4 Reds who should be nervous after Jacob Hurtubise DFA

The Cincinnati Reds, somewhat surprisingly, designated outfielder Jacob Hurtubise for assignment over the weekend. The former West Point graduate was DFA'd in order to make room on the 40-man roster for utility infielder Ryan Vilade who was claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Hurtubise, who made the 2025 Reds Opening Day roster, had fallen out of favor with the organization. Not only did Hurtubise fail to make much of an impact at the major league-level, but his performance in Triple-A was uninspiring as well. Before being removed from the Reds 40-man roster, Hurtubise was hitting just .144/.336/.186 with the Louisville Bats.

After adding Vilade and former Boston Red Sox pitcher Brian Van Belle over the weekend, the Reds roster is now full. But with the MLB trade deadline quickly approaching and a handful of prospects making a play for the big league roster, these four Reds players should be nervous about their status in the coming weeks.

4 Reds who should be nervous after Jacob Hurtubise DFA

Sam Moll, Reds pitcher

Sam Moll will get a longer leash than he should simply because he's a left-handed pitcher. However, with Joe La Sorsa now on the Reds 40-man roster, Cincinnati's front office might feel more comfortable parting ways with their 2023 trade deadline acquisition. Moll is currently at Triple-A Louisville and owns a 10.91 ERA and 2.426 WHIP. Lefties are tattooing Moll to the tune of .364/.475/.545.

Blake Dunn, Reds outfielder

The fact that the Reds were willing to part with Hurtubise should be a warning shot to Blake Dunn. Much like Hurtubise, Dunn broke camp with the big league ball club, but fell on his face during the first month of the season. Dunn posted a .150/.320/.233 slash line with the Reds and his numbers at Triple-A (.194/.299/.247) haven't been much better.

Yosver Zulueta, Reds pitcher

The addition of Van Belle won't be welcome news for Yosver Zulueta. The right-hander was already quickly optioned back to Triple-A earlier this season, and his time in the minors has done little to endear himself to the Reds' brass. Since returning to Triple-A in May, Zulueta owns a 5.79 ERA with 10 walks in 14 innings of work. Though opponents are hitting just .180 against him, Zulueta's lack of command has allowed the opposing batters to reach base at a 34.4% clip.

Garrett Hampson, Reds infielder

Vilade and Garrett Hampson are basically the same player, but the latter is out of minor league options. After seeing Matt McLain, Gavin Lux, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Spencer Steer all gather starts are various positions over the past week, Hampson's role with the team appears to be severely limited moving forward. He may be able to stick it out once Jeimer Candelario returns from the IL, but when Noelvi Marte comes back, Hampson will likely be history.

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