Cincinnati Reds: Five players most likely to snag 26th spot on the roster

3. Alex Blandino, Infielder

Alex Blandino has minor-league options remaining, so his inclusion on the 26-man roster is a bit more flexible than Mark Payton or Travis Jankowski, both of whom are out of options. However, with the injury to Eugenio Suárez and the lack of depth at shortstop behind Freddy Galvis, Blandino’s inclusion on the roster may be quite necessary when the season begins.

Without a solid backup at shortstop, Kyle Farmer may be the first player off the Reds bench should Galvis get hurt or need a day off. While Farmer spent his entire career playing up the middle of the infield during his college days at Georgia, the 29-year-old has only played one inning there since becoming a professional.

Enter Alex Blandino, who played 11 games at shortstop during the 2018 season before succumbing to a knee injury that robbed him of the majority of the 2019 season. Blandino also the ability to play all over the diamond, including third base – something that may come in handy if Suárez misses considerable time to begin the season.

Blandino is not going to dazzle anyone with a lot of pop in his bat, but the former first-round pick does get on base. For his career, the 27-year-old has a career-OBP of .349 and had an on-base percentage of .420 in 36 at-bats last season. Blandino could be a nice addition as the 26th man on the Reds roster, but does have minor-league options remaining should he not cut the mustard during camp.