Bizarre timing of Reds' latest lineup decision leaves more questions than answers

Updated at 2:02 p.m. ET on 7/12/25: The Reds activated Jake Fraley from the IL and optioned Christian Encarnacion-Strand to Triple-A Louisville.

The Cincinnati Reds lost a tough one to the Colorado Rockies on Friday night at Great American Ball Park. A wild pitch in the eighth inning gave the Rockies a 3-2 lead, the Reds couldn't rally, and fell to 48-47 on the season with two left games left before the All-Star break.

The Reds, however, are bracing for some reinforcements ahead of Saturday's game against the Rockies. FanDuel Sports Network reporter Annie Sabo revealed during Friday's game that Cincinnati is expected to activate outfielder Jake Fraley before the Reds take the field for Game 2 of the three-game series on Saturday. Fraley had been dealing with a partially torn labrum, but after receiving a cortisone shot, will attempt to play through the injury.

But why is Cincinnati activating Fraley with two days remaining before the All-Star break? While all signs point to the right fielder being ready, willing, and able to play, this was his second stint on the IL this season, and Fraley has a long history of injuries since joining the Reds. He's courageously battled through knee, wrist, and toe ailments over the years, and it would seem that some added rest would do him some good.

Are the Reds rushing Jake Fraley back too quickly?

The Rockies also have a left-handed starter set to toe the rubber on Sunday. Austin Gomber will get the ball for Colorado for the final game of the series, and that will undoubtedly push Fraley onto the bench at the outset. For his career, Fraley owns a .501 OPS against southpaws and has only received four at-bats against lefties this season. This effectively means that Fraley might be in the lineup for just one game before the All-Star break.

Unless there's an underlying injury Reds fans aren't aware of, Fraley's activation will almost assuredly cost Connor Joe his spot on the active roster. Joe has been one of Terry Francona's go-to players against left-handers this season, and has a career .750 OPS against left-handed pitching.

It's also not as if there's a severe dropoff from Fraley to Will Benson. Both are left-handed hitting outfielders with above-avearge speed and a solid glove in right field. Benson, however, has struggled mightily over the past few weeks. He's hitting just .227 over his last 44 plate appearances.

Perhaps the Reds are just hoping to get one of their team leaders back in the dugout for the final two games before the All-Star break. Fraley, who's been part of the Reds organization since 2022, is one of the most tenured players on Cincinnati's roster. Outside of TJ Friedl, Tony Santillan, and Tyler Stephenson, no one has been part of the active roster longer than Fraley.

While the timing itself is odd, the Reds could certainly use Fraley's bat back in the lineup. Cincinnati has struggled to score runs this week, and before landing on the IL, Fraley was hitting .289 with a homer and six RBIs over a 15-game stretch. Every game counts, and if Fraley helps Cincinnati add another couple of wins before the All-Star break, the bizarre timing of the roster decision will be forgotten.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors