Reds: 3 likely transactions Cincinnati will execute in the coming days

The Cincinnati Reds appear to be getting healthy, and that’s good news for fanbase. Over the past several weeks, some of Cincinnati’s best players have found their way onto the injured list. In turn, we’ve been able to see a couple young prospects make their major league debuts.

While Nick Senzel and Michael Lorenzen may still be several weeks away from returning to the Reds lineup, players like Aristides Aquino and Mike Moustakas are likely to make their return any day now.

However, if anyone is reinstated from there injured list, a corresponding move must be made. With that in mind, what transactions are the Cincinnati faithful likely to see in the coming days? One such move could be unexpected.

1. Reds reinstate Aristides Aquino and option Mark Payton to Triple-A.

We haven’t seen Aristides Aquino on a major league field since April 13th at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The Punisher was sidelined with a broken hamate bone in his hand. Aquino has been on rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville for a little over a week. The right-handed slugger has performed well, with two home runs, three RBIs, and slugging percentage of .769.

On the flip side, Mark Payton just doesn’t seem to have what it takes to be an effective major league player. Payton, in a reserve role, is 4-for-22 good enough for just a .182 batting average. While Payton can play all three outfield spots, so can Aquino.

We know Aristides Aquino can play the corner outfield spots, but The Punisher recently got the starting nod in center field for the Louisville Bats. My best guess is that, until Nick Senzel returns to the lineup, David Bell may platoon the trio of Aquino, Tyler Naquin, and Scott Heineman in center field.

Once he returns to the big leagues, the Cincinnati Reds must keep Aristides Aquino on the 26-man roster or risk exposing the slugger to waivers. Given that just two years Aquino took home Player of the Month honors in August in 2019, it’s highly likely that he’d be claimed.

2. Reds reinstate Mike Moustakas option Scott Heineman to Triple-A.

The reports are that Mike Moustakas will likely return to the Cincinnati Reds lineup during the team’s upcoming road trip. Moose has been out of action since May 18th. The three-time All-Star’s presence has been missed, both on and off the field.

Moustakas is been the unquestioned leader in the clubhouse. Even longtime Reds first baseman Joey Votto has acknowledged Moose’s leadership. That’s a quality that can’t be overstated. Having Moustakas back in action will be a boost to this team.

The most interesting aspect of Mike Moustakas’s return will be how David Bell handles the shortstop position. With Moustakas on the IL for nearly one month, the lion’s share of starts at third base have gone to Eugenio Suarez. Geno looks much more comfortable and confident back at the hot corner than he did playing his old shortstop position.

However I don’t see any way that Bell platoons Moustakas and Suarez at third base. I also don’t see the Reds’ skipper benching India and shifting Moose to the keystone. I believe that we’ll see a return to the original Opening Day infield of Votto at first base, India at second base, Moustakas at third base, and Suarez at shortstop. That’s not ideal defensively, but that’s likely what Reds Country will see when Moose returns.

Once Moustakas is back on the 26-man roster, Scott Heineman will no longer be counted on to sub in for Votto at first base. Though we’ve seen the 28-year-old play more in the outfield than the infield, with Aquino on his way back as well, it’s hard to see the Reds hanging onto six outfielders.