Terry Francona Opens Up on Eugenio Suarez's Slow Start

The Cincinnati Reds brought Eugenio Suarez back on a one-year, $15 million deal this past offseason with the expectation that his bat would carry the middle of their lineup.

The 34-year-old was coming off one of the best years of his career in 2025, hitting 49 home runs and driving in 118 runs while earning his second career All-Star nod between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners.

Those numbers made him one of the most appealing free agents on the market, and the Reds jumped at the chance to bring back a player who spent seven seasons in Cincinnati earlier in his career.

But 63 games into the 2026 season, Suarez has not come close to that level.

The designated hitter is hitting just .209 with four home runs and 16 RBI.

His struggles were on display again Saturday as the Reds fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5, dropping Cincinnati to 31-32.

After Saturday's loss, Reds manager Terry Francona was asked about what has gone wrong for Suarez and pointed to a problem that started well before the regular season.

Suarez represented Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic this spring, hitting the go-ahead RBI double in the ninth inning of the championship game to help Venezuela take the gold medal.

It was a great moment for Suarez and his country, but it also meant he missed close to four weeks of spring training camp.

"If you look at a lot of the WBC guys, there's been a lot of injuries, a lot of guys are struggling. Because it's different," Francona said. "I know a lot of people poo-poo spring training, but when you do it right, there's a reason for having it. And then he got hurt and he missed time again."

The injury Francona was talking about was a left oblique strain that landed Suarez on the injured list in late April, costing him a full month.

He came back on May 22 after just two rehab games, and since returning he has not been able to find any rhythm at the plate.

Francona called Suarez's season "disjointed," and it is hard to argue with that.

Between the WBC pulling him out of camp, the oblique injury keeping him off the field, and a rushed return from the IL, Suarez has never really had a chance to settle in.

That is a tough reality for a team that brought him back specifically to provide power and lineup protection behind young hitters like Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart.

The good news for Cincinnati is that Suarez has shown he can turn things around fast.

He did it in 2025, going from a .196 average through the first three months to one of the best second-half stretches in baseball.

The Reds, currently sitting fifth in the NL Central behind the 34-28 Cardinals and first-place Brewers, need that version of Suarez to show up soon if they want to stay in the playoff conversation.