for-5 with an RBI and was caught stealing in Wednesday's 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Cubs.
Analysis: Bleday's two-hit night upped a hit streak to five games, during which he's 7-for-20 with a double, three home runs, five RBI and five runs scored. The attempted steal was his first in nine games for Cincinnati, but speed has not historically been a feature of Bleday's game -- he's stolen 12 bases (caught seven times) over 409 MLB games prior to this season. The lefty-hitting outfielder has become a lineup regular against right-handers since being called up from the minors last week and recently moved to second in the order. |
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Spencer Steer Spencer Steer Sparks ninth-inning rally
Wed, May 6, 2026, 10:31 PM
Steer went 1-for-5 with a solo home run during the Reds' 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.
Analysis: Steer was having a quiet night at the plate until he smacked a solo home run off Corbin Martin in the ninth, which kick-started the Reds' four-run frame that gave the team a 6-4 lead heading into the bottom of the frame. The long ball also extended Steer's hitting streak to nine games, and in that span he has gone 11-for-31 (.355) with two home runs, six RBI and three runs scored. |
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Matt McLain Matt McLain Smacks homer Wednesday
Wed, May 6, 2026, 10:28 PM
McLain went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during the Reds' 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.
Analysis: McClain cut the Reds' deficit to 4-2 after smacking a solo homer off Colin Rea in the fifth inning. It broke McClain's six-game hitless streak (when he went 0-for-17 with four strikeouts), and his long ball Wednesday was his third of the season. |
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Elly De La Cruz Elly De La Cruz Logs three RBI with zero hits
Wed, May 6, 2026, 10:10 PM
De La Cruz went 0-for-4 with three RBI during the Reds' 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.
Analysis: De La Cruz put the Reds on the board early after his groundout in the first inning brought TJ Friedl home. De La Cruz played a key role in the Reds' ninth-inning rally, when his fly ball to deep-right field was barely caught by Seiya Suzuki, but it was enough for the rare sacrifice fly to bring two runners home to give Cincinnati a 6-4 lead. It was the fourth time this season that De La Cruz logged at least three RBI in a game, and his 29 RBI is tied for ninth-most in the majors this season. |
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Brady Singer Brady Singer Yields four runs in no-decision
Wed, May 6, 2026, 10:01 PM
Singer did not factor into Wednesday's decision against the Cubs. He allowed four runs on six hits and one walk while striking out six across six innings.
Analysis: Singer put the Reds in an early 2-1 hole after yielding a two-run homer to Ian Happ in the first. Singer gave up another two runs in the fourth and allowed at least one baserunner in five of six frames, though he escaped with the no-decision after his Reds teammates took a 6-4 lead after a four-run rally in the ninth. Singer has allowed four runs and at least six hits in back-to-back games and sits at a 5.63 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 26:10 K:BB across 38.1 innings this season. He'll look to get back into the win column in his next start, which is lined up for next week at home against the Nationals. |
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Graham Ashcraft Graham Ashcraft Blows save chance Wednesday
Wed, May 6, 2026, 9:52 PM
Ashcraft blew his save opportunity during the Reds' 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Cubs on Wednesday. He allowed two runs on two hits while striking out one in the ninth inning.
Analysis: The Reds' four-run rally in the top of the ninth inning gave the team a two-run lead. With Tony Santillan being used Tuesday, manager Terry Francona turned to Ashcraft to close things out in the bottom of the frame. Ashcraft opened the inning strongly by striking out Michael Busch, but after yielding a single to Carson Kelly, Ashcraft's 89 mph slider was smacked to left-center field by Pete Crow-Armstrong for a two-run homer to tie the game at 6-6. With Emilio Pagan expected to miss the next 4-to-8 weeks due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, Ashcraft and Santillan figure to be the top closer options for the Reds. However, more outings like Wednesday's could result in Ashcraft being used as the setup arm for Santillan for as long as Pagan is sidelined. |
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Tyler Stephenson Tyler Stephenson Not starting Wednesday
Wed, May 6, 2026, 5:41 PM
Stephenson is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.
Analysis: Stephenson appears to be receiving a routine breather after he started behind the plate in five of the Reds' previous six games. Jose Trevino will get the nod at catcher Wednesday. |
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Ke'Bryan Hayes Ke'Bryan Hayes Taking seat Wednesday
Wed, May 6, 2026, 5:40 PM
Hayes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.
Analysis: Hayes occupied third base for the first two games of the series and went 1-for-7 with a home run and a walk. The long ball -- Hayes's second of the season -- actually brought his batting average up to .121 on the season. He'll cede the hot corner to Sal Stewart on Wednesday and could see his playing time start to dwindle a bit more if he remains an easy out at the plate. |
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Emilio Pagan Emilio Pagan Expected to miss 4-to-8 weeks
Wed, May 6, 2026, 4:05 PM
Pagan said Wednesday that he's been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and is expected to be sidelined 4-to-8 weeks, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Analysis: Pagan aggravated a nagging hamstring issue on his first pitch of an appearance during Tuesday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Cubs and was placed on the 15-day injured list earlier Wednesday. With Pagan slated to miss at least a month of action, the Reds are likely to turn to Tony Santillan at closer, with Graham Ashcraft also potentially in the mix. |
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