Cincinnati Reds Make Roster Move Before Pirates Game

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Blake Dunn has been a pleasant surprise this season. After posting an OPS under .600 in his first two seasons in the big leagues, his offense has taken a step forward in 2026.

Across 155 plate appearances, he has posted a .282 batting average, .335 on-base percentage and .723 OPS with two home runs and seven RBIs. Up until this season, most of Dunn's value had come in the outfield, where he has routinely graded out as a plus defender capable of handling multiple positions at an elite level.

Unfortunately, his best big-league season has been interrupted by injury. Dunn left Friday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates after feeling a popping sensation while making a throw to home plate and subsequently missed Saturday's game. The brief rest was not enough.

"The Reds today recalled OF TJ Friedl from Triple-A Louisville and placed OF Blake Dunn (right elbow sprain) on the 10-day Injured List, retro to 6/27," the team wrote on X.

With Dunn sidelined, it made sense for the Reds to go with Friedl as his replacement given both are outfielders and Friedl has plenty of big-league experience. However, his 2026 season has been well below his standards, which is ultimately why he was optioned down to Triple-A in June.

Across 47 games, he accumulated -0.6 bWAR while posting a .179 batting average, .259 on-base percentage and .515 OPS with just two home runs and eight RBIs. He was expected to be a productive leadoff option and was anything but.

While his return to the big leagues comes because of an injury, the hope is that his reset in the minors has made a difference.

Historically, Friedl has been an above-average hitter, and in 2023, his best season, he even earned National League MVP votes. There are reasons for optimism too, as he has posted a .271 batting average at Triple-A Louisville during his time down there, suggesting the swing is trending in the right direction.

The Reds will hope Friedl can at least produce at the level Dunn was before going down. Cincinnati enters Sunday's game trying to climb out of last place in the NL Central, and losing one of their better outfielders at this point in the season is a blow they cannot afford.

Getting something close to Dunn's production from Friedl would go a long way toward helping the Reds earn a second straight playoff berth.