The Cincinnati Reds made a decision involving Noelvi Marte after his first 11 games of the MLB season.
The Cincinnati Reds are entering the third full week of the season searching for answers on offense, and one of the biggest concerns has been the slow start from outfielder Noelvi Marte.
The lineup as a whole has struggled to find consistency, creating a sense of urgency for a team that expects to contend in the National League Central. Marte, once viewed as a foundational piece of the franchise’s future, has opened the year in a prolonged slump that left the Reds with a difficult but necessary roster decision on Monday.
“The #Reds today optioned to Triple-A Louisville OF Noelvi Marte (post-game 4/12),” the Reds wrote on X. Cincinnati is expected to recall outfielder Rece Hinds in Marte’s place.
Marte’s run with the Reds has been filled with ups and downs. The 24-year-old arrived in Cincinnati as the big piece of the blockbuster trade that sent Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners and immediately impressed, hitting .316 with a .366 on-base percentage and .822 OPS in 2023.
But his momentum was derailed the following year when he received an 80-game PED suspension. When he returned late in 2024, he looked lost at the plate.
In 2025 the Reds moved him from third base to right field to accommodate deadline acquisition Ke’Bryan Hayes. The shift ended up helping him. Marte posted solid defensive metrics in right and rebounded offensively, hitting .263 with a .300 on-base percentage, .448 slugging percentage, 14 home runs and 10 steals across 90 games.
This year, however, has been a different story. Marte is hitting .138 with a .194 on-base percentage and .331 OPS through 11 games, with no home runs or RBIs. The Reds could no longer wait for him to find his swing at the major-league level.
If there is a silver lining, it is that Marte is still very young and still has minor league options remaining. There is time for him to reset and work his way back.
In his place, Cincinnati will turn to Hinds, a 25-year-old power hitter who owns a .191 career average but is off to a blistering start at Triple-A, hitting .354 with a .475 on-base percentage and 1.246 OPS, including five home runs. He also crushed Triple-A pitching last year, so this early surge is no fluke.
The Reds need a spark, and Hinds will get the first chance to provide it while Marte works to rediscover the form that once made him one of baseball’s top prospects.